Statement of Additional Information

Brandes Investment Trust

Brandes Investment Trust (the “Trust”) is an open-end, management investment company. This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) contains additional information about the series of the Trust referred to above (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”). The Funds may be referred to throughout this SAI as follows: Brandes International Equity Fund (“International Equity Fund”); Brandes Global Equity Fund (“Global Equity Fund”); Brandes Emerging Markets Value Fund (“Emerging Markets Value Fund”); Brandes International Small Cap Equity Fund (“International Small Cap Fund”); Brandes Small Cap Value Fund (“Small Cap Value Fund”); Brandes U.S. Value Fund (“U.S. Value Fund”); Brandes Core Plus Fixed Income Fund (“Core Plus Fund”); and Separately Managed Account Reserve Trust (“SMART Fund”). The Core Plus Fund and SMART Fund, together, are referred to as the “Fixed Income Funds.” Brandes Investment Partners, L.P. (the “Advisor”) is the investment advisor to the Funds. The Funds offer certain classes of shares as indicated in the chart below. This SAI relates to all such classes.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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GENERAL INFORMATION AND HISTORY

The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on July 6, 1994 and is an open-end management investment company. The Board has authority to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series and to terminate any series without shareholder consent if it believes such termination is in the best interest of the shareholders of such series. The Trust currently consists of the series, offering different classes, as indicated below. Each Fund is considered diversified under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

The International Equity Fund commenced operations on January 2, 1997 and the original shares were designated as Class I shares on October 6, 2008. On January 31, 2011, the Fund began offering Class S shares. On January 31, 2013, the Class S shares were redesignated as Class A shares. Class C shares were first offered on January 31, 2013. Class R6 shares were first offered as of February 1, 2016.

The Global Equity Fund, offering Class I shares, commenced operations on October 6, 2008. On January 31, 2011, the Fund began offering Class S shares. On January 31, 2013, the Fund redesignated Class S shares as Class A shares. Class C shares were first offered on January 31, 2013. Class R6 shares have not yet been offered as of the date of this SAI.

The International Small Cap Fund commenced operations on August 20, 1996 as a private investment fund. The private investment fund was reorganized into the Fund on February 1, 2012. On February 1, 2012, the Fund began offering Class I and Class S shares. On January 31, 2013, the Fund redesignated Class S shares as Class A shares. Class C shares were first offered on January 31, 2013. Class R6 shares were first offered on June 27, 2016.

The Small Cap Value Fund commenced operations on October 1, 1997 as a private investment fund. The private investment fund was reorganized into the Fund on January 2, 2018. On January 2, 2018, the Fund began offering Class A, Class I and Class R6 shares.

The U.S. Value Fund, offering Class A, Class I and Class R6 shares, commenced operations on October 1, 2021. Class R6 shares have not yet been offered as of the date of this SAI.

The Core Plus Fund commenced operations offering Class I shares on December 28, 2007. The Fund began to offer Class A shares on January 31, 2013. Class R6 shares were first offered on October 10, 2017, however such shares are currently inactive. If interested in purchasing the R6 shares of the Core Plus Fund, please contact 1-800-395-3807 for information.

The SMART Fund commenced operations on October 3, 2005.

INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS

The following information supplements the discussion of each of the Funds’ principal investment strategies as set forth in each Fund’s respective Prospectus. The Funds may invest in the following types of investments, each of which is subject to certain risks, as discussed below.

Recent Events

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Certain areas of the world historically have been prone to major natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, flooding, tidal waves, volcanic activity wildfires or droughts, and have been economically sensitive to environmental events. Such disasters, and the resulting damage, could impair the ability of issuers in which the Funds invest to conduct their businesses in a normal manner. Adverse weather conditions, including as a result of climate change, may also have a particularly significant negative effect on issuers in certain sectors, such as the agricultural sector and insurance companies that insure against the impact of natural disasters.

Average Maturity and Duration Calculations

Average Maturity. The portfolio average maturity of a Fund’s fixed income portfolio will be computed by weighting the maturity of each security in the Fund’s portfolio by the market value of that security. For securities which have put dates, reset dates, or trade based on average life, the put date, reset date or average life will be used instead of the final maturity date for the average maturity calculation. Average life is normally used when trading mortgage backed securities and asset-backed securities.

Duration. One common measure of the price volatility of a fixed income security is modified duration. Modified duration is derived from weighted term-to-maturity and can vary from zero to the time-to-maturity of the security. Duration is a complex formula that utilizes cash flow and the market yield of the security. Bonds of the same maturity can have different durations if they have different coupon rates or yields.

For securities which pay periodic coupons and have a relatively short maturity, duration tends to approximate the term to maturity. As the maturity of the security extends, the duration also extends but at a slower rate. For example, the duration of a 2-year security can be about 1.8 years; the duration of a 30-year bond will be roughly 10 to 11 years. However, the duration of any security that pays interest only at maturity is the term to maturity. Thus a 30-year zero coupon bond has a duration of 30 years.

Asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities require a more complex duration calculation. These securities are generally collateralized with loans issued to individuals or businesses and often allow the borrower the discretion to repay the loan prior to maturity. Loan prepayments typically occur when interest rates have fallen sufficiently to allow the borrower to refinance the loan at a lower interest rate. Given that the cash flows for these types of securities are not known with certainty, the standard duration calculation is not accurate. An effective duration is calculated instead, using a process in which cash flows are estimated and duration is computed for a variety of interest rate scenarios. The effective duration of the security is the average of these durations weighted by the probability of each interest rate scenario.

The effective duration of the portfolio can be determined by weighting the effective duration of each bond by its market value. Effective duration is a much better indicator of price volatility than term to maturity. For example, the term to maturity for both a 30-year bond and a 30-year zero coupon security is 30 years. A portfolio manager using average maturity to judge price volatility would expect to see no difference in portfolio impact from these two securities (given equal yield). However, the 30-year zero coupon bond will experience a percentage price change roughly three times greater than that of the 30-year bond.

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Borrowing

Each Fund may borrow for temporary, extraordinary or emergency purposes, or for the clearance of transactions, and then only in amounts not exceeding 10% of its total assets valued at market (for this purpose, reverse repurchase agreements and delayed delivery transactions covered by segregated accounts are not considered to be borrowings). The 1940 Act requires the Fund to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed. If the 300% asset coverage should decline as a result of market fluctuations or other reasons, the Fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three days to reduce the debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to sell securities at that time. To avoid the potential leveraging effects of the Fund’s borrowings, additional investments will not be made while borrowings are in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs which may or may not be recovered by appreciation of the securities purchased. The Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with any such borrowings or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit, either of which would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.

Borrowing involves special risk considerations. Interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the return earned on borrowed funds. To the extent the Fund is leveraged, the value of its assets will tend to increase more when its portfolio securities increase in value, and to decrease more when its portfolio securities decrease in value, than if its assets were not leveraged. The rights of any lender to the Fund to receive payments of interest or repayments of principal will be senior to those of the investors in the Fund. Consequently, the Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when fundamental investment considerations would not favor such sales. Also, the terms of any borrowings may contain provisions that limit certain activities of the Fund, including the ability to make distributions.

Collateralized Debt Obligations

The Fixed Income Funds may invest in collateralized debt obligations, which are a category of asset-backed securities that include collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) and other similar structures.

A CBO is a trust or other special purpose entity (“SPE”) which is typically backed by a diversified pool of fixed income securities (which may include high risk, below investment grade securities). A CLO is a trust or other SPE that is typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and non-U.S. senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. Although certain CDOs may receive credit enhancement in the form of a senior-subordinate structure, over-collateralization or bond insurance, such enhancement may not always be present and may fail to protect the Fund against the risk of loss on default of the collateral. Certain CDOs may use derivatives contracts to create “synthetic” exposure to assets rather than holding such assets directly, which entails the risks of derivative instruments described elsewhere in this SAI. CDOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses, which are in addition to fees and expenses of the Fund.

As with other asset-backed securities, CDOs typically issue multiple classes of securities which participate in varying degrees in the gains and losses associated with the assets held by the trust. CDO securities can experience substantial losses due to defaults or market anticipation of increased levels of default in the underlying collateral. Holders of some CDO securities may have a greater risk of loss than would a holder of the underlying collateral. The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the CDO in which the Fund invests. Normally, CDOs are privately offered and sold and are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid securities. To the extent any of the CDOs in which the Funds invest are registered under Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7), the investment in the securities will be within the limits permitted by Section 12(d)(1).

Convertible Securities

The Funds may invest in convertible securities. A convertible security is a bond which may be converted at a stated price or stated rate within a specified period of time into a certain quantity of the common stock of the same or a different issuer. Convertible securities are senior to common stocks in an issuer’s capital structure, but are usually subordinated to similar non-convertible securities. While providing a fixed income stream (generally higher in yield than the income derivable from common stock but lower than that afforded by a similar

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non-convertible security), a convertible security also affords an investor the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation attendant upon a market price advance in the convertible security’s underlying common stock.

The value of a convertible security is a function of its “investment value” (determined by its yield in comparison with the yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege) and its “conversion value” (the security’s worth, at market value, if converted into the underlying common stock.) The credit standing of the issuer and other factors may also affect the investment value of a convertible security. The conversion value of a convertible security is determined by the market price of the underlying common stock. If the conversion value is low relative to the investment value, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment value. To the extent the market price of the underlying common stock approaches or exceeds the conversion price, the price of the convertible security is increasingly influenced by its conversion value.

Like other debt securities, the market value of convertible debt securities tends to vary inversely with the level of interest rates. The value of the security declines as interest rates increase and increases as interest rates decline. Although under normal market conditions longer term securities have greater yields than do shorter term securities of similar quality, they are subject to greater price fluctuations. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the insurer at a price established in the instrument governing the convertible security. If a convertible security held by the Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party.

Corporate Debt Obligations

The Funds, to the extent permitted by the Prospectus, may invest in corporate debt obligations. Corporate debt obligations include corporate bonds, debentures, notes, commercial paper and other similar corporate debt instruments. These instruments are used by companies to borrow money from investors. The issuer pays the investor a fixed or variable rate of interest and must repay the amount borrowed at maturity. Commercial paper (short-term unsecured promissory notes) is issued by companies to finance their current obligations and normally has a maturity of less than 9 months.

Credit Ratings

Credit ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments of securities, not their market value. The rating of an issuer is also heavily weighted by past developments and does not necessarily reflect probable future conditions. There is frequently a lag between the time a rating is assigned and the time it is updated. As credit rating agencies may fail to timely change credit ratings of securities to reflect subsequent events, the Advisor will also monitor issuers of such securities. A summary of credit ratings is set forth in the appendix.

In general, the ratings of NRSROs represent the opinions of these agencies as to the quality of securities that they rate. Such ratings, however, are relative and subjective, are not absolute standards of quality and do not evaluate the market value risk of the securities. These ratings will be used by the Funds as initial criteria for the selection of portfolio securities, but the Funds also will rely upon the independent advice of the Advisor to evaluate potential investments. Among the factors that will be considered are the long-term ability of the issuer to pay principal and interest and general economic trends.

If, after purchase, the credit rating on a security is downgraded or the credit quality deteriorates, or if the maturity is extended, the Advisor will decide whether the security should be held or sold. Upon the occurrence of certain triggering events or defaults, the investors in a security held by a Fund may become the holders of underlying assets. In that case, the Fund may become the holder of securities that it could not otherwise purchase at a time when those assets may be difficult to sell or can be sold only at a loss.

Cyber-Security Risk

With the increased use of technologies such as mobile devices and web-based or “cloud” applications, and the dependence on the Internet and computer systems to perform necessary business functions, investment companies such as the Funds and their service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber -attacks. In general, cyber-attacks result from deliberate attacks but unintentional events may have effects similar to those caused by cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks may involve among other things, infection by computer viruses or other malicious software code or unauthorized access to digital information

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systems, networks or devices used directly or indirectly by the Funds or their service providers through “hacking”, “phishing”, or other means, in each case for the purpose of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information and causing operational disruption. Successful cyber-attacks against, or security breakdowns of, a Fund or its adviser, custodians, transfer agent, and/or other third party service providers may adversely impact the Funds and their shareholders. For instance, cyber-attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact a Fund’s ability to calculate its net asset value, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential Fund information, impede trading, cause reputational damage, and subject a Fund to regulatory fines, penalties or financial losses, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and/or additional compliance costs. The Funds also may incur substantial costs for cyber-security risk management in order to guard against any cyber incidents in the future. While the Funds or their service providers may have established business continuity plans and systems designed to guard against such cyber-attacks or adverse effects of such attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified, in large part because different unknown threats may emerge in the future. Similar types of cyber-security risks also are present for issuers of securities in which the Funds invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause a Fund’s investment in such securities to lose value.

Delayed Funding Loans and Revolving Credit Facilities

Each Fund may invest in delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities with credit quality comparable to that of issuers of its securities investments. Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities may be subject to restrictions on transfer, and only limited opportunities may exist to resell such instruments. As a result, a Fund may be unable to sell such investments at an opportune time or may have to resell them at less than fair market value. Each Fund currently intends to treat delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities for which there is no readily available market as illiquid for purposes of the Fund’s limitation on illiquid investments. For a further discussion of the risks involved in investing in loan participations and other forms of direct indebtedness see “Loan Participations and Assignments.” Participation interests in revolving credit facilities will be subject to the limitations discussed in “Loan Participations and Assignments.” Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities are considered to be debt obligations for purposes of the Trust’s investment restriction relating to the lending of funds or assets by a Fund.

