File No. 033-50718
File No. 811-07102
BUYING OR SELLING SHARES THROUGH A FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY
In addition to being able to buy and sell Fund shares directly from the Fund
through its transfer agent, you may also buy or sell shares of the Fund through
accounts with financial intermediaries such as brokers and other institutions
that are authorized to place trades in Fund shares for their customers. When
you purchase or sell Fund shares through a financial intermediary (rather than
directly from the Fund), you may have to transmit your purchase and sale
requests to the financial intermediary at an earlier time for your transaction
to become effective that day. This allows the financial intermediary time to
process your requests and transmit them to the Fund prior to the time the Fund
calculates its NAV that day. Your financial intermediary is responsible for
transmitting all purchase and redemption requests, investment information,
documentation and money to the Fund on time. If your financial intermediary
fails to do so, it may be responsible for any resulting fees or losses. Unless
your financial intermediary is an authorized institution (defined below),
orders transmitted by the financial intermediary and received by the Fund after
the time NAV is calculated for a particular day will receive the following
day's NAV.
Certain financial intermediaries, including certain broker-dealers and
shareholder organizations, are authorized to act as agent on behalf of the Fund
with respect to the receipt of purchase and redemption requests for Fund shares
("authorized institutions"). These requests are executed at the NAV next
determined after the authorized institution receives the request if transmitted
to the Fund's transfer agent in accordance with the Fund's procedures and
applicable law. To determine whether your financial intermediary is an
authorized institution such that it may act as agent on behalf of the Fund with
respect to purchase and redemption requests for Fund shares, you should contact
them directly.
If you deal directly with a financial intermediary, you will have to follow
their procedures for transacting with the Fund. Your financial intermediary may
charge a fee for your purchase and/or redemption transactions. For more
information about how to purchase or sell Fund shares through a financial
intermediary, you should contact your authorized institution directly.
HOW THE FUND CALCULATES NAV
NAV for one Fund share is the value of that share's portion of the net assets
of the Fund. In calculating NAV, the Fund generally values its investment
portfolio at market price. If market prices are not readily available or the
Fund reasonably believes that they are unreliable, such as in the case of a
security value that has been materially affected by events occurring after the
relevant market closes, the Fund is required to price those securities at fair
value as determined in good faith using methods approved by the Fund's Board.
Pursuant to the policies adopted by, and under the ultimate supervision of the
Fund's Board, these methods are implemented through the Fund's Fair Value
Pricing Committee, members of which are appointed by the Board. The Fund's
determination of a security's fair value price often involves the consideration
of a number of subjective factors, and is therefore subject to the unavoidable
risk that the value that the Fund assigns to a security may be higher or lower
than the security's value would be if a reliable market quotation for the
security was readily available.
With respect to any non-U.S. securities held by the Funds, the Funds may take
factors influencing specific markets or issuers into consideration in
determining the fair value of a non-U.S. security. International securities
markets may be open on days when the U.S. markets are closed. In such cases,
the value of any international securities owned by the Funds may be
significantly affected on days when investors cannot buy or sell shares. In
addition, due to the difference in times between the close of the international
markets and the time the Funds price their shares, the value the Funds assign
to securities generally will not be the same as the quoted or published prices
of those securities on their primary markets or exchanges. In determining fair
value prices, the Funds may consider the performance of securities on their
primary exchanges, foreign currency appreciation/depreciation, or securities
market movements in the United States, or other relevant information as related
to the securities.
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When valuing fixed-income securities with remaining maturities of more than 60
days, the Fund uses the value of the security provided by pricing services. The
values provided by a pricing service may be based upon market quotations for
the same security, securities expected to trade in a similar manner or a
pricing matrix. When valuing fixed-income securities with remaining maturities
of 60 days or less, the Fund uses the security's amortized cost. Amortized cost
and the use of a pricing matrix in valuing fixed-income securities are forms of
fair value pricing. Securities, options, futures contracts and other assets
(including swap agreements) for which market quotations are not readily
available will be valued at their fair value as determined in good faith by or
under the direction of the Board.
MINIMUM PURCHASES
You can open an account with the Fund with a minimum initial investment of
$1,000,000 for Institutional Class Shares and $100,000 for Retirement Class
Shares. There is no minimum for subsequent investments in Institutional Class
Shares or Retirement Class Shares of the Fund. The Fund may accept initial
investments of smaller amounts in its sole discretion. The Fund reserves the
right to waive the minimum initial investment in its sole discretion.
FUND CODES
The reference information listed below will be helpful to you when you contact
the Fund to purchase Institutional Class or Retirement Class Shares of the
Fund, check daily NAV or obtain additional information.
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FUND NAME TICKER SYMBOL CUSIP FUND CODE
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LM CAPITAL OPPORTUNISTIC BOND FUND
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Institutional Class Shares LMCOX 00766Y372 258-101
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Retirement Class Shares LMCAX 00766Y364 258-102
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HOW TO SELL YOUR FUND SHARES
If you own your shares directly, you may redeem your shares on any Business Day
by contacting the Fund directly by mail or telephone at 866-330-1111.
If you own your shares through an account with a broker or other institution,
contact that broker or institution to redeem your shares. Your broker or
institution may charge a fee for its services in addition to the fees charged
by the Fund.
If you would like to have your redemption proceeds, including proceeds
generated as a result of closing your account, sent to a third party or an
address other than your own, please notify the Fund in writing.
To protect you and the Fund against fraud, signatures on certain requests must
have a Medallion Signature Guarantee. A Medallion Signature Guarantee verifies
the authenticity of your signature. You may obtain a Medallion Signature
Guarantee from most banking institutions or securities brokers but not from a
notary public. Written instructions signed by all registered shareholders with
a Medallion Signature Guarantee for each shareholder are required for any of
the following:
o written requests to redeem $100,000 or more;
o changes to a shareholder's record name or account registration;
o paying redemption proceeds from an account for which the address has
changed within the last 30 days;
o sending redemption and distribution proceeds to any person, address
or financial institution account not on record;
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o sending redemption and distribution proceeds to an account with a
different registration (name or ownership) from your account; and
o adding or changing ACH or wire instructions, the telephone redemption
or exchange option or any other election in connection with your
account.
The transfer agent reserves the right to require Medallion Signature Guarantees
on all redemptions.
Accounts held by a corporation, trust, fiduciary or partnership, may require
additional documentation along with a signature guaranteed letter of
instruction. Please contact Shareholder Services at 866-330-1111 for more
information. The Fund participates in the Paperless Legal Program. Requests
received with a Medallion Signature Guarantee will be reviewed for the proper
criteria to meet the guidelines of the Program and may not require additional
documentation.
The sale price will be the NAV next determined after the Fund receives your
request.
BY MAIL
To redeem shares by mail, please send a letter to the Fund signed by all
registered parties on the account specifying:
o The Fund name;
o The share class;
o The account number;
o The dollar amount or number of shares you wish to redeem;
o The account name(s); and
o The address to which redemption (sale) proceeds should be sent.
All registered shareholders must sign the letter in the exact name(s) and must
designate any special capacity in which they are registered.
REGULAR MAIL ADDRESS
LM Capital Opportunistic Bond Fund
P.O. Box 588
Portland, ME 04112
EXPRESS MAIL ADDRESS
LM Capital Opportunistic Bond Fund
c/o Atlantic Fund Services, LLC
Three Canal Plaza, Ground Floor
Portland, ME 04101
BY TELEPHONE
You must first establish the telephone redemption privilege (and, if desired,
the wire redemption privilege) by completing the appropriate sections of the
account application. Call 866-330-1111 to redeem your shares. Based on your
instructions, the Fund will mail your proceeds to you, or send them to your
bank via wire or ACH.
RECEIVING YOUR MONEY
Normally, the Fund will send your sale proceeds within seven days after the
Fund receives your request. Your proceeds can be wired to your bank account
(may be subject to a $10 fee), sent to you by check or sent via Automated
Clearing House (ACH) to your bank account once you have established banking
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instructions with the Fund. IF YOU ARE SELLING SHARES THAT WERE RECENTLY
PURCHASED BY CHECK OR THROUGH ACH, REDEMPTION PROCEEDS MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE
UNTIL YOUR CHECK HAS CLEARED OR THE ACH TRANSACTION HAS BEEN COMPLETED (WHICH
MAY TAKE UP TO 15 CALENDAR DAYS FROM YOUR DATE OF PURCHASE).
REDEMPTIONS IN KIND
The Fund generally pays sale (redemption) proceeds in cash. However, under
unusual conditions that make the payment of cash unwise and for the protection
of the Fund's remaining shareholders, the Fund might pay all or part of your
redemption proceeds in securities with a market value equal to the redemption
price (redemption in kind). It is highly unlikely that your shares would ever
be redeemed in kind, but if they were, you would have to pay transaction costs
to sell the securities distributed to you, as well as taxes on any capital
gains from the sale as with any redemption. In addition, you would continue to
be subject to the risks of any market fluctuation in the value of the
securities you receive in kind until they are sold.
INVOLUNTARY REDEMPTIONS OF YOUR SHARES
If your account balance drops below $500,000 with respect to Institutional
Class Shares or $50,000 with respect to Retirement Class Shares because of
redemptions, you may be required to sell your shares. The Fund generally will
provide you at least 10 business days' written notice to give you sufficient
time to add to your account and avoid the involuntary redemption of your
shares. The Fund reserves the right to waive the minimum account value in their
sole discretion.
SUSPENSION OF YOUR RIGHT TO SELL YOUR SHARES
The Fund may suspend your right to sell your shares during times when trading
on the NYSE is restricted or halted, or otherwise as permitted by the SEC. More
information about this is in the SAI.
TELEPHONE TRANSACTIONS
Purchasing, selling and exchanging Fund shares over the telephone is extremely
convenient, but not without risk. Although the Fund has certain safeguards and
procedures to confirm the identity of callers and the authenticity of
instructions, the Fund is not responsible for any losses or costs incurred by
following telephone instructions they reasonably believe to be genuine. If you
or your financial institution transact with the Fund over the telephone, you
will generally bear the risk of any loss.
SHAREHOLDER SERVICING ARRANGEMENTS
The Fund may compensate financial intermediaries for providing a variety of
services to shareholders. Financial intermediaries include affiliated or
unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust
companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan
administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a
service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the Fund, their
service providers or their respective affiliates. This section and the
following section briefly describe how financial intermediaries may be paid for
providing these services.
The Fund generally pays financial intermediaries a fee that is based on the
assets of each Fund that are attributable to investments by customers of the
financial intermediary. The services for which financial intermediaries are
compensated may include record-keeping, transaction processing for
shareholders' accounts and other shareholder services. In addition to these
payments, your financial intermediary may charge you account fees, transaction
fees for buying or redeeming shares of the Fund, or other fees for
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servicing your account. Your financial intermediary should provide a schedule
of its fees and services to you upon request.
The Fund has adopted a shareholder servicing plan that provides that the Fund
may pay financial intermediaries for shareholder services in an annual amount
not to exceed 0.15% based on the Fund's Retirement Class Shares' average daily
net assets. The Fund does not pay these service fees on shares purchased
directly. In addition to payments made directly to financial intermediaries by
the Fund, the Adviser or its affiliates may, at their own expense, pay
financial intermediaries for these and other services to Fund shareholders, as
described in the section below.
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
From time to time, the Adviser and/or its affiliates, in their discretion, may
make payments to certain affiliated or unaffiliated financial intermediaries to
compensate them for the costs associated with distribution, marketing,
administration and shareholder servicing support. These payments may be in
addition to any shareholder servicing payments that are reflected in the fees
and expenses listed in the fee table sections of this prospectus. These
payments are sometimes characterized as "revenue sharing" payments and are made
out of the Adviser's and/or its affiliates' own legitimate profits or other
resources, and are not paid by the Fund. A financial intermediary may provide
these services with respect to Fund shares sold or held through programs such
as retirement plans, qualified tuition programs, fund supermarkets, fee-based
advisory or wrap fee programs, bank trust programs, and insurance (E.G.,
individual or group annuity) programs. In addition, financial intermediaries
may receive payments for making shares of the Fund available to their customers
or registered representatives, including providing the Fund with "shelf space,"
placing it on a preferred or recommended fund list, or promoting the Fund in
certain sales programs that are sponsored by financial intermediaries. To the
extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA")
rules and other applicable laws and regulations, the Adviser and/or its
affiliates may pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments to
financial intermediaries. For more information please see "Payments to
Financial Intermediaries" and "Shareholder Services" in the Fund's SAI.
The level of payments to individual financial intermediaries varies in any
given year and may be negotiated on the basis of sales of Fund shares, the
amount of Fund assets serviced by the financial intermediary or the quality of
the financial intermediary's relationship with the Adviser and/or its
affiliates. These payments may be more or less than the payments received by
the financial intermediaries from other mutual funds and may influence a
financial intermediary to favor the sales of certain funds or share classes
over others. In certain instances, the payments could be significant and may
cause a conflict of interest for your financial intermediary. Any such payments
will not change the net asset value or price of the Fund's shares. Please
contact your financial intermediary for information about any payments it may
receive in connection with the sale of Fund shares or the provision of services
to Fund shareholders, as well as information about any fees and/or commissions
it charges.
OTHER POLICIES
EXCESSIVE TRADING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Fund is intended for long-term investment purposes only and discourages
shareholders from engaging in "market timing" or other types of excessive
short-term trading. This frequent trading into and out of the Fund may present
risks to the Fund's long-term shareholders and could adversely affect
shareholder returns. The risks posed by frequent trading include interfering
with the efficient implementation of the Fund's investment strategies,
triggering the recognition of taxable gains and losses on the sale of Fund
investments, requiring the Fund to maintain higher cash balances to meet
redemption requests, and experiencing increased transaction costs.
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In addition, because the Fund may invest in foreign securities traded primarily
on markets that close prior to the time the Fund determines its NAV, the risks
posed by frequent trading may have a greater potential to dilute the value of
Fund shares held by long-term shareholders than funds investing exclusively in
U.S. securities. In instances where a significant event that affects the value
of one or more foreign securities held by the Fund takes place after the close
of the primary foreign market, but before the time that the Fund determines its
NAV, certain investors may seek to take advantage of the fact that there will
be a delay in the adjustment of the market price for a security caused by this
event until the foreign market reopens (sometimes referred to as "price" or
"time zone" arbitrage). Shareholders who attempt this type of arbitrage may
dilute the value of the Fund's shares if the price of the Fund's foreign
securities do not reflect their fair value. Although the Fund has procedures
designed to determine the fair value of foreign securities for purposes of
calculating their NAV when such an event has occurred, fair value pricing,
because it involves judgments which are inherently subjective, may not always
eliminate the risk of price arbitrage.
The Fund's service providers will take steps reasonably designed to detect and
deter frequent trading by shareholders pursuant to the Fund's policies and
procedures described in this prospectus and approved by the Fund's Board. For
purposes of applying these policies, the Fund's service providers may consider
the trading history of accounts under common ownership or control. The Fund's
policies and procedures include:
o Shareholders are restricted from making more than 2 "round trips," into or
out of the Fund over a 90 day period. If a shareholder exceeds this amount,
the Fund and/or its service providers may, at their discretion, reject any
additional purchase orders. The Fund defines a "round trip" as a purchase
into the Fund by a shareholder, followed by a subsequent redemption out of
the Fund, of an amount the Adviser reasonably believes would be harmful or
disruptive to the Fund.
o The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase request by any investor
or group of investors for any reason without prior notice, including, in
particular, if the Fund or the Adviser reasonably believes that the trading
activity would be harmful or disruptive to the Fund.
The Fund and/or its service providers seek to apply these policies to the best
of their abilities uniformly and in a manner they believe is consistent with
the interests of the Fund's long-term shareholders. The Fund does not knowingly
accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by Fund shareholders. Although
these policies are designed to deter frequent trading, none of these measures
alone nor all of them taken together eliminate the possibility that frequent
trading in the Fund will occur.
Financial intermediaries (such as investment advisers and broker-dealers) often
establish omnibus accounts in the Fund for their customers through which
transactions are placed. The Fund has entered into "information sharing
agreements" with these financial intermediaries, which permit the Fund to
obtain, upon request, information about the trading activity of the
intermediary's customers that invest in the Fund. If the Fund or its service
providers identify omnibus account level trading patterns that have the
potential to be detrimental to the Fund, the Fund or its service provider may,
in their sole discretion, request from the financial intermediary information
concerning the trading activity of its customers. Based upon a review of that
information, if the Fund or its service providers determine that the trading
activity of any customer may be detrimental to the Fund, they may, in their
sole discretion, request the financial intermediary to restrict or limit
further trading in the Fund by that customer. If the Fund is not satisfied that
the intermediary has taken appropriate action, the Fund may terminate the
intermediary's ability to transact in Fund shares. When information regarding
transactions in the Fund's shares is requested by the Fund and such information
is in the possession of a person that is itself a financial intermediary to a
financial intermediary (an "indirect intermediary"), any financial intermediary
with whom the Fund has an information sharing agreement is obligated to obtain
transaction information from the indirect intermediary or, if directed by the
Fund, to restrict or prohibit the indirect intermediary from purchasing shares
of the Fund on behalf of other persons.
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The Fund and its service providers will use reasonable efforts to work with
financial intermediaries to identify excessive short-term trading in omnibus
accounts that may be detrimental to the Fund. However, there can be no
assurance that the monitoring of omnibus account level trading will enable the
Fund to identify or prevent all such trading by a financial intermediary's
customers. Please contact your financial intermediary for more information.
CUSTOMER IDENTIFICATION AND VERIFICATION
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering
activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify,
and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.
What this means to you: When you open an account, the Fund will ask your name,
address, date of birth, and other information that will allow the Fund to
identify you. This information is subject to verification to ensure the
identity of all persons opening a mutual fund account.
The Fund is required by law to reject your new account application if the
required identifying information is not provided.
In certain instances, the Fund is required to collect documents to fulfill
their legal obligation. Documents provided in connection with your application
will be used solely to establish and verify a customer's identity.
Attempts to collect the missing information required on the application will be
performed by either contacting you or, if applicable, your broker. If this
information cannot be obtained within a reasonable timeframe established in the
sole discretion of the Fund, your application will be rejected.
Upon receipt of your application in proper form (or upon receipt of all
identifying information required on the application), your investment will be
accepted and your order will be processed at the next-determined NAV per
share.
The Fund reserves the right to close or liquidate your account at the NAV
next-determined and remit proceeds to you via check if they are unable to
verify your identity. Attempts to verify your identity will be performed within
a reasonable timeframe established in the sole discretion of the Fund. Further,
the Fund reserves the right to hold your proceeds until your original check
clears the bank, which may take up to 15 days from the date of purchase. In
such an instance, you may be subject to a gain or loss on Fund shares and will
be subject to corresponding tax implications.
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM
Customer identification and verification is part of the Fund's overall
obligation to deter money laundering under federal law. The Fund has adopted an
anti-money laundering compliance program designed to prevent the Fund from
being used for money laundering or the financing of illegal activities. In this
regard, the Fund reserves the right to: (i) refuse, cancel or rescind any
purchase or exchange order; (ii) freeze any account and/or suspend account
services; or (iii) involuntarily close your account in cases of threatening
conduct or suspected fraudulent or illegal activity. These actions will be
taken when, in the sole discretion of Fund management, they are deemed to be in
the best interest of the Fund or in cases when the Fund is requested or
compelled to do so by governmental or law enforcement authority. If your
account is closed at the request of governmental or law enforcement authority,
you may not receive proceeds of the redemption if the Fund is required to
withhold such proceeds.
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STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
LM CAPITAL OPPORTUNISTIC BOND FUND
(INSTITUTIONAL CLASS SHARES TICKER SYMBOL: LMCOX)
(RETIREMENT CLASS SHARES TICKER SYMBOL: LMCAX)
A SERIES OF THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND II
JANUARY 31, 2013
INVESTMENT ADVISER:
LM CAPITAL GROUP, LLC
This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a prospectus. This SAI
is intended to provide additional information regarding the activities and
operations of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II (the "Trust") and the LM
Capital Opportunistic Bond Fund (the "Fund"). This SAI is incorporated by
reference and should be read in conjunction with the Fund's prospectus dated
January 31, 2013. Capitalized terms not defined herein are defined in the
prospectus. Shareholders may obtain copies of the Fund's prospectus or Annual
Report, when available, free of charge by writing to the Trust at P.O. Box
219009, Kansas City, MO 64121 or calling the Fund at 866-330-1111.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE TRUST .............................................................S-1
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS ..................................S-1
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS ................................................S-22
THE ADVISER ...........................................................S-25
THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS ................................................S-25
THE ADMINISTRATOR .....................................................S-26
THE DISTRIBUTOR .......................................................S-27
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES ..................................................S-28
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES ..................................S-28
THE TRANSFER AGENT ....................................................S-29
THE CUSTODIAN .........................................................S-30
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM .........................S-30
LEGAL COUNSEL .........................................................S-30
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST ....................................S-30
PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES .......................................S-40
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE ......................................S-40
TAXES .................................................................S-41
FUND TRANSACTIONS .....................................................S-46
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS ....................................................S-47
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES .................................................S-48
SHAREHOLDER LIABILITY .................................................S-49
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES' LIABILITY .....................................S-49
PROXY VOTING ..........................................................S-49
CODES OF ETHICS .......................................................S-49
5% AND 25% SHAREHOLDERS ...............................................S-49
APPENDIX A -- DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS .................................. A-1
APPENDIX B -- PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES .................... B-1
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January 31, 2013
LMC-SX-001-0100
THE TRUST
GENERAL. The Fund is a separate series of the Trust. The Trust is an open-end
investment management company established under Massachusetts law as a
Massachusetts voluntary association (commonly known as a business trust) under
a Declaration of Trust dated July 24, 1992, as amended and restated as of
February 18, 2004 and August 10, 2004 and amended May 15, 2012. Prior to August
10, 2004, the Trust's name was The Arbor Fund. The Declaration of Trust
permits the Trust to offer separate series ("funds") of shares of beneficial
interest ("shares"). The Trust reserves the right to create and issue shares of
additional funds. Each fund is a separate mutual fund, and each share of each
fund represents an equal proportionate interest in that fund. All consideration
received by the Trust for shares of any fund and all assets of such fund belong
solely to that fund and would be subject to liabilities related thereto. Each
fund of the Trust pays its (i) operating expenses, including fees of its
service providers, expenses of preparing prospectuses, proxy solicitation
material and reports to shareholders, costs of custodial services and
registering its shares under federal and state securities laws, pricing and
insurance expenses, brokerage costs, interest charges, taxes and organization
expenses, and (ii) pro rata share of the Fund's other expenses, including audit
and legal expenses. Expenses attributable to a specific fund shall be payable
solely out of the assets of that fund. Expenses not attributable to a specific
fund are allocated across all of the funds on the basis of relative net assets.
The other funds of the Trust are described in one or more separate Statements
of Additional Information.
DESCRIPTION OF MULTIPLE CLASSES OF SHARES. The Trust is authorized to offer
shares of the Fund in Institutional Class Shares and Retirement Class Shares.
The different classes provide for variations in sales charges, certain
distribution expenses and minimum initial investment requirements. Minimum
investment requirements and investor eligibility are described in the
prospectus. The Trust reserves the right to create and issue additional classes
of shares. For more information on distribution expenses, see the "Distributor"
section in this SAI.
VOTING RIGHTS. Each shareholder of record is entitled to one vote for each
share held on the record date for the meeting. The Fund will vote separately on
matters relating solely to it. As a Massachusetts voluntary association, the
Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of
shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain
changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of trustees under
certain circumstances. Under the Declaration of Trust, the trustees have the
power to liquidate the Fund without shareholder approval. While the trustees
have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if the Fund
fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such
other reasons as may be determined by the Trust's Board of Trustees (each, a
"Trustee" and collectively, the "Board").