Depositary Receipts

The Funds may invest in the securities of foreign issuers in the form of Depositary Receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. For purposes of a Fund’s investment policies, a Fund’s investments in Depositary Receipts will be deemed to be investments in equity securities of the foreign issuers into which they may be converted. Depositary Receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) are receipts or shares typically issued by an American bank or trust company that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) are receipts issued in Europe that evidence a similar ownership arrangement. Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) are receipts issued throughout

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the world that evidence a similar arrangement. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, and EDRs in bearer form are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable both in the United States and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world.

Depositary Receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the foreign securities that they evidence or into which they may be converted or exchanged. However, investing in Depositary Receipts presents additional risks that may not be the same as the risks inherent in holding the equivalent shares of the same companies that are traded in the local markets. These risks include fluctuations in currency exchange rates, which are affected by international balances of payments and other economic and financial conditions; government intervention; speculation; and other factors. A Fund may be required to pay foreign withholding or other taxes on certain Depositary Receipts that it owns, but investors are generally not expected to be able to deduct their pro rata shares of such taxes in computing their taxable income or to claim their pro rata shares of such taxes as a credit against their U.S. federal income tax liability.

Depositary Receipts may be sponsored by foreign issuers or may be unsponsored. Unsponsored Depositary Receipts are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities. The issuers of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States, and therefore there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts. While readily exchangeable with stock in local markets, unsponsored ADRs may be less liquid than sponsored ADRs.

Derivative Instruments

A variety of derivative investment products (“financial instruments”) are available in the financial markets, including put and call options on securities, indexes and currencies; financial and commodity futures contracts and options on futures contracts; swaps and options on such agreements; structured notes; and various hybrid instruments. The Advisor has not used such financial instruments, except for participatory notes, in the past in managing securities portfolios, but will continue to evaluate the potential benefits of using them and may use them in managing funds.

Each Fund may purchase and sell (write) put and call options on securities, securities indexes, and foreign currencies, and may enter into interest rate, index, and foreign currency, futures contracts and purchase and sell options on such futures contracts (“futures options”). These transactions may be for hedging purposes, to seek to replicate the composition and performance of a particular index, or as part of a Fund’s overall investment strategy. Each Fund also may purchase and sell foreign currency options for purposes of increasing exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another.

Each Fund also may enter into swaps with respect to interest rates, securities indexes, credit default situations, and foreign currencies. Each Fund may also invest in structured notes. If other types of financial instruments, including other types of swaps, options, futures contracts, or futures options are traded in the future, each Fund may also use those instruments, provided that the Advisor determines that their use is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective.

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The Funds might not employ any of the strategies described below, and no assurance can be given that any strategy used will succeed. If the Advisor incorrectly forecasts interest rates, market values or other economic factors in utilizing a derivatives strategy for a Fund, the Fund might have been in a better position if it had not entered into the transaction at all. Also, suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances. The use of these strategies involves special risks, including the following:

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Bond markets have consistently grown over the past three decades while the capacity for traditional dealer counterparties to engage in fixed income trading has not kept pace and in some cases has decreased. As a result, dealer inventories of corporate bonds, which provide a core indication of the ability of financial intermediaries to “make markets,” are at or near historic lows in relation to market size. Because market makers provide stability to a market through their intermediary services, the significant reduction in dealer inventories could potentially lead to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets. Such issues may be exacerbated during periods of economic uncertainty.

Liquidity Risk

Liquidity risk may result from the lack of an active market, reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed income securities, and may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment or other circumstances where investor redemptions from fixed income mutual funds may be higher than normal causing increased supply in the market due to selling activity. There can be diminished liquidity for certain equity securities as well. In such cases, a Fund, due to limitations on investments in illiquid securities and the difficulty in purchasing and selling such securities or instruments may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. To the extent that a Fund’s principal investment strategies involve investments in securities of companies with smaller market capitalizations, foreign non-U.S. securities, Rule 144A securities, illiquid sectors of fixed income securities, derivatives or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, the Fund will tend to have the greatest exposure to liquidity risk. Further, fixed income securities with longer durations until maturity face heightened levels of liquidity risk as compared to fixed income securities with shorter durations until maturity. Finally, liquidity risk also refers to the risk of unusually high redemption requests or other unusual market conditions that may make it difficult for a Fund to fully honor redemption requests within the allowable time period. Meeting such redemption requests could require a Fund to sell securities at reduced prices or under unfavorable conditions, which would reduce the value of the Fund. It may also be the case that other market participants may be attempting to liquidate equity or fixed income holdings at the same time as a Fund, causing increased supply in the market and contributing to liquidity risk and downward pricing pressure.

Foreign Currency Options

Each Fund may buy or sell put and call options on foreign currencies either on exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. A put option on a foreign currency gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell a foreign currency at the exercise price until the option expires. A call option on a foreign currency gives the purchaser of the option the right to purchase the currency at the exercise price until the option expires. Currency options traded on U.S. or other exchanges may be subject to position limits that may limit the ability of the Fund to reduce foreign currency risk using such options, and are subject to other risks similar to options on securities on indexes.

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Foreign Currency Transactions

Forward currency contracts are traded directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. The cost to a Fund of engaging in such contracts varies with factors such as the currency involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing. Because such contracts are entered into on a principal basis, no fees or commissions are involved.

Precise matching of the amount of forward currency contracts and the value of securities denominated in such currencies of a Fund will not generally be possible, since the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures. Prediction of short-term currency market movements is extremely difficult, and the successful execution of a short-term hedging strategy is highly uncertain. A Fund will not enter into such forward contracts or maintain a net exposure to such contracts where the consummation of the contracts would obligate the Fund to deliver an amount of foreign currency in excess of the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other assets denominated in that currency. Under normal circumstances, consideration of the prospect for currency parities will be incorporated into the longer term investment decisions made with regard to overall diversification strategies. However, the Advisor believes that it is important to have the flexibility to enter into such forward contracts when it determines that the best interests of a Fund will be served by doing so.

At the maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may either sell the portfolio security and make delivery of the foreign currency, or it may retain the security and terminate its contractual obligation to deliver the foreign currency by purchasing an “offsetting” contract obligating it to purchase, on the same maturity date, the same amount of the foreign currency.

It may be necessary for the Fund to purchase additional foreign currency on the spot market (and bear the expense of such purchase) if the market value of the security is less than the amount of foreign currency the Fund is obligated to deliver and if a decision is made to sell the security and make delivery of the foreign currency. Conversely, it may be necessary to sell on the spot market some of the foreign currency received upon the sale of the portfolio security if its market value exceeds the amount of foreign currency the Fund is obligated to deliver.

If a Fund retains a portfolio security and engages in an offsetting transaction, the Fund will incur a gain or a loss to the extent that there has been movement in forward contract prices. If the Fund engages in an offsetting transaction, it may subsequently enter into a new forward contract to sell the foreign currency. Should forward prices decline during the period between the date the Fund enters into a forward contract for the sale of a foreign currency and the date it enters into an offsetting contract for the purchase of the foreign currency, the Fund will realize a gain to the extent the price of the currency it has agreed to sell exceeds the price of the currency it has agreed to purchase. Should forward prices increase, the Fund will suffer a loss to the extent the price of the currency it has agreed to purchase exceeds the price of the currency it has agreed to sell.

The Funds’ dealings in forward foreign currency exchange contracts will generally be limited to the transactions described above. However, each Fund reserves the right to enter into forward foreign currency contracts for different purposes and under different circumstances. Use of forward currency contracts to hedge against a decline in the value of a currency does not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities. Additionally, although such contracts tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, they also tend to limit any potential gain which might result from an increase in the value of that currency.

Although each Fund values its assets daily in terms of U.S. dollars, it does not intend to convert its holdings of foreign currencies into U.S. dollars on a daily basis. Foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, but they do realize a profit based on the difference (the “spread”) between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency to the Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the Fund desire to resell that currency to the dealer.

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Foreign Government Obligations

The Fixed Income Funds may invest in foreign government obligations, which are debt securities issued or guaranteed by a supranational organization, or a foreign sovereign government or one of its agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, including a foreign state, province or municipality.

Foreign Investments

Each Fund’s Prospectus describes the extent to which a Fund may invest in securities of issuers organized or headquartered in foreign countries. Generally, such investments are likely to be made in issues in the developed markets of Europe, Asia and North America, as well as emerging markets (including frontier markets) deemed to be suitable by the Advisor. A Fund may make foreign investments in issuers organized or headquartered in emerging countries. A Fund may elect not to invest in all such countries, and it may also invest in other countries when such investments are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies.

There are special risks in investing in any foreign securities in addition to those relating to investments in U.S. securities including, but not limited to, the following:

Governments in certain foreign countries continue to participate to a significant degree, through ownership interest or regulation, in their respective economies. Action by these governments could include restrictions on foreign investment, nationalization, expropriation of goods or imposition of taxes, and could have a significant effect on market prices of securities and payment of interest. The economies of many foreign countries are heavily dependent upon international trade and are accordingly affected by the trade policies and economic conditions of their trading partners. Enactment by these trading partners of protectionist trade legislation could have a significant adverse effect upon the securities markets of such countries.

On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom (the “UK”) formally withdrew from the European Union (the “EU”) (commonly referred to as “Brexit”) and, after a transition period, the UK left the EU single market and customs

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union under the terms of a new trade agreement, effective January 1, 2021. The agreement governs the new relationship between the UK and EU with respect to trading goods and services, but critical aspects of the relationship remain unresolved and subject to further negotiation and agreement. The political, regulatory, and economic consequences of Brexit are uncertain, and the ultimate ramifications may not be known for some time. The effects of Brexit on the UK and EU economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts, such as business and trade disruptions, increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth of markets in the UK, EU and globally, which could negatively impact the value of a Fund’s investments. Brexit could also lead to legal uncertainty and politically divergent national laws and regulations while the new relationship between the UK and EU is further defined and the UK determines which EU laws to replace or replicate. Additionally, depreciation of the British pound sterling and/or the euro in relation to the U.S. dollar following Brexit would adversely affect Fund investments denominated in the British pound sterling and/or the euro, regardless of the performance of the investment.

Geographic Concentration and Country Risk. A small number of companies and industries may represent a large portion of the market in a particular country or region, and these companies and industries can be sensitive to adverse social, political, economic or regulatory developments in that country or region.

Emerging Markets Investments. Investments by a Fund in securities issued by the governments of emerging or developing countries, and of companies within those countries, involve greater risks than other foreign investments. Investments in emerging or developing markets involve exposure to economic and legal structures that are generally less diverse and mature (and in some cases the absence of developed legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property), and to political systems which can be expected to have less stability, than those of more developed countries. The risks of investment in such countries may include matters such as relatively unstable governments, higher degrees of government involvement in the economy, the absence until recently of capital market structures or market-oriented economies, economies based on only a few industries, securities markets which trade only a small number of securities, restrictions on foreign investment in securities, and significant foreign currency devaluations and fluctuations.

In certain of these countries, severe and persistent levels of inflation, including, in some cases, hyperinflation, have, in turn, led to high interest rates, extreme measures by governments to keep inflation in check, and a generally debilitating effect on economic growth. Although inflation in many countries has lessened, there is no guarantee it will remain at lower levels. The political history of certain of these countries has also been characterized by political uncertainty, intervention by the military in civilian and economic spheres (including

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expropriation, nationalization and confiscation of assets and property, and restrictions on foreign investments and on repatriation of capital invested) and political corruption. Such developments, if they were to reoccur, could reverse favorable trends toward market and economic reform, privatization, and removal of trade barriers, and result in significant disruption in securities markets. A number of these countries are highly dependent on foreign loans for their operation. There have been moratoria on, and reschedulings of, repayment with respect to many countries’ debts. Such events can restrict the flexibility of these debtor nations in the international markets and result in the imposition of onerous conditions on their economies.

Emerging markets can be substantially more volatile than both U.S. and more developed foreign markets. Such volatility may be exacerbated by illiquidity. The average daily trading volume in all of the emerging markets combined is a small fraction of the average daily volume of the U.S. market. Small trading volumes may affect the Fund’s ability to purchase or sell securities at a favorable price.

Currency Fluctuations. To the extent that a Fund invests in securities denominated in foreign currencies, a change in the value of any such currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding change in the U.S. dollar value of a Fund’s assets denominated in that currency. Such changes will also affect a Fund’s income. The value of a Fund’s assets may also be affected significantly by currency restrictions and exchange control regulations enacted from time to time. Currency exchange rates generally are determined by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets and the relative merits of investments in different countries as viewed from an international perspective. Currency exchange rates can also be affected unpredictably by intervention by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the United States or abroad.

Market Characteristics. Foreign securities in which a Fund invests will be purchased on foreign over-the-counter markets or on foreign securities exchanges located in the countries in which the principal offices of the issuers of the various securities are located, if that is the best available market. Foreign securities markets may be less liquid and more volatile than U.S. securities markets. While the volume of transactions effected on foreign stock exchanges has increased in recent years, it remains appreciably below that of the New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, a Fund’s foreign investments may be less liquid and their prices may be more volatile, than comparable investments in securities in U.S. companies. A Fund is subject to the risk that, because there are generally fewer investors on foreign exchanges and a smaller number of shares traded each day, it may be difficult for a Fund to buy and sell securities on those exchanges. Moreover, settlement practices for transactions in foreign markets may differ from those in United States markets, and may include delays beyond periods customary in the United States. Such differences and potential delays may expose the Fund to increased risk of loss in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of a foreign broker-dealer.

The value of a Fund’s portfolio positions may also be adversely impacted by delays in a Fund’s ability to act upon economic events occurring in foreign markets during non-business hours in the United States.

Legal, Regulatory, and Taxation Matters. Certain foreign countries may have less supervision of securities markets, brokers and issuers of securities, and less financial information available to issuers, than is available in the United States. In addition, foreign markets for derivatives may be subject to less supervision, may provide less disclosure, and may present different or greater operational, custody, counterparty, and other risks than the markets for derivatives in the United States. Furthermore, the Funds may encounter difficulties in pursuing legal remedies or in obtaining judgments in foreign courts. The holding of foreign securities may be limited by the Funds to avoid investments in certain Passive Foreign Investment Companies (“PFICs”). A Fund’s investments in PFICs may subject it to complex tax rules and result in unfavorable tax costs.

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Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts

Each Fund may invest in futures contracts and futures options with respect to, but not limited to, interest rates, security indexes and currencies. A futures contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell a security for a set price on a future date. These contracts are traded on exchanges, so that, in most cases, either party can close out its position on the exchange for cash, without delivering the security or commodity. An option on a futures contract gives the holder of the option the right to buy or sell a position in a futures contract to the writer of the option, at a specified price and on or before a specified expiration date.

An interest rate, foreign currency or index futures contract provides for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified quantity of a financial instrument, foreign currency or the cash value of an index at a specified price and time. A futures contract on an index is an agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to the difference between the value of the index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the index contract was originally written. Although the value of an index might be a function of the value of certain specified securities, no physical delivery of these securities is made. The Advisor believes that a public market exists in futures contracts covering a number of indexes as well as financial instruments and foreign currencies, including: the S&P 500; the S&P Midcap 400; the Nikkei 225; the NYSE composite; U.S. Treasury bonds; U.S. Treasury notes; GNMA Certificates; three-month U.S. Treasury bills; 90-day commercial paper; bank certificates of deposit; Eurodollar certificates of deposit; the Australian dollar; the Canadian dollar; the British pound; the Japanese yen; the Swiss franc; the Mexican peso; and certain multinational currencies, such as the euro. It is expected that other futures contracts will be developed and traded in the future.

Each Fund may purchase and write call and put futures options. Futures options possess many of the same characteristics as options on securities and indexes (discussed above). A futures option gives the holder the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a long position (call) or short position (put) in a futures contract at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise of a call option, the holder acquires a long position in the futures contract and the writer is assigned the opposite short position. In the case of a put option, the opposite is true. A call option is “in the money” if the value of the futures contract that is the subject of the option exceeds the exercise price. A put option is “in the money” if the exercise price exceeds the value of the futures contract that is the subject of the option.

Limitations on Use of Futures and Futures Options. Each Fund will only enter into futures contracts and futures options which are standardized and traded on a U.S. or foreign exchange, board of trade, or similar entity, or quoted on an automated quotation system.

When a purchase or sale of a futures contract is made by a Fund, the Fund is required to deposit with its custodian (or broker, if legally permitted) a specified amount of assets determined to be liquid by the Advisor in accordance with established procedures (“initial margin”). The margin required for a futures contract is set by the exchange on which the contract is traded and may be modified during the term of the contract. Margin requirements on foreign exchanges may be different than U.S. exchanges. The initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit on the futures contract that is returned to the Fund upon termination of the contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Each Fund expects to earn interest income on its initial margin deposits. A futures contract held by a Fund is valued daily at the official settlement price of the exchange on which it is traded. Each day a Fund pays or receives cash, called “variation margin,” equal to the daily change in value of the futures contract. This process is known as “marking to market.” Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by a Fund, but is instead a settlement between the Fund and the broker of the amount one would owe the other if the futures contract expired. In computing daily net asset value, a Fund will mark to market its open futures positions.

Each Fund is also required to deposit and maintain margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it. Such margin deposits will vary depending on the nature of the underlying futures contract (and the related initial margin requirements), the current market value of the option, and other futures positions held by a Fund.

Although some futures contracts call for making or taking delivery of the underlying securities, generally these obligations are closed out prior to delivery by offsetting purchases or sales of matching futures contracts (same exchange, underlying security or index, and delivery month). Closing out a futures contract sale is effected by purchasing a futures contract for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of financial instrument or commodity with the same delivery date. If an offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, a Fund

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realizes a capital gain; if it is more, the Fund realizes a capital loss. Conversely, if an offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, a Fund realizes a capital gain; if it is less, the Fund realizes a capital loss. The transaction costs also affect the gain or loss.

Each Fund may write covered straddles consisting of a call and a put written on the same underlying futures contract. A straddle will be covered when sufficient assets are deposited to meet the Fund’s immediate obligations. A Fund may use the same liquid assets to cover both the call and put options where the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put. In such cases, the Fund will also segregate liquid assets equivalent to the amount, if any, by which the put is “in the money.”

Risks Associated with Futures and Futures Options. The use of futures contracts and futures options involves a number of risks. A purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses in excess of the amount invested in the futures contract. There can be no guarantee that there will be a correlation between price movements between the hedging instrument and the instrument being hedged. In addition, there are significant differences between the securities and futures markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between the markets, causing a given hedge not to achieve its objectives. The degree of imperfection of correlation depends on circumstances such as variations in speculative market demand for futures and futures options on securities, including technical influences in futures trading and futures options, and differences between the financial instruments being hedged and the instruments underlying the standard contracts available for trading in such respects as interest rate levels, maturities, and creditworthiness of issuers. A decision as to whether, when and how to hedge involves the exercise of skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived hedge may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected interest rate trends.

Futures contracts on U.S. Government securities historically have reacted to an increase or decrease in interest rates in a manner similar to the reaction of the underlying U.S. Government securities. To the extent, however, that a municipal bond fund enters into such futures contracts, the value of such futures will not vary in direct proportion to the value of a Fund’s holdings of municipal securities. Thus, the anticipated spread between the price of the futures contract and the hedged security may be distorted due to differences in the nature of the markets. The spread also may be distorted by differences in initial and variation margin requirements, the liquidity of such markets and the participation of speculators in such markets.

Futures exchanges may limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in certain futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price at the end of the current trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a futures contract subject to the limit, no more trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.

There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist at a time when a Fund seeks to close out a futures or a futures option position, and that Fund would remain obligated to meet margin requirements until the position is closed. There can be no assurance that an active secondary market will develop or continue to exist for any derivative.

Additional Risks of Foreign Derivatives. Options on securities, futures contracts, and options on currencies may be traded on foreign exchanges. Such transactions may not be regulated as effectively as similar transactions in the United States, may not involve a clearing mechanism and related guarantees, and are subject to the risk of governmental actions affecting trading in, or the prices of, foreign securities. The value of such positions also could be adversely affected by (1) other complex foreign political, legal and economic factors, (2) lesser availability than in the United States of data on which to make trading decisions, (3) delays in the Advisor’s ability to act upon economic events occurring in foreign markets during non-business hours in the United States, (4) the imposition of different exercise and settlement terms and procedures and margin requirements than in the United States, and (5) lesser trading volume.

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High Yield Bonds

Each Fund may invest in high yield bonds. Below investment grade debt securities, commonly referred to as “high yield bonds” or “junk bonds” are considered to be speculative and involve a greater risk of default or price changes due to changes in the issuer’s creditworthiness than higher rated securities.

Like all fixed income securities, the market values of high yield securities tend to vary inversely with the level of interest rates, and the yields and market values of such securities fluctuate over time reflecting the market’s perception of credit quality and the outlook for economic growth. However, high yield securities are generally subject to greater credit risk than higher-rated securities because the issuers are more vulnerable to economic downturns, higher interest rates and adverse issuer-specific developments. In addition, the prices of high yield securities are generally subject to greater market risk and therefore react more sharply to changes in interest rates. The risk of loss because of default by issuers of high yield securities is significantly greater because medium and lower-rated securities generally are unsecured and frequently subordinated to the prior payment of senior indebtedness. Their value and liquidity may also be diminished by adverse publicity and investor perceptions. Also, legislative and regulatory developments may have an adverse effect on the market value of these securities.

Because high yield securities are frequently traded only in markets where the number of potential purchasers and sellers, if any, is limited, the ability of the Fund to sell these securities at their fair value either to meet redemption requests or to respond to changes in the financial markets may be limited. In such an event, such securities could be regarded as illiquid for the purposes of the limitation on the purchase of illiquid securities. Thinly traded high yield securities may be more difficult to value accurately for the purpose of determining the Fund’s net asset value. Also, because the market for certain high yield securities is relatively new, that market may be particularly sensitive to an economic downturn or a general increase in interest rates.

Subsequent to its purchase by a Fund, an issue of securities may cease to be rated or its rating may be reduced below the minimum required for purchase by the Fund. Neither such event will require sale of the securities by the Fund, although the Advisor will consider the event in determining whether the Fund should continue to hold the security.

Hybrid Instruments

Each Fund may invest in hybrid instruments. A hybrid instrument is a type of potentially high-risk derivative that combines a traditional stock or bond with an option or forward contract. Generally, the principal amount, amount payable upon maturity or redemption, or interest rate of a hybrid is tied (positively or negatively) to the price of some currency or securities index or another interest rate or some other economic factor (each a “benchmark”). The interest rate or (unlike most fixed income securities) the principal amount payable at maturity of a hybrid security may be increased or decreased, depending on changes in the value of the benchmark.

Hybrids can be used as an efficient means of pursuing a variety of investment goals, including currency hedging, duration management, and increased total return. Hybrids may not bear interest or pay dividends. The value of a hybrid or its interest rate may be a multiple of a benchmark and, as a result, may be leveraged and move (up or down) more steeply and rapidly than the benchmark. These benchmarks may be sensitive to economic and political events, such as commodity shortages and currency devaluations, which cannot be readily foreseen by the purchaser of a hybrid. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of a hybrid could be zero. Thus, an investment in a hybrid may entail significant market risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional, U.S. dollar-denominated bond that has a fixed principal amount and pays a fixed rate or floating rate of interest. The purchase of hybrids also exposes a Fund to the credit risk of the issuer of the hybrids. These risks may cause significant fluctuations in the net asset value of the Fund. Each Fund will not invest more than 5% of its total assets in hybrid instruments.

Certain issuers of structured products such as hybrid instruments may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, each Fund’s investments in these products may be subject to limits applicable to investments in investment companies and may be subject to restrictions contained in the 1940 Act.

Illiquid and Restricted Securities

The Trust has implemented a Liquidity Risk Management Program and related procedures to identify illiquid investments pursuant to Rule 22e-4. Each Fund may hold up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities are securities that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market

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conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the securities. As required by law, the Funds have adopted a liquidity risk management program to assist in the analysis and monitoring of liquidity in each Fund’s portfolio.

Mutual funds do not typically hold a significant amount of these restricted or other illiquid securities because of the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities, and the Fund might not be able to dispose of restricted or other illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemption requests within seven days. The Fund might also have to register such restricted securities in order to dispose of them, resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities. The Fund may incur significant additional costs in disposing of illiquid securities.

Illiquid securities do not include those which meet the requirements of Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”) and which the Advisor has determined to be liquid based on the applicable trading markets. Rule 144A under the 1933 Act establishes a safe harbor from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act for resales of certain securities to qualified institutional buyers. Institutional markets for restricted securities sold pursuant to Rule 144A in many cases provide both readily ascertainable values for restricted securities and the ability to liquidate an investment to satisfy share redemption orders. Such markets might include automated systems for the trading, clearance and settlement of unregistered securities of domestic and foreign issuers, such as the PORTAL System sponsored by NASDAQ. An insufficient number of qualified buyers interested in purchasing Rule 144A eligible restricted securities, however, could adversely affect the marketability of such portfolio securities and result in a Fund’s inability to dispose of such securities promptly or at favorable prices. In recent years, a large institutional market has also developed for certain securities that are not registered under the 1933 Act, including repurchase agreements, commercial paper, foreign securities, municipal securities and corporate bonds and notes. Institutional investors depend on an efficient institutional market in which the unregistered security can be readily resold or on an issuer’s ability to honor a demand for repayment.

The fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale of an investment to the general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of the liquidity of such investments. In accordance with its Liquidity Risk Management Program, the Board has appointed the Advisor as its program administrator and the Advisor is responsible for the function of making day-to-day determinations of liquidity for the Funds. In accordance with guidelines established by the Board, the Advisor will determine the liquidity of each investment using various factors such as (1) the frequency of trades and quotations, (2) the number of dealers and prospective purchasers in the marketplace, (3) dealer undertakings to make a market, (4) the nature of the security (including any demand or tender features); (5) the likelihood of continued marketability and credit quantity of the issuer, and (6) whether a reasonable portion of the holding can be sold in seven days or less without the sale significantly changing the market value of the investment.

Inflation-Indexed Securities

The Fixed Income Funds may invest in inflation-indexed fixed income securities, which are structured to provide protection against inflation and are issued by the U.S. and foreign governments, their agencies and instrumentalities and U.S. and foreign corporations. The value of principal or interest payments of an inflation-indexed security is adjusted periodically to track general movements of inflation in the country of issue.

As an example, a Fund may invest in U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (“TIPS”). Principal amounts of TIPS are adjusted daily based on changes in the rate of inflation (currently represented by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers, non-seasonally adjusted (“CPI”)). The U.S. Treasury currently issues TIPS only in 10-year maturities, although TIPS have previously been issued with maturities of five, 10 and 30 years. TIPS pay interest on a semi-annual basis, equal to a fixed percentage of the inflation-adjusted principal amount. The interest rate on TIPS is fixed at issuance, but over the life of the bond may be paid on an increasing or decreasing principal value. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed even during a period of deflation. However, because the principal amount of TIPS would be adjusted downward during a period of deflation, the Fund will be subject to deflation risk with respect to its investments in these securities.

The value of inflation-indexed securities such as TIPS generally fluctuates in response to changes in real interest rates, which are in turn tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of TIPS. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increased at a faster rate than inflation, real interest

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rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of TIPS. Although the principal value of TIPS declines in periods of deflation, holders at maturity receive no less than the par value of the bond. However, if the Fund purchases TIPS in the secondary market whose principal values have been adjusted upward due to inflation since issuance, the Fund may experience a loss if there is a subsequent period of deflation. If inflation is lower than expected during the period the Fund holds TIPS, the Fund may earn less on the security than on a conventional bond.