In addition, a Trustee may be removed by the remaining Trustees or by
shareholders at a special meeting called upon written request of shareholders
owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust. In the event that
such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and
information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.
DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS
The Fund's investment objective and principal investment strategies are
described in its Prospectus. The Fund is classified as a "diversified"
investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
"1940 Act"). The following information supplements, and should be read in
conjunction with, the Prospectus. The following are descriptions of permitted
investments and investment practices of the Fund and the associated risk
factors. The Fund will only invest in any of the following instruments or
engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or
activity is consistent with the Fund's investment objective and as permitted by
its stated investment policies.
FIXED INCOME SECURITIES
Fixed income securities, otherwise known as debt securities, consistent
primarily of debt obligations issued by
S-1
governments, corporations, municipalities and other borrowers, but may also
include structured securities that provide for participation interests in debt
obligations. Issuers use debt securities to borrow money from investors. Most
debt securities promise a variable or fixed rate of return and repayment of the
amount borrowed at maturity. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds,
do not pay current interest and are purchased at a discount from their face
value.
TYPES OF DEBT SECURITIES:
U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES -- The Fund may invest in U.S. Government securities.
Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or
instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full
faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest
rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial
maturities of one year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of
one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of
greater than ten years. Certain U.S. Government securities are issued or
guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government including,
but not limited to, obligations of U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities
such as the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"), the Government
National Mortgage Association ("Ginnie Mae"), the Small Business Administration,
the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for
Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land
Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority,
the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation,
the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National
Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation
(Farmer Mac).
Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies and
instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through
certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury.
Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those
securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority
of the U.S. Government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency,
while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as
those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer
to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. Government provides financial
support to such U.S. Government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be
given that the U.S. Government will always do so, since the U.S. Government is
not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon
interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.
On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie
Mae and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac"), placing the
two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S.
Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each
instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each
instrumentality (the "Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement" or
"Agreement"). Under the Agreement, the U.S. Treasury pledged to provide up to
$200 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash
capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their
assets. This was intended to ensure that the instrumentalities maintain a
positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory
triggering of receivership. On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury announced
that it was amending the Agreement to allow the $200 billion cap on the U.S.
Treasury's funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any
cumulative reduction in net worth over the next three years. As a result of this
Agreement, the investments of holders, including the Fund, of mortgage-backed
securities and other obligations issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are
protected trough 2012.
While the U.S. Treasury is committed to offset negative equity at Fannie Mae and
Freddie Mac through its preferred stock purchases through 2012, no assurance can
be given that the initiatives discussed above will ensure that Fannie Mae and
Freddie Mac will remain successful in meeting their obligations with respect to
the debt and mortgage-backed securities they issue beyond that date. In
addition, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are also the subject of several continuing
class action lawsuits and investigations by federal regulators over certain
accounting, disclosure or corporate governance matters, which (along with any
resulting financial restatements) may adversely affect the guaranteeing
entities. Importantly, the future of the entities is in serious question as the
U.S. Government reportedly is considering multiple options, ranging from
nationalization, privatization, consolidation, or abolishment of the entities.
CORPORATE BONDS -- Corporations issue bonds and notes to raise money for
working capital or for capital expenditures such as plant construction,
equipment purchases and expansion. In return for the money loaned to the
corporation by investors, the corporation promises to pay investors interest,
and repay the principal amount of the bond or note.
MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES -- Mortgage-backed securities are interests in pools
of mortgage loans that
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various governmental, government-related and private organizations assemble as
securities for sale to investors. Unlike most debt securities, which pay
interest periodically and repay principal at maturity or on specified call
dates, mortgage-backed securities make monthly payments that consist of both
interest and principal payments. In effect, these payments are a "pass-through"
of the monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on their mortgage
loans, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such securities.
Since homeowners usually have the option of paying either part or all of the
loan balance before maturity, the effective maturity of a mortgage-backed
security is often shorter than is stated.
Governmental entities, private insurers and mortgage poolers may insure or
guarantee the timely payment of interest and principal of these pools through
various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title,
pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit. The Fund's investment managers
will consider such insurance and guarantees and the creditworthiness of the
issuers thereof in determining whether a mortgage-related security meets its
investment quality standards. It is possible that the private insurers or
guarantors will not meet their obligations under the insurance policies or
guarantee arrangements.
Although the market for such securities is becoming increasingly liquid,
securities issued by certain private organizations may not be readily
marketable.
RISKS OF MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES -- Yield characteristics of mortgage-backed
securities differ from those of traditional debt securities in a variety of
ways. The most significant differences of mortgage-backed securities are:
o payments of interest and principal are more frequent (usually monthly);
and
o falling interest rates generally cause individual borrowers to pay off
their mortgage earlier than expected, which results in prepayments of
principal on the securities, thus forcing the Fund to reinvest the money at
a lower interest rate.
In addition to risks associated with changes in interest rates described in
"Factors Affecting the Value of Debt Securities," a variety of economic,
geographic, social and other factors, such as the sale of the underlying
property, refinancing or foreclosure, can cause investors to repay the loans
underlying a mortgage-backed security sooner than expected. If the prepayment
rates increase, the Fund may have to reinvest its principal at a rate of
interest that is lower than the rate on existing mortgage-backed securities.
MUNICIPAL SECURITIES -- Municipal securities include general obligation notes,
tax anticipation notes, revenue anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes,
certificates of indebtedness, demand notes, and construction loan notes.
Municipal bonds include general obligation bonds, revenue or special obligation
bonds, private activity and industrial development bonds, and participation
interests in municipal bonds.
General obligation bonds and revenue bonds are debt instruments issued by
states and local governments to raise funds for public works. General
obligation bonds are backed by the taxing power of the issuing municipality.
Revenue bonds are backed by the revenues of a project or facility; tolls from a
toll bridge for example. Certificates of participation represent an interest in
an underlying obligation or commitment such as an obligation issued in
connection with a leasing arrangement. The payment of principal and interest on
private activity and industrial development bonds generally is dependent solely
on the ability of the facility's user to meet its financial obligations and the
pledge, if any, of real and personal property so financed as security for such
payment.
Private activity bonds are issued by or on behalf of states or political
subdivisions thereof to finance privately owned or operated facilities for
business and manufacturing, housing, sports and pollution control and to
finance activities of and facilities for charitable institutions. Private
activity bonds are also used to finance public facilities such as airports,
mass transit systems, ports parking and low income housing. The payment of the
principal and interest on private activity bonds is dependent solely on the
ability of the facility's user to meet its financial obligations and may be
secured by a pledge of real and personal property so financed.
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Tax-exempt commercial paper will be limited to investments in obligations which
are rated at least A-2 by Standard & Poor's Rating Service ("S&P") or Prime-2
by Moody's Investors Services ("Moody's") at the time of investment or which
are of equivalent quality as determined by the Adviser.
Other types of tax-exempt instruments include floating rate notes. Investments
in such floating rate instruments will normally involve industrial development
or revenue bonds which provide that the rate of interest is set as a specific
percentage of a designated base rate (such as the prime rate) at a major
commercial bank, and that the Fund can demand payment of the obligation at all
times or at stipulated dates on short notice (not to exceed 30 days) at par
plus accrued interest. The Fund may use the longer of the period required
before the Fund is entitled to prepayment under such obligations or the period
remaining until the next interest rate adjustment date for purposes of
determining the maturity. Such obligations are frequently secured by letters of
credit or other credit support arrangements provided by banks. The quality of
the underlying credit or of the bank, as the case may be, must in the Adviser's
opinion be equivalent to the long-term bond or commercial paper ratings stated
above. The Fund's investment managers will monitor the earning power, cash flow
and liquidity ratios of the issuers of such instruments and the ability of an
issuer of a demand instrument to pay principal and interest on demand. The
Adviser may purchase other types of tax-exempt instruments as long as they are
of a quality equivalent to the bond ratings in the Appendix or commercial paper
ratings stated above.
The Adviser has the authority to purchase securities at a price which would
result in a yield to maturity lower than that generally offered by the seller
at the time of purchase when they can simultaneously acquire the right to sell
the securities back to the seller, the issuer, or a third party (the "writer")
at an agreed-upon price at any time during a stated period or on a certain
date. Such a right is generally denoted as a "standby commitment" or a "put."
The purpose of engaging in transactions involving puts is to maintain
flexibility and liquidity to permit the Fund to meet redemptions and remain as
fully invested as possible in municipal securities. The Fund reserves the right
to engage in put transactions. The right to put the securities depends on the
writer's ability to pay for the securities at the time the put is exercised.
The Fund would limit its put transactions to institutions which the Fund's
investment managers believes present minimum credit risks, and the Fund's
investment managers would use its best efforts to initially determine and
continue to monitor the financial strength of the sellers of the options by
evaluating their financial statements and such other information as is
available in the marketplace. It may, however be difficult to monitor the
financial strength of the writers because adequate current financial
information may not be available. In the event that any writer is unable to
honor a put for financial reasons, the Fund would be general creditor (I.E., on
a parity with all other unsecured creditors) of the writer. Furthermore,
particular provisions of the contract between the Fund and the writer may
excuse the writer from repurchasing the securities; for example, a change in
the published rating of the underlying municipal securities or any similar
event that has an adverse effect on the issuer's credit or a provision in the
contract that the put will not be exercised except in certain special cases,
for example, to maintain portfolio liquidity. The Fund could, however, at any
time sell the underlying portfolio security in the open market or wait until
the portfolio security matures, at which time it should realize the full par
value of the security.
The municipal securities purchased subject to a put may be sold to third
persons at any time, even though the put is outstanding, but the put itself,
unless it is an integral part of the security as originally issued, may not be
marketable or otherwise assignable. Therefore, the put would have value only to
the Fund. Sale of the securities to third parties or lapse of time with the put
unexercised may terminate the right to put the securities. Prior to the
expiration of any put option, the Fund could seek to negotiate terms for the
extension of such an option. If such a renewal cannot be negotiated on terms
satisfactory to the Fund, the Fund could, of course, sell the portfolio
security. The maturity of the underlying security will generally be different
from that of the put. There will be no limit to the percentage of portfolio
securities that the Fund may purchase subject to a put but the amount paid
directly or indirectly for puts which are not integral parts of the security as
originally issued held in the Fund will not exceed 1/2 of 1% of the value of
the total assets of the Fund calculated immediately after any such put is
acquired. For the purpose of determining the "maturity" of securities purchased
subject to an option to put, and for the purpose of determining the
dollar-weighted average maturity of the Fund including such securities, the
Trust will consider "maturity" to be the first date on which it has the right
to
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demand payment from the writer of the put although the final maturity of the
security is later than such date.
The Fund also may invest in municipal securities that are rated below
investment grade. For a description of below investment-grade securities and
the risks associated with such investments, see "Fixed Income Securities"
above.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS RELATING TO STATE SPECIFIC MUNICIPAL SECURITIES -- With
respect to municipal securities issued by a state and its political
subdivisions, as well as certain other governmental issuers such as the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Trust cannot predict what legislation, if any,
may be proposed in the State's legislature in regards to the State's personal
income tax status of interest on such obligations, or which proposals, if any,
might be enacted. Such proposals, if enacted, might materially adversely affect
the availability of the State's municipal securities for investment by the Fund
and the value of the Fund's investments.
PARTICIPATION INTERESTS -- Participation interests are interests in municipal
securities from financial institutions such as commercial and investment banks,
savings and loan associations and insurance companies. These interests may take
the form of participations, beneficial interests in a trust, partnership
interests or any other form of indirect ownership that allows the Fund to treat
the income from the investment as exempt from federal income tax.
ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES -- These securities are interests in pools of a broad
range of assets other than mortgages, such as automobile loans, computer leases
and credit card receivables. Like mortgage-backed securities, these securities
are pass-through. In general, the collateral supporting these securities is of
shorter maturity than mortgage loans and is less likely to experience
substantial prepayments with interest rate fluctuations, but may still be
subject to prepayment risk.
Asset-backed securities present certain risks that are not presented by
mortgage-backed securities. Primarily, these securities may not have the
benefit of any security interest in the related assets, which raises the
possibility that recoveries on repossessed collateral may not be available to
support payments on these securities. For example, credit card receivables are
generally unsecured and the debtors are entitled to the protection of a number
of state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which allow debtors to
reduce their balances by offsetting certain amounts owed on the credit cards.
Most issuers of asset-backed securities backed by automobile receivables permit
the servicers of such receivables to retain possession of the underlying
obligations. If the servicer were to sell these obligations to another party,
there is a risk that the purchaser would acquire an interest superior to that
of the holders of the related asset-backed securities. Due to the quantity of
vehicles involved and requirements under state laws, asset-backed securities
backed by automobile receivables may not have a proper security interest in all
of the obligations backing such receivables.
To lessen the effect of failures by obligors on underlying assets to make
payments, the entity administering the pool of assets may agree to ensure the
receipt of payments on the underlying pool occurs in a timely fashion
("liquidity protection"). In addition, asset-backed securities may obtain
insurance, such as guarantees, policies or letters of credit obtained by the
issuer or sponsor from third parties, for some or all of the assets in the pool
("credit support"). Delinquency or loss more than that anticipated or failure
of the credit support could adversely affect the return on an investment in
such a security.
The Fund may also invest in residual interests in asset-backed securities,
which is the excess cash flow remaining after making required payments on the
securities and paying related administrative expenses. The amount of residual
cash flow resulting from a particular issue of asset-backed securities depends
in part on the characteristics of the underlying assets, the coupon rates on
the securities, prevailing interest rates, the amount of administrative
expenses and the actual prepayment experience on the underlying assets.
MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH SECURITIES -- The Fund may invest in mortgage
pass-through securities. In the basic mortgage pass-through structure,
mortgages with similar issuer, term and coupon characteristics are collected
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and aggregated into a "pool" consisting of multiple mortgage loans. The pool is
assigned a CUSIP number and undivided interests in the pool are traded and sold
as pass-through securities. The holder of the security is entitled to a pro
rata share of principal and interest payments (including unscheduled
prepayments) from the pool of mortgage loans.
An investment in a specific pool of pass-through securities requires an
analysis of the specific prepayment risk of mortgages within the covered pool
(since mortgagors typically have the option to prepay their loans). The level
of prepayments on a pool of mortgage securities is difficult to predict and can
impact the subsequent cash flows and value of the mortgage pool. In addition,
when trading specific mortgage pools, precise execution, delivery and
settlement arrangements must be negotiated for each transaction. These factors
combine to make trading in mortgage pools somewhat cumbersome.
Most transactions in mortgage pass-through securities occur through the use of
"to-be-announced" or "TBA transactions." "TBA" refers to a commonly used
mechanism for the forward settlement of U.S. agency mortgage pass-through
securities, and not to a separate type of mortgage-backed security. TBA
transactions generally are conducted in accordance with widely-accepted
guidelines which establish commonly observed terms and conditions for
execution, settlement and delivery. In a TBA transaction, the buyer and seller
decide on general trade parameters, such as agency, settlement date, par
amount, and price. The actual pools delivered generally are determined two days
prior to settlement date. The Fund may use TBA transactions in several ways.
For example, the Fund may enter into TBA agreements and "roll over" such
agreements prior to the settlement date stipulated in such agreements. This
type of TBA transaction is sometimes known as a "TBA roll." In a "TBA roll" the
Fund generally will sell the obligation to purchase the pools stipulated in the
TBA agreement prior to the stipulated settlement date and will enter into a new
TBA agreement for future delivery of pools of mortgage pass-through securities.
In addition, the Fund may enter into TBA agreements and settle such
transactions on the stipulated settlement date by accepting actual receipt or
delivery of the pools of mortgage pass-through securities stipulated in the TBA
agreement.
Default by or bankruptcy of a counterparty to a TBA transaction would expose
the Fund to possible loss because of adverse market action, expenses or delays
in connection with the purchase or sale of the pools of mortgage pass-through
securities specified in the TBA transaction. To minimize this risk, the Fund
will enter into TBA transactions only with established counterparties (such as
major broker-dealers) and the Adviser will monitor the creditworthiness of such
counterparties. The Fund's use of "TBA rolls" may cause the Fund to experience
higher portfolio turnover, higher transaction costs and to pay higher capital
gain distributions to shareholders (which may be taxable).
The Fund intends to invest cash pending settlement of any TBA transactions in
money market instruments, repurchase agreements, commercial paper (including
asset-backed commercial paper) or other high-quality, liquid short-term
instruments, which may include money market funds affiliated with the Adviser.
COLLATERALIZED MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS ("CMOS") -- CMOs are one type of
mortgage-backed security, which were first introduced in the early 1980's. CMOs
generally retain many of the yield and credit quality characteristics as
mortgage pass-through securities, while reducing some of the disadvantages of
pass-throughs. CMOs may be backed by several types of varying mortgage
collateral. The most prevalent types of collateral are: U.S. agency (e.g.,
GNMA, FNMA, or FHLMC) guaranteed mortgage pass-through securities, non-agency
guaranteed mortgage loans, and commercial mortgage loans.
Some CMOs are also characterized as a Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit
("REMIC"). A REMIC is a CMO that qualifies for special tax treatment under the
U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") and invests in
certain mortgages primarily secured by interests in real property and other
permitted investments.
A key difference between traditional mortgage pass-through securities and CMOs
is the mechanics of the principal payment process. Unlike pass-through
securities, which simply pay a pro rata distribution of any
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principal and interest payments from the underlying mortgage collateral, CMOs
are structured into multiple classes, each bearing a different stated maturity
and each potentially having different credit rating levels. Each class of CMO,
often referred to as a "tranche", may be issued with a specific fixed interest
rate or may pay a variable interest rate, which may change monthly. Each
tranche must be fully retired by its final distribution date. Generally, all
classes of CMOs pay or accrue interest monthly similar to pass-through
securities.
The credit risk of all CMOs are not identical and must be assessed on a
security by security basis. Generally, the credit risk of CMOs are heavily
dependent upon the type of collateral backing the security. For example, a CMO
collateralized by U.S. agency guaranteed pass-through securities will have a
different credit risk profile compared to a CMO collateralized by commercial
mortgage loans. Investing in the lowest tranche of CMO or REMIC certificates
often involves risk similar to those associated with investing in non
investment-grade rated corporate bonds. Additionally, CMOs may at times be less
liquid than a regular mortgage pass-through security.
GOVERNMENT NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION ("GNMA") -- GNMA is the principal
governmental guarantor of mortgage-related securities. GNMA is a wholly owned
corporation of the U.S. Government within the Department of Housing and Urban
Development. Securities issued by GNMA are treasury securities, which means the
full faith and credit of the U.S. Government backs them. GNMA guarantees the
timely payment of principal and interest on securities issued by institutions
approved by GNMA and backed by pools of FHA-insured or VA-guaranteed mortgages.
GNMA does not guarantee the market value or yield of mortgage-backed securities
or the value of the Fund's shares. To buy GNMA securities, the Fund may have to
pay a premium over the maturity value of the underlying mortgages, which the
Fund may lose if prepayment occurs.
FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION ("FNMA") -- FNMA is a government-sponsored
corporation owned entirely by private stockholders. FNMA is regulated by the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. FNMA purchases conventional
mortgages from a list of approved sellers and service providers, including state
and federally-chartered savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks,
commercial banks and credit unions and mortgage bankers. Securities issued by
FNMA are agency securities, which means FNMA, but not the U.S. Government,
guarantees their timely payment of principal and interest.
FREDDIE MAC -- Freddie Mac is stockholder-owned corporation established by the
U.S. Congress to create a continuous flow of funds to mortgage lenders. Freddie
Mac supplies lenders with the money to make mortgages and packages the
mortgages into marketable securities. The system is designed to create a stable
mortgage credit system and reduce the rates paid by homebuyers. Freddie Mac,
not the U.S. Government, guarantees timely payment of principal and interest.
COMMERCIAL BANKS, SAVINGS AND LOAN INSTITUTIONS, PRIVATE MORTGAGE INSURANCE
COMPANIES, MORTGAGE BANKERS AND OTHER SECONDARY MARKET ISSUERS -- Commercial
banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies,
mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers also create pass-through
pools of conventional mortgage loans. In addition to guaranteeing the
mortgage-related security, such issuers may service and/or have originated the
underlying mortgage loans. Pools created by these issuers generally offer a
higher rate of interest than pools created by GNMA, FNMA & Freddie Mac because
they are not guaranteed by a government agency.
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS -- To earn a return on uninvested assets, meet
anticipated redemptions, or for temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may
invest a portion of its assets in the short-term securities listed below, U.S.
Government securities and investment-grade corporate debt securities. Unless
otherwise specified, a short-term debt security has a maturity of one year or
less.
BANK OBLIGATIONS
The Fund may invest in obligations issued by banks and other savings
institutions. Investments in bank obligations include obligations of domestic
branches of foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks.
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Such investments in domestic branches of foreign banks and foreign branches of
domestic banks may involve risks that are different from investments in
securities of domestic branches of U.S. banks. These risks may include future
unfavorable political and economic developments, possible withholding taxes on
interest income, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, currency
controls, interest limitations, or other governmental restrictions which might
affect the payment of principal or interest on the securities held by the Fund.
Additionally, these institutions may be subject to less stringent reserve
requirements and to different accounting, auditing, reporting and recordkeeping
requirements than those applicable to domestic branches of U. S. banks. Bank
obligations include the following:
o BANKERS' ACCEPTANCES. Bankers' acceptances are bills of exchange or time
drafts drawn on and accepted by a commercial bank. Corporations use bankers'
acceptances to finance the shipment and storage of goods and to furnish dollar
exchange. Maturities are generally six months or less.
o CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT. Certificates of deposit are interest-bearing
instruments with a specific maturity. They are issued by banks and savings and
loan institutions in exchange for the deposit of funds and normally can be
traded in the secondary market prior to maturity. Certificates of deposit with
penalties for early withdrawal will be considered illiquid.
o TIME DEPOSITS. Time deposits are non-negotiable receipts issued by a bank
in exchange for the deposit of funds. Like a certificate of deposit, it earns
a specified rate of interest over a definite period of time; however, it cannot
be traded in the secondary market. Time deposits with a withdrawal penalty or
that mature in more than seven days are considered to be illiquid securities.
COMMERCIAL PAPER -- Commercial paper is a short-term obligation with a maturity
ranging from one to 270 days issued by banks, corporations and other borrowers.
Such investments are unsecured and usually discounted. The Fund may invest in
commercial paper rated A-1 or A-2 by S&P or Prime-1 or Prime-2 by Moody's or,
if not rated, issued by a corporation having an outstanding unsecured debt
issue rated A or better by Moody's or by S&P. See "Appendix A -- Ratings" for a
description of commercial paper ratings.
YANKEE BONDS -- Yankee bonds are dollar-denominated bonds issued inside the
United States by foreign entities. Investments in these securities involve
certain risks that are not typically associated with investing in domestic
securities. See "Foreign Securities."
ZERO COUPON BONDS -- These securities make no periodic payments of interest, but
instead are sold at a discount from their face value. When held to maturity,
their entire income, which consists of accretion of discount, comes from the
difference between the issue price and their value at maturity. The amount of
the discount rate varies depending on factors including the time remaining until
maturity, prevailing interest rates, the security's liquidity and the issuer's
credit quality. The market value of zero coupon securities may exhibit greater
price volatility than ordinary debt securities because a stripped security will
have a longer duration than an ordinary debt security with the same maturity.
The Fund's investments in pay-in-kind, delayed and zero coupon bonds may require
it to sell certain of its Fund securities to generate sufficient cash to satisfy
certain income distribution requirements.