The daily adjustment of the principal value of TIPS is currently tied to the non-seasonally adjusted CPI for Urban Consumers, which the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates monthly. The CPI is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy. There can be no assurance that such index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. In addition, calculation of the CPI includes a three-month lag for purposes of determining the principal value of TIPS, which, consequently, could have a negative impact on the value of TIPS under certain market conditions.

Initial Public Offerings

The Funds may purchase equity securities in initial public offerings (“IPOs”). These securities, which are often issued by unseasoned companies, may be subject to many of the same risks of investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. Securities issued in an IPO frequently are very volatile in price, and the Funds may hold securities purchased in an IPO for a very short period of time. As a result, a Fund’s investments in IPOs may increase portfolio turnover, which increases brokerage and administrative costs and may result in taxable distributions to shareholders.

At any particular time or from time to time a Fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be made available to the Fund. In addition, under certain market conditions a relatively small number of companies may issue securities in IPOs. Similarly, as the number of Funds to which IPO securities are allocated increases, the number of securities issued to any one fund may decrease. The investment performance of a Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. In addition, as a Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund’s performance will generally decrease. There can be no assurance that investments in IPOs will improve a Fund’s performance.

LIBOR Risk

Loan Participations and Assignments

The Fixed Income Funds may purchase participations in and assignments of commercial loans. Such loans are negotiated and underwritten by a bank or syndicate of banks and other institutional investors. Such indebtedness may be secured or unsecured and may be senior or subordinate to other obligations of the borrower. Investments in uncollateralized and/or subordinate loans entail a greater risk of nonpayment than investments in corporate loans which hold a more senior position in the borrower’s capital structure or that are secured with collateral.

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By purchasing a participation, a Fund acquires some or all of the interest of a bank or other lending institution in a loan. The loan is administered by an agent bank or other financial intermediary acting as agent for all holders. The agent administers the terms of the loan, as specified in the loan agreement. In addition, the agent is normally responsible for the collection of principal and interest payments from the corporate borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the credit of all institutions that are parties to the loan agreement. Unless, under the terms of the loan or other indebtedness, the Fund has direct recourse against the corporate borrower, the Fund may have to rely upon the agent bank or other financial intermediary to apply appropriate credit remedies against a corporate borrower.

When a Fund purchases a loan assignment, the Fund acquires 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 purchase of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the lender from which the Fund is purchasing the assignment.

Purchasers of loans and other forms of direct indebtedness depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the corporate borrower for payment of principal and interest. Changes in market interest rates may cause a decline in the value of these investments. Other factors, such as rating downgrades, credit deterioration, large downward movements in stock prices, a disparity in supply and demand of certain securities or market conditions that reduce liquidity could reduce the value of loans. If a Fund does not receive scheduled interest or principal payments on such indebtedness, the Fund’s share price and yield could be adversely affected.

Loans that are fully secured offer a Fund more protection than an unsecured loan in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the corporate borrower’s obligation, or that the collateral can be liquidated. 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. In the event of bankruptcy of the borrower, liquidation may not occur and the court may not give lenders the full benefit of their senior positions. To the extent that a senior loan is collateralized by stock of the borrower or its subsidiaries, such stock may lose all of its value in the event of bankruptcy of the borrower.

When purchasing loan participations, a Fund assumes not only the credit risk associated with the corporate borrower but may also assume the credit risk associated with an interposed bank or other financial intermediary. A financial institution’s employment as agent bank might be terminated in the event that it fails to observe a requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent. A successor agent bank would generally be appointed to replace the terminated agent bank, and assets held by the agent bank under the loan agreement should remain available to holders of such indebtedness. However, if assets held by the agent bank for the benefit of the Fund were determined to be subject to the claims of the agent bank’s general creditors, the Fund might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on a loan or loan participation and could suffer a loss of principal and/or interest. In situations involving other interposed financial institutions (e.g., an insurance company or governmental agency) similar risks may arise. The participation interests in which the Funds intend to invest may not be rated by any nationally recognized rating service.

Investments in loans through a direct assignment of the financial institution’s interests with respect to the loan may involve additional risks to the Funds. For example, if a loan is foreclosed, a Fund could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. In addition, it is a conceivable that under emerging legal theories of lender liability, the Fund could be held liable as co-lender. It is unclear whether loans and other forms of direct indebtedness offer securities law protections against fraud and misrepresentation. In the absence of definitive regulatory guidance, the Funds rely upon the Advisor’s research in an attempt to avoid situations where fraud or misrepresentation could adversely affect the Funds.

Each Fund limits the amount of its total assets that it will invest in any one issuer or in issuers within the same industry. For purposes of such limits, the Funds generally will treat the corporate borrower as the “issuer” of indebtedness held by the Funds. In the case of loan participations where a bank or other lending institution serves as a financial intermediary between a Fund and the corporate borrower, if the participation does not shift to the Fund the direct debtor-creditor relationship with the corporate borrower, SEC interpretations require the Fund to treat both the lending bank or other lending institution and the corporate borrower as “issuers” for the purposes of determining whether the Fund has invested more than 5% of its total assets in a single issuer. Treating a financial intermediary as an issuer of indebtedness may restrict a Fund’s ability to invest in indebtedness related to a single financial intermediary, or a group of intermediaries engaged in the same industry, even if the underlying borrowers represent many different companies and industries.

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Loans and other types of direct indebtedness may not be readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale. In some cases, negotiations involved in disposing of indebtedness may require weeks to complete. Consequently, some indebtedness may be difficult or impossible to dispose of readily at what the Advisor believes to be a fair price. In addition, valuation of illiquid indebtedness involves a greater degree of judgment in determining a Fund’s net asset value than if that value were based on available market quotations, and could result in significant variation in the Fund’s daily share price. At the same time, some loan interests are traded among certain financial institutions and accordingly may be deemed liquid. As the overnight market for different types of indebtedness develops, the liquidity of these instruments is expected to improve. The Funds currently intend to treat indebtedness for which there is no readily available market as illiquid for purposes of the Funds’ limitations on illiquid investments. Investments in loan participation or loan assignments are considered to be debt obligations for purposes of the Trust’s investment restriction relating to the lending of funds or assets by the Funds.

Mortgage-Related Securities

The Fixed Income Funds may invest in mortgage-related securities, which are interests in pools of mortgage loans made to U.S. or foreign residential home buyers, including mortgage loans made by savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers, commercial banks and others. Pools of mortgage loans are assembled, and interests in those pools are sold to investors by various governmental, government-related and private organizations. The Funds may also invest in debt securities which are secured with collateral consisting of U.S. mortgage-related securities, and in other types of U.S. mortgage-related securities. Different types of these derivative securities are subject to different combinations of prepayment, extension, interest rate and other market risks.

Interests in pools of mortgage-related securities differ from other forms of debt securities, which normally provide for periodic payment of interest in fixed amounts with principal payments at maturity or specified call dates. Instead, these securities provide a monthly payment which consists 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 residential mortgage loans, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such securities. Additional payments are caused by repayments of principal resulting from the sale of the underlying residential property, refinancing or foreclosure, net of fees or costs which may be incurred. Some mortgage-related securities (such as securities issued by the Government National Mortgage Association) are described as “modified pass-through.” These securities entitle the holder to receive all interest and principal payments owed on the mortgage pool, net of certain fees, at the scheduled payment dates regardless of whether or not the mortgagor actually makes the payment.

Although the underlying mortgage loans in a pool may have maturities of up to 30 years or longer, the actual average life of the pool certificates typically will be substantially less because the mortgages will be subject to normal principal amortization and may be prepaid prior to maturity. Prepayment rates vary widely and may be affected by changes in market interest rates. In periods of falling interest rates, the rate of prepayment tends to increase, thereby shortening the actual average life of the pool certificates. Conversely, when interest rates are rising, the rate of prepayments tends to decrease, thereby lengthening the actual average life of the certificates. Mortgage loan repayments may also be adversely affected by matters such as a general economic downturn, high unemployment, a general slowdown in the real estate market, and a drop in the market prices of real estate. Prepayment rates of individual pools may vary widely. Accordingly, it is not possible to predict accurately the average life of a particular pool.

Timely payment of interest and principal of these pools may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit, issued by governmental entities, private insurers and mortgage poolers. Such insurance and guarantees and the creditworthiness of the issuers thereof will be considered in determining whether a mortgage-related security meets a Fund’s investment quality standards. However, there can be no assurance that private insurers or guarantors will meet their obligations. In addition, the Funds may buy mortgage-related securities without insurance or guarantees if through an examination of the loan experience and practices of the originator/servicers and poolers the Advisor determines that the securities meet the Funds’ quality standards.

U.S. Mortgage Pass-Through Securities. The principal governmental guarantor of U.S. mortgage-related securities is the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”). GNMA is a wholly owned United States Government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. GNMA is authorized to guarantee, with the full faith and credit of the United States Government, the timely payment of principal and

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interest on securities issued by institutions approved by GNMA (such as savings and loan institutions, commercial banks and mortgage bankers) and backed by pools of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Agency or guaranteed by the Veterans Administration.

Other government-related guarantors include the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”). FNMA is a government-sponsored corporation owned entirely by private stockholders and subject to general regulation by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. FNMA purchases conventional residential mortgages not insured or guaranteed by any government agency from a list of approved seller/servicers which include state and federally chartered savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, commercial banks and credit unions and mortgage bankers. FHLMC is a government-sponsored corporation created to increase availability of mortgage credit for residential housing and owned entirely by private stockholders. FHLMC issues participation certificates which represent interests in conventional mortgages from FHLMC’s national portfolio. Pass-through securities issued by FNMA and participation certificates issued by FHLMC are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA and FHLMC, respectively, but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.

Since 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) has been appointed as the conservator of FHLMC and FNMA for an indefinite period. In accordance with the Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008 and the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992, as conservator, the FHFA will control and oversee these entities until the FHFA deems them financially sound and solvent. During the conservatorship, each entity’s obligations are expected to be paid in the normal course of business. Although no express guarantee exists for the debt or mortgage-backed securities issued by these entities, the U.S. Department of Treasury, through a secured lending credit facility and a senior preferred stock purchase agreement, has attempted to enhance the ability of the entities to meet their obligations.

Mortgage-related securities issued by certain private organizations may be offered through private placements that are restricted as to further sale, and there may be a limited market for such securities, especially where there is a perceived weakness in the mortgage and real estate market sectors. Without an active trading market, mortgage-backed securities held in a Fund’s portfolio may be particularly difficult to value because of the complexities involved in assessing the value of the underlying mortgage loans. A Fund will not purchase mortgage-related securities that are illiquid if, as a result, more than 15% of the value of the Fund’s total assets will be illiquid.

In addition, privately issued mortgage-related securities are not subject to the underwriting requirements for the underlying mortgages that are applicable to mortgage-backed securities that have a government or government-sponsored entity guarantee. As a result, the mortgage loans underlying private mortgage-backed securities may, and frequently do, have less favorable collateral, credit risk or other underwriting characteristics than government or government-sponsored mortgage-backed securities and have wider variances in a number of terms including interest rate, term, size, purpose and borrower characteristics. Privately issued pools more frequently include second mortgages, high loan-to-value mortgages and manufactured housing loans. The coupon rates and maturities of the underlying mortgage loans in a private-label mortgage-backed securities pool may vary to a greater extent than those included in a government guaranteed pool, and the pool may include subprime mortgage loans (loans made to borrowers with weakened credit histories or with a lower capacity to make timely payments on their loans). For these reasons, the loans underlying these securities have had in many cases higher default rates than those loans that meet government underwriting requirements.

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CMOs are structured into multiple classes, each bearing a different stated maturity. Actual maturity and average life depend upon the prepayment experience of the collateral. CMOs provide for a modified form of call protection through a de facto breakdown of the underlying pool of mortgages according to how quickly the loans are repaid. Monthly payment of principal received from the pool of underlying mortgages, including prepayments, is first returned to investors holding the shortest maturity class. Investors holding the longer maturity classes receive principal only after the earlier classes have been retired. Timely payment of interest and principal of these pools may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit, issued by governmental entities, private insurers and mortgage poolers.

Like other privately issued mortgage-related securities, there may be a limited market for CMOs, which therefore may be difficult to value. A Fund will not purchase mortgage-related securities that are illiquid if, as a result, more than 15% of the value of the Fund’s total assets will be illiquid.

Foreign Mortgage-Related Securities. The Fixed Income Funds may invest in foreign mortgage-related securities. Foreign mortgage-related securities are interests in pools of mortgage loans made to residential home buyers domiciled in a foreign country. These include mortgage loans made by trust and mortgage loan companies, credit unions, chartered banks, and others. Pools of mortgage loans are assembled as securities for sale to investors by various governmental, government-related, and private organizations (e.g., Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and First Australian National Mortgage Acceptance Corporation Limited). Interests in pools of mortgage-related securities differ from other forms of debt securities, which normally provide for periodic payment of interest in fixed amounts with principal payments at maturity or specified call dates. Instead, these securities provide a monthly payment which consists 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 residential mortgage loans, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such securities. Additional payments are caused by repayments of principal resulting from the sale of the underlying residential property, refinancing or foreclosure, net of fees or costs which may be incurred. Some mortgage-related securities are described as “modified pass-through.” These securities entitle the holder to receive all interest and principal payments owed on the mortgage pool, net of certain fees, at the scheduled payment dates regardless of whether or not the mortgagor actually makes the payment. Timely payment of interest and principal of these pools may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit, issued by governmental entities, private insurers and mortgage poolers.