These securities may include treasury securities that have had their interest
payments ("coupons") separated from the underlying principal ("corpus") by
their holder, typically a custodian bank or investment brokerage firm. Once the
holder of the security has stripped or separated corpus and coupons, it may
sell each component separately. The principal or corpus is then sold at a deep
discount because the buyer receives only the right to receive a future fixed
payment on the security and does not receive any rights to periodic interest
(cash) payments. Typically, the coupons are sold separately or grouped with
other coupons with like maturity dates and sold bundled in such form. The
underlying treasury security is held in book-entry form at the Federal Reserve
Bank or, in the case of bearer securities (I.E., unregistered securities which
are owned ostensibly by the bearer or holder thereof), in trust on behalf of
the owners thereof. Purchasers of stripped obligations acquire, in effect,
discount obligations that are economically identical to the zero coupon
securities that the Treasury sells itself.
The U.S. Treasury has facilitated transfers of ownership of zero coupon
securities by accounting separately for
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the beneficial ownership of particular interest coupon and corpus payments on
Treasury securities through the Federal Reserve book-entry record keeping
system. Under a Federal Reserve program known as "STRIPS" or "Separate Trading
of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities," the Fund can record its
beneficial ownership of the coupon or corpus directly in the book-entry
record-keeping system.
TERMS TO UNDERSTAND:
MATURITY -- Every debt security has a stated maturity date when the issuer must
repay the amount it borrowed (principal) from investors. Some debt securities,
however, are callable, meaning the issuer can repay the principal earlier, on
or after specified dates (call dates). Debt securities are most likely to be
called when interest rates are falling because the issuer can refinance at a
lower rate, similar to a homeowner refinancing a mortgage. The effective
maturity of a debt security is usually its nearest call date.
The Fund that invests in debt securities has no real maturity. Instead, it
calculates its weighted average maturity. This number is an average of the
stated maturity of each debt security held by the Fund, with the maturity of
each security weighted by the percentage of the assets of the Fund it
represents.
DURATION -- Duration is a calculation that seeks to measure the price
sensitivity of a debt security, or the Fund that invests in debt securities, to
changes in interest rates. It measures sensitivity more accurately than
maturity because it takes into account the time value of cash flows generated
over the life of a debt security. Future interest payments and principal
payments are discounted to reflect their present value and then are multiplied
by the number of years they will be received to produce a value expressed in
years -- the duration. Effective duration takes into account call features and
sinking Fund prepayments that may shorten the life of a debt security.
An effective duration of four years, for example, would suggest that for each
1% reduction in interest rates at all maturity levels, the price of a security
is estimated to increase by 4%. An increase in rates by the same magnitude is
estimated to reduce the price of the security by 4%. By knowing the yield and
the effective duration of a debt security, one can estimate total return based
on an expectation of how much interest rates, in general, will change. While
serving as a good estimator of prospective returns, effective duration is an
imperfect measure.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE VALUE OF DEBT SECURITIES -- The total return of a debt
instrument is composed of two elements: the percentage change in the security's
price and interest income earned. The yield to maturity of a debt security
estimates its total return only if the price of the debt security remains
unchanged during the holding period and coupon interest is reinvested at the
same yield to maturity. The total return of a debt instrument, therefore, will
be determined not only by how much interest is earned, but also by how much the
price of the security and interest rates change.
o INTEREST RATES
The price of a debt security generally moves in the opposite direction from
interest rates (i. e., if interest rates go up, the value of the bond will go
down, and vice versa).
o PREPAYMENT RISK
This risk affects mainly mortgage-backed securities. Unlike other debt
securities, falling interest rates can adversely affect the value of
mortgage-backed securities, which may cause your share price to fall. Lower
rates motivate borrowers to pay off the instruments underlying mortgage-backed
and asset-backed securities earlier than expected, resulting in prepayments on
the securities. The Fund may then have to reinvest the proceeds from such
prepayments at lower interest rates, which can reduce its yield. The unexpected
timing of mortgage and asset-backed prepayments caused by the variations in
interest rates may also shorten or
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lengthen the average maturity of the Fund. If left unattended, drifts in the
average maturity of the Fund can have the unintended effect of increasing or
reducing the effective duration of the Fund, which may adversely affect the
expected performance of the Fund.
o EXTENSION RISK
The other side of prepayment risk occurs when interest rates are rising.
Rising interest rates can cause the Fund's average maturity to lengthen
unexpectedly due to a drop in mortgage prepayments. This would increase the
sensitivity of the Fund to rising rates and its potential for price declines.
Extending the average life of a mortgage-backed security increases the risk of
depreciation due to future increases in market interest rates. For these
reasons, mortgage-backed securities may be less effective than other types of
U. S. Government securities as a means of "locking in" interest rates.
o CREDIT RATING
Coupon interest is offered to investors of debt securities as compensation for
assuming risk, although short- term treasury securities, such as three-month
treasury bills, are considered "risk free. " Corporate securities offer higher
yields than treasury securities because their payment of interest and complete
repayment of principal is less certain. The credit rating or financial
condition of an issuer may affect the value of a debt security. Generally, the
lower the quality rating of a security, the greater the risks that the issuer
will fail to pay interest and return principal. To compensate investors for
taking on increased risk, issuers with lower credit ratings usually offer their
investors a higher "risk premium" in the form of higher interest rates than
those available from comparable treasury securities.
Changes in investor confidence regarding the certainty of interest and
principal payments of a corporate debt security will result in an adjustment to
this "risk premium. " Since an issuer's outstanding debt carries a fixed
coupon, adjustments to the risk premium must occur in the price, which affects
the yield to maturity of the bond. If an issuer defaults or becomes unable to
honor its financial obligations, the bond may lose some or all of its value.
A security rated within the four highest rating categories by a rating agency
is called investment-grade because its issuer is more likely to pay interest
and repay principal than an issuer of a lower rated bond. Adverse economic
conditions or changing circumstances, however, may weaken the capacity of the
issuer to pay interest and repay principal. If a security is not rated or is
rated under a different system, the Adviser may determine that it is of
investment-grade quality. The Adviser may retain securities that are
downgraded, if it believes that keeping those securities is warranted.
Debt securities rated below investment-grade (junk bonds) are highly
speculative securities that are usually issued by smaller, less credit worthy
and/or highly leveraged (indebted) companies. A corporation may issue a junk
bond because of a corporate restructuring or other similar event. Compared
with investment- grade bonds, junk bonds carry a greater degree of risk and are
less likely to make payments of interest and principal. Market developments
and the financial and business condition of the corporation issuing these
securities influences their price and liquidity more than changes in interest
rates, when compared to investment-grade debt securities. Insufficient
liquidity in the junk bond market may make it more difficult to dispose of
junk bonds and may cause the Fund to experience sudden and substantial price
declines. A lack of reliable, objective data or market quotations may make it
more difficult to value junk bonds accurately.
Rating agencies are organizations that assign ratings to securities based
primarily on the rating agency's assessment of the issuer's financial strength.
The Fund currently uses ratings compiled by Moody's, S&P and Fitch Inc. Credit
ratings are only an agency's opinion, not an absolute standard of quality, and
they do not reflect an evaluation of market risk.
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The section "Appendix A -- Ratings" contains further information concerning the
ratings of certain rating agencies and their significance.
The Adviser may use ratings produced by ratings agencies as guidelines to
determine the rating of a security at the time the Fund buys it. A rating
agency may change its credit ratings at any time. The Adviser monitors the
rating of the security and will take such action, if any, it believes
appropriate when it learns that a rating agency has reduced the security's
rating. The Fund is not obligated to dispose of securities whose issuers
subsequently are in default or which are downgraded below the above-stated
ratings.
EQUITY SECURITIES
TYPES OF EQUITY SECURITIES:
PREFERRED STOCKS -- Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company.
Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of
dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects,
preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike
common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate
matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock,
fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund
preferred stock. Generally, the market values of preferred stock with a fixed
dividend rate and no conversion element varies inversely with interest rates
and perceived credit risk
RIGHTS AND WARRANTS -- A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders
of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before
it is issued. Rights normally have a short life of usually two to four weeks,
are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a
lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are
usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give
the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified
price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges.
Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and
entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually
higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations
often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.
An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain
other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the
right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the
underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of
the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value
of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not
exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants
increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as
compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.
RISKS OF INVESTING IN EQUITY SECURITIES:
General Risks of Investing in Stocks -- While investing in stocks allows
investors to participate in the benefits of owning a company, such investors
must accept the risks of ownership. Unlike bondholders, who have preference to
a company's earnings and cash flow, preferred stockholders, followed by common
stockholders in order of priority, are entitled only to the residual amount
after a company meets its other obligations. For this reason, the value of a
company's stock will usually react more strongly to actual or perceived changes
in the company's financial condition or prospects than its debt obligations.
Stockholders of a company that fares poorly can lose money.
Stock markets tend to move in cycles with short or extended periods of rising
and falling stock prices. The value of a company's stock may fall because of:
o Factors that directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by
its management or lower
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demand for the company's products or services;
o Factors affecting an entire industry, such as increases in production
costs; and
o Changes in general financial market conditions that are relatively
unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest
rates, currency exchange rates or inflation rates.
Because preferred stock is generally junior to debt securities and other
obligations of the issuer, deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer
will cause greater changes in the value of a preferred stock than in a more
senior debt security with similar stated yield characteristics.
FOREIGN SECURITIES
Foreign securities are debt and equity securities that are traded in markets
outside of the United States. The markets in which these securities are located
can be developed or emerging. Consistent with their respective investment
strategies, the Fund can invest in foreign securities in a number of ways:
o They can invest directly in foreign securities denominated in a foreign
currency;
o They can invest in American Depositary Receipts, European Depositary
Receipts and other similar global instruments; and
o They can invest in investment funds.
TYPES OF FOREIGN SECURITIES:
EMERGING MARKETS -- An "emerging country" is generally a country that the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) and the
International Finance Corporation would consider to be an emerging or
developing country. Typically, emerging markets are in countries that are in
the process of industrialization, with lower gross national products (GNP) than
more developed countries. There are currently over 130 countries that the
international financial community generally considers to be emerging or
developing countries, approximately 40 of which currently have stock markets.
These countries generally include every nation in the world except the United
States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and most nations located in
Western Europe.
SOVEREIGN DEBT OBLIGATIONS -- Sovereign debt obligations are issued or
guaranteed by foreign governments or their agencies. Sovereign debt may be in
the form of conventional securities or other types of debt instruments such as
loans or loan participations. Governmental entities responsible for repayment
of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal and pay interest when
due, and may require renegotiation or reschedule of debt payments. In addition,
prospects for repayment of principal and payment of interest may depend on
political as well as economic factors. Although some sovereign debt, such as
Brady Bonds, is collateralized by U.S. Government securities, repayment of
principal and payment of interest is not guaranteed by the U.S. Government.
RISKS OF FOREIGN SECURITIES:
Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S. entities
with substantial foreign operations may involve significant risks in addition
to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS -- Local political, economic, regulatory, or
social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic
developments may affect the value of foreign investments. Listed below are some
of the more important political and economic factors that could negatively
affect an investment in foreign securities:
o The economies of foreign countries may differ from the economy of the
United States in such areas as growth of gross national product, rate of
inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, budget deficits
and national debt;
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o Foreign governments sometimes participate to a significant degree, through
ownership interests or regulation, in their respective economies. Actions
by these governments could significantly influence the market prices of
securities and payment of dividends;
o The economies of many foreign countries are dependent on international
trade and their trading partners and they could be severely affected if
their trading partners were to enact protective trade barriers and economic
conditions;
o The internal policies of a particular foreign country may be less stable
than in the United States. Other countries face significant external
political risks, such as possible claims of sovereignty by other countries
or tense and sometimes hostile border clashes; and
o A foreign government may act adversely to the interests of U. S.
investors, including expropriation or nationalization of assets,
confiscatory taxation and other restrictions on U. S. investment. A country
may restrict or control foreign investments in its securities markets.
These restrictions could limit the Fund's ability to invest in a particular
country or make it very expensive for the Fund to invest in that country.
Some countries require prior governmental approval, limit the types or
amount of securities or companies in which a foreigner can invest. Other
countries may restrict the ability of foreign investors to repatriate their
investment income and capital gains.
INFORMATION AND SUPERVISION -- There is generally less publicly available
information about foreign companies than companies based in the United States.
For example, there are often no reports and ratings published about foreign
companies comparable to the ones written about U.S. companies. Foreign
companies are typically not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and
financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those
applicable to U.S. companies. The lack of comparable information makes
investment decisions concerning foreign countries more difficult and less
reliable than domestic companies.
MARKET RISK -- Foreign markets may offer less protection to shareholders than
U.S. markets because:
o foreign accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements may
render a foreign corporate balance sheet more difficult to understand and
interpret than one subject to U. S. law and standards;
o adequate public information on foreign issuers may not be available, and
it may be difficult to secure dividends and information regarding corporate
actions on a timely basis;
o in general, there is less overall governmental supervision and regulation
of securities exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United
States;
o Over-the-counter ("OTC") markets tend to be less regulated than stock
exchange markets and, in certain countries, may be totally unregulated;
o economic or political concerns may influence regulatory enforcement and
may make it difficult for shareholders to enforce their legal rights; and
o restrictions on transferring securities within the United States or to
U.S. persons may make a particular security less liquid than foreign
securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions.
FOREIGN CURRENCY RISK -- While the Fund denominates its net asset value in U.S.
dollars, the securities of foreign companies are frequently denominated in
foreign currencies. Thus, a change in the value of a foreign currency against
the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding change in value of securities
denominated in that currency. Some of the factors that may impair the
investments denominated in a foreign currency are:
o It may be expensive to convert foreign currencies into U. S. dollars and
vice versa;
o Complex political and economic factors may significantly affect the values
of various currencies, including U. S. dollars, and their exchange rates;
o Government intervention may increase risks involved in purchasing or
selling foreign currency options,
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forward contracts and future contracts, since exchange rates may not be
free to fluctuate in response to other market forces;
o There may be no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign
currencies or regulatory requirement that quotations available through
dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis;
o Available quotation information is generally representative of very large
round-lot transactions in the inter- bank market and thus may not reflect
exchange rates for smaller odd-lot transactions (less than $1 million)
where rates may be less favorable; and
o The inter-bank market in foreign currencies is a global, around-the-clock
market. To the extent that a market is closed while the markets for the
underlying currencies remain open, certain markets may not always reflect
significant price and rate movements.
TAXES -- Certain foreign governments levy withholding taxes on dividend and
interest income. Although in some countries it is possible for the Fund to
recover a portion of these taxes, the portion that cannot be recovered will
reduce the income the Fund receives from its investments. The Fund does not
expect such foreign withholding taxes to have a significant impact on
performance.
EMERGING MARKETS -- Investing in emerging markets may magnify the risks of
foreign investing. Security prices in emerging markets can be significantly
more volatile than those in more developed markets, reflecting the greater
uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. In
particular, countries with emerging markets may:
o Have relatively unstable governments;
o Present greater risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on
foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets;
o Offer less protection of property rights than more developed countries;
and
o Have economies that are based on only a few industries, may be highly
vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer
from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates.
Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be
unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially
making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times.
CORPORATE LOANS. Corporate loans are negotiated and underwritten by a bank or
syndicate of banks and other institutional investors. The Fund may acquire an
interest in corporate loans through the primary market by acting as one of a
group of lenders of a corporate loan. The primary risk in an investment in
corporate loans is that the borrower may be unable to meet its interest and/or
principal payment obligations. The occurrence of such a default with regard to
a corporate loan in which the Fund had invested would have an adverse affect on
the Fund's net asset value. In addition, a sudden and significant increase in
market interest rates may cause a decline in the value of these investments and
in the Fund's net asset value. Other factors, such as rating downgrades, credit
deterioration, or large downward movement in stock prices, a disparity in
supply and demand of certain securities or market conditions that reduce
liquidity could reduce the value of loans, impairing the Fund's net asset
value. Corporate loans in which the Fund may invest may be collateralized or
uncollateralized and senior or subordinate. Investments in uncollateralized
and/or subordinate loans entail a greater risk of nonpayment than do
investments in corporate loans which hold a more senior position in the
borrower's capital structure or that are secured with collateral.
In the case of collateralized senior loans, however, there is no assurance that
sale of the collateral would raise enough cash to satisfy the borrower's
payment obligation or that the collateral can or will be liquidated. As a
result, the Fund might not receive payments to which it is entitled and thereby
may experience a decline in the value of its investment and its net asset
value. In the event of bankruptcy, liquidation may not occur and the
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court may not give lenders the full benefit of their senior positions. If the
terms of a senior loan do not require the borrower to pledge additional
collateral, the Fund will be exposed to the risk that the value of the
collateral will not at all times equal or exceed the amount of the borrower's
obligations under the senior loans. To the extent that a senior loan is
collateralized by stock in the borrower or its subsidiaries, such stock may
lose all of its value in the event of bankruptcy of the borrower.
The Fund may also acquire an interest in corporate loans by purchasing
participations ("Participations") in and assignments ("Assignments") of
portions of corporate loans from third parties. By purchasing a Participation,
the Fund acquires some or all of the interest of a bank or other lending
institution in a loan to a corporate borrower. Participations typically will
result in the Fund's having a contractual relationship only with the lender and
not the borrower. The Fund will have the right to receive payments or
principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the lender
selling the Participation and only upon receipt by the lender of the payments
from the borrower. In connection with purchasing Participations, the Fund
generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the
terms of the loan agreement relating to the loan, nor any rights of set-off
against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from any collateral
supporting the loan in which it has purchased the Participation. As a result,
the Fund will assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the lender that
is selling the Participation.
When the Fund purchases Assignments from lenders, the Fund will acquire direct
rights against the borrower on the loan. However, since Assignments are
arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and
assignors, the rights and obligations acquired by the Fund as the purchaser of
an Assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the
lender from which the Fund is purchasing the Assignments.
The Fund may acquire corporate loans of borrowers that are experiencing, or are
more likely to experience, financial difficulty, including loans of borrowers
that have filed for bankruptcy protection. Although loans in which the Fund
will invest generally will be secured by specific collateral, there can be no
assurance that liquidation of such collateral would satisfy the borrower's
obligation in the event of nonpayment of scheduled interest or principal, or
that such collateral could be readily liquidated. In the event of bankruptcy of
a borrower, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its
ability to realize the benefits of the collateral securing a senior loan.
In addition, the Fund may have difficulty disposing of its investments in
corporate loans. The liquidity of such securities is limited and The Fund
anticipates that such securities could be sold only to a limited number of
institutional investors. The lack of a liquid secondary market could have an
adverse impact on the value of such securities and on the Fund's ability to
dispose of particular loans or Assignments or Participations when necessary to
meet the Fund's liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event,
such as a deterioration in the creditworthiness of the borrower. The lack of a
liquid secondary market for corporate loans may also make it more difficult for
the Fund to assign a value to those securities for purposes of valuing the
Fund's investments and calculating its net asset value.
FUTURES AND OPTIONS TRANSACTIONS
FUTURES AND OPTIONS ON FUTURES. Futures contracts provide for the future sale
by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific
security at a specified future time and at a specified price. An option on a
futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in exchange for a premium, to
assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price during
the term of the option. The Fund will reduce the risk that it will be unable to
close out a futures contract by only entering into futures contracts that are
traded on a national futures exchange regulated by the Commodities Futures
Trading Commission ("CFTC"). The Fund may use futures contracts and related
options for: bona fide hedging; attempting to offset changes in the value of
securities held or expected to be acquired or be disposed of; attempting to
minimize fluctuations in foreign currencies; attempting to gain exposure to a
particular market, index or instrument; or other risk management purposes. To
the extent futures and/or options on futures are employed by the Fund, such use
will be in accordance with Rule 4.5 of the Commodity Exchange Act ("CEA"). The
Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has
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filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term
"commodity pool operator" in accordance with Rule 4.5 and therefore, the Fund
is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under
the CEA.
An index futures contract is a bilateral agreement pursuant to which two
parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to a
specified dollar amount times the difference between the index value at the
close of trading of the contract and the price at which the futures contract is
originally struck. No physical delivery of the securities comprising the index
is made; generally contracts are closed out prior to the expiration date of the
contract.
When the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, the Fund is required to
"cover" its position in order to limit leveraging and related risks. To cover
an open position on a "physically settled" futures contract, the Fund may
segregate or "earmark" cash or liquid securities that, when added to any
amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to
the full amount owed to the counterparty of the futures contract at the
settlement date (and marked-to-market on a daily basis). To cover an open
position on a "cash settled" futures contract, the Fund may segregate or
"earmark" cash or liquid securities that, when added to any amounts deposited
with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the Fund's daily
marked-to-market net obligation, if any. By segregating or "earmarking" cash or
securities equal to only its net obligation under cash-settled futures, the
Fund will have the ability to utilize these contracts to a greater extent than
"physically settled" futures contracts. For both "physically settled" and "cash
settled" futures contracts, rather than segregating or earmarking cash or
liquid securities, the Fund may otherwise cover its futures positions in a
manner consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules or SEC interpretations
thereunder.
The Fund may also cover its long position in a futures contract by purchasing a
put option on the same futures contract with a strike price (I.E., an exercise
price) as high or higher than the price of the futures contract. In the
alternative, if the strike price of the put is less than the price of the
futures contract, the Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in
value to the difference between the strike price of the put and the price of
the futures contract. The Fund may also cover its long position in a futures
contract by taking a short position in the instruments underlying the futures
contract, or by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected
to move relatively consistently with the futures contract. The Fund may cover
its short position in a futures contract by taking a long position in the
instruments underlying the futures contracts, or by taking positions in
instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with
the futures contract.
When the Fund purchases or sells an option on a futures contract, the Fund also
is required to "cover" its position in order to limit leveraging and related
risks. The Fund may cover its sale of a call option on a futures contract by
taking a long position in the underlying futures contract at a price less than
or equal to the strike price of the call option. In the alternative, if the
long position in the underlying futures contract is established at a price
greater than the strike price of the written (sold) call, the Fund will
segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between
the strike price of the call and the price of the futures contract. The Fund
may also cover its sale of a call option by taking positions in instruments
with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the call
option. The Fund may cover its sale of a put option on a futures contract by
taking a short position in the underlying futures contract at a price greater
than or equal to the strike price of the put option, or, if the short position
in the underlying futures contract is established at a price less than the
strike price of the written put, the Fund will segregate cash or liquid
securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the put
and the price of the futures contract. The Fund may also cover its sale of a
put option by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to
move relatively consistently with the put option.
There are significant risks associated with the Fund's use of futures contracts
and related options, including the following: (1) the success of a hedging
strategy may depend on the Adviser's ability to predict movements in the prices
of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest
rates; (2) there may be an imperfect or no correlation between the changes in
market value of the securities held by the Fund and the
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prices of futures and options on futures; (3) there may not be a liquid
secondary market for a futures contract or option; (4) trading restrictions or
limitations may be imposed by an exchange; and (5) government regulations may
restrict trading in futures contracts and options on futures. In addition, some
strategies reduce the Fund's exposure to price fluctuations, while others tend
to increase its market exposure.
OPTIONS. An option is a contract between two parties for the purchase and sale
of a financial instrument for a specified price (known as the "strike price" or
"exercise price") at any time during the option period. Unlike a futures
contract, an option grants a right (not an obligation) to buy or sell a
financial instrument. Generally, a seller of an option can grant a buyer two
kinds of rights: a "call" (the right to buy the security) or a "put" (the right
to sell the security). Options have various types of underlying instruments,
including specific securities, indices of securities prices, foreign
currencies, interest rates and futures contracts. Options may be traded on an
exchange (exchange-traded-options) or may be customized agreements between the
parties (over-the-counter or "OTC options"). Like futures, a financial
intermediary, known as a clearing corporation, financially backs
exchange-traded options. However, OTC options have no such intermediary and are
subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligations
under the contract.
o PURCHASING PUT AND CALL OPTIONS
When the Fund purchases a put option, it buys the right to sell the instrument
underlying the option at a fixed strike price. In return for this right, the
Fund pays the current market price for the option (known as the "option
premium"). The Fund may purchase put options to offset or hedge against a
decline in the market value of its securities ("protective puts") or to benefit
from a decline in the price of securities that it does not own. The Fund would
ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the
underlying securities decreased below the exercise price sufficiently to cover
the premium and transaction costs. However, if the price of the underlying
instrument does not fall enough to offset the cost of purchasing the option, a
put buyer would lose the premium and related transaction costs.
Call options are similar to put options, except that the Fund obtains the right
to purchase, rather than sell, the underlying instrument at the option's strike
price. The Fund would normally purchase call options in anticipation of an
increase in the market value of securities it owns or wants to buy. The Fund
would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the
underlying instrument exceeded the exercise price plus the premium paid and
related transaction costs. Otherwise, the Fund would realize either no gain or
a loss on the purchase of the call option.
The purchaser of an option may terminate its position by:
o Allowing it to expire and losing its entire premium;
o Exercising the option and either selling (in the case of a put option) or
buying (in the case of a call option) the underlying instrument at the
strike price; or
o Closing it out in the secondary market at its current price.
o SELLING (WRITING) PUT AND CALL OPTIONS
When the Fund writes a call option it assumes an obligation to sell specified
securities to the holder of the option at a specified price if the option is
exercised at any time before the expiration date. Similarly, when the Fund
writes a put option it assumes an obligation to purchase specified securities
from the option holder at a specified price if the option is exercised at any
time before the expiration date. The Fund may terminate its position in an
exchange-traded put option before exercise by buying an option identical to
the one it has written. Similarly, it may cancel an over-the-counter
option by entering into an offsetting transaction with the counterparty to the
option.
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The Fund could try to hedge against an increase in the value of securities it
would like to acquire by writing a put option on those securities. If security
prices rise, the Fund would expect the put option to expire and the premium it
received to offset the increase in the security's value. If security prices
remain the same over time, the Fund would hope to profit by closing out the put
option at a lower price. If security prices fall, the Fund may lose an amount
of money equal to the difference between the value of the security and the
premium it received. Writing covered put options may deprive the Fund of the
opportunity to profit from a decrease in the market price of the securities it
would like to acquire.
The characteristics of writing call options are similar to those of writing put
options, except that call writers expect to profit if prices remain the same or
fall. The Fund could try to hedge against a decline in the value of securities
it already owns by writing a call option. If the price of that security falls
as expected, the Fund would expect the option to expire and the premium it
received to offset the decline of the security's value. However, the Fund must
be prepared to deliver the underlying instrument in return for the strike
price, which may deprive it of the opportunity to profit from an increase in
the market price of the securities it holds.
The Fund is permitted only to write covered options. At the time of selling the
call option, the Fund may cover the option by owning, among other things:
o The underlying security (or securities convertible into the underlying
security without additional consideration), index, interest rate, foreign
currency or futures contract;
o A call option on the same security or index with the same or lesser
exercise price;
o A call option on the same security or index with a greater exercise price
and segregating cash or liquid securities in an amount equal to the
difference between the exercise prices;
o Cash or liquid securities equal to at least the market value of the
optioned securities, interest rate, foreign currency or futures contract;
or
o In the case of an index, the portfolio of securities that corresponds to
the index.
At the time of selling a put option, the Fund may cover the put option by,
among other things:
o Entering into a short position in the underlying security;
o Purchasing a put option on the same security, index, interest rate,
foreign currency or futures contract with the same or greater exercise
price;
o Purchasing a put option on the same security, index, interest rate,
foreign currency or futures contract with a lesser exercise price and
segregating cash or liquid securities in an amount equal to the difference
between the exercise prices; or
o Maintaining the entire exercise price in liquid securities.
o OPTIONS ON SECURITIES INDICES
Options on securities indices are similar to options on securities, except that
the exercise of securities index options requires cash settlement payments and
does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. In addition,
securities index options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group
of securities or segment of the securities market rather than price
fluctuations in a single security.
o OPTIONS ON FUTURES
An option on a futures contract provides the holder with the right to buy a
futures contract (in the case of a call option) or sell a futures contract (in
the case of a put option) at a fixed time and price. Upon exercise of the
option by the holder, the contract market clearing house establishes a
corresponding short position for
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the writer of the option (in the case of a call option) or a corresponding long
position (in the case of a put option). If the option is exercised, the parties
will be subject to the futures contracts. In addition, the writer of an option
on a futures contract is subject to initial and variation margin requirements
on the option position. Options on futures contracts are traded on the same
contract market as the underlying futures contract.
The buyer or seller of an option on a futures contract may terminate the option
early by purchasing or selling an option of the same series (i.e., the same
exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously purchased or sold.
The difference between the premiums paid and received represents the trader's
profit or loss on the transaction.
The Fund may purchase put and call options on futures contracts instead of
selling or buying futures contracts. The Fund may buy a put option on a
futures contract for the same reasons it would sell a futures contract. It
also may purchase such put options in order to hedge a long position in the
underlying futures contract. The Fund may buy call options on futures
contracts for the same purpose as the actual purchase of the futures contracts,
such as in anticipation of favorable market conditions.
The Fund may write a call option on a futures contract to hedge against a
decline in the prices of the instrument underlying the futures contracts. If
the price of the futures contract at expiration were below the exercise price,
the Fund would retain the option premium, which would offset, in part, any
decline in the value of its portfolio securities.
The writing of a put option on a futures contract is similar to the purchase of
the futures contracts, except that, if the market price declines, the Fund
would pay more than the market price for the underlying instrument. The
premium received on the sale of the put option, less any transaction costs,
would reduce the net cost to the Fund.
o COMBINED POSITIONS
The Fund may purchase and write options in combination with each other, or in
combination with futures or forward contracts, to adjust the risk and return
characteristics of the overall position. For example, the Fund could construct
a combined position whose risk and return characteristics are similar to
selling a futures contract by purchasing a put option and writing a call option
on the same underlying instrument. Alternatively, the Fund could write a call
option at one strike price and buy a call option at a lower price to reduce the
risk of the written call option in the event of a substantial price increase.
Because combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in
higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.
o FORWARD FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE CONTRACTS
A forward foreign currency contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell
a specific amount of currency at a future date or date range at a specific
price. In the case of a cancelable forward contract, the holder has the
unilateral right to cancel the contract at maturity by paying a specified fee.
Forward foreign currency exchange contracts differ from foreign currency
futures contracts in certain respects. Unlike futures contracts, forward
contracts:
o Do not have standard maturity dates or amounts (i.e., the parties to the
contract may fix the maturity date and the amount);
o Are traded in the inter-bank markets conducted directly between currency
traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers, as opposed to
futures contracts which are traded only on exchanges regulated by the CFTC;
o Do not require an initial margin deposit;
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o May be closed by entering into a closing transaction with the currency
trader who is a party to the original forward contract, as opposed to a
commodities exchange.
FOREIGN CURRENCY HEDGING STRATEGIES -- A "settlement hedge" or "transaction
hedge" is designed to protect the Fund against an adverse change in foreign
currency values between the date a security is purchased or sold and the date
on which payment is made or received. Entering into a forward contract for the
purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in an underlying
security transaction for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars "locks in" the U.S.
dollar price of the security. The Fund may also use forward contracts to
purchase or sell a foreign currency when it anticipates purchasing or selling
securities denominated in foreign currency, even if it has not yet selected the
specific investments.
The Fund may use forward contracts to hedge against a decline in the value of
existing investments denominated in foreign currency. Such a hedge, sometimes
referred to as a "position hedge," would tend to offset both positive and
negative currency fluctuations, but would not offset changes in security values
caused by other factors. The Fund could also hedge the position by selling
another currency expected to perform similarly to the currency in which the
Fund's investment is denominated. This type of hedge, sometimes referred to as
a "proxy hedge," could offer advantages in terms of cost, yield, or efficiency,
but generally would not hedge currency exposure as effectively as a direct
hedge into U.S. dollars. Proxy hedges may result in losses if the currency used
to hedge does not perform similarly to the currency in which the hedged
securities are denominated.
Transaction and position hedging do not eliminate fluctuations in the
underlying prices of the securities that the Fund owns or intends to purchase
or sell. They simply establish a rate of exchange that one can achieve at some
future point in time. Additionally, these techniques tend to minimize the risk
of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency and to limit any
potential gain that might result from the increase in value of such currency.
The Fund may enter into forward contracts to shift its investment exposure from
one currency into another. Such transactions may call for the delivery of one
foreign currency in exchange for another foreign currency, including currencies
in which its securities are not then denominated. This may include shifting
exposure from U.S. dollars to a foreign currency, or from one foreign currency
to another foreign currency. This type of strategy, sometimes known as a
"cross-hedge," will tend to reduce or eliminate exposure to the currency that
is sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased. Cross-hedges
may protect against losses resulting from a decline in the hedged currency, but
will cause the Fund to assume the risk of fluctuations in the value of the
currency it purchases. Cross-hedging transactions also involve the risk of
imperfect correlation between changes in the values of the currencies
involved.
It is difficult to forecast with precision the market value of portfolio
securities at the expiration or maturity of a forward or futures contract.
Accordingly, the Fund may have to purchase additional foreign currency on the
spot market if the market value of a security it is hedging is less than the
amount of foreign currency it is obligated to deliver. Conversely, the Fund may
have to sell on the spot market some of the foreign currency it received upon
the sale of a security if the market value of such security exceeds the amount
of foreign currency it is obligated to deliver.
To the extent that the Fund engages in foreign currency hedging, there can be
no assurance that any hedge will be effective or that there will be a hedge in
place at any given time.
ILLIQUID SECURITIES
The Fund may purchase or hold illiquid securities, including securities that
are not readily marketable and securities that are not registered ("restricted
securities") under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act"), but which can
be offered and sold to "qualified institutional buyers" under Rule 144A under
the 1933 Act. The Fund will not invest more than 15% of its net assets in
illiquid securities. If the percentage of the Fund's net
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assets invested in illiquid securities exceeds 15% due to market activity, the
Fund will take appropriate measures to reduce its holdings of illiquid
securities. The term "illiquid securities" for this purpose means securities
that cannot be disposed of within seven days in the ordinary course of business
at approximately the amount at which the Fund has valued the securities.
Under current SEC staff guidelines, illiquid securities also are considered to
include, among other securities, purchased OTC options, certain cover for OTC
options, repurchase agreements with maturities in excess of seven days, and
certain securities whose disposition is restricted under the federal securities
laws. The Fund may not be able to sell illiquid securities when the Adviser
considers it desirable to do so or may have to sell such securities at a price
that is lower than the price that could be obtained if the securities were more
liquid. In addition, the sale of illiquid securities also may require more time
and may result in higher dealer discounts and other selling expenses than does
the sale of securities that are not illiquid. Illiquid securities also may be
more difficult to value due to the unavailability of reliable market quotations
for such securities, and investment in illiquid securities may have an adverse
impact on NAV.
Institutional markets for restricted securities have developed as a result of
the promulgation of Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, which provides a "safe
harbor" from 1933 Act registration requirements for qualifying sales to
institutional investors. When Rule 144A restricted securities present an
attractive investment opportunity and meet other selection criteria, the Fund
may make such investments whether or not such securities are "illiquid"
depending on the market that exists for the particular security. The Board of
Trustees of the Trust (the "Board") has delegated the responsibility for
determining the liquidity of Rule 144A restricted securities that the Fund may
invest in to the Adviser.
MONEY MARKET SECURITIES
Money market securities include short-term U.S. Government securities;
custodial receipts evidencing separately traded interest and principal
components of securities issued by the U.S. Treasury; commercial paper rated in
the highest short-term rating category by a nationally recognized statistical
ratings organization ("NRSRO"), such as Standard & Poor's Ratings Service
("S&P") or Moody's Investor Service ("Moody's"), or determined by the Adviser
to be of comparable quality at the time of purchase; short-term bank
obligations (certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers' acceptances)
of U.S. commercial banks with assets of at least $1 billion as of the end of
their most recent fiscal year; and repurchase agreements involving such
securities. Each of these money market securities are described above. For a
description of ratings, see "Appendix A -- Ratings" to this SAI.
REPURCHASE AND REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with
financial institutions. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a
fund acquires a fixed income security (generally a security issued by the U.S.
Government or an agency thereof, a banker's acceptance, or a certificate of
deposit) from a commercial bank, broker, or dealer, and simultaneously agrees
to resell such security to the seller at an agreed upon price and date
(normally, the next business day). Because the security purchased constitutes
collateral for the repurchase obligation, a repurchase agreement may be
considered a loan that is collateralized by the security purchased. The
acquisition of a repurchase agreement may be deemed to be an acquisition of the
underlying securities as long as the obligation of the seller to repurchase the
securities is collateralized fully. The Fund follows certain procedures
designed to minimize the risks inherent in such agreements. These procedures
include effecting repurchase transactions only with creditworthy financial
institutions whose condition will be continually monitored by the Adviser. The
repurchase agreements entered into by the Fund will provide that the underlying
collateral at all times shall have a value at least equal to 102% of the resale
price stated in the agreement and consist only of securities permissible under
Section 101(47)(A)(i) of the Bankruptcy Code (the Adviser monitors compliance
with this requirement). Under all repurchase agreements entered into by the
Fund, the custodian or its agent must take possession of the underlying
collateral. In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial
institution, the Fund will seek to liquidate such collateral.
S-21
However, the exercising of the Fund's right to liquidate such collateral could
involve certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale
upon a default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase
price, the Fund could suffer a loss. The Fund does not invest in repurchase
agreements with respect to more than 33% of its total assets. It is the
current policy of the Fund, not to invest in repurchase agreements that do not
mature within seven days if any such investment, together with any other
illiquid assets held by the Fund, amounts to more than 15% of the Fund's total
assets. The investments of the Fund in repurchase agreements, at times, may be
substantial when, in the view of the Adviser, liquidity or other considerations
so warrant.
REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may enter into reverse repurchase
agreements, which involve the sale of securities with an agreement to
repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment
and have the characteristics of borrowing. Generally, the effect of such a
transaction is that the Fund can recover all or most of the cash invested in
the portfolio securities involved during the term of the reverse repurchase
agreement, while the Fund will be able to keep the interest income associated
with those portfolio securities. Such transactions are advantageous only if the
interest cost to the Fund of the reverse repurchase transaction is less than
the cost of obtaining the cash otherwise. Opportunities to achieve this
advantage may not always be available, and the Fund intends to use the reverse
repurchase technique only when it will be advantageous to the Fund. The Fund
will in each instance establish a segregated account with the Trust's custodian
bank in which the Fund will maintain cash or cash equivalents or other
portfolio securities equal in value to the Fund's obligations in respect of
reverse repurchase agreements. The Fund does not engage in reverse repurchase
agreements with respect to more than 33% of its total assets.
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS
FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES
The following are fundamental policies of the Fund. Fundamental policies cannot
be changed without the consent of the holders of a majority of the Fund's
outstanding shares. The phrase "majority of the outstanding shares" means the
vote of (i) 67% or more of the Fund's shares present at a meeting, if more than
50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy,
or (ii) more than 50% of the Fund's outstanding shares, whichever is less.
The Fund may not:
1. Purchase securities of an issuer that would cause the Fund to fail to
satisfy the diversification requirement for a diversified management
company under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any
exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended
or interpreted from time to time.
2. Concentrate investments in a particular industry or group of industries,
as concentration is defined under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations
thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or
regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
3. Borrow money or issue senior securities (as defined under the 1940 Act),
except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and
regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules
or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
4. Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules
and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute,
rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.
5. Purchase or sell commodities or real estate, except to the extent
permitted under the 1940 Act, the
S-22
rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such
statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to
time.
6. Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent
permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any
exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended
or interpreted from time to time.
7. Change its investment objective to achieve a total return that exceeds
that of the Fund's benchmark, the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Index, over a
market cycle of three to five years.
NON-FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES
In addition to the Fund's investment objective(s), the following investment
limitations of the Fund are non-fundamental and may be changed by the Trust's
Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. These non-fundamental policies
are based upon the regulations currently set forth in the 1940 Act.
The Fund may not:
1. Hold illiquid securities in an amount exceeding, in the aggregate, 15% of
the Fund's net assets.
In addition,
1. The Fund may not change its investment strategy to invest at least 80% of
its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in a fixed
income instruments without 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders.
Except with respect to the Fund's policies concerning borrowing and illiquid
securities, if a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of an
investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from changes
in values or assets will not constitute a violation of such restriction. With
respect to the limitation on illiquid securities, in the event that a
subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances causes a Fund to exceed
its limitation, the Fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of
illiquid instruments back within the limitations as soon as reasonably
practicable. With respect to the limitation on borrowing, in the event that a
subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances cause the Fund to exceed
its limitation, the Fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of
borrowing back within the limitations within three days thereafter (not
including Sundays and holidays).
The following descriptions of certain provisions of the 1940 Act may assist
investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions:
DIVERSIFICATION. Under the 1940 Act, a diversified investment management
company, as to 75% of its total assets, may not purchase securities of any
issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its
agents or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies) if, as
a result, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in the securities
of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuer's outstanding voting securities
would be held by the Fund.
CONCENTRATION. The SEC staff has defined concentration as investing 25% or more
of an investment company's net assets in an industry or group of industries,
with certain exceptions. The SEC Staff does not consider the U.S. Government or
its agencies and instrumentalities, and/or state governments and their
political subdivisions, to be members of any industry; therefore,
mortgage-backed securities that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
Government, its agencies or instrumentalities are not subject to the Fund's
concentration policy by virtue of this exclusion. In addition, privately issued
mortgage-backed securities, or any asset-backed securities, are not considered
to be the securities of issuers in a particular industry or group of
industries.
BORROWING. The 1940 Act presently allows a fund to borrow from any bank
(including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to
33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings not in
S-23
excess of 5% of its total assets).
SENIOR SECURITIES. Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument
issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits
funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain
transactions as senior securities, such as short sales, firm commitment
agreements and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation
of assets to cover such obligation.
LENDING. Under the 1940 Act, a fund may only make loans if expressly permitted
by its investment policies. The Fund's current investment policy on lending is
as follows: the Fund may not make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of
its total assets would be lent to other parties, except that the Fund may: (i)
purchase or hold debt instruments in accordance with its investment objective
and policies; (ii) enter into repurchase agreements; and (iii) engage in
securities lending as described in its SAI.
UNDERWRITING. Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves a fund
purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling
(distributing) them or participating in any such activity either directly or
indirectly.
COMMODITIES AND REAL ESTATE. The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an
investment company's ability to invest in commodities or real estate, but does
require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy
governing such investments. The Fund has adopted a fundamental policy that
would permit direct investment in commodities or real estate. The Fund's
current investment policy is as follows: the Fund will not purchase or sell
real estate, physical commodities, or commodities contracts, except that the
Fund may purchase: (i) marketable securities issued by companies which own or
invest in real estate (including REITs), commodities, or commodities contracts;
and (ii) commodities contracts relating to financial instruments, such as
financial futures contracts and options on such contracts.
S-24
THE ADVISER
GENERAL. The Adviser, LM Capital Group, LLC ("LM Capital" or the "Adviser"), is
a San Diego-based investment advisory firm registered under the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940. The firm was founded in 1989 by Luis Maizel and John
Chalker to provide fixed income investment management services to the
institutional investor. Messrs. Maizel and Chalker each own greater than 25% of
the voting securities of the Adviser and may be deemed to control the Adviser
within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The Adviser is employed by public agencies,
corporations and foundations nationwide. As of September 30, 2012, the Adviser
had approximately $4.619 billion in assets under management. The Adviser's
principal business address is 401 B Street, Suite 950, San Diego, CA 92101.
ADVISORY AGREEMENT WITH THE TRUST. The Trust and the Adviser have entered into
an investment advisory agreement (the "Advisory Agreement") with respect to the
Fund. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser serves as the investment
adviser and makes investment decisions for the Fund and continuously reviews,
supervises and administers the investment program of the Fund, subject to the
supervision of, and policies established by, the Trustees of the Trust. The
Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser shall indemnify and hold the Fund
harmless from losses arising out of, among other things, the Adviser's breach
of the Advisory Agreement or improper investments made by the Adviser.
After the initial two-year term, the continuance of the Advisory Agreement must
be specifically approved at least annually: (i) by the vote of the Trustees or
by a vote of the shareholders of the Fund; and (ii) by the vote of a majority
of the Trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or "interested
persons" of any party thereto, cast in person at a meeting called for the
purpose of voting on such approval. The Advisory Agreement will terminate
automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time
without penalty by the Trustees of the Trust or, with respect to the Fund, by a
majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund, on not less than 30 days' nor
more than 60 days' written notice to the Adviser, or by the Adviser on 90 days'
written notice to the Trust. (As used in the Advisory Agreement, the terms
"majority of the outstanding voting securities," "interested persons" and
"assignment" have the same meaning as such terms in the 1940 Act).
ADVISORY FEES PAID TO THE ADVISER. For its services under the Advisory
Agreement, the Adviser is entitled to a fee, which is calculated daily and paid
monthly, at an annual rate of 0.35% of the Fund's average daily net assets.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce fees and reimburse expenses of
the Fund in order to keep net operating expenses (excluding interest, taxes,
brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary
expenses) (collectively, "excluded expenses") from exceeding 0.45% or 0.60% of
the Fund's Institutional Class and Retirement Class Shares' average daily net
assets, respectively, until November 29, 2016. The Adviser may elect to extend
this reduction in fees on an annual basis. In addition, if at any point total
annual Fund operating expenses, the Adviser may retain the difference between
the total annual fund operating expenses (less excluded expenses) and its
expense cap for the Fund to recover all or a portion of its prior fee
reductions or expense reimbursements made during the preceding three-year
period during which this agreement was in place.
THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
This section includes information about the Fund's portfolio managers,
including information about other accounts managed, the dollar range of Fund
shares owned and how the portfolio managers are compensated.
COMPENSATION. The Adviser compensates the portfolio managers for their
management of the Fund. Portfolio managers receive a base salary representing
approximately 50% to 70% of active compensation. Bonus distributions are
determined based upon firm profitability, the increase of assets under
management, and the individual's personal performance during the calendar year.
Other benefits such as fully paid health insurance
S-25
for the portfolio manager and his/her family, a 401K matching program, and paid
vacation are also provided.
FUND SHARES OWNED BY PORTFOLIO MANAGERS. The Fund is required to show the
dollar amount range of the portfolio managers' "beneficial ownership" of shares
of the Fund as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year. Dollar
amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. "Beneficial ownership" is
determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"). Because the Fund is new, as of the
date of this SAI, the portfolio managers did not beneficially own shares of the
Fund.