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities. The Fixed Income Funds may invest in commercial mortgage-backed securities, which generally are multi-class debt or pass-through certificates secured by mortgage loans on commercial properties. The market for commercial mortgage backed is relatively small compared to the market for residential single-family mortgage-backed securities. Commercial lending typically involves larger loans to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers than residential one- to four-family mortgage loans. In addition, the repayment of loans secured by income producing properties typically depends upon the cash flow generated by the operation of the related real estate. As a result, changes in economic conditions may have a greater impact on commercial mortgage-backed securities than on residential mortgage-related securities.

Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities. The Fixed Income Funds may invest in stripped mortgage-backed securities, which are created by segregating the cash flows from underlying mortgage loans or mortgage securities to create two or more new securities, each with a specified percentage of the underlying security’s principal or interest payments. Mortgage securities may be partially stripped so that each investor class receives some interest and some principal. When securities are completely stripped, however, all of the interest is distributed to holders of one type of security, known as an interest-only security (or “IO”), and all of the principal is distributed to holders of another type of security known as a principal-only security (or “PO”). The yields to maturity on IOs and POs are very sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the related underlying mortgage assets. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may not fully recoup its initial investment in IOs. Conversely, if the underlying mortgage assets experience less than anticipated prepayments of principal, the yield on POs could be materially and adversely affected.

Adjustable Rate Mortgage-Backed Securities. The Fixed Income Funds may invest in adjustable rate mortgage-backed securities (sometimes referred to as “ARM securities”), which are mortgage-backed securities that represent a right to receive interest payments at a rate that is adjusted to reflect the interest earned on a pool of mortgage loans bearing variable or adjustable rates of interest (such mortgage loans are referred to as “ARMs”). Because the interest rates on ARM securities are reset in response to changes in a specified market index, the

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values of such securities tend to be less sensitive to interest rate fluctuations than the values of fixed-rate securities. As a result, during periods of rising interest rates, such securities generally do not decrease in value as much as fixed-rate securities. Conversely, during periods of declining rates, such securities generally do not increase in value as much as fixed-rate securities. ARMs generally specify that the borrower’s mortgage interest rate may not be adjusted above a specified lifetime maximum rate or, in some cases, below a minimum lifetime rate. In addition, certain ARMs specify limitations on the maximum amount by which the mortgage interest rate may adjust for any single adjustment period. ARMs also may limit changes in the maximum amount by which the borrower’s monthly payment may adjust for any single adjustment period. If a monthly payment is not sufficient to pay the interest accruing on the ARM, any such excess interest is added to the mortgage loan (“negative amortization”), which is repaid through future payments. Borrowers under ARMs experiencing negative amortization may take longer to build up their equity in the underlying property than conventional borrowers and may be more likely to default. ARMs also may be subject to a greater rate of prepayments in a declining interest rate environment. Conversely, during a period of rising interest rates, prepayments on ARMs might decrease.

Other Mortgage-Related Securities. The Fixed Income Funds may invest in other mortgage-related securities. Other mortgage-related securities include securities of U.S. or foreign issuers that directly or indirectly represent a participation in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans on real property. These other mortgage-related securities may be debt securities issued by governmental agencies or instrumentalities or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks, partnerships, trusts and special purpose entities.

Municipal Securities

The Fixed Income Funds may invest in debt obligations issued by state and local governments, territories and possessions of the U.S., regional government authorities, and their agencies and instrumentalities which provide interest income that, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer at the time of original issuance, is exempt from federal income taxes (“municipal securities”). In addition, the Fund may invest in issues of such entities that are taxable or not exempt from federal income taxes. Municipal securities include both notes (which have maturities of less than one year) and bonds (which have maturities of one year or more) that bear fixed or variable rates of interest.

In general, municipal securities are issued to obtain funds for a variety of public purposes, such as the construction, repair, or improvement of public facilities including airports, bridges, housing, hospitals, mass transportation, schools, streets, and water and sewer works. Municipal securities may be issued to refinance outstanding obligations, to raise funds for general operating expenses and lending to other public institutions and facilities, and in anticipation of the receipt of revenue or the issuance of other obligations. They may also be issued to provide for the construction, equipment, repair or improvement of privately operated facilities.

The two principal classifications of municipal securities are “general obligation” securities and “revenue” securities. General obligation securities are secured by the issuer’s pledge of its full faith, credit, and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. Accordingly, the capacity of the issuer of a general obligation bond as to the timely payment of interest and the repayment of principal when due is affected by the issuer’s maintenance of its tax base. Characteristics and methods of enforcement of general obligation bonds vary according to the law applicable to a particular issuer, and the taxes that can be levied for the payment of debt service may be limited or unlimited as to rates or amounts of special assessments. Revenue securities are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility, a class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise tax or other specific revenue source. Accordingly, the timely payment of interest and the repayment of principal in accordance with the terms of the revenue security is a function of the economic viability of the facility or revenue source. Revenue bonds are issued to finance a wide variety of capital projects including: electric, gas, water, and sewer systems; highways, bridges, and tunnels; port and airport facilities; colleges and universities; and hospitals. Although the principal security behind these bonds may vary, many provide additional security in the form of a debt service reserve fund the assets of which may be used to make principal and interest payments on the issuer’s obligations. Housing finance authorities have a wide range of security, including partially or fully insured mortgages, rent subsidized and collateralized mortgages, and the net revenues from housing or other public projects. Some authorities are provided further security in the form of a state’s assurance (although without obligation) to make up deficiencies in the debt service reserve fund.

A Fund may purchase insured municipal debt in which scheduled payments of interest and principal are guaranteed by a private, non-governmental or governmental insurance company. The insurance does not guarantee the market value of the municipal debt or the value of the shares of the Fund.

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Securities of issuers of municipal obligations are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978. In addition, the obligations of such issuers may become subject to laws enacted in the future by Congress, state legislatures of referenda extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations or upon the ability of municipalities to levy taxes. Furthermore, as a result of legislation or other conditions, the power or ability of any issuer to pay, when due, the principal of and interest on its municipal obligations may be materially affected.

Certain of the municipal securities in which a Fund may invest, and certain of the risks of such investments, are described below.

Moral Obligation Securities. Municipal securities may include “moral obligation” securities which are usually issued by special purpose public authorities. If the issuer of moral obligation bonds cannot fulfill its financial responsibilities from current revenues, it may draw upon a reserve fund, the restoration of which is a moral commitment but not a legal obligation of the state or municipality which created the issuer.

Zero Coupon Securities. Zero coupon securities are debt securities issued or sold at a discount from their face value. These securities do not entitle the holder to interest payments prior to maturity or a specified redemption date, when they are redeemed at face value. Zero coupon securities may also take the form of debt securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons, the coupons themselves, and receipts and certificates representing interests in such stripped obligations and coupons. The market prices of zero coupon securities tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes, and are more volatile, than interest bearing securities of like maturity. The discount from face value is amortized over the life of the security and such amortization will constitute the income earned on the security for accounting and tax purposes. Even though income is accrued on a current basis, the Fund does not receive the income currently in cash. Therefore, the Fund may have to sell other portfolio investments to obtain cash needed to make income distributions.

Mortgage-Backed Securities. Mortgage-backed securities are municipal debt obligations issued to provide financing for residential housing mortgages to targeted groups. Payments made on the underlying mortgages and passed through to the Fund will represent both regularly scheduled principal and interest payments. The Fund may also receive additional principal payments representing prepayments of the underlying mortgages. Investing in such municipal debt obligations involves special risks and considerations, including the inability to predict accurately the maturity of the Fund’s investments as a result of prepayments of the underlying mortgages (which may require the Fund to reinvest principal at lower yields than would otherwise have been realized), the illiquidity of certain of such securities, and the possible default by insurers or guarantors supporting the timely payment of interest and principal.

Municipal Lease Obligations. Municipal lease obligations are lease obligations or installment purchase contract obligations of municipal authorities. Although lease obligations do not constitute general obligations of the municipality for which its taxing power is pledged, a lease obligation is ordinarily backed by the municipality’s covenant to budget for, appropriate and make the payments due under the lease obligation. A Fund may also purchase “certificates of participation”, which are securities issued by a particular municipality or municipal authority to evidence a proportionate interest in base rental or lease payments relating to a specific project to be made by the municipality, agency or authority. However, certain lease obligations contain “non-appropriation” clauses which provide that the municipality has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in any year unless money is appropriated for such purpose for such year. Although “non-appropriation” lease obligations are secured by the leased property, disposition of the property in the event of default and foreclosure might prove difficult. In addition, these securities represent a relatively new type of financing, and certain lease obligations may therefore be considered to be illiquid securities.

Short-Term Obligations. Short-term municipal obligations include the following:

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Floating Rate and Variable Rate Demand Notes. Floating rate and variable rate demand notes and bonds may have a stated maturity in excess of one year, but permit a holder to demand payment of principal plus accrued interest upon a specified number of days’ notice. Frequently, such obligations are secured by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements provided by banks. The issuer has a corresponding right, after a given period, to prepay in its discretion the outstanding principal of the obligation plus accrued interest upon a specific number of days’ notice to the holders. The interest rate of a floating rate instrument may be based on a known lending rate, such as a bank’s prime rate, and is reset whenever such rate is adjusted. The interest rate on a variable rate demand note is reset at specified intervals at a market rate.

Each Fund will limit its purchase of municipal securities that bear floating rates and variable rates of interest to those meeting the rating quality standards set forth in the Fund’s prospectus. Frequently, such obligations are secured by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements provided by banks. The Advisor monitors the earning power, cash flow and other liquidity ratios of the issuers of such obligations, as well as the creditworthiness of the institution responsible for paying the principal amount of the obligations under the demand feature.

The Fund may also invest in municipal securities in the form of “participation interests” in variable rate tax-exempt demand obligations held by a financial institution, usually a commercial bank. Municipal participation interests provide the purchaser with an undivided interest in one or more underlying municipal securities and the right to demand payment from the institution upon a specified number of days’ notice (no more than seven) of the unpaid principal balance plus accrued interest. In addition, the municipal participation interests are typically enhanced by an irrevocable letter of credit or guarantee from such institution. Since the Fund has an undivided interest in the obligation, it participates equally with the institution with the exception that the institution normally retains a fee out of the interest paid for servicing, providing the letter of credit or guarantee, and issuing the repurchase commitment.

Obligations with Puts Attached. The Fixed Income Funds may invest in obligations with puts attached. Obligations with puts attached are long-term fixed rate municipal debt obligations which may be coupled with an option granted by a third party financial institution allowing the Fund at specified intervals to tender (or “put”) such debt obligations to the institution and receive the face value. These third party puts are available in many different forms, and may be represented by custodial receipts or trust certificates and may be combined with other features such as interest rate swaps. The financial institution granting the option does not provide credit enhancement. If there is a default on, or significant downgrading of, the bond or a loss of its tax-exempt status, the put option will terminate automatically. The risk to the Fund will then be that of holding a long-term bond.

These investments may require that the Fund pay a tender fee or other fee for the features provided. In addition, the Fund may acquire “stand-by commitments” from banks or broker dealers with respect to the municipal securities held in its portfolios. Under a stand-by commitment, a bank or broker/dealer agrees to purchase at the Fund’s option a specific municipal security at a specific price on a specific date. The Fund may pay for a stand-by commitment either separately, in cash, or in the form of a higher price paid for the security. The Fund will acquire stand-by commitments solely to facilitate portfolio liquidity.

Private Activity and Industrial Development Bonds. The Funds may purchase certain private activity or industrial development bonds, the interest paid on which is exempt from federal income tax. These bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to raise money to finance various privately-owned or -operated facilities for business and manufacturing, housing and pollution control. They are also used to finance public facilities such as airports, mass transit systems, ports, parking or sewage or solid waste disposal facilities, as well as certain other categories. The payment of the principal and interest on such bonds is secured primarily by revenues derived from loan repayments or lease payments by the entity owning or operating the facility, which may or may not be guaranteed by a parent company or otherwise secured. Such bonds generally are not secured by a pledge of the taxing power of the issuer of the bonds, and therefore depend on the revenue of a private entity. The continued ability of such an entity to generate sufficient revenues for the payment of principal and interest on such bonds may be affected by many factors, including the size of the entity, its capital structure, demand for its products or services, competition, general economic conditions, government regulation and the extent of the entity’s

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dependence on revenues from the operation of the particular facility being financed, and may be dependent solely on the revenues generated by the use of the facility.

Options on Securities and Indexes

Each Fund may purchase and sell both put and call options on securities or indexes in standardized contracts traded on foreign or domestic securities exchanges, boards of trade, or similar entities, or quoted on NASDAQ or on an over-the-counter market, and agreements, sometimes called cash puts, which may accompany the purchase of a new issue of bonds from a dealer.

An option on a security (or index) is a contract that gives the holder of the option, in return for a premium, the right to buy from (in the case of a call) or sell to (in the case of a put) the writer of the option the security underlying the option (or the cash value of the index) at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. The writer of an option on a security has the obligation upon exercise of the option to deliver the underlying security upon payment of the exercise price or to pay the exercise price upon delivery of the underlying security. Upon exercise, the writer of an option on an index is obligated to pay the difference between the cash value of the index and the exercise price multiplied by the specified multiplier for the index option. (An index is designed to reflect features of a particular financial or securities market, a specific group of financial instruments or securities, or certain economic indicators.)

Each Fund will write call options and put options only if they are “covered.” A call option on a security is “covered” if the Fund owns the security underlying the call or has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that security without additional cash consideration upon conversion or exchange of other securities held by the Fund (or, if additional cash consideration is required, cash or other assets determined to be liquid by the Advisor in accordance with established procedures in such amount are segregated). A call option on an index is covered if a Fund maintains with its custodian assets determined to be liquid by the Advisor in accordance with established procedures, in an amount equal to the contract value of the index. A call option is also covered if a Fund holds a call on the same security or index as the call written where the exercise price of the call held is (1) equal to or less than the exercise price of the call written, or (2) greater than the exercise price of the call written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated assets determined to be liquid by the Advisor in accordance with established procedures.