OTHER ACCOUNTS. In addition to the Fund, the portfolio managers are responsible
for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below. The
information provided below is as of September 30, 2012.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REGISTERED INVESTMENT OTHER POOLED INVESTMENT
COMPANIES VEHICLES OTHER ACCOUNTS
(EXCLUDING THE FUND)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NUMBER NUMBER NUMBER
OF TOTAL ASSETS OF TOTAL ASSETS OF TOTAL ASSETS
NAME ACCOUNTS (MILLIONS) ACCOUNTS (MILLIONS) ACCOUNTS(1) (MILLIONS)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luis Maizel None None None None 30 $4,619.7
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Chalker None None None None 30 $4,619.7
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mario Modiano None None None None 30 $4,619.7
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rachel Wilson None None None None 30 $4,619.7
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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(1) The Adviser utilizes a team-based approach to portfolio management and
each of the portfolio managers listed are jointly and primarily responsible
for the management of a portion of the accounts listed in each category. Of
the above-referenced accounts, one of the accounts receives performance
based fees. As of June 30, 2012, assets in this account were $40.2 million.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. A conflict of interest may arise as a result of a
portfolio manager being responsible for multiple accounts, including the Fund,
which may have different investment guidelines and objectives. In addition to
the Fund, these accounts include separately managed accounts. An investment
opportunity may be suitable for the Fund as well as for any of the other
managed accounts. However, the investment may not be available in sufficient
quantity for all of the accounts to participate fully. The other managed
accounts may have similar investment objectives or strategies as the Fund, may
track the same benchmarks or indexes as the Fund tracks, and may sell
securities that are eligible to be held, sold or purchased by the Fund. A
portfolio manager may be responsible for accounts that have different advisory
fee schedules, which may create the incentive for the portfolio manager to
favor one account over another in terms of access to investment opportunities.
A portfolio manager may also manage accounts whose investment objectives and
policies differ from those of the Fund, which may cause the portfolio manager
to affect trading in one account that may have an adverse effect on the value
of the holdings within another account, including the Fund.
To address and manage these potential conflicts of interest, LM Capital has
adopted compliance policies and procedures to allocate investment opportunities
and to ensure that each of their clients is treated on a fair and equitable
basis. Such policies and procedures include, but are not limited to, trade
allocation and trade aggregation policies and oversight by investment
management and the Compliance team.
THE ADMINISTRATOR
GENERAL. SEI Investments Global Funds Services (the "Administrator"), a
Delaware statutory trust, has its principal business offices at One Freedom
Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. SEI Investments Management Corporation
("SIMC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments Company ("SEI
S-26
Investments"), is the owner of all beneficial interest in the Administrator.
SEI Investments and its subsidiaries and affiliates, including the
Administrator, are leading providers of funds evaluation services, trust
accounting systems, and brokerage and information services to financial
institutions, institutional investors, and money managers. The Administrator
and its affiliates also serve as administrator or sub-administrator to other
mutual funds.
ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT WITH THE TRUST. The Trust and the Administrator have
entered into an administration agreement dated January 28, 1993, as amended and
restated November 12, 2002 (the "Administration Agreement"). Under the
Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides the Trust with
administrative services, including regulatory reporting and all necessary
office space, equipment, personnel and facilities. Pursuant to a schedule to
the Administration Agreement, the Administrator also serves as the shareholder
servicing agent for the Fund whereby the Administrator provides certain
shareholder services to the Fund.
The Administration Agreement provides that the Administrator shall not be
liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by
the Trust in connection with the matters to which the Administration Agreement
relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross
negligence on the part of the Administrator in the performance of its duties or
from reckless disregard by it of its duties and obligations thereunder.
ADMINISTRATION FEES PAID TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. For its services under the
Administration Agreement, the Administrator is entitled to a fee, which is
detailed below in the following schedule:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEE (AS A PERCENTAGE OF AGGREGATE
AVERAGE ANNUAL ASSETS) FUND'S AVERAGE DAILY NET ASSETS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.125% First $500 million
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.105% Over $500 million
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
The initial annual minimum fee will be $125,000 for the Fund. In the event the
Fund is comprised of more than two classes, the Fund will be assessed an
additional annual fee equal to $15,000 per class.
THE DISTRIBUTOR
GENERAL. The Trust and SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the "Distributor"), a
wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments, and an affiliate of the
Administrator, are parties to a distribution agreement dated January 28, 1993,
as amended and restated as of November 14, 2005 ("Distribution Agreement"),
whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for the Trust's shares,
and which applies to both Institutional Class and Retirement Class Shares of
the Fund. The principal business address of the Distributor is One Freedom
Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456.
The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at
least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the shareholders
of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not
"interested persons" of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial
interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related
agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such
approval. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event
of its assignment (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act), and is terminable
at any time without penalty by the Board or, with respect to the Fund, by a
majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund, upon not more than 60 days'
written notice by either party. The Distribution Agreement provides that the
Distributor shall not be protected against any liability to the Trust or its
shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on
its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its
obligations or duties thereunder.
S-27
SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
SHAREHOLDER SERVICING PLAN. The Fund has adopted a shareholder servicing plan
(the "Service Plan") under which a shareholder servicing fee of up to 0.15% of
average daily net assets of Retirement Class Shares of the Fund will be paid to
other service providers. Under the Service Plan, other service providers may
perform, or may compensate other service providers for performing certain
shareholder and administrative services as discussed below.
DESCRIPTION OF SHAREHOLDER SERVICES. Shareholder services may include: (i)
maintaining accounts relating to clients that invest in shares; (ii) arranging
for bank wires; (iii) responding to client inquiries relating to the services
performed by the services provider; (iv) responding to inquiries from clients
concerning their investment in shares; (v) assisting clients in changing
dividend options, account designations and addresses; (vi) providing
information periodically to clients showing their position in shares; (vii)
forwarding shareholder communications from the Fund such as proxies,
shareholder reports, annual reports, and dividend distribution and tax notices
to clients; and (viii) processing dividend payments from the Fund on behalf of
clients.
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The Adviser and/or its affiliates, at their discretion, may make payments from
their own resources and not from Fund assets to affiliated or unaffiliated
brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies,
registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan
administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a
service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the Fund, their
service providers or their respective affiliates, as incentives to help market
and promote the Fund and/or in recognition of their distribution, marketing,
administrative services, and/or processing support.
These additional payments may be made to financial intermediaries that sell
Fund shares or provide services to the Fund, the Distributor or shareholders of
the Fund through the financial intermediary's retail distribution channel
and/or fund supermarkets. Payments may also be made through the financial
intermediary's retirement, qualified tuition, fee-based advisory, wrap fee bank
trust, or insurance (E.G., individual or group annuity) programs. These
payments may include, but are not limited to, placing the Fund in a financial
intermediary's retail distribution channel or on a preferred or recommended
fund list; providing business or shareholder financial planning assistance;
educating financial intermediary personnel about the Fund; providing access to
sales and management representatives of the financial intermediary; promoting
sales of Fund shares; providing marketing and educational support; maintaining
share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder
transaction processing services. A financial intermediary may perform the
services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform the services.
The Adviser and/or its affiliates may also make payments from their own
resources to financial intermediaries for costs associated with the purchase of
products or services used in connection with sales and marketing, participation
in and/or presentation at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs,
client and investor entertainment and other sponsored events. The costs and
expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship
at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent
permitted by law.
Revenue sharing payments may be negotiated based on a variety of factors,
including the level of sales, the amount of Fund assets attributable to
investments in the Fund by financial intermediaries' customers, a flat fee or
other measures as determined from time to time by the Adviser and/or its
affiliates. A significant purpose of these payments is to increase the sales of
Fund shares, which in turn may benefit the Adviser through increased fees as
Fund assets grow.
S-28
THE TRANSFER AGENT
Atlantic Fund Services, LLC, Three Canal Plaza, Portland, ME 04101 (the
"Transfer Agent"), serves as the Fund's transfer agent and dividend disbursing
agent under a transfer agency agreement with the Trust.
S-29
THE CUSTODIAN
Union Bank, N.A. (the "Custodian"), 350 California Street, San Francisco,
California 94104, serves as the Funds' custodian. The Custodian holds cash,
securities and other assets of the Fund as required by the 1940 Act.
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Ernst & Young LLP, One Commerce Square, 2005 Market Street, Suite 700,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as independent registered public
accounting firm for the Fund.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, 1701 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-2921,
serves as legal counsel to the Trust.
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST
BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series,
including the Fund described in this SAI, are overseen by the Trustees. The
Board has approved contracts, as described above, under which certain companies
provide essential management services to the Trust.
Like most mutual funds, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the
management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the
Adviser, Distributor and Administrator. The Trustees are responsible for
overseeing the Trust's service providers and, thus, have oversight
responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service
providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or
circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business,
operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the
funds. The funds and their service providers employ a variety of processes,
procedures and controls to identify various possible events or circumstances,
to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of
such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is
responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust's business (e.g., the
Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund's portfolio
investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that
business. The Board has emphasized to the funds' service providers the
importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.
The Trustees' role in risk oversight begins before the inception of a fund, at
which time certain of the fund's service providers present the Board with
information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of the
fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the fund. Additionally, the
fund's adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, its
investment philosophy, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructure.
Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel,
including the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the
adviser and other service providers such as the fund's independent accountants,
make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to
various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee
efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the funds
may be exposed.
The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the
services provided to the funds by the adviser and receives information about
those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis, in
connection with its consideration of whether to renew the advisory agreement
with the adviser, the Board meets with the adviser to review such services.
Among other things, the Board regularly considers the adviser's adherence to
the funds' investment restrictions and compliance with various fund policies
and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also
reviews information about the funds' investments, including, for example,
portfolio holdings schedules and reports on the adviser's use of derivatives in
managing the funds, if any, as well as reports on the funds' investments in
ETFs, if any.
S-30
The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review
and discuss compliance issues and fund and adviser risk assessments. At least
annually, the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report
reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust's policies and procedures
and those of its service providers, including the adviser. The report
addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each
service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the
policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations
for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material
compliance matters since the date of the last report.
The Board receives reports from the funds' service providers regarding
operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio
securities. The Trust's Fair Value Pricing Committee makes regular reports to
the Board concerning investments for which market quotations are not readily
available. Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews
with the Audit Committee its audit of the funds' financial statements, focusing
on major areas of risk encountered by the funds and noting any significant
deficiencies or material weaknesses in the funds' internal controls.
Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees
fund management's implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which
are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust
in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and
reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust's
internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and
procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability
of the Trust's financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust's financial
statements.
From their review of these reports and discussions with the adviser, the Chief
Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and other
service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the
material risks of the funds, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how
management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the funds can be
identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to
eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain
risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the funds' goals, and that
the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be
limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Trustees as
to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information.
Most of the funds' investment management and business affairs are carried out
by or through the funds' adviser and other service providers each of which has
an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods
by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from
the funds' and each other's in the setting of priorities, the resources
available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the
foregoing and other factors, the Board's ability to monitor and manage risk, as
a practical matter, is subject to limitations.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. There are ten members of the Board of Trustees, eight of
whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the
1940 Act ("independent Trustees"). Robert Nesher, an interested person of the
Trust, serves as Chairman of the Board. George Sullivan, an independent
Trustee, serves as the lead independent Trustee. The Trust has determined its
leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and
circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration
of, among other things, the fact that the independent Trustees constitute a
super-majority (80%) of the Board, the fact that the chairperson of each
Committee of the Board is an independent Trustee, the amount of assets under
management in the Trust, and the number of funds (and classes of shares)
overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure
facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the independent
Trustees from fund management.
The Board of Trustees has three standing committees: the Audit Committee,
Governance Committee and Fair Value Pricing Committee. The Audit Committee and
Governance Committee are chaired by an independent Trustee and composed of all
of the independent Trustees. In addition, the Board of Trustees has a lead
independent Trustee.
S-31
In his role as lead independent Trustee, Mr. Sullivan, among other things:
presides over board meetings in the absence of the Chairman of the Board;
presides over executive sessions of the independent Trustees; along with the
Chairman of the Board, oversees the development of agendas for Board meetings;
facilitates communication between the independent Trustees and management, and
among the independent Trustees; serves as a key point person for dealings
between the independent Trustees and management; and has such other
responsibilities as the Board or independent Trustees determine from time to
time.
Set forth below are the names, dates of birth, position with the Trust, length
of term of office, and the principal occupations and other directorships held
during at least the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as
a Trustee of the Trust. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each
Trustee is SEI Investments Company, One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks,
Pennsylvania 19456.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
POSITION
WITH TRUST AND
NAME AND LENGTH PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD IN THE
DATE OF BIRTH OF TERM IN THE PAST 5 YEARS PAST 5 YEARS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERESTED TRUSTEES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Nesher Chairman of the SEI employee 1974 to Current Directorships: Trustee of The
Board of Trustees(1) present; currently Advisors' Inner Circle Fund, Bishop
(08/17/46) performs various Street Funds, SEI Daily Income Trust,
(since 1991) services on behalf of SEI Institutional International Trust,
SEI Investments for SEI Institutional Investments Trust,
which Mr. Nesher is SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI
compensated. President Liquid Asset Trust, SEI Asset
and Director of SEI Allocation Trust, SEI Tax Exempt
Structured Credit Fund, Trust, Adviser Managed Trust and
LP. President and Chief New Covenant Funds. President and
Executive Officer of Director of SEI Structured Credit
SEI Alpha Strategy Fund, L.P. Director of SEI Global
Portfolios, LP, June Master Fund plc, SEI Global Assets
2007 to present. Fund plc, SEI Global Investments
President and Director Fund plc, SEI Investments--Global
of SEI Opportunity Funds Services, Limited, SEI
Fund, L.P. to 2010. Investments Global, Limited, SEI
Investments (Europe) Ltd., SEI
Investments--Unit Trust
Management (UK) Limited, SEI
Multi-Strategy Funds PLC, SEI
Global Nominee Ltd. and SEI Alpha
Strategy Portfolios, LP.
Former Directorships: Director of SEI
Opportunity Fund, L.P. to 2010.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William M. Doran Trustee(1) Self-Employed Current Directorships: Trustee of The
Consultant since 2003. Advisors' Inner Circle Fund, Bishop
(05/26/40) (since 1991) Partner at Morgan, Street Funds, SEI Daily Income Trust,
Lewis & Bockius LLP SEI Institutional International Trust,
(law firm) from 1976 to SEI Institutional Investments Trust,
2003. Counsel to the SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI
Trust, SEI Investments, Liquid Asset Trust, SEI Asset
SIMC, the Administrator Allocation Trust and SEI Tax Exempt
and the Distributor. Trust, Adviser Managed Trust and
New Covenant Funds. Director of SEI
Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP.
Director of SEI Investments (Europe),
Limited, SEI Investments--Global
Funds Services, Limited, SEI
Investments Global, Limited, SEI
Investments (Asia), Limited, SEI
Asset Korea Co., Ltd., SEI Global
Nominee Ltd. and SEI Investments --
Unit Trust Management (UK)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S-32
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
POSITION
WITH TRUST AND
NAME AND LENGTH PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD IN THE
DATE OF BIRTH OF TERM IN THE PAST 5 YEARS PAST 5 YEARS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Limited. Director of the Distributor
since 2003.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charles E. Carlbom Trustee Self-Employed Business Current Directorships: Trustee of The
Advisors' Inner Circle Fund and
(08/20/34) (since 2005) Consultant, Business Bishop Street Funds; Director of
Oregon Transfer Co.
Projects Inc. since 1997.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John K. Darr Trustee Retired. CEO, Office of Current Directorships: Trustee of The
Finance, Federal Home Advisors' Inner Circle Fund and
(08/17/44) (since 2008) Loan Banks, from 1992 Bishop Street Funds. Director of
to 2007. Federal Home Loan Bank of
Pittsburgh and Manna, Inc. (non-
profit developer of affordable housing
for ownership). Director of Meals on
Wheels, Lewes/Rehoboth Beach.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joseph T. Grause, Jr. Trustee Self Employed Current Directorships: Trustee of The
Consultant since January Advisors' Inner Circle Fund and
(05/28/52) (since 2011) 2012; Director of Bishop Street Funds. Director of the
Endowments and Korea Fund, Inc.
Foundations,
Morningstar Investment
Management,
Morningstar, Inc.,
February 2010 to May
2011; Director of
International Consulting
and Chief Executive
Officer of Morningstar
Associates Europe
Limited, Morningstar,
Inc., May 2007 to
February 2010; Country
Manager -- Morningstar
UK Limited,
Morningstar, Inc., June
2005 to May 2007.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mitchell A. Johnson Trustee Retired. Private Investor Current Directorships: Trustee of The
since 1994. Advisors' Inner Circle Fund, Bishop
(03/01/42) (since 2005) Street Funds, SEI Asset Allocation
Trust, SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI
Institutional International Trust, SEI
Institutional Managed Trust, SEI
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S-33
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
POSITION
WITH TRUST AND
NAME AND LENGTH PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD IN THE
DATE OF BIRTH OF TERM IN THE PAST 5 YEARS PAST 5 YEARS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Institutional Investments Trust, SEI
Liquid Asset Trust, SEI Tax Exempt
Trust and SEI Alpha Strategy
Portfolios, LP, Adviser Managed
Trust and New Covenant Funds.
Director, Federal Agricultural
Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac)
since 1997.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Betty L. Krikorian Trustee Vice President, Current Directorships: Trustee of The
Compliance, AARP Advisors' Inner Circle Fund and
(01/23/43) (since 2005) Financial Inc. from 2008 Bishop Street Funds.
to 2010. Self-Employed
Legal and Financial
Services Consultant since
2003. Counsel (in-
house) for State Street
Bank from 1995 to 2003.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce Speca Trustee Global Head of Asset Current Directorships: Trustee of The
Allocation, Manulife Advisors' Inner Circle Fund and
(02/12/56) (since 2011) Asset Management Bishop Street Funds.
(subsidiary of Manulife
Financial), June 2010 to
May 2011; Executive
Vice President --
Investment Management
Services, John Hancock
Financial Services
(subsidiary of Manulife
Financial), June 2003 to
June 2010.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
James M. Storey Trustee Attorney, Solo Current Directorships:
Practitioner since 1994. Trustee/Director of The Advisors'
(04/12/31) (since 1994) Inner Circle Fund, Bishop Street
Funds and U.S. Charitable Gift Trust.
Trustee of SEI Daily Income Trust,
SEI Institutional International Trust,
SEI Institutional Investments Trust,
SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI
Liquid Asset Trust, SEI Asset
Allocation Trust, SEI Tax Exempt
Trust and SEI Alpha Strategy
Portfolios, L.P. until December 2010.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
George J. Sullivan, Jr. Trustee Retired since January Current Directorships: Trustee/
2012. Self-employed Director of State Street Navigator
Consultant, Newfound Securities Lending Trust, The
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S-34
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
POSITION
WITH TRUST AND
NAME AND LENGTH PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS HELD IN THE
DATE OF BIRTH OF TERM IN THE PAST 5 YEARS PAST 5 YEARS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(11/13/42) (since 1999) Consultants Inc. April Advisors' Inner Circle Fund, Bishop
1997 to December 2011. Street Funds, SEI Structured Credit
Lead Fund, LP, SEI Daily Income Trust,
Independent SEI Institutional International Trust,
Trustee SEI Institutional Investments Trust,
SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI
Liquid Asset Trust, SEI Asset
Allocation Trust, SEI Tax Exempt
Trust, SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios,
LP, Adviser Managed Trust and New
Covenant Funds; member of the
independent review committee for
SEI's Canadian-registered mutual
funds.
Former Directorships: Director of
SEI Opportunity Fund, L.P. to 2010.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
(1) Denotes Trustees who may be deemed to be "interested" persons of the Fund
as that term is defined in the 1940 Act by virtue of their affiliation with
the Distributor and/or its affiliates.
INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEE QUALIFICATIONS
The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board
because of their ability to review and understand information about the Fund
provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they
may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management
and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the
management and administration of the Fund, and to exercise their business
judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Fund's shareholders.
The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee
based on their own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as
described below.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Nesher should serve as Trustee because of the
experience he has gained in his various roles with SEI Investments Company,
which he joined in 1974, his knowledge of and experience in the financial
services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the
Trust since 1991.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Doran should serve as Trustee because of the
experience he gained serving as a Partner in the Investment Management and
Securities Industry Practice of a large law firm, his experience in and
knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained
serving as trustee of the Trust since 1991.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Carlbom should serve as Trustee because of the
business experience he gained as President and CEO of a large distribution
cooperative and Chairman of a consulting company, his knowledge of the
financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving as
trustee of the Trust since 2005.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Darr should serve as Trustee because of his
background in economics, the business experience he gained in a variety of
roles with different financial and banking institutions and as a founder of a
money management firm, his knowledge of the financial services industry, and
the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Trust since 2008.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Grause should serve as Trustee because of the
knowledge and experience he gained in a variety of leadership roles with
different financial institutions, his knowledge of the mutual fund
S-35
and investment management industries and his past experience as an interested
trustee and chair of the investment committee for a multi-managed investment
company.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Johnson should serve as Trustee because of the
experience he gained as a senior vice president, corporate finance, of a
Fortune 500 company, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services
and banking industries, the experience he gained serving as a director of other
mutual funds, and the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Trust
since 2005.
The Trust has concluded that Ms. Krikorian should serve as Trustee because of
the experience she gained serving as a legal and financial services consultant,
in-house counsel to a large custodian bank and Vice President of Compliance of
an investment adviser, her background in fiduciary and banking law, her
experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the
experience she has gained serving as trustee of the Trust since 2005.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Speca should serve as Trustee because of the
knowledge and experience he gained serving as president of a mutual fund
company and portfolio manager for a $95 billion complex of asset allocation
funds, and his over 25 years of experience working in a management capacity
with mutual fund boards.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Storey should serve as Trustee because of the
mutual fund governance experience he gained as an Investment Management
attorney, both in private practice and with the SEC, his background serving as
counsel to numerous mutual fund boards of trustees, his knowledge of the 1940
Act, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and
the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Trust since 1994.
The Trust has concluded that Mr. Sullivan should serve as Trustee because of
the experience he gained as a certified public accountant and financial
consultant, his experience in and knowledge of public company accounting and
auditing and the financial services industry, the experience he gained as an
officer of a large financial services firm in its operations department and his
experience from serving as trustee of the Trust since 1999.
In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board
considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual
Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board's overall composition so
that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately
diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the funds.
BOARD COMMITTEES. The Board has established the following standing committees:
o AUDIT COMMITTEE. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed
of each of the independent Trustees of the Trust. The Audit Committee
operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal
responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: recommending which firm to
engage as each fund's independent registered public accounting firm and
whether to terminate this relationship; reviewing the independent
registered public accounting firm's compensation, the proposed scope and
terms of its engagement, and the firm's independence; pre-approving audit
and non-audit services provided by each fund's independent registered
public accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities;
serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered
public accounting firm and the Trustees; reviewing the results of each
external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered
public accounting firm's opinion, any related management letter,
management's responses to recommendations made by the independent
registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, reports
submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the
Trust's Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any,
and management's responses to any such reports; reviewing each fund's
audited financial statements and considering any significant disputes
between the Trust's management and the
S-36
independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with
the preparation of those financial statements; considering, in consultation
with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust's
senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered
public accounting firms' reports on the adequacy of the Trust's internal
financial controls; reviewing, in consultation with each fund's independent
registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and
accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing each
fund's financial statements; and other audit related matters. Messrs.
Carlbom, Darr, Grause, Johnson, Speca, Storey, Sullivan and Ms. Krikorian
currently serve as members of the Audit Committee. Mr. Sullivan serves as
the Chairman of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee meets
periodically, as necessary, and met four (4) times during the most recently
completed fiscal year.
o FAIR VALUE PRICING COMMITTEE. The Board has a standing Fair Value Pricing
Committee that is composed of at least one Trustee and various
representatives of the Trust's service providers, as appointed by the
Board. The Fair Value Pricing Committee operates under procedures approved
by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Fair Value Pricing
Committee is to determine the fair value of securities for which current
market quotations are not readily available. The Fair Value Pricing
Committee's determinations are reviewed by the Board. Mr. Nesher,
interested trustee, currently serves as the Board's delegate on the Fair
Value Pricing Committee. The Fair Value Pricing Committee meets
periodically, as necessary, and met one (1) time during the most recently
completed fiscal year.
o GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. The Board has a standing Governance Committee
(formerly the Nominating Committee) that is composed of each of the
independent Trustees of the Trust. The Governance Committee operates under
a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of
the Governance Committee include: considering and reviewing Board
governance and compensation issues; conducting a self-assessment of the
Board's operations; selecting and nominating all persons to serve as
Independent Trustees and evaluating the qualifications of "interested"
Trustee candidates; and reviewing shareholder recommendations for
nominations to fill vacancies on the Board if such recommendations are
submitted in writing and addressed to the Committee at the Trust's office.