A put option on a security or an index is “covered” if a Fund segregates assets determined to be liquid by the Advisor in accordance with established procedures equal to the exercise price. A put option is also covered if the Fund holds a put on the same security or index as the put written where the exercise price of the put held is (1) equal to or greater than the exercise price of the put written, or (2) less than the exercise price of the put written, provided the difference is maintained by the Fund in segregated assets determined to be liquid by the Advisor in accordance with established procedures.

If an option written by a Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital gain equal to the premium received at the time the option was written. If an option purchased by a Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital loss equal to the premium paid. Each Fund may sell put or call options it has previously purchased, which could result in a net gain or loss depending on whether the amount realized on the sale is more or less than the premium and other transaction costs paid on the put or call option which is sold. Before an exchange traded option is exercised or expired, it may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series (type, exchange, underlying security or index, exercise price, and expiration date). There can be no assurance, however, that a closing purchase or sale transaction can be effected when the Fund desires. A Fund will realize a capital gain from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the closing option is less than the premium received from writing the option, or, if it is more, the Fund will realize a capital loss. If the premium received from a closing sale transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, a Fund will realize a capital gain or, if it is less, the Fund will realize a capital loss. The principal factors affecting the market value of a put or a call option include supply and demand, interest rates, the current market price of the underlying security or index in relation to the exercise price of the option, the volatility of the underlying security or index, and the time remaining until the expiration date.

The premium paid for a put or call option purchased by a Fund is an asset of the Fund. The premium received for an option written by the Fund is recorded as a deferred credit. The value of an option purchased or written is marked to market daily and is valued at the closing price on the exchange on which it is traded or, if not traded on an exchange or no closing price is available, at the mean between the last bid and asked prices.

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Each Fund may write covered straddles consisting of a combination of a call and a put written on the same underlying security. A straddle will be covered when sufficient assets are deposited to meet the Fund’s immediate obligations. A Fund may use the same liquid assets to cover both the call and put options where the exercise price of the call and put are the same, or the exercise price of the call is higher than that of the put. In such cases, the Fund will also segregate liquid assets equivalent to the amount, if any, by which the put is “in the money.”

Risks Associated with Options on Securities and Indexes. Transactions in options on securities and on indexes are subject to a number of risks. For example, there are significant differences between the securities and options markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between these markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objectives. A decision as to whether, when and how to use options involves the exercise of skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived transaction may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected events.

During the option period, the covered call writer has, in return for the premium on the option, given up the opportunity to profit from a price increase in the underlying security above the exercise price, but, as long as its obligation as a writer continues, has retained the risk of loss should the price of the underlying security decline. The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation as a writer of the option. Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying security at the exercise price. If a put or call option purchased by the Fund is not sold when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying security remains equal to or greater than the exercise price (in the case of a put), or remains less than or equal to the exercise price (in the case of a call), a Fund will lose its entire investment in the option. Also, where a put or call option on a particular security is purchased to hedge against price movements in a related security, the price of the put or call option may move more or less than the price of the related security.

There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist when a Fund seeks to close out an option position. Secondary markets on an exchange may not exist or may not be liquid for a variety of reasons including: (i) insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions on opening transactions or closing transactions imposed by an exchange; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options; (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances which interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (v) inadequate facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation to handle current trading volume at all times; or (vi) discontinuance in the future by one or more exchanges for economic or other reasons, of trading of options (or of a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange that had been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

If a Fund were unable to close out an option that it had purchased on a security, it would have to exercise the option in order to realize any profit or the option may expire worthless. If a Fund were unable to close out a covered call option that it had written on a security, it would not be able to sell the underlying security unless the option expired without exercise. As the writer of a covered call option, a Fund forgoes, during the option’s life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security covering the call option above the sum of the premium and the exercise price of the call.

If trading were suspended in an option purchased by a Fund, the Fund would not be able to close out the option. If restrictions on exercise were imposed, a Fund might be unable to exercise an option it has purchased. Except to the extent that a call option on an index written by the Fund is covered by an option on the same index purchased by the Fund, movements in the index may result in a loss to the Fund; however, such losses may be mitigated by changes in the value of the Fund’s securities during the period the option was outstanding.

Other Asset-Backed Securities

The Fixed Income Funds may invest in asset-backed securities. Asset-backed securities, unrelated to mortgage loans, represent a direct or indirect participation in, or are secured by and payable from, cash flows from pools of assets such as loans or receivables due from a number of different parties. These receivables can include but are not limited to credit card receivables, retail automobile installment sales contracts, home equity loans and lines of credit, student loans, airplane leases, and other equipment leases. Payment of principal and interest on asset-backed securities may largely depend upon the cash flows generated by the assets backing the securities.

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In an effort to lessen the effect of failures by obligors on these underlying assets to make payments, such securities may contain elements of credit support, based on the underlying assets or credit enhancements provided by a third party. Credit support falls into two classes — liquidity protection and protection against ultimate default on the underlying assets. Liquidity protection refers to the provision of advances, generally by the entity administering the pool of assets, to ensure that scheduled payments on the underlying pool are made in a timely fashion. Protection against ultimate default ensures payment on at least a portion of the assets in the pool. This protection may be provided through guarantees, insurance policies, letters of credit obtained from third parties, various means of structuring the transaction, or a combination of such approaches. The degree of credit support provided on each issue is based generally on historical information respecting the level of credit risk associated with such payments. Delinquency or loss in excess of that anticipated could adversely affect the return on an investment in an asset-backed security.

Asset-backed securities are generally subject to the risks of the underlying assets and can be subject to certain additional risks including damage or loss of the collateral backing the security, failure of the collateral to generate the anticipated cash flow, and more rapid prepayment because of events affecting the collateral (such as accelerated prepayment of loans backing these securities or destruction of equipment subject to equipment trust certificates). If underlying obligations are repaid earlier than expected, the Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds from the securities at a lower interest rate.

The values of asset-backed securities are affected by, among other things, changes in the market’s perception of the asset backing the security, the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the loan pool, the originator of the loans, or the financial institution providing any credit enhancement, and the exhaustion of any credit enhancement. In its capacity as purchaser of an asset-backed security, a fund would generally have no recourse to the entity that originated the loans in the event of default by the borrower. Asset-backed securities may present certain risks not relevant to mortgage-backed securities. Assets underlying asset-backed securities such as credit card receivables are generally unsecured, and debtors are entitled to the protection of various state and federal consumer protection laws, some of which provide a right of set-off that may reduce the balance owed.

Asset-backed securities are relatively new and untested instruments and may be subject to greater risk of default during periods of economic downturn than other securities. In addition, the secondary market for asset-backed securities may not be as liquid as the market for other securities, which may result in difficulty in valuing asset-backed securities.

Subordinated Securities. The Fixed Income Funds may invest in securities which are subordinated to other securities in some manner as to the payment of principal and/or interest. In the case of securities issued by a trust, such as asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities, these securities may be subordinated to holders of more senior securities collateralized by the same pool of assets. Because holders of subordinate securities may have to absorb losses in greater proportion than holders of more senior securities, they may have greater risk than would holders of the underlying collateral. The holders of subordinated securities typically are compensated with a higher stated yield than are the holders of more senior securities in exchange for accepting greater risk. As a result, rating agencies tend to assign lower ratings to subordinate securities than they do to senior securities of the same trust or issuer. The market for subordinate securities may be less liquid than is the case for more senior debt securities.

Other Investment Companies

Each Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies, including (to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act) other investment companies managed by the Advisor. They may include shares of money market funds, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), closed-end investment companies, and PFICs.

Many ETFs are not actively managed. Typically, an ETF’s objective is to track the performance of a specified index. Therefore, securities may be purchased, retained and sold by ETFs at times when an actively managed trust would not do so. As a result, a Fund may have a greater risk of loss (and a correspondingly greater prospect of gain) from changes in the value of the securities that are heavily weighted in the index than would be the case if the ETF were not fully invested in such securities. Because of this, an ETF’s price can be volatile. In addition, the results of an ETF will not match the performance of the specified index due to reductions in the ETF’s performance attributable to transaction and other expenses, including fees paid by the ETF to service providers. The Funds do not invest in actively managed ETFs.

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Shares of closed-end funds and ETFs (except, in the case of ETFs, for “aggregation units” of 50,000 shares) are not individually redeemable, but are traded on securities exchanges. The prices of such shares are based upon, but not necessarily identical to, the value of the securities held by the issuer. There is no assurance that the requirements of the securities exchange necessary to maintain the listing of shares of any closed-end fund or ETF will continue to be met.

Each Fund limits its investments in securities issued by other investment companies in accordance with the 1940 Act and SEC rules. Under the 1940 Act, a Fund may acquire securities of an Underlying Fund in amounts which, as determined immediately after the acquisition is made, do not exceed (i) 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of such Underlying Fund, (ii) 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets, and (iii) 10% of the value of the Fund’s total assets when combined with all other Underlying Fund securities held by the Fund. The Fund may exceed these statutory limits in certain cases, including pursuant to other statutory exemptions and rules under the 1940 Act including Rule 12d1-4, if certain conditions are met.

As a shareholder of another investment company, a Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company’s expenses, including advisory fees. Accordingly, in addition to bearing their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses (i.e., management fees and operating expenses), shareholders will also indirectly bear similar expenses of such other investment companies.

Investments by a Fund in wholly-owned investment entities created under the laws of certain countries will not be deemed the making of an investment in other investment companies.

Participatory Notes

The International Equity, Global Equity, Emerging Markets Value, International Small Cap, Small Cap Value Fund and U.S. Value Funds may invest in participatory notes issued by banks or broker-dealers that are designed to replicate the performance of certain non-U.S. companies traded on a non-U.S. exchange. Participatory notes are a type of equity-linked derivative which generally are traded over-the-counter. Even though a participatory note is intended to reflect the performance of the underlying equity securities on a one-to-one basis so that investors will not normally gain or lose more in absolute terms than they would have made or lost had they invested in the underlying securities directly, the performance results of participatory notes will not replicate exactly the performance of the issuers or markets that the notes seek to replicate due to transaction costs and other expenses. Investments in participatory notes involve risks normally associated with a direct investment in the underlying securities. In addition, participatory notes are subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the broker-dealer or bank that issues the notes will not fulfill its contractual obligation to complete the transaction with a Fund. Participatory notes constitute general unsecured, unsubordinated contractual obligations of the banks or broker-dealers that issue them, and each Fund is relying on the creditworthiness of such banks or broker-dealers and has no rights under a participatory note against the issuers of the securities underlying such participatory notes. There can be no assurance that the trading price or value of participatory notes will equal the value of the underlying equity securities they seek to replicate.

Preferred Stock

The Funds may invest in preferred stock. Preferred stocks are equity securities that often pay dividends at a specific rate and have a preference over common stocks in dividend payments and liquidation of assets. A preferred stock has a blend of the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and, unlike common stock, its participation in the issuer’s growth may be limited. Although the dividend is set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer.

Real Estate Investment Trusts

The Funds may invest in real estate investment trusts and similar entities (“REITs”). Equity REITs invest directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents and capital gains from appreciation realized through property sales. Mortgage REITs invest in mortgages on real property and derive their income primarily from interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of equity and mortgage REITs. A REIT is not taxed on income distributed to its shareholders or unit holders if it complies with statutory requirements relating to its organization, ownership, assets and income, and with an additional statutory requirement that it distribute to its shareholder or unit holders at least 90% of its taxable income for each taxable year.

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REITs may be subject to certain risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate, including declines in the value of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, variations in rental income and defaults by borrowers or tenants. Furthermore, REITs are dependent on specialized management skills. Some REITs may have limited diversification and may be subject to risks inherent in financing a limited number of properties.

REITs pay dividends to their shareholders based upon available funds from operations. It is quite common for these dividends to exceed a REIT’s taxable earnings and profits, resulting in the excess portion of such dividends being designated as a return of capital. Each Fund intends to include the gross dividends from such REITs in its distribution to its shareholders and, accordingly, a portion of the Fund’s distributions may also be designated as a return of capital.

Redemption Risk

Repurchase Agreements

To maintain liquidity, each Fund may enter into repurchase agreements (agreements to purchase U.S. Treasury notes and bills, subject to the seller’s agreement to repurchase them at a specified time and price) with well-established registered securities dealers or banks.

A repurchase agreement is a transaction in which a Fund purchases a security and, at the same time, the seller (normally a commercial bank or broker-dealer) agrees to repurchase the same security (and/or a security substituted for it under the repurchase agreement) at an agreed-upon price and date in the future. The resale price is in excess of the purchase price, as it reflects an agreed-upon market interest rate effective for the period of time during which the Fund holds the securities. Repurchase agreements may be viewed as a type of secured lending. The purchaser maintains custody of the underlying securities prior to their repurchase; thus the obligation of the bank or dealer to pay the repurchase price on the date agreed to is, in effect, secured by such underlying securities. If the value of such securities is less than the repurchase price, the other party to the agreement is required to provide additional collateral so that at all times the collateral is at least equal to the repurchase price.

The majority of these transactions run from day to day and not more than seven days from the original purchase. However, the maturities of the securities subject to repurchase agreements are not subject to any limits and may exceed one year. The securities will be marked to market every business day so that their value is at least equal to the amount due from the seller, including accrued interest. A Fund’s risk is limited to the ability of the seller to pay the agreed-upon sum on the delivery date.