Ms. Krikorian and Messrs. Carlbom, Darr, Grause, Johnson, Speca, Storey and
Sullivan, currently serve as members of the Governance Committee. Ms.
Krikorian serves as the Chairman of the Governance Committee. The
Governance Committee meets periodically, as necessary, and met three (3)
times during the most recently completed fiscal year.
FUND SHARES OWNED BY BOARD MEMBERS. The following table shows the dollar amount
range of each Trustee's "beneficial ownership" of shares of the Fund as of the
end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges
disclosed are established by the SEC. "Beneficial ownership" is determined in
accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act. The Trustees and officers
of the Trust own less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Trust.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOLLAR RANGE OF FUND SHARES AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF SHARES
NAME (FUND)(1) (ALL FUNDS IN FUND COMPLEX)(2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERESTED TRUSTEES
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doran None None
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nesher None None
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carlbom None None
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grause None None
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Darr None None
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Johnson None None
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Krikorian None None
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speca None None
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Storey None None
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sullivan None None
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
(1) Valuation date is December 31, 2011.
(2) The Trust is the only investment company in the Fund Complex.
S-37
BOARD COMPENSATION. The Trust paid the following fees to the Trustees during
its most recently completed fiscal year.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PENSION OR
RETIREMENT
AGGREGATE BENEFITS ACCRUED ESTIMATED ANNUAL TOTAL COMPENSATION
COMPENSATION AS PART OF FUND BENEFITS UPON FROM THE TRUST AND FUND
NAME FROM THE TRUST EXPENSES RETIREMENT COMPLEX(2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERESTED TRUSTEES
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$0 for service on one (1)
Doran(1) $0 N/A N/A board
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$0 for service on one (1)
Nesher(1) $0 N/A N/A board
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$42,139 for service on one
Carlbom $42,139 N/A N/A (1) board
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$42,139 for service on one
Darr $42,139 N/A N/A (1) board
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$32,414 for service on one
Grause $32,414(3) N/A N/A (1) board(3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$42,139 for service on one
Johnson $42,139 N/A N/A (1) board
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$42,139 for service on one
Krikorian $42,139 N/A N/A (1) board
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$32,414 for service on one
Speca $32,414(3) N/A N/A (1) board(3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$42,139 for service on one
Storey $42,139 N/A N/A (1) board
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$42,139 for service on one
Sullivan $42,139 N/A N/A (1) board
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
(1) A Trustee who is an "interested person" as defined by the 1940 Act.
(2) The Trust is the only investment company in the Fund Complex.
(3) Joined the Board of Trustees on November 17, 2011.
TRUST OFFICERS. Set forth below are the names, dates of birth, position with
the Trust and the principal occupations for the last five years of each of the
persons currently serving as the Executive Officers of the Trust. Unless
otherwise noted, the business address of each officer is SEI Investments
Company, One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. The Chief
Compliance Officer is the only officer who receives compensation from the Trust
for his services. Certain officers of the Trust also serve as officers of one
or more mutual funds for which SEI Investments Company or its affiliates act as
investment manager, administrator or distributor.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
POSITION WITH
NAME AND TRUST AND LENGTH PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS IN
DATE OF BIRTH OF TERM PAST 5 YEARS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Beattie President Director of Client Service, SEI
(03/13/65) (since 2011) Investments Company, since 2004.
|
S-38
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
POSITION WITH
NAME AND TRUST AND LENGTH PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS IN
DATE OF BIRTH OF TERM PAST 5 YEARS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Treasurer, Director, SEI Investments, Fund
Lawson Controller and Accounting since July 2005.
(10/08/60) Chief Financial Manager, SEI Investments, Fund
Officer Accounting at SEI Investments AVP
(since 2005) from April 1995 to February 1998
and November 1998 to July 2005.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Russell Emery Chief Compliance Chief Compliance Officer of SEI
(12/18/62) Officer Structured Credit Fund, LP and SEI
(since 2006) Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP since
June 2007. Chief Compliance Officer of
SEI Opportunity Fund, L.P., SEI
Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Asset
Allocation Trust, SEI Institutional
International Trust, SEI Institutional
Investments Trust, SEI Daily Income
Trust, SEI Liquid Asset Trust and SEI
Tax Exempt Trust since March 2006.
Director of Investment Product
Management and Development, SEI
Investments, since February 2003;
Senior Investment Analyst -- Equity
Team, SEI Investments, from March
2000 to February 2003.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy D. Vice President and General Counsel and Secretary of
Barto Assistant Secretary SIMC and the Administrator since
(03/28/68) (since 1999) 2004. Vice President of SIMC and the
Administrator since 1999. Vice
President and Assistant Secretary of
SEI Investments since 2001. Assistant
Secretary of SIMC, the Administrator
and the Distributor, and Vice President
of the Distributor from 1999 to 2003.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dianne M. Vice President Counsel at SEI Investments since 2010.
Sulzbach and Secretary Associate at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
(07/18/77) (since 2011) LLP from 2006 to 2010. Associate at
Morrison & Foerster LLP from 2003 to
2006. Associate at Stradley Ronon
Stevens & Young LLP from 2002 to
2003.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Munch
(05/07/71) Vice President and Attorney, SEI Investments Company,
Assistant Secretary since 2001. General Counsel, SEI
(since 2012) Investments Distribution Co., since
2004.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keri Rohn Privacy Officer Compliance Officer at SEI Investments
(8/24/80) (since 2009) since 2003.
AML Officer
(since 2011)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
S-39
PURCHASING AND REDEEMING SHARES
Purchases and redemptions may be made through the Transfer Agent on any day the
New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") is open for business. Shares of the Fund are
offered and redeemed on a continuous basis. Currently, the Trust is closed for
business when the following holidays are observed: New Year's Day, Martin
Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence
Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It is currently the Trust's policy to pay all redemptions in cash. The Trust
retains the right, however, to alter this policy to provide for redemptions in
whole or in part by a distribution in-kind of securities held by the Fund in
lieu of cash. Shareholders may incur brokerage charges on the sale of any such
securities so received in payment of redemptions. A shareholder will at all
times be entitled to aggregate cash redemptions from all funds of the Trust up
to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Trust's net assets during any 90-day
period. The Trust has obtained an exemptive order from the SEC that permits the
Trust to make in-kind redemptions to those shareholders of the Trust that are
affiliated with the Trust solely by their ownership of a certain percentage of
the Trust's investment portfolios.
The Trust reserves the right to suspend the right of redemption and/or to
postpone the date of payment upon redemption for any period on which trading on
the NYSE is restricted, or during the existence of an emergency (as determined
by the SEC by rule or regulation) as a result of which disposal or valuation of
the Fund's securities is not reasonably practicable, or for such other periods
as the SEC has by order permitted. The Trust also reserves the right to suspend
sales of shares of the Fund for any period during which the NYSE, the Adviser,
the Administrator, the Transfer Agent and/or the Custodian are not open for
business.
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
GENERAL POLICY. The following information supplements and should be read in
conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled "How the Fund
Calculates NAV." The NAV of the Fund serves as the basis for the purchase and
redemption price of the Fund's shares. The NAV of the Fund is calculated by
dividing the market value of the Fund's securities plus the value of its other
assets, less all liabilities, by the number of outstanding shares of the Fund.
The Fund adheres to Section 2(a)(41), and Rule 2a-4 thereunder, of the 1940 Act
with respect to the valuation of portfolio securities. In general, securities
for which market quotations are readily available are valued at current market
value, and all other securities are valued at fair value in accordance with
procedures adopted by the Board. In complying with the 1940 Act, the Trust
relies on guidance provided by the SEC and by the SEC staff in various
interpretive letters and other guidance.
EQUITY SECURITIES. Securities listed on a securities exchange, market or
automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except
for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter,
are valued at the last quoted sale price on the primary exchange or market
(foreign or domestic) on which they are traded on valuation date (or at
approximately 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, if a security's primary exchange is
normally open at that time), or, if there is no such reported sale on the
valuation date, at the most recent quoted bid price. For securities traded on
NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If such prices are not
available or determined to not represent the fair value of the security as of
the Fund's pricing time, the security will be valued at fair value as
determined in good faith using methods approved by the Board.
MONEY MARKET SECURITIES AND OTHER DEBT SECURITIES. If available, money market
securities and other debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided
by recognized independent, third-party pricing agents. Such values generally
reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The
third-party pricing agents may also value debt securities by employing
methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied
valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for
such securities. Such methodologies generally consider such factors as security
prices, yields, maturities, call features, ratings and developments relating to
specific securities in arriving at valuations. Money market
S-40
securities and other debt securities with remaining maturities of sixty days or
less may be valued at their amortized cost, which approximates market value. If
such prices are not available or determined to not represent the fair value of
the security as of the Fund's pricing time, the security will be valued at fair
value as determined in good faith using methods approved by the Trust's Board.
USE OF THIRD-PARTY INDEPENDENT PRICING AGENTS. Pursuant to contracts with the
Administrator, market prices for most securities held by the Fund are provided
daily by third-party independent pricing agents that are approved by the Board.
The valuations provided by third-party independent pricing agents are reviewed
daily by the Administrator.
TAXES
The following is only a summary of certain federal income tax considerations
generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that are not described in the
prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax
treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the
prospectus are not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning.
Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors with specific reference to
their own tax situations, including their state and local tax liabilities.
This general discussion of certain federal income tax consequences is based on
the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on
the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or
court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and
may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated
herein.
Congress passed the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act on December
22, 2010 (the "RIC Mod Act") which makes certain beneficial changes for
"regulated investment companies" under Subchapter M of the Code ("RICs") and
their shareholders, some of which are referenced below. In general, the RIC Mod
Act contains simplification provisions effective for taxable years beginning
after December 22, 2010, which are aimed at preventing disqualification of a
RIC for "inadvertent" failures of the asset diversification and/or qualifying
income tests. Additionally, the RIC Mod Act allows capital losses to be carried
forward indefinitely, and retain the character of the original loss, exempts
certain RICs from the preferential dividend rule, and repealed the 60-day
designation requirement for certain types of income and gains.
QUALIFICATIONS AS A REGULATED INVESTMENT COMPANY. The Fund intends to qualify
and elect to be treated as a RIC. By following such a policy, the Fund expects
to eliminate or reduce to a nominal amount the federal taxes to which it may be
subject. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the
Fund as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to
shareholders.
In order to be taxable as a RIC, the Fund must distribute annually to its
shareholders at least 90% of its net investment income (generally net
investment income plus the excess of net short-term capital gains over net
long-term capital losses, less operating expenses) and at least 90% of its net
tax exempt interest income, for each tax year, if any, to its shareholders
("Distribution Requirement") and also must meet several additional
requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of
the Fund's gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends,
interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or
other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income,
including, generally, certain gains from options, futures, and forward
contracts derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock,
securities or currencies, and net income derived from an interest in qualified
publicly traded partnerships (the "Qualifying Income Test"); (ii) at the end of
each fiscal quarter of the Fund's taxable year, at least 50% of the market
value of its total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S.
Government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with such
other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not
greater than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets or more than 10% of the
outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (iii) at the end of each
fiscal quarter of the Fund's taxable year, not more than 25% of the value of
its total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. Government
securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer or the securities
(other than the securities of other RICs) of two or
S-41
more issuers that the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, or
similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more
qualified publicly traded partnerships (the "Asset Diversification Test").
If the Fund fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income Test or the Asset
Diversification Test in any taxable year, the Fund may be eligible for relief
provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect
and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the
applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de
minimis failures of the asset diversification requirements where the Fund
corrects the failure within a specified period. If a Fund fails to qualify as a
RIC for any year, and these relief provisions are not available, all of its
income will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates without
any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In such case, its shareholders
would be taxed as if they received ordinary dividends, although corporate
shareholders could be eligible for the dividends received deduction and
individuals may be able to benefit from the lower tax rates available to
qualified dividend income (for tax years ending prior to December 31, 2012). In
addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay
substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before
requalifying as a RIC.
The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any "qualified late year loss" as if
it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund's
taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and
profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such "qualified late year
loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in
characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar. A "qualified late year
loss" generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net
short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year
(commonly referred to as "post-October losses") and certain other late-year
losses.
The RIC Mod Act changed the treatment of capital loss carryovers for RICs. The
new rules are similar to those that apply to capital loss carryovers of
individuals are made applicable to RICs and provide that such losses are
carried over by a Fund indefinitely. Thus, if the Fund has a "net capital loss"
(that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains) for a taxable year, the
excess of the Fund's net short-term capital losses over its net long-term
capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day
of such Fund's next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund's net
long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a
long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable
year. Certain transition rules require post-enactment capital losses to be
utilized first, which, depending on the circumstances for a Fund, may result in
the expiration of unused pre-enactment losses. In addition, the carryover of
capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if a Fund
experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.
FEDERAL EXCISE TAX. Notwithstanding the Distribution Requirement described
above, which only requires the Fund to distribute at least 90% of their annual
investment company income and does not require any minimum distribution of net
capital gain, the Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax
to the extent the Fund fails to distribute, by the end of any calendar year, at
least 98% of its ordinary income for that year and 98.2% of its capital gain
net income (the excess of short- and long-term capital gain over short- and
long-term capital loss) for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that
year, plus certain other amounts. The Fund intends to make sufficient
distributions to avoid liability for federal excise tax, but can make no
assurances that such tax will be completely eliminated. The Fund may in certain
circumstances be required to liquidate its investments in order to make
sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when
the Adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of
investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Fund to satisfy
the requirements for qualification as a RIC.
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS. The Fund may derive capital gains and losses in
connection with sales or other dispositions of its portfolio of securities.
Distributions of dividends will generally be taxed as ordinary income. Dividend
distributions of net short-term capital gains will be taxable to you as
ordinary income. Dividend distributions of net long-term capital gains,
however, will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain regardless of how
long you have held your shares. Long-term capital gains are currently taxed at
a minimum rate of 15%.
S-42
Certain dividend distributions from the Fund may qualify as qualified dividend
income. Qualified dividend income distributed to an individual is taxable at
the lower, long-term capital gains rates. A distribution from the Fund
generally qualifies as qualified dividend income to the extent it is designated
as such by the Fund and was distributed from dividends received by the Fund
from taxable domestic corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations,
subject to limitations including holding period limitations, imposed on the
Fund and its shareholders. Absent further legislation, the lower rates on
qualified dividend income and long-term capital gains will not apply to
dividends received in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012.
The Fund will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends,
qualified dividend income and capital gain distributions, if any, at the time
they are paid and will advise you of their tax status for federal income tax
purposes shortly after the close of each calendar year. If you have not held
Fund shares for a full year, the Fund may designate and distribute to you, as
ordinary income dividends, qualified dividend income or capital gain dividends,
a percentage of income that is not equal to the actual amount of such income
earned during the period of your investment in the Fund.
A dividend or distribution received shortly after the purchase of shares
reduces the net asset value of the shares by the amount of the dividend or
distribution and, although in effect a return of capital, will be taxable to
the shareholder. If the net asset value of shares were reduced below the
shareholder's cost by dividends or distributions representing gains realized on
sales of securities, such dividends or distributions would be a return of
investment though taxable to the shareholder in the same manner as other
dividends or distributions.
If the Fund's distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains
realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in
the same taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to
shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable,
but will reduce each shareholder's cost basis in the Fund and result in a
higher reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares
on which the distribution was received are sold.
Dividends declared to shareholders of record in October, November or December
and actually paid in January of the following year will be treated as having
been received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which
declared. Under this rule, therefore, a shareholder may be taxed in one year on
dividends or distributions actually received in January of the following year.
REDEMPTIONS AND EXCHANGES. Redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares may be
taxable transactions for federal and state income tax purposes. If you hold
your shares as a capital asset, the gain or loss that you realize will be
capital gain or loss and will be long-term or short-term, generally depending
on how long you hold your shares. Any loss incurred on the redemption or
exchange of shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term
capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gains distributed to you by
the Fund on such shares. All or a portion of any loss that you realize upon the
redemption of your Fund shares will be disallowed to the extent that you buy
other shares in the Fund (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise)
within 30 days before or after your share redemption. Any loss disallowed under
these rules will be added to your tax basis in the new shares you buy.
Legislation passed by Congress in 2008 requires the Fund (or its administrative
agent) to report to the Internal Revenue Services ("IRS") and furnish to Fund
shareholders the cost basis information for Fund shares purchased on or after
January 1, 2012, and sold on or after that date. In addition to the present law
requirement to report the gross proceeds from the sale of Fund shares, the Fund
will also be required to report the cost basis information for such shares and
indicate whether these shares had a short-term or long-term holding period. For
each sale of Fund shares the Fund will permit Fund shareholders to elect from
among several IRS-accepted cost basis methods, including average cost. In the
absence of an election, the Fund will use the average basis method as their
default cost basis method. The cost basis method elected by the Fund
shareholder (or the cost basis method applied by default) for each sale of Fund
shares may not be changed after the settlement date of each such sale of Fund
shares. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisors to determine
the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain
more information about how the new cost
S-43
basis reporting law applies to them. The requirement to report only the gross
proceeds from the sale of Fund shares will continue to apply to all Fund shares
acquired through December 31, 2011, and sold on and after that date.
Recent legislation effective beginning in 2013 provides that U.S. individuals
with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) will be
subject to a new 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on their "net investment
income," including interest, dividends, and capital gains (including capital
gains realized on the sale or exchange of Fund shares).
TAXATION OF FUND INVESTMENTS. The Fund may invest in complex securities. These
investments may be subject to numerous special and complex tax rules. These
rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated
as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the
Fund and/or defer the Fund's ability to recognize losses. In turn, those rules
may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to you by
the Fund.
With respect to investments in STRIPS, TRs, and other zero coupon securities
which are sold at original issue discount and thus do not make periodic cash
interest payments, the Fund will be required to include as part of its current
income the imputed interest on such obligations even though the Fund has not
received any interest payments on such obligations during that period. Because
the Fund distributes all of its net investment income to its shareholders, the
Fund may have to sell Fund securities to distribute such imputed income which
may occur at a time when the Adviser would not have chosen to sell such
securities and which may result in taxable gain or loss.
Any market discount recognized on a bond is taxable as ordinary income. A
market discount bond is a bond acquired in the secondary market at a price
below redemption value or adjusted issue price if issued with original issue
discount. Absent an election by the Fund to include the market discount in
income as it accrues, gain on the Fund's disposition of such an obligation will
be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gain to the extent of the
accrued market discount.
The Fund is required for federal income tax purposes to mark-to-market and
recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses
on certain futures contracts as of the end of the year as well as those
actually realized during the year. Gain or loss from futures and options
contracts on broad-based indexes required to be marked to market will be 60%
long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may
alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders. The Fund may
be required to defer the recognition of losses on futures contracts, options
contracts and swaps to the extent of any unrecognized gains on offsetting
positions held by the Fund.
The Fund's transactions in foreign currencies and forward foreign currency
contracts will be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other
things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund
(i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate
recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore
affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These
provisions also may require the Fund to mark-to-market certain types of
positions in their portfolios (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out)
which may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which
to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the RIC distribution
requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. Most foreign exchange gains
realized on the sale of debt securities are treated as ordinary income by the
Fund. Similarly, foreign exchange losses realized by the Fund on the sale of
debt securities are generally treated as ordinary losses by the Fund. These
gains when distributed will be taxable to you as ordinary dividends, and any
losses will reduce the Fund's ordinary income otherwise available for
distribution to you.
In certain cases, the Fund will be required to withhold at the applicable
withholding rate, and remit to the United States Treasury, back up withholding
on any distributions paid to a shareholder who (1) has failed to provide a
correct taxpayer identification number, (2) is subject to backup withholding by
the Internal Revenue
S-44
Service, (3) has not certified to the Fund that such shareholder is not subject
to backup withholding, or (4) has failed to certify that he or she is a U.S.
citizen or U.S. resident alien.
In the case of corporate shareholders, Fund distributions (other than capital
gains distributions) generally qualify for the dividend-received deduction to
the extent such distributions are so designated and do not exceed the gross
amount of qualifying dividends received by the Fund for the year. Generally,
and subject to certain limitations (including certain holding period
limitations), a dividend will be treated as a qualifying dividend if it has
been received from a domestic corporation.
For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2013, a U.S. withholding tax at
a 30% rate will be imposed on dividends and proceeds from the sale of Fund
shares received by shareholders who own their shares through foreign accounts
or foreign intermediaries if certain disclosure requirements related to U.S.
accounts or ownership are not satisfied.
TAX-EXEMPT SHAREHOLDERS. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified
pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements,
401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal
income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income
("UBTI"). Under current law, the Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being
realized by their tax-exempt shareholders. However, notwithstanding the
foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by virtue of their
investment in the Fund where, for example, (i) the Fund invests in real estate
investment trusts ("REITs") that hold residual interests in real estate
mortgage investment conduits ("REMICs") or (ii) shares in the Fund constitute
debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the
meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject
to special rules and should consult their tax advisors.
TAX SHELTER REPORTING REGULATIONS. Under promulgated Treasury regulations,
generally, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on disposition of the Fund's
shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or
more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a
disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities
are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current
guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend
the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most
or all regulated investment companies. In addition, pursuant to recently
enacted legislation, significant penalties may be imposed for the failure to
comply with the reporting requirements. The fact that a loss is reportable
under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the
taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their
tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of
their individual circumstances.
FOREIGN TAXES. Dividends and interests received by the Fund may be subject to
income, withholding or other taxes imposed by foreign countries and U.S.
possessions that would reduce the yield on the Fund's stock or securities. Tax
conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or
eliminate these taxes. Foreign countries generally do not impose taxes on
capital gains with respect to investments by foreign investors.
STATE TAXES. The Fund is not liable for any income or franchise tax in
Massachusetts if it qualifies as a RIC for federal income tax purposes.
Distributions by the Fund to shareholders and the ownership of shares may be
subject to state and local taxes. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax
advisors regarding state and local taxes applicable to an investment in the
Fund.
Many states grant tax-free status to dividends paid to you from interest earned
on direct obligations of the U.S. government, subject in some states to minimum
investment requirements that must be met by a Fund. Investment in GNMA or FNMA
securities, banker's acceptances, commercial paper, and repurchase agreements
collateralized by U.S. government securities do not generally qualify for such
tax-free treatment. The rules on exclusion of this income are different for
corporate shareholders.
S-45
FUND TRANSACTIONS
BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS. Generally, equity securities, both listed and
over-the-counter, are bought and sold through brokerage transactions for which
commissions are payable. Purchases from underwriters will include the
underwriting commission or concession, and purchases from dealers serving as
market makers will include a dealer's mark-up or reflect a dealer's mark-down.
Money market securities and other debt securities are usually bought and sold
directly from the issuer or an underwriter or market maker for the securities.
Generally, the Fund will not pay brokerage commissions for such purchases. When
a debt security is bought from an underwriter, the purchase price will usually
include an underwriting commission or concession. The purchase price for
securities bought from dealers serving as market makers will similarly include
the dealer's mark up or reflect a dealer's mark down. When the Fund executes
transactions in the over-the-counter market, they will generally deal with
primary market makers unless prices that are more favorable are otherwise
obtainable.