Although repurchase agreements carry certain risks not associated with direct investments in securities, the Fund intends to enter into repurchase agreements only with banks and dealers believed by the Advisor to present minimum credit risks in accordance with guidelines established by the Board of Trustees. The Advisor will review and monitor the creditworthiness of such institutions under the Board’s general supervision. To the extent that the proceeds from any sale of collateral upon a default in the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price, the purchaser would suffer a loss. If the other party to the repurchase agreement petitions for bankruptcy or otherwise becomes subject to bankruptcy or other liquidation proceedings, the purchaser’s ability to sell the collateral might be restricted and the purchaser could suffer a loss if it were treated as an unsecured creditor. However, with respect to financial institutions whose bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings are subject to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, each Fund intends to comply with provisions under such Code that would allow it immediately to resell the collateral.

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Reserves

Each Fund may establish and maintain reserves when the Advisor determines that such reserves would be desirable for temporary defensive purposes (for example, during periods of substantial volatility in interest rates) or to enable it to take advantage of buying opportunities. The Fund’s reserves may be invested in domestic and foreign money market instruments, including government obligations.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

Securities Lending

To realize additional income, each Fund may lend securities with a value of up to 30% of its total assets to broker-dealers or institutional investors. Each loan will be secured by collateral which is maintained at no less than 100% of the value of the securities loaned by marking to market daily. For the duration of the loan, the Fund will continue to receive the equivalent of the dividends or interest paid by the issuer on the securities loaned. A Fund may pay reasonable administrative and custodial fees in connection with a loan of securities. Each Fund will have the right to call each loan and obtain the securities on five business days’ notice or, in connection with securities trading on foreign markets, within a longer period of time which coincides with the normal settlement period for purchases and sales of such securities in such foreign markets. Loans will only be made to persons deemed by the Advisor to be of good standing in accordance with standards approved by the Board and will not be made unless, in the judgment of the Advisor, the consideration to be earned from such loans would justify the risk. The risks in lending portfolio securities, as with other extensions of credit, consist of possible delay in recovery of the securities should the borrower fail financially. In addition, voting rights or rights to consent with respect to the loaned securities pass to the borrower.

Short-Term Investments

The Funds may at times invest in short-term securities either for temporary, defensive purposes or as part of their overall investment strategies. These securities include U.S. dollar denominated bank certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, commercial paper and other short-term debt obligations of U.S. and foreign issuers, including U.S. Government and agency obligations. A certificate of deposit is a short-term obligation of a commercial bank. A bankers’ acceptance is a time draft drawn on a commercial bank by a borrower, usually in connection with an international commercial transaction. Commercial paper is a short-term, unsecured promissory note issued to finance short-term credit needs. All these obligations are high quality, meaning that the security is rated in one of the two highest categories for short-term securities by one of the nationally recognized rating services or, if unrated, is determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality. The values of these investments may be adversely affected by the inability of the issuers (or related supporting institutions) to make principal or interest payments on the obligations in a timely manner.

Structured Notes

Each Fund may invest in structured notes. Structured notes are derivative debt securities, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. Indexed securities include structured notes as well as securities other than debt securities, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator. Indexed securities may include a multiplier that multiplies the indexed element by a specified factor and, therefore, the value of such securities may be very volatile.

Swaps and Options on Swaps

Each Fund may engage in swap transactions, including, but not limited to, swaps on interest rates, security indexes, specific securities, currencies and credit default and event-linked swaps. The Fund may also enter into options on swaps (“swap options”).

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Each Fund may enter into swap transactions for any legal purpose consistent with its investment objective and policies, such as for the purpose of attempting to obtain or preserve a particular return or spread at a lower cost than obtaining a return or spread through purchases and/or sales of instruments in other markets, to protect against currency fluctuations, as a duration management technique, to protect against any increase in the price of securities a Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, or to gain exposure to certain markets in the most economical way possible.

Following the adoption and implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act, many categories of swaps (such as interest rate swaps, currency swaps, and swaps on broad-based securities indexes) are commodity interests subject to the jurisdiction of the CFTC If a Fund enters into such a swap, it may be considered a “commodity pool,” which in turn may trigger a requirement for the Advisor to register as a “commodity pool operator” (a “CPO”) with the CFTC absent the ability to rely on the exemption from CPO status provided by CFTC Regulation 4.5. Under amendments to the exemption provided under CFTC Regulation 4.5, if a Fund uses futures, options on futures, or swaps other than for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined by the CFTC), the aggregate initial margin and premiums on these positions (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions and excluding the amount by which options are “in-the-money” at the time of purchase ) may not exceed 5% of the Fund’s liquidation value, or alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of those positions may not exceed 100% of the Fund’s liquidation value (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions).

Swaps on single securities, single loans, and narrow-based securities indexes – as well as some index credit default swaps – are known as “security-based swaps.” These instruments are subject to SEC, rather than CFTC, jurisdiction. Accordingly, a Fund would not be considered a commodity pool subject to CFTC jurisdiction as a result of entering into this type of swap transaction.

Swaps bearing attributes of both CFTC-regulated swaps and security-based swaps are considered “mixed swaps.” Absent a determination to the contrary by the CFTC and the SEC, these instruments would generally be considered to be commodity interests. As a result, a Fund that enters into a mixed swap would be considered a commodity pool, which in turn may trigger a requirement for the Advisor to register as a CPO with the CFTC absent the ability to rely on the exemption from CPO status provided by Regulation 4.5.

A Fund could be considered a “major swap participant” or a “major-security based swap participant” if its trading of swaps or security-based swaps exceeded certain tests specified in CFTC and SEC regulations that, generally speaking, measure swap counterparty exposure. Major swap participants and major security-based swap participants are subject to comprehensive requirements under CFTC and SEC regulations, respectively. Those requirements, if they were to apply to a Fund, would potentially have an adverse effect on a Fund’s ability to trade swaps and security-based swaps.

Swaps are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency, or in a “basket” of securities or commodities representing a particular index. A “quanto” or “differential” swap combines both an interest rate and a currency transaction. Other forms of swaps include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate, or “cap”; interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified rate, or “floor”; and interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

Each Fund may enter into credit default swaps. The “buyer” in a credit default contract is obligated to pay the “seller” a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default on an underlying reference obligation has occurred. If an event of default occurs, the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value, or “par value,” of the reference obligation in exchange for the reference obligation. A Fund may be either the buyer or seller in a credit default swap transaction. If the Fund is a buyer and no event of default occurs, the Fund will lose its investment and recover nothing. However, if an event of default occurs, the Fund (if the buyer) will receive either the full notional value in exchange for the reference obligation or the difference in value between the full notional value and the reference obligation. As a seller, a Fund receives a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the contract, which typically is between six months and three years, provided that there is

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no default event. If an event of default occurs, the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value of the reference obligation. Credit default swap transactions involve greater risks than if the Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly.

Swaps involve special risks. Swaps may in some cases be illiquid. In the absence of a central exchange or market for swap transactions, they may be difficult to trade or value, especially in the event of market disruptions. Credit default swaps involve additional risks. For example, credit default swaps increase credit risk since a Fund has exposure to both the issuer of the referenced obligation (typically a debt obligation) and the counterparty to the credit default swap.

Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a Fund will generally incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swap option than it will incur when it purchases a swap option. When a Fund purchases a swap option, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when a Fund writes a swap option, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement.

Swaps and security-based swaps are subject to a comprehensive regulatory regime under the Dodd-Frank Act that is being implemented by the CFTC and the SEC. Many aspects of this regime have yet to be finalized, so their overall effect on a Fund remains uncertain. One key aspect of these regulations will be to provide for the centralized clearing of several categories of swap transactions. Centralized clearing may reduce some risks associated with bilateral trading – like counterparty and credit risks – but may present other risks, like risks associated with the failure of the member firm through which swaps are submitted for clearing. Centrally-cleared swap transactions will generally be required to be executed on a designated contract market or a swap execution facility, and the clearing organizations for those transactions may impose initial and variation margin requirements. Swaps that are uncleared may be subject to margin requirements imposed by regulation. A swap counterparty will have certain recordkeeping requirements regarding its swap transactions, and information about those transactions may be required to be reported and made publicly available. These new requirements will impose additional costs on entering into swaps, the full scope of which will remain unknown until the regulations are fully implemented.

Trust Preferred Securities

The Funds may invest in trust-preferred securities, which share characteristics of preferred stock, corporate debt, and asset-backed securities. Trust preferred securities represent interests in a trust formed by a parent company to finance its operations. The trust sells preferred shares and invests the proceeds in debt securities of the parent.

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This debt may be subordinated and unsecured. Dividend payments on the trust preferred securities match the interest payments on the debt securities. If no interest is paid on the underlying debt securities, the trust will not make interest payments to holders of its preferred securities. Unlike typical asset-backed securities, trust preferred securities have only one underlying obligor and are not over-collateralized. For that reason the market may effectively treat trust preferred securities as subordinate corporate debt of the underlying issuer. Issuers of trust preferred securities receive favorable tax treatment. If the tax rules regarding trust preferred securities were to change, they could be redeemed by the issuers, which could result in a loss to holders.

U.S. Government Securities

Each Fund may invest in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities. U.S. government securities include direct obligations issued by the United States Treasury, such as Treasury bills, certificates of indebtedness, notes and bonds. U.S. Treasury obligations differ mainly in the lengths of their maturities (e.g., Treasury bills mature in one year or less, and Treasury notes and bonds mature in two to 30 years).

U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities that issue or guarantee securities include, but are not limited to, the Federal National Mortgage Association (d/b/a Fannie Mae) (“FNMA”), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (d/b/a Freddie Mac) (“FHLMC”), Government National Mortgage Association, Federal Home Loan Bank, Federal Land Banks, Farmers Home Administration, Banks for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, Federal Financing Bank, Farm Credit Bank, Small Business Administration and Tennessee Valley Authority. Securities issued by these agencies and instrumentalities may have maturities from one day to 30 years or longer. Except for U.S. Treasury securities, obligations of U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities may or may not be supported by the full faith and credit of the United States. Some (such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks) are backed by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury; others (such as those of FNMA) are backed by discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase the agencies’ obligations; and others (such as those of FHLMC) are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality.

U.S. government securities also include securities issued by non-governmental entities (such as financial institutions) that carry direct guarantees from U.S. government agencies as part of government initiatives in response to market crises or otherwise.

A guarantee of principal by an agency or instrumentality may be a guarantee of payment at the maturity of the obligation, so that in the event of a default prior to maturity there might not be a market and thus no means of realizing the value of the obligation prior to its maturity. In the case of securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, the investor must look principally to the agency issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. No government agency or instrumentality guarantees the market value of the securities it issues, and such market value will fluctuate in response to changes in interest rates.

In 2008, the FHFA was appointed as the conservator of FHLMC and FNMA for an indefinite period. In accordance with the Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008 and the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992, as conservator, the FHFA will control and oversee these entities until the FHFA deems them financially sound and solvent. During the conservatorship, each entity’s obligations are expected to be paid in the normal course of business. Although no express guarantee exists for the debt or mortgage-backed securities issued by these entities, the U.S. Department of Treasury, through a secured lending credit facility and a senior preferred stock purchase agreement, has attempted to enhance the ability of the entities to meet their obligations.

Variable Rate and Floating Rate Demand Notes

The Fixed Income Funds may invest in variable and floating rate demand notes. Variable rate demand notes and bonds have a stated maturity in excess of one year, but permit a holder to demand payment of principal plus accrued interest upon a specified number of days’ notice. Frequently, such obligations are secured by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements provided by banks. The issuer has a corresponding right, after a given period, to prepay in its discretion the outstanding principal of the obligation plus accrued interest upon a specific number of days’ notice to the holders.

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The interest rate of a floating rate instrument may be based on a known lending rate, such as a bank’s prime rate, and is reset whenever such rate is adjusted. The interest rate on a variable rate demand note is reset at specified intervals at a market rate. The Advisor monitors the earning power, cash flow and other liquidity ratios of the issuers of such obligations, as well as the creditworthiness of the institution responsible for paying the principal amount of the obligations under the demand feature.

Warrants

The Funds may invest in warrants. A warrant, which is issued by the underlying issuer, gives the holder a right to purchase at any time during a specified period a predetermined number of shares of common stock at a fixed price. Unlike convertible debt securities or preferred stock, warrants do not pay a fixed dividend. Investments in warrants involve certain risks, including the possible lack of a liquid market for resale of the warrants, potential price fluctuations as a result of speculation or other factors and failure of the price of the underlying security to reach, or have reasonable prospects of reaching, a level at which the warrant can be prudently exercised (in which event the warrant may expire without being exercised, resulting in a loss of a Fund’s entire investment therein).

When-Issued Securities

When a Fund has sold a security on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis, the Fund does not participate in future gains or losses with respect to the security. If the other party to a transaction fails to deliver or pay for the securities, the Fund could miss a favorable price or yield opportunity or could suffer a loss. Each Fund may dispose of or renegotiate a transaction after it is entered into, and may sell when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment securities before they are delivered, which may result in a capital gain or loss. There is no percentage limitation on the extent to which a Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

The Trust has adopted the following fundamental investment policies and restrictions with respect to the Funds in addition to the policies and restrictions discussed in the prospectuses. The policies and restrictions listed below with respect to a Fund cannot be changed without approval by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting

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securities of the Fund. A “majority of the outstanding voting securities” of a Fund is defined in the 1940 Act to mean the lesser of (1) 67% of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are represented or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.

As a matter of fundamental policy, each Fund is diversified, i.e., at least 75% of the value of its total assets is represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), government securities, securities of other investment companies, and other securities for the purposes of this calculation limited in respect of any one issuer to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer.

In addition, no Fund may:

The International Equity Fund, the Global Equity Fund, the Emerging Markets Value Fund, the International Small Cap Fund, the Small Cap Value Fund and the U.S. Value Fund may not:

Operating Restrictions

Each Fund observes the following restrictions as a matter of operating, but not fundamental, policy, which can be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.