In addition, the Adviser may place a combined order for two or more accounts it
manages, including the Fund, engaged in the purchase or sale of the same
security if, in its judgment, joint execution is in the best interest of each
participant and will result in best price and execution. Transactions involving
commingled orders are allocated in a manner deemed equitable to each account or
fund. Although it is recognized that, in some cases, the joint execution of
orders could adversely affect the price or volume of the security that a
particular account or the Fund may obtain, it is the opinion of the Adviser and
the Board that the advantages of combined orders outweigh the possible
disadvantages of separate transactions. Nonetheless, the Adviser believes that
the ability of the Fund to participate in higher volume transactions will
generally be beneficial to the Fund.
BROKERAGE SELECTION. The Trust does not expect to use one particular broker or
dealer, and when one or more brokers is believed capable of providing the best
combination of price and execution, the Fund's Adviser may select a broker
based upon brokerage or research services provided to the Adviser. The Adviser
may pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers in
return for such services only if a good faith determination is made that the
commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.
Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act permits the Adviser, under certain circumstances,
to cause the Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a
transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer
would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of
brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. In addition
to agency transactions, the Adviser may receive brokerage and research services
in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with
applicable SEC guidance. Brokerage and research services include: (1)
furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing
in, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or
purchasers or sellers of securities; (2) furnishing analyses and reports
concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends,
portfolio strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (3) effecting
securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as
clearance, settlement, and custody). In the case of research services, the
Adviser believes that access to independent investment research is beneficial
to their investment decision-making processes and, therefore, to the Fund.
To the extent research services may be a factor in selecting brokers, such
services may be in written form or through direct contact with individuals and
may include information as to particular companies and securities as well as
market, economic, or institutional areas and information which assists in the
valuation and pricing of investments. Examples of research-oriented services
for which the Adviser might utilize Fund commissions include research reports
and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of
securities, individual companies, statistical information, political
developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit
analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. The
Adviser may use research services furnished by brokers in servicing all client
accounts and not all services may necessarily be used by the Adviser in
connection with the Funds or any other specific client account that paid
commissions to the broker providing such services. Information so received by
the Adviser will be in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to
be performed by the Fund's Adviser under the Advisory
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Agreement. Any advisory or other fees paid to the Adviser are not reduced as a
result of the receipt of research services.
In some cases the Adviser may receive a service from a broker that has both a
"research" and a "non-research" use. When this occurs, the Adviser makes a good
faith allocation, under all the circumstances, between the research and
non-research uses of the service. The percentage of the service that is used
for research purposes may be paid for with client commissions, while the
Adviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is
used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the
Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest, but the Adviser believes that
its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that it
appropriately allocates the anticipated use of such services to their research
and non-research uses.
From time to time, the Fund may purchase new issues of securities for clients
in a fixed price offering. In these situations, the seller may be a member of
the selling group that will, in addition to selling securities, provide the
adviser with research services. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
("FINRA") has adopted rules expressly permitting these types of arrangements
under certain circumstances. Generally, the seller will provide research
"credits" in these situations at a rate that is higher than that which is
available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not
fall within the safe harbor of Section 28(e).
BROKERAGE WITH FUND AFFILIATES. The Fund may execute brokerage or other agency
transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the
Adviser or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act,
the 1934 Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules further require that
commissions paid to the affiliate by the Fund for exchange transactions not
exceed "usual and customary" brokerage commissions. The rules define "usual and
customary" commissions to include amounts which are "reasonable and fair
compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be
received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving
similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a
comparable period of time." The Trustees, including those who are not
"interested persons" of the Fund, have adopted procedures for evaluating the
reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures
periodically. The Adviser presently has no broker-dealer affiliates.
SECURITIES OF "REGULAR BROKER-DEALERS." The Fund is required to identify any
securities of their "regular brokers and dealers" (as such term is defined in
the 1940 Act) which the Fund may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal
year. Because the Fund is new, as of the date of this SAI, the Fund does not
hold any securities of "regular brokers and dealers."
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATES. Portfolio turnover rate is defined under U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") rules as the value of the
securities purchased or securities sold, excluding all securities whose
maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less, divided by the
average monthly value of such securities owned during the year. Based on this
definition, instruments with remaining maturities of less than one year are
excluded from the calculation of the portfolio turnover rate. Instruments
excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover generally would include the
futures contracts in which the Fund may invest since such contracts generally
have remaining maturities of less than one year. The Fund may at times hold
investments in other short-term instruments, such as repurchase agreements,
which are excluded for purposes of computing portfolio turnover.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Board has approved a policy and procedures that govern the timing and
circumstances regarding the disclosure of Fund portfolio holdings information
to shareholders and third parties. These policies and procedures are designed
to ensure that disclosure of information regarding the Fund's portfolio
securities is in the best interests of Fund's shareholders, and include
procedures to address conflicts between the interests of the Fund's
shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Fund's Adviser, principal
underwriter or any affiliated person of the Fund, its Adviser, or their
principal underwriter, on the other. Pursuant to such
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procedures, the Board has authorized the Adviser's Chief Compliance Officer
(the "Authorized Person") to authorize the release of the Fund's portfolio
holdings, as necessary, in conformity with the foregoing principles. The
Authorized Person reports at least quarterly to the Board regarding the
implementation of such policies and procedures.
Pursuant to applicable law, the Fund is required to disclose their complete
portfolio holdings quarterly, within 60 days of the end of each fiscal quarter
(currently, each October 31, January 31, April 30 and July 31). The Fund
discloses a complete schedule of investments in each Semi-Annual Report and
Annual Report to Fund shareholders or, following the first and third fiscal
quarters, in quarterly holdings reports filed with the SEC on Form N-Q.
Semi-Annual and Annual Reports are distributed to Fund shareholders. Quarterly
holdings reports filed with the SEC on Form N-Q are not distributed to Fund
shareholders, but are available, free of charge, on the EDGAR database on the
SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
The Fund generally publishes a complete list of its portfolio holdings on a
monthly basis, as of the end of the previous month. The Fund also publishes a
list of its ten largest portfolio holdings, and the percentage of the Fund's
assets that each of these holdings represents, on a monthly basis, 10 days
after the end of the month. The portfolio information described above can be
found on the internet at http://aicfundholdings.com/lmcapital. This portfolio
holdings information will generally remain available until it is replaced by
new portfolio holdings information as described above. The Adviser may exclude
any portion of the Fund's portfolio holdings from publication when deemed to be
in the best interest of the Fund. The Fund may provide ratings and rankings
organizations with the same information at the same time it is filed with the
SEC or one day after it is made available on the internet web site.
The Fund's policies and procedures provide that the Authorized Person may
authorize disclosure of portfolio holdings information to third parties at
differing times and/or with different lag times than the information posted to
the internet, provided that the recipient is, either by contractual agreement
or otherwise by law, (i) required to maintain the confidentiality of the
information and (ii) prohibited from using the information to facilitate or
assist in any securities transactions or investment program. No compensation or
other consideration is paid to or received by any party in connection with the
disclosure of portfolio holdings information, including the Fund, Adviser and
its affiliates or recipient of the Fund's portfolio holdings information. The
Fund will review a third party's request for portfolio holdings information to
determine whether the third party has legitimate business objectives in
requesting such information. Legitimate business objectives may include but are
not necessarily limited to: disclosure for required due diligence purposes;
disclosure to a newly hired investment adviser or sub-adviser; or disclosure to
a rating agency for use in developing a rating.
In addition, the Fund's service providers, such as the Custodian, Administrator
and transfer agent, may receive portfolio holdings information as frequently as
daily in connection with their services to the Fund. In addition to any
contractual provisions relating to confidentiality of information that may be
included in the service providers contract with the Trust, these arrangements
impose obligations on the Fund's service providers that would prohibit them
from disclosing or trading on the Fund's non-public information. Financial
printers and pricing information vendors may receive portfolio holdings
information, as necessary, in connection with their services to the Fund.
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES
The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of
funds and shares of each fund. Each share of a fund represents an equal
proportionate interest in that fund with each other share. Shares are entitled
upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the fund.
Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that
the Trustees of the Trust may create additional series or classes of shares.
All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any fund and all assets
in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be
subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing
shares will not be issued. The Fund's shares, when issued, are fully paid and
non-assessable.
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SHAREHOLDER LIABILITY
The Trust is an entity of the type commonly known as a "Massachusetts business
trust." Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of such a trust could, under
certain circumstances, be held personally liable as partners for the
obligations of the Trust. Even if, however, the Trust were held to be a
partnership, the possibility of the shareholders incurring financial loss for
that reason appears remote because the Trust's Declaration of Trust contains an
express disclaimer of shareholder liability for obligations of the Trust and
requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation
or instrument entered into or executed by or on behalf of the Trust or the
Trustees, and because the Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out
of the Trust property for any shareholder held personally liable for the
obligations of the Trust.
LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES' LIABILITY
The Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his
or her own willful defaults and, if reasonable care has been exercised in the
selection of officers, agents, employees or investment advisers, shall not be
liable for any neglect or wrongdoing of any such person. The Declaration of
Trust also provides that the Trust will indemnify its Trustees and officers
against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with actual or
threatened litigation in which they may be involved because of their offices
with the Trust unless it is determined in the manner provided in the
Declaration of Trust that they have not acted in good faith in the reasonable
belief that their actions were in the best interests of the Trust. However,
nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee
against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties. Nothing contained in
this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee's individual liability in any
manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.
PROXY VOTING
The Board has delegated responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for
securities held by the Fund to the Adviser. The Adviser will vote such proxies
in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures, which are included in
Appendix B to this SAI. The Board will periodically review the Fund's proxy
voting record.
A description of the policies and procedures that the Adviser uses to determine
how to vote proxies relating to the Fund's portfolio securities, as well as
information relating to how the Adviser voted proxies relating to the Fund's
portfolio securities for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, will be
available on Form N-PX (i) without charge, upon request, by calling
866-330-1111 and (ii) on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.
CODES OF ETHICS
The Board, on behalf of the Trust, has adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to
Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. In addition, the Adviser, the Distributor and
the Administrator have adopted Codes of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1. These
Codes of Ethics (each a "Code of Ethics" and together the "Codes of Ethics")
apply to the personal investing activities of trustees, officers and certain
employees ("access persons"). Rule 17j-1 and the Codes of Ethics are designed
to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of
securities by access persons. Under each Code of Ethics, access persons are
permitted to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased
or held by the Fund, but are required to report their personal securities
transactions for monitoring purposes. The Codes of Ethics further require
certain access persons to obtain approval before investing in initial public
offerings and limited offerings. Copies of these Codes of Ethics are on file
with the SEC, and are available to the public.
5% AND 25% SHAREHOLDERS
Because the Fund is new, as of the date of this SAI, the Fund does not have any
beneficial owners to report.
S-49
PART C: OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 28. EXHIBITS:
(a)(1) The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II's (the "Registrant") Amended and
Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated July 24, 1992, as amended
and restated February 18, 2004 and August 10, 2004, is incorporated herein by
reference to Exhibit (a)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 36 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed
with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (the "SEC") via EDGAR Accession
No. 0001135428-04- 000490 on September 17, 2004.
(a)(2) Amendment No. 1, dated May 15, 2012, to the Registrant's Amended and
Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated July 24, 1992, as amended
and restated February 18, 2004 and August 10, 2004, is incorporated herein by
reference to Exhibit (a)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 129 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed
with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000274 on May 30, 2012.
(b) Registrant's Second Amended and Restated By-Laws are incorporated herein by
reference to Exhibit (b) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 125 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000088 on February 28, 2012.
(c) Not Applicable.
(d)(1) Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement, dated May 31, 2000,
as amended and restated as of May 21, 2001, between the Registrant and Horizon
Advisers, relating to the Hancock Horizon Family of Funds, is incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(16) of Post- Effective Amendment No. 31 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed
with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-01-500044 on May 31, 2001.
(d)(2) Revised Schedule, as last amended May 16, 2012, to the Amended and
Restated Investment Advisory Agreement, dated May 31, 2000, as amended and
restated as of May 21, 2001, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(d)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 129 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-12-000274 on May 30, 2012.
(d)(3) Expense Limitation Agreement, as last amended October 2012, between the
Registrant and Horizon Advisers, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(d)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 141 to the Registrants Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-12-000544 on November 28, 2012.
(d)(4) Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated August 15, 2008, between Horizon Advisers
and Earnest Partners, LLC, relating to the Hancock Horizon Diversified
International Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(5) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on
Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-09-000036 on February 5, 2009.
(d)(5) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated October 24, 2008, between the
Registrant and Champlain Investment Partners, LLC, relating to the Champlain
Small Company Fund and the Champlain Mid Cap Fund, is incorporated herein by
reference to Exhibit (d)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to the
1
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33- 50718), filed
with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-10-000419 on September 30,
2010.
(d)(6) Expense Limitation Agreement, effective as of November 29, 2010, between
the Registrant and Champlain Investment Partners, LLC, relating to the
Champlain Small Company Fund and the Champlain Mid Cap Fund, is incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 132 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed
with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000324 on July 13, 2012.
(d)(7) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated December 21, 2004, between the
Registrant and W. H. Reaves & Co. Inc., relating to the Reaves Select Research
Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(6) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 40 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File
No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-05-000155
on March 31, 2005.
(d)(8) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated May 5, 2008, between the Registrant
and Frost Investment Advisors, LLC, relating to the Frost Family of Funds, is
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(16) of Post-Effective Amendment
No. 76 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
033-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-08-000222 on
May 30, 2008.
(d)(9) Schedule A, as revised November 14, 2012, to the Investment Advisory
Agreement, dated May 5, 2008, between the Registrant and Frost Investment
Advisors, LLC, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(9) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on
Form N-1A (File No. 033-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-12-000562 on December 3, 2012.
(d)(10) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated June 16, 2010, between Frost
Investment Advisors, LLC and Cambiar Investors, LLC, relating to the Frost
Small Cap Equity Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(14)
of Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to the Registrant's Registration Statement
on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-10-000419 on September 30, 2010.
(d)(11) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated April 28, 2008, between Frost
Investment Advisors, LLC and Kempner Capital Management, Inc., relating to the
Frost Kempner Multi-Cap Deep Value Equity Fund and Frost Kempner Treasury and
Income Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(18) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 76 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on
Form N-1A (File No. 033-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-08-000222 on May 30, 2008.
(d)(12) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated April 28, 2008, between Frost
Investment Advisors, LLC and Thornburg Investment Management, Inc., relating to
the Frost International Equity Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to
Exhibit (d)(19) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 76 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 033-50718), filed with the SEC
via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-08-000222 on May 30, 2008.
(d)(13) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated April 28, 2008, between Frost
Investment Advisors, LLC and Luther King Capital Management Corporation,
relating to the Frost Mid Cap Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to
Exhibit (d)(20) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 76 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 033-50718), filed with the SEC
via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-08-000222 on May 30, 2008.
2
(d)(14) Expense Waiver Reimbursement Agreement, dated May 5, 2008, between the
Registrant and Frost Investment Advisors, LLC, relating to the Frost Family of
Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(16) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 132 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File
No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000324
on July 13, 2012.
(d)(15) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated April 30, 2008, between the
Registrant and GRT Capital Partners, LLC, relating to the GRT Funds, is
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(22) of Post-Effective Amendment
No. 76 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
033-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-08-000222 on
May 30, 2008.
(d)(16) Schedule A, as amended and restated November 17, 2010, to the
Investment Advisory Agreement, dated April 30, 2008, between the Registrant and
GRT Capital Partners, LLC, relating to the GRT Funds, is incorporated herein by
reference to Exhibit (d)(21) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 100 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed
with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-10-000585 on December 6, 2010.
(d)(17) Expense Waiver Reimbursement Agreement, dated April 30, 2008, between
the Registrant and GRT Capital Partners, LLC, relating to the GRT Value Fund,
is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(19) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 132 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File
No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000324
on July 13, 2012.
(d)(18) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated January 27, 2009, between the
Registrant and Lowry Hill Investment Advisors, Inc. (now known as Abbot Downing
Investment Advisors), relating to the Clear River Fund, is incorporated herein
by reference to Exhibit (d)(27) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 86 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed
with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-09-000212 on May 29, 2009.
(d)(19) Expense Limitation Agreement, effective as of November 29, 2010,
between the Registrant and Lowry Hill, relating to the Clear River Fund, is
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(21) of Post-Effective Amendment
No. 132 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on From N-1A (File No.
33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000324 on
July 13, 2012.
(d)(20) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated April 21, 2009, between the
Registrant and NorthPointe Capital LLC, relating to the NorthPointe Family of
Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(22) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 132 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File
No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000324
on July 13, 2012.
(d)(21) Expense Waiver Reimbursement Agreement, dated May 4, 2009, between the
Registrant and NorthPointe Capital LLC, relating to the NorthPointe Family of
Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(23) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 132 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File
No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000324
on July 13, 2012.
(d)(22) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated July 13, 2011, between the
Registrant and Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P., relating to the
Westfield Capital Large Cap Growth Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to
Exhibit (d)(25) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 114 to the
3
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed
with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-11-000362 on July 13, 2011.
(d)(23) Expense Limitation Agreement, effective as of July 13, 2011, between
the Registrant and Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P., relating to the
Westfield Large Cap Growth Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(d)(26) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 114 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-11-000362 on July 13, 2011.
(d)(24) Investment Advisory Agreement, dated June 28, 2011, between the
Registrant and STW Fixed Income Management LLC, relating to the STW Short
Duration Investment-Grade Bond Fund, STW Core Investment-Grade Bond Fund, STW
Long Duration Investment-Grade Bond Fund and STW Broad Tax-Aware Value Bond
Fund, is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (d)(26) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 132 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File
No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000324
on July 13, 2012.
(d)(25) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated November 14, 2012, between
Frost Investment Advisors, LLC and Cinque Partners LLC, is incorporated herein
by reference to Exhibit (d)(25) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 033-50718), filed
with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000562 on December 3, 2012.
(d)(26)Investment Advisory Agreement, dated November 14, 2012, between the
Registrant and LM Capital Group, LLC, relating to the LM Capital Opportunistic
Bond Fund, is filed herewith.
(d)(27) Expense Limitation Agreement, effective as of November 14, 2012, between
the Registrant and LM Capital Group, LLC, relating to the LM Capital
Opportunistic Bond Fund, is filed herewith.
(e)(1) Distribution Agreement, dated January 28, 1993, as amended and restated
as of November 14, 2005, between the Registrant and SEI Investments
Distribution Co. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(1) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on
Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-06-000209 on May 31, 2006.
(e)(2) Amendment No. 1, effective as of August 30, 2010, to the Distribution
Agreement, dated January 28, 1993, as amended and restated as of November 14,
2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(2) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 125 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File
No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000088
on February 28, 2012.
(e)(3) Revised Form of Sub-Distribution and Servicing Agreement for SEI
Investments Distribution Co. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(e)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 76 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 033-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-08-000222 on May 30, 2008.
(f) Not Applicable.
(g)(1) Custody Agreement, dated May 31, 2000, between the Registrant and
Hancock Bank and Trust, relating to the Hancock Horizon Family of Funds, is
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g) of Post-Effective Amendment No.
35 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N- 1A (File No.
33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-04-000232 on
May 28, 2004.
4
(g)(2) Revised Appendix B to the Custody Agreement dated May 31, 2000 between
the Registrant and Hancock Bank and Trust, relating to the Hancock Horizon
Family of Funds, is to be filed by amendment.
(g)(3) Mutual Fund Custody Agreement, dated September 1, 2004, between the
Registrant and Wachovia Bank, National Association (now, U.S. Bank, N.A.),
relating to the Champlain Family of Funds, Reaves Select Research Fund, GRT
Family of Funds and STW Family of Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to
Exhibit (g)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 38 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-05-000029 on January 14, 2005.
(g)(4) Revised Amendment and Attachment C, relating to the to the Mutual Fund
Custody Agreement, dated September 1, 2004, between the Registrant and U.S.
Bank, N.A. (formerly, Wachovia Bank, N.A.), relating to the Champlain Family of
Funds, Reaves Select Research Fund, GRT Family of Funds and STW Family of
Funds, is to be filed by amendment.
(g)(5) Custodian Agreement, dated November 19, 2007, between the Registrant and
Union Bank of California, relating to the Frost Family of Funds and the
NorthPointe Family of Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(g)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 66 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-07-000581 on December 28, 2007.
(g)(6) Appendices A, B and C, as last amended February 18, 2009, to the
Custodian Agreement, dated November 19, 2007, between the Registrant and Union
Bank of California, is to be filed by amendment.
(g)(7) Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.,
relating to the Clear River Fund, is to be filed by amendment.
(g)(8) Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and Citi Global Transaction
Services is to be filed by amendment.
(h)(1) Administration Agreement, dated January 28, 1993, as amended and
restated as of November 12, 2002, between the Registrant and SEI Investments
Global Funds Services is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 34 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on
Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-03-000338 on May 30, 2003.
(h)(2) Shareholder Services Plan, dated May 31, 2000, relating to the Hancock
Horizon Family of Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(15)
of Post-Effective Amendment No. 28 to the Registrant's Registration Statement
on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0000912057-00-026908 on May 31, 2000.
(h)(3) Revised Schedule A, as last amended May 16, 2012, to the Shareholder
Services Plan, dated May 31, 2000, relating to the Hancock Horizon Family of
Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 129 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File
No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000274
on May 30, 2012.
(h)(4) Shareholder Services Plan, dated August 9, 2005, relating to the
Aberdeen Emerging Markets Fund, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(h)(12) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-05-000569 on September 29, 2005.
5
(h)(5) Schedule A, as last amended November 10, 2010, to the Shareholder
Services Plan, dated August 9, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to
Exhibit (h)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 114 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-11-000362 on July 13, 2011.
(h)(6) Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, dated May 31, 2000, between the
Registrant and Hancock Bank and Trust is incorporated herein by reference to
Exhibit (e)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 35 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-04-000232 on May 28, 2004.
(h)(7) AML Amendment to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, dated May
31, 2000, between the Registrant and Hancock Bank and Trust is incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 35 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed
with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-04-000232 on May 28, 2004.
(h)(8) Amendment, dated September 1, 2003, to the Transfer Agency and Service
Agreement, dated May 31, 2000, between the Registrant and Hancock Bank and
Trust is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(4) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 35 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File
No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-04-000232
on May 28, 2004.
(h)(9) Amendment, dated September 1, 2010, to the Transfer Agency and Service
Agreement, dated May 31, 2000, between the Registrant and Hancock Bank and
Trust is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(9) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 99 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File
No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-10-000563
on November 29, 2010.
(h)(10) Transfer Agency Agreement, dated April 1, 2006, between the Registrant
and DST Systems, Inc., is to be filed by amendment.
(h)(11) Transfer Agency and Service Agreement, dated May 31, 2007, between the
Registrant and UMB Fund Services, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to
Exhibit (h)(19) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 66 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via
EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-07-000581 on December 28, 2007.
(h)(12) Revised Schedules A and C to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement
dated May 31, 2007 between the Registrant and UMB Fund Services, Inc., is to be
filed by amendment.
(h)(13) Transfer Agency Agreement between the Registrant and Citi Global
Transaction Services is to be filed by amendment.
(h)(14) Transfer Agency Agreement between the Registrant and Boston Financial
Data Services, LLC, is to be filed by amendment.
(h)(15) Transfer Agency Agreement between the Registrant and Atlantic Fund
Services is to be filed by amendment.
(h)(16) Shareholder Services Plan, relating to Retirement Class Shares of the
LM Capital Opportunistic Bond Fund, is filed herewith.
6
(i) Opinion and Consent of Counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, relating to
shares of the LM Capital Opportunistic Bond Fund, is filed herewith.
(j) Not Applicable.
(k) Not Applicable.
(l) Not Applicable.
(m)(1) Distribution Plan (compensation type), dated May 31, 2000, as amended
November 16, 2004, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (m)(1) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 110 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on
Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-11-000294 on May 27, 2011.
(m)(2) Revised Schedule A, as amended May 16, 2012, to the Distribution Plan,
dated May 31, 2000, as amended August 12, 2008, relating to the Hancock Horizon
Family of Funds, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (m)(2) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 129 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on
Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-12-000274 on May 30, 2012.
(m)(3) Distribution Plan (reimbursement type), as approved by the Board of
Trustees on February 23, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit
(m)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 40 to the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR
Accession No. 0001135428-05-000155 on March 31, 2005.
(m)(4) Revised Schedule A, as amended May 13, 2008, to the Distribution Plan
approved by the Board of Trustees on February 23, 2005, is incorporated herein
by reference to Exhibit (m)(10) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 76 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 033-50718), filed
with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-08-000222 on May 30, 2008.
(m)(5) Revised Schedule F, dated March 10, 2008, as amended November 14, 2012,
to the Distribution Plan, dated May 31, 2000, as amended November 16, 2004, is
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (m)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment
No. 142 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
033-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000562 on
December 3, 2012.
(n)(1) Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Multiple Class Plan, dated February
2007, including Schedules and Certificates of Class Designation thereto, is
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (n) of Post-Effective Amendment No.
110 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-11-000294 on
May 27, 2011.
(n)(2) Certificate of Class Designation for Class A Shares of the Hancock
Horizon Family of Funds, as revised November 14, 2011, is incorporated herein
by reference to Exhibit (n)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 125 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33- 50718), filed
with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000088 on February 28,
2012.
(n)(3) Revised Schedule A to the Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Multiple Class
Plan dated February 2007, relating to the Hancock Horizon Family of Funds, is
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (n)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment
No. 129 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000274 on
May 30, 2012.
7
(n)(4) Schedule G and Certificates of Class Designation to the Registrant's
Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Multiple Class Plan, dated February 21, 2007,
relating to the LM Capital Family of Funds, is filed herewith.
(o) Not Applicable.
(p)(1) Registrant's Code of Ethics is incorporated herein by reference to
Exhibit (p)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33- 50718), filed with the SEC
via EDGAR Accession No. 0001116502-07-002196 on November 28, 2007.
(p)(2) SEI Investments Distribution Co. Code of Ethics, dated January 1, 2012,
is herein incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(2) of Post-Effective
Amendment 132 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000324 on
July 13, 2012.
(p)(3) Hancock Bank and Trust Code of Ethics is incorporated herein by
reference to Exhibit (p)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 58 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed
with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-07-000187 on May 31, 2007.
(p)(4) Earnest Partners, LLC Code of Ethics is incorporated herein by reference
to Exhibit (p)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 82 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 033-50718), filed with the SEC
via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-08-000506 on November 26, 2008.
(p)(5) Champlain Investment Partners, LLC Code of Ethics, as revised September
19, 2011, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(5) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 141 to the Registrants Registration Statement on
Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-12-000544 on November 28, 2012.
(p)(6) W. H. Reaves & Co., Inc. Code of Ethics, as revised July 18, 2011, is
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment
No. 141 to the Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000544 on
November 28, 2012.
(p)(7) Frost Investment Advisors, LLC Code of Ethics, as revised March 30,
2012, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(7) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 141 to the Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File
No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000544
on November 28, 2012.
(p)(8) Cambiar Investors, LLC Code of Ethics, as revised January 2012, is
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment
No. 141 to the Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000544 on
November 28, 2012.
(p)(9) Kempner Capital Management, Inc. Code of Ethics, as revised July 2012,
is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(9) of Post-Effective
Amendment No. 141 to the Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File
No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000544
on November 28, 2012.
(p)(10) Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. Revised Code of Ethics dated
March 2010 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(12) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to the
8
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed
with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-10-000419 on September 30,
2010.
(p)(11) Luther King Capital Management Corporation Code of Ethics is
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(15) of Post-Effective Amendment
No. 71 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428- 08-000142 on
April 1, 2008.
(p)(12) GRT Capital Partners, LLC Code of Ethics, as revised March 31, 2011, is
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(12) of Post-Effective Amendment
No. 141 to the Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000544 on
November 28, 2012.
(p)(13) Abbot Downing Investment Advisors Code of Ethics is incorporated herein
by reference to Exhibit (p)(13) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 141 to the
Registrants Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with
the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000544 on November 28, 2012.
(p)(14) NorthPointe Capital, LLC Code of Ethics is incorporated herein by
reference to Exhibit (p)(18) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 033-50718), filed
with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-09-000036 on February 5, 2009.
(p)(15) Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. Code of Ethics is
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(16) of Post-Effective Amendment
No. 126 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No.
33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000122 on
March 7, 2012.
(p)(16) STW Fixed Income Management LLC Code of Ethics is incorporated herein
by reference to Exhibit (p)(17) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 118 to the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed
with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428- 11-000482 on August 31, 2011.
(p)(17) Cinque Partners LLC Code of Ethics is incorporated herein by reference
to Exhibit (p)(17) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to the Registrant's
Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 033-50718), filed with the SEC
via EDGAR Accession No. 0001135428-12-000562 on December 3, 2012.
(p)(18) LM Capital Group, LLC Code of Ethics is filed herewith.
(q) Powers of Attorney, dated November 16, 2011 and November 30, 2011, for Ms.
Betty L. Krikorian and Messrs. Robert A. Nesher, Michael Lawson, William M.
Doran, John K. Darr, George J. Sullivan, Jr., Charles E. Carlbom, James M.
Storey, Michael Beattie, Mitchell A. Johnson, Bruce R. Speca and Joseph T.
Grause, Jr. are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (q) of
Post-Effective Amendment No. 125 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on
Form N-1A (File No. 33-50718), filed with the SEC via EDGAR Accession No.
0001135428-12- 000088 on February 28, 2012.
ITEM 29. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH REGISTRANT:
Not Applicable.
9
ITEM 30. INDEMNIFICATION:
Article VIII of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust filed as Exhibit (a) to
the Registrant's Registration Statement is incorporated herein by reference.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), may be permitted to trustees, directors,
officers and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant
to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust or otherwise, the Registrant is aware
that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy
as expressed in the 1933 Act and, therefore, is unenforceable. In the event
that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the
payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by trustees, directors,
officers or controlling persons of the Registrant in connection with the
successful defense of any act, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
trustees, directors, officers or controlling persons in connection with the
shares being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its
counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court
of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and will be governed by the
final adjudication of such issues.
ITEM 31. BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISERS:
The following lists any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a
substantial nature in which each investment adviser (including sub-advisers),
and each director, officer or partner of that investment adviser (or
sub-adviser), is or has been engaged within the last two fiscal years for his
or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner,
or trustee. Unless noted below, none of the investment advisers (or
sub-advisers) and/or directors, officers or partners of each investment adviser
(or sub-adviser) is or has been engaged within the last two fiscal years in any
other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for
his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee,
partner or trustee.
ABBOT DOWNING INVESTMENT ADVISORS
Abbot Downing Investment Advisors ("Abbot Downing") serves as the investment
adviser for the Registrant's Clear River Fund. The principal address of Abbot
Downing is 90 South Seventh Street, Suite 5100, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402.
Abbot Downing is a Separately Identifiable Department (SID) of Wells Fargo
Bank
For the fiscal years ended July 31, 2011 and 2012, none of the directors,
officers or partners of Abbot Downing is or has been engaged in any other
business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or
her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or
trustee.
CAMBIAR INVESTORS LLC
Cambiar Investors LLC ("Cambiar") serves as the investment sub-adviser for the
Registrant's Frost Small Cap Equity Fund. The principal address of Cambiar is
2401 East Second Street, Suite 500, Denver, Colorado 80206. Cambiar is an
investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
For the fiscal years ended July 31, 2011 and 2012, none of the directors,
officers or partners of Cambiar is or has been engaged in any other business,
profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own
account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
10
CHAMPLAIN INVESTMENT PARTNERS, LLC
Champlain Investment Partners, LLC ("Champlain") serves as the investment
adviser for the Registrant's Champlain Small Company Fund and Champlain Mid Cap
Fund. The principal address of Champlain is 180 Battery Street, Burlington,
Vermont 05401. Champlain is an investment adviser registered under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
For the fiscal years ended July 31, 2011 and 2012, none of the directors,
officers or partners of Champlain is or has been engaged in any other business,
profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own
account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
EARNEST PARTNERS, LLC
Earnest Partners, LLC ("Earnest") serves as investment sub-adviser for the
Registrant's Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund. The principal
business address for Earnest is 1180 Peachtree Street, Suite 2300, Atlanta,
Georgia 30309. Earnest is an investment adviser registered under the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
For the fiscal years ended January 31, 2010 and 2011, none of the directors,
officers or partners of Earnest is or has been engaged in any other business,
profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own
account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
FROST INVESTMENT ADVISORS, LLC
Frost Investment Advisors, LLC ("Frost") serves as the investment adviser for
the Registrant's Frost Growth Equity Fund, Frost Dividend Value Equity Fund,
Frost Strategic Balanced Fund, Frost Kempner Multi-Cap Deep Value Equity Fund,
Frost Small Cap Equity Fund, Frost International Equity Fund, Frost Low
Duration Bond Fund, Frost Total Return Bond Fund, Frost Municipal Bond Fund,
Frost Low Duration Municipal Bond Fund, Frost Kempner Treasury and Income Fund,
Frost Mid Cap Equity Fund (formerly, the Frost LKCM Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund),
Frost Diversified Strategies Fund and Frost Natural Resources Fund. The
principal business address for Frost is 100 West Houston Street, 15(th) Floor,
San Antonio, Texas 78205-1414. Frost is an investment adviser registered under
the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
For the fiscal years ended July 31, 2011 and 2012, none of the directors,
officers or partners of Frost is or has been engaged in any other business,
profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own
account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee.
GRT CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
GRT Capital Partners, LLC ("GRT") serves as investment adviser for the
Registrant's GRT Value Fund and GRT Absolute Return Fund. The principal
business address for GRT is One Liberty Square, Floor 11, Boston, Massachusetts
02109. GRT is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers
Act of 1940, as amended.
For the fiscal years ended July 31, 2011 and 2012, none of the directors,
officers or partners of GRT is or has been engaged in any other business,
profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or her own
account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee,
except as set forth below:
11
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME AND POSITION WITH NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS CONNECTION WITH
INVESTMENT ADVISER ADDRESS OF OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy A. Krochuk FBHC Holding Company Director
Managing Member 1095 Canyon Blvd.
Boulder, CO 80302
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHP Clean Energy, L.L.C., Managing Member
One Liberty Square, Floor 11,
Boston, MA 02109,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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HORIZON ADVISERS
Horizon Advisers serves as the investment adviser for the Registrant's Hancock
Horizon Family of Funds (Core Bond Fund, Value Fund, Growth Fund, Burkenroad
Small Cap Fund, Government Money Market Fund, Diversified International Fund,
Quantitative Long/Short Fund, Louisiana Tax-Free Income Fund, Mississippi
Tax-Free Income Fund and Diversified Income Fund). The principal address of
Horizon Advisers is One Hancock Plaza, Post Office Box 4019, Gulfport,
Mississippi 39502-4019. Horizon Advisers is an investment adviser registered
under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed
below is for the fiscal years ended January 31, 2011 and 2012.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL
WITH INVESTMENT BUSINESS ADDRESS OF CONNECTION WITH
ADVISER OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William Eden, Chief Hancock Investment Compliance Director
Compliance Officer Services, Inc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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KEMPNER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.
Kempner Capital Management, Inc. ("Kempner") serves as the investment
sub-adviser for the Registrant's Frost Kempner Multi-Cap Deep Value Equity Fund
and Frost Kempner Treasury and Income Fund. The principal address of Kempner is
2201 Market Street, 12th Floor, FNB Building, Galveston, Texas 77550-1503.
Kempner is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act
of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended
July 31, 2011 and 2012.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL
WITH INVESTMENT BUSINESS ADDRESS OF CONNECTION WITH
ADVISER OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Harris L. Kempner, Jr., President H. Kempner Trust Association Trustee
P.O. Box 119
Galveston, TX 77553
--------------------------------------------------
Legacy Holding Company Director
600 Jefferson St., Suite 300
Houston, TX 77002
--------------------------------------------------
Balmorhea Ranches Director
P.O. Box 348
Pecos, TX 79772
--------------------------------------------------
Frost Bank -- Galveston Advisory Director
P.O. Box 179
Galveston, TX 77553
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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12
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. -- Director Emeritus
San Antonio
P.O. Box 1600
San Antonio, TX 78296
--------------------------------------------------
Kempner Securities GP, LLC General Partner
P.O. Box 119
Galveston, TX 77553
--------------------------------------------------
Galveston Finale GP, LLC General Partner
P.O. Box 119
Galveston, TX 77553
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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LM CAPITAL GROUP, LLC
LM Capital Group, LLC ("LM Capital") serves as investment adviser for the
Registrant's LM Capital Opportunistic Bond Fund. The principal address of LM
Capital is 401 B Street, Suite 950, San Diego, CA 92101. LM Capital is an
investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as
amended. [To be completed by amendment.]
LUTHER KING CAPITAL MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
Luther King Capital Management Corporation ("Luther King") serves as the
investment sub-adviser for the Registrant's Frost Mid Cap Equity Fund. The
principal address of Luther King is 301 Commerce Street, Suite 1600, Fort
Worth, Texas 76102. Luther King is an investment adviser registered under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
For the fiscal years ended July 31, 2011 and 2012, none of the directors,
officers or partners of Luther King is or has been engaged in any other
business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for his or
her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or
trustee.
NORTHPOINTE CAPITAL, LLC
NorthPointe Capital, LLC ("NorthPointe") serves as the investment adviser for
the Registrant's NorthPointe Small Cap Growth Fund, NorthPointe Small Cap Value
Fund, NorthPointe Value Opportunities Fund and NorthPointe Micro Cap Equity
Fund. The principal address of NorthPointe is 101 West Big Beaver Road, Suite
745, Troy, Michigan 48084. NorthPointe is an investment adviser registered
under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed
below is for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2010 and 2011.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL
WITH INVESTMENT BUSINESS ADDRESS OF CONNECTION WITH
ADVISER OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeffrey Petherick, Partner BlackLight Power, Inc. Member of Board of Directors
(non-public company)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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STW FIXED INCOME MANAGEMENT LLC
STW Fixed Income Management LLC ("STW") serves as the investment adviser for
the Registrant's STW Short Duration Investment-Grade Bond Fund, STW Core
Investment-Grade Bond Fund, STW Long Duration Investment-Grade Bond Fund and
STW Broad Tax-Aware Value Bond Fund. The principal business address of STW is
6185 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria, California 93013. STW is an
13
investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as
amended. The information listed below is for the years ended July 31, 2011 and
2012.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL
WITH INVESTMENT BUSINESS ADDRESS OF CONNECTION WITH
ADVISER OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patrick Manning, Vice President University of La Verne Adjunct Professor
of Finance and Controller 1950 3rd Street
La Verne, CA 91750
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William H. Williams, Principal, Bermuda Institute of Ocean Trustee
Chief Executive Officer and Sciences (BIOS), Inc.
Chief Investment Officer 17 Biological Station
Ferry Reach
St. George's GE 01
Bermuda
-------------------------------------------------------------
The Centre on Philanthropy Member of Advisory Board
Sterling House
16 Wesley Street
Hamilton
Bermuda
-------------------------------------------------------------
Sage Ltd. Sole Owner and Investor
c/o Clarendon House
2 Church Street
Hamilton HM 11
Bermuda
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hugh Hollis, Principal American Youth Soccer Board Member
Organization Director of Coach Instruction
19750 S. Vermont Avenue,
Suite 200
Torrance, CA 90502
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Rodgers, Principal and University of California, Member of Advisory Board
Quantitative Investment Analyst Santa Barbara
552 University Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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THORNBURG INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. ("Thornburg") serves as the investment
sub-adviser for the Registrant's Frost International Equity Fund. The principal
address of Thornburg is 2300 North Ridgetop Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87506.
Thornburg is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act
of 1940, as amended. The information listed below is for the fiscal years ended
July 31, 2011 and 2012.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL
WITH INVESTMENT BUSINESS ADDRESS OF CONNECTION WITH
ADVISER OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Garrett Thornburg, Chairman Thornburg Securities Chairman, controlling interest
Corporation,
2300 N. Ridgetop Road,
Santa Fe, NM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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14
W. H. REAVES & CO., INC.
W. H. Reaves & Co., Inc. ("Reaves Asset Management") serves as the investment
adviser for the Registrant's Reaves Select Research Fund. The principal business
address of Reaves Asset Management is 10 Exchange Place, 18th Floor, Jersey
City, New Jersey 07302. Reaves Asset Management is an investment adviser
registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
For the fiscal years ended July 31, 2011 and 2012, none of the directors,
officers or partners of Reaves Asset Management is or has been engaged in any
other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature for
his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee,
partner or trustee.
WESTFIELD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT COMPANY, L.P.
Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. ("Westfield") serves as the
investment adviser for the Registrant's Westfield Capital Large Cap Growth
Fund. The principal business address of Westfield is One Financial Center,
Boston, Massachusetts 02111. Westfield is an investment adviser registered
under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The information listed
below is for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2010 and 2011.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME AND POSITION NAME AND PRINCIPAL
WITH INVESTMENT BUSINESS ADDRESS OF CONNECTION WITH
ADVISER OTHER COMPANY OTHER COMPANY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matthew Strobeck, PhD Metabolix, Inc. Member of the Board of
Directors
------------------------------------------------------
Collegium Pharmaceutical Member of the Board of
Directors
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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ITEM 32. PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITERS
(a) Furnish the name of each investment company (other than the Registrant) for
which each principal underwriter currently distributing the securities of the
Registrant also acts as a principal underwriter, distributor or investment
adviser.
The Registrant's distributor, SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the
"Distributor"), acts as distributor for:
SEI Daily Income Trust July 15, 1982
SEI Liquid Asset Trust November 29, 1982
SEI Tax Exempt Trust December 3, 1982
SEI Institutional Managed Trust January 22, 1987
SEI Institutional International Trust August 30, 1988
The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund November 14, 1991
Bishop Street Funds January 27, 1995
SEI Asset Allocation Trust April 1, 1996
SEI Institutional Investments Trust June 14, 1996
CNI Charter Funds April 1, 1999
iShares Inc. January 28, 2000
iShares Trust April 25, 2000
Optique Funds, Inc. (f/k/a JohnsonFamily Funds, November 1, 2000
Inc.)
Causeway Capital Management Trust September 20, 2001
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15
BlackRock Funds III (f/k/a Barclays Global March 31, 2003
Investors Funds)
The Arbitrage Funds May 17, 2005
ProShares Trust November 14, 2005
Community Reinvestment Act Qualified January 8, 2007
Investment Fund
SEI Alpha Strategy Portfolios, LP June 29, 2007
TD Asset Management USA Funds July 25, 2007
SEI Structured Credit Fund, LP July 31, 2007
Wilshire Mutual Funds, Inc. July 12, 2008
Wilshire Variable Insurance Trust July 12, 2008
Global X Funds October 24, 2008
ProShares Trust II November 17, 2008
Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (f/k/a FaithShares August 7, 2009
Trust)
Schwab Strategic Trust October 12, 2009
RiverPark Funds September 8, 2010
Adviser Managed Trust February 16, 2011
New Covenant Funds April 2, 2012
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The Distributor provides numerous financial services to investment managers,
pension plan sponsors and bank trust departments. These services include
portfolio evaluation, performance measurement and consulting services ("Funds
Evaluation") and automated execution, clearing and settlement of securities
transactions ("MarketLink").
(b) Furnish the Information required by the following table with respect to
each director, officer or partner of each principal underwriter named in the
answer to Item 25 of Part B. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of
each director or officer is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania
19456.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
POSITION AND OFFICE POSITIONS AND OFFICES
NAME WITH UNDERWRITER WITH REGISTRANT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William M. Doran Director Trustee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edward D. Loughlin Director -
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wayne M. Withrow Director -
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin P. Barr President & Chief Executive -
Officer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maxine J. Chou Chief Financial Officer, Chief -
Operations Officer & Treasurer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karen E. LaTourette Chief Compliance Officer, -
Anti-Money Laundering Officer &
Assistant Secretary
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John C. Munch General Counsel & Secretary -
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark J. Held Senior Vice President -
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lori L. White Vice President & Assistant -
Secretary
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John P. Coary Vice President & Assistant -
Secretary
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John J. Cronin Vice President -
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert M. Silvestri Vice President -
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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16
ITEM 33. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS:
Books or other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated
thereunder, are maintained as follows:
(a) With respect to Rules 31a-1(a); 31a-1(b)(1); (2)(a) and (b); (3); (6); (8);
(12); and 31a-1(d), the required books and records are maintained at the
offices of the Registrant's custodians:
Hancock Bank and Trust
One Hancock Plaza
P.O. Box 4019
Gulfport, Mississippi 39502
U.S. Bank, National Association
800 Nicollett Mall
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
Union Bank of California, National Association
475 Sansome Street
15th Floor
San Francisco, California 94111
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
608 2nd Avenue South
9th Floor
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55479
Citibank N.A.
388 Greenwich Street
New York, New York 10013
(b)/(c) With respect to Rules 31a-1(a); 31a-1(b)(1), (4); (2)(C) and (D); (4);
(5); (6); (8); (9); (10); (11); and 31a-1(f), the required books and records
are maintained at the offices of the Registrant's administrator:
SEI Investment Global Funds Services
One Freedom Valley Drive
Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456
(c) With respect to Rules 31a-1(b)(5), (6), (9) and (10) and 31a-1(f), the
required books and records are maintained at the principal offices of the
Registrant's advisers:
Abbot Downing Investment Advisors
90 South Seventh Street
Suite 5100
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
Cambiar Investors LLC
2401 East Second Street
Suite 400
Denver, Colorado 80206
17
Champlain Investment Partners, LLC
180 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont 05401
Earnest Partners, LLC
1180 Peachtree Street
Suite 2300
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
Frost Investment Advisors, LLC
100 West Houston Street
15th Floor Tower
San Antonio, Texas 78205-1414
GRT Capital Partners, LLC
One Liberty Square, Floor 11
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
Horizon Advisers
One Hancock Plaza
P.O. Box 4019
Gulfport, Mississippi 39502
Kempner Capital Management, Inc.
2201 Market Street
12th Floor
FNB Building
Galveston, Texas 77550-1503
LM Capital Group, LLC
401 B Street
Suite 950
San Diego, CA 92101
Luther King Capital Management Corporation
301 Commerce Street
Suite 1600
Fort Worth, Texas 76102-4140
NorthPointe Capital, LLC
101 West Big Beaver Road
Suite 745
Troy, Michigan 48084
STW Fixed Income Management LLC
6185 Carpinteria Avenue
Carpinteria, California 93013
18
Thornburg Investment Management, Inc.
119 East Marcy Street
Suite 202
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501-2046
W. H. Reaves & Co., Inc.
10 Exchange Place
18th Floor
Jersey City, New Jersey 07302
Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P.
One Financial Center
Boston, Massachusetts 02111
ITEM 34. MANAGEMENT SERVICES:
None.
ITEM 35. UNDERTAKINGS:
None.
19
NOTICE
A copy of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust for The Advisors' Inner Circle
Fund II is on file with the Secretary of State of The Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, and notice is hereby given that this Registration Statement has
been executed on behalf of the Trust by an officer of the Trust as an officer
and by its Trustees as trustees and not individually, and the obligations of or
arising out of this Registration Statement are not binding upon any of the
Trustees, officers or Shareholders individually, but are binding only upon the
assets and property of the Trust.
20