No Fund may:

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In addition, neither the International Equity Fund, the Global Equity Fund, the Emerging Markets Value Fund, the International Small Cap Fund, the Small Cap Value Fund, the U.S. Value Fund nor the Core Plus Fund may make any change to its investment policy of investing at least 80% of its net assets in the investments suggested by the Fund’s name without first providing the Fund’s shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior written notice.

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE

The Funds will not disclose (or authorize its custodian or principal underwriter to disclose) portfolio holdings information to any person or entity except as follows:

Any disclosures made to persons approved by the CCO will be reported by the CCO to the Board at the end of the quarter in which such disclosure was made. The portfolio holdings information that may be distributed to any person is limited to the information that the Advisor believes is reasonably necessary in connection with the

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services to be provided by the service provider receiving the information. Neither the Trust nor the Advisor may receive compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about the Fund’s portfolio securities. In the event of a conflict between the interests of Trust shareholders and those of the Advisor or any affiliated person of the Trust or the Advisor, the CCO will make a determination in the best interests of the Trust’s shareholders, and will report such determination to the Board at the end of the quarter in which such determination was made.

The Funds disclose their portfolio holdings quarterly, in their annual and semi-annual Reports, as well as in filings with the SEC, in each case no later than 60 days after the end of the applicable fiscal year. The Funds may disclose their portfolio holdings publicly on their website within 15 calendar days of each calendar quarter end.

Registered investment companies that are sub-advised by the Advisor may be subject to different portfolio holdings disclosure policies, and neither the Board of Trustees nor the Advisor exercises control over such policies. In addition, the Advisor’s separately managed account clients have access to their portfolio holdings and are not subject to the Trust’s Disclosure Policies and Procedures. Certain of the Advisor’s separately managed accounts and investment companies which it sub-advises have substantially similar or identical investment objectives and strategies to the Trust, and therefore have substantially similar, and in certain cases nearly identical, portfolio holdings as the Trust.

Such disclosure may be made to service providers and other persons approved by the CCO only if the recipients of such information are subject to a confidentiality agreement that among other things, prohibits any trading upon such information and if the authorizing persons (as determined by the Funds’ CCO) determine that, under the circumstances, disclosure is in the best interests of the Funds’ shareholders. Organizations that publish ratings and/or rankings of the Funds and perform portfolio analysis (collectively, “Ratings and Rankings Agencies”) may require portfolio holdings information in order to assign and monitor a Fund’s rating or ranking. The Funds have determined that selective and complete disclosure of portfolio holdings information to Ratings and Rankings Agencies fulfills a legitimate business purpose and is in the best interest of shareholders, as it provides existing and potential shareholders with an independent basis for evaluating the Funds in comparison to other mutual funds.

MANAGEMENT

The Board is responsible for the overall management of the Trust’s business. The Board approves all significant agreements between the Trust and persons or companies furnishing services to it, including the agreements with the Advisor, Administrator, the Trust’s Custodian, Distributor, and Transfer Agent. The Board delegates the day-to-day operations of the Trust to its officers, subject to each Fund’s investment objective and policies and to general supervision by the Board.

The Trustees and officers of the Trust, their business addresses and principal occupations during the past five years are:

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Additional Information Concerning the Board of Trustees

The Role of the Board

The Board oversees the management and operations of the Trust. Like all mutual funds, the day-to-day management and operation of the Trust is the responsibility of the various service providers to the Trust, such as the Advisor, the Distributor, the Administrator, the Custodian, and the Transfer Agent, each of which are discussed

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in greater detail in this Statement of Additional Information. The Board has appointed various senior individuals of certain of these service providers as officers of the Trust, with responsibility to monitor and report to the Board on the Trust’s operations. In conducting this oversight, the Board receives regular reports from these officers and the service providers. For example, the Treasurer reports as to financial reporting matters and the President reports as to matters relating to the Trust’s operations. In addition, the Advisor provides regular reports on the investment strategy and performance of the Funds. The Board has appointed a Chief Compliance Officer who administers the Trust’s compliance program and regularly reports to the Board as to compliance matters. These reports are provided as part of formal Board Meetings which are typically held quarterly, in person, and involve the Board’s review of recent operations. In addition, various members of the Board also meet with management in less formal settings, between formal Board Meetings, to discuss various topics. In all cases, however, the role of the Board and of any individual Trustee is one of oversight and not of management of the day-to-day affairs of the Trust and its oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Trust’s investments, operations or activities.

Board Structure, Leadership

The Board has structured itself in a manner that it believes allows it to perform its oversight function effectively. It has established two standing committees, a Nominating and Governance Committee and an Audit Committee, which are discussed in greater detail below under “Board Committees.” Currently, three of the five Trustees are Independent Trustees, who are not affiliated with the Advisor, the principal underwriter, or their affiliates. Mr. Wainscott, an Independent Trustee, serves as Chairman of the Board. The Nominating and Governance Committee and Audit Committee are comprised entirely of Independent Trustees. The Independent Trustees also are advised by independent legal counsel. The Board has determined that this leadership structure is appropriate to ensure that the regular business of the Board is conducted efficiently while still permitting the Independent Trustees to effectively fulfill their fiduciary and oversight obligations. The Board reviews its structure and the structure of its committees annually.

Board Oversight of Risk Management

As part of its oversight function, the Board of Trustees receives and reviews various risk management reports and discusses these matters with appropriate management and other personnel. Because risk management is a broad concept comprised of many elements (e.g., investment risk, issuer and counterparty risk, compliance risk, operational risk, business continuity risk), the oversight of different types of risks is handled in different ways. For example, the Audit Committee meets with the Treasurer and the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm to discuss, among other things, the internal control structure of the Trust’s financial reporting function. The Board meets regularly with the Chief Compliance Officer to discuss compliance and operational risks and how they are managed. The Board also receives reports from the Advisor as to investment risks of the Funds. In addition to these reports, from time to time the Board receives reports from the Administrator and the Advisor as to enterprise risk management. Not all risks that may affect the Funds can be identified or processes and controls developed to eliminate or mitigate their effect. Moreover, it is necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment related risks) to achieve the Funds’ objectives. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the ability of the Funds’ service providers to eliminate or mitigate risks is subject to limitations.

Information about Each Trustee’s Qualification, Experience, Attributes or Skills

The current Trustees were selected with a view to establishing a board that would have the broad experience needed to oversee a registered investment company comprised of multiple series employing a variety of different investment strategies. As a group, the Board has extensive experience in many different aspects of the financial services and asset management industries. In addition, each of the Trustees has served on the Board for a number of years, and has gained substantial insight as to the operation of the Advisor and the Trust.

The Trustees were selected to join the Board based upon the following factors, among others: character and integrity; willingness to service and to commit the time necessary to perform the duties of a Trustee; and as to a majority of the Board satisfying the criteria for not being classified as an “interested person” of the Trust as defined in the 1940 Act.

In addition to the information provided in the chart above, below is certain additional information concerning the professional experience of each Trustee. The information is not all-inclusive as relevant Trustee attributes also involve intangible elements, such as intelligence, integrity, work ethic, the ability to work together, the ability to communicate effectively, the ability to exercise judgment and to ask incisive questions, and commitment to shareholder interests.

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Mr. Bishop has substantial mutual fund and financial services experience. He is currently retired, and previously spent over 17 years in the investment management business at Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC (“PIMCO”), where he served as Executive Vice President and Head of Retail Business Management for PIMCO Investments with responsibilities related to retail distribution and operations for PIMCO’s mutual fund complex. He has extensive experience in the financial services industry. Mr. Bishop has held the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation since 1996 and has experience with mutual fund operations, compliance, marketing and distribution.

Mr. Fitzgerald has substantial experience in public accounting as a Partner of Price Waterhouse LLP primarily serving financial services companies. He has also served as Chief Financial Officer of Pimco Advisors (a publicly traded asset manager and fund sponsor) and as Chief Financial Officer of National Retirement Partners and currently serves as a Trustee and chair of the audit committee of Hotchkis and Wiley Funds.

Mr. Wainscott has substantial mutual fund and financial services experience. He has extensive experience in the investment management business at Russell Investments where he served as a Managing Director in the U.S. mutual fund group, President of Russell Canada and Director of Russell Australia. Mr. Wainscott has worked as a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) since 1985 and has experience with quantitative investment techniques, fund marketing and fund distribution.

Mr. Busby has significant investment advisory experience. He currently serves as Executive Director and a member of the Advisor’s Executive Committee. As an Executive Committee member, he contributes to strategic decisions and guides the Advisor toward its vision and objectives. He also is a member of the Advisor’s Investment Oversight Committee.

Mr. Murray has significant investment advisory experience. He currently serves as Managing Director, Private Client Portfolio Management of the Advisor and Chief Executive Officer of the Advisor’s Toronto entity where he is responsible for all of the Advisor’s Canadian functional areas. Mr. Murray is responsible for client service, sales and marketing globally for the Advisor. Mr. Murray has served on the boards of a number of industry organizations and is past Chair of the board of directors of the Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC). He has extensive experience in the financial services industry.

Board Committees

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Compensation

The Trust pays Independent Trustees an annual retainer of $85,000 in quarterly installments of $21,250. They also receive a fee of $1,000 for any special telephonic Board meetings held on dates other than scheduled Board meeting dates, and are reimbursed for any expenses incurred in attending meetings. The Board Chairman receives an additional fee of $20,000 per year. The Audit Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee Chairs each receive an additional fee of $10,000 per year and $1,000 per year, respectively. No other compensation, pension, or retirement benefits are received by any Trustee or officer from the Funds. The Advisor reimburses the Trust the portion of such amounts attributable to the Separately Managed Account Reserve Trust series of the Trust. These compensation matters are subject to review by the Independent Trustees annually.

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Code of Ethics

The Trust, the Advisor and the Distributor have each adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. Each Code permits personnel of the Advisor and Distributor to invest in securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds, subject to certain conditions. In accordance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Trust has also adopted a supplemental Code of Ethics for its principal officers and senior financial officers. Each Code has been filed as an exhibit to this registration statement and is available upon request by contacting the Trust.

PROXY VOTING PROCEDURES

The Funds do not invest in any security for the purpose of exercising control or management. Because the Advisor is in a better position than the Board of Trustees to monitor corporate actions, analyze proxy proposals, make voting decisions and ensure that proxies are submitted promptly, the Funds have delegated their authority to vote proxies to the Advisor, subject to the supervision of the Board. The Funds’ proxy voting policies are summarized below.

Policies of the Funds’ Investment Advisor

The Advisor shall take reasonable steps under the circumstances to ensure that proxies are received and voted in the best interest of its clients, including the Funds, which generally means voting proxies with a view to enhancing the long-term value of the shares of stock held in client accounts. The long-term financial interest of the Advisor’s clients, including the Funds, is the primary consideration in determining how proxies should be voted.

The Advisor votes proxies in accordance with the following three governing principles:

One of the most significant rights as shareholders is the right to vote at a company’s annual and extraordinary meetings. In voting proxies on behalf of the Advisor’s clients, the Advisor ensures that our clients’ votes are cast in a manner that is most consistent with the Advisor’s Proxy Voting Guidelines, and which are based on the underlying guiding principle of voting in the best economic interests of shareholders over the long term.

The Advisor believes well-governed companies should apply prudent principles to their corporate governance structure and demonstrate consistency with them through the decisions they make. Fundamental to a well-governed company is an appropriately structured and functioning board that is comprised of qualified and engaged directors. The Advisor’s assessment process consists of consulting a variety of sources, including relevant company filings and research materials provided by proxy advisors and other third parties, as well as engaging with company management. Accordingly, the Advisor believes all corporate boards of directors should display the following traits:

The Advisor considers the following principles in assessing corporate governance votes in order to encourage companies to take the actions that the Advisor believes, in the long run, are in the best economic interest of the shareholders, and therefore, will analyze and consider individual company circumstances in light of the following:

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While proxy voting is a basic and important fundamental right, it is only one of the Advisor’s areas of focus on behalf of its clients as shareholders. The Advisor is also committed to continuing to monitor a company’s financial and non-financial performance after each investment has been made. In doing so, the Advisor embraces the concept of being an active, engaged, and responsible owner of the companies the firm invests in on behalf of the Advisor’s clients. Accordingly, the Advisor participates in a number of activities on a case-by-case basis, including:

At least annually, The Advisor presents to the Board its policies, procedures and other guidelines for voting proxies. In addition, The Advisor shall notify the Board promptly of material changes to any of these documents. The Board will monitor the implementation of these policies to ensure that the Advisor’s voting decisions:

International Proxy Voting

Voting proxies with respect to shares of foreign companies may involve significantly greater effort and corresponding cost due to the variety of regulatory schemes and corporate practices in foreign countries with respect to proxy voting. Logistical challenges in voting foreign proxies include the following:

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Because the cost of voting on a particular proxy proposal could exceed the expected benefit to a client (including an ERISA Plan), the Advisor may weigh the costs and benefits of voting on proxy proposals relating to foreign securities and make an informed decision on whether voting a given proxy proposal is prudent.

Conflicts of Interest

The Advisor is sensitive to conflicts of interest that may arise in the proxy decision-making process. For example, conflicts of interest may arise when:

The Advisor is committed to resolving all such and similar conflicts in its clients’ best interests. The Advisor has developed these policies and procedures to serve the best interests of its clients, and accordingly, will generally vote pursuant to its Guidelines when conflicts of interest arise. Proxy voting proposals that give rise to conflicts of interest that are not addressed by the Guidelines, including conflicts that may arise when the Advisor holds both equity and fixed income securities of the same issuer on behalf of its clients and there are contested situations, will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Advisor’s ESG Oversight Committee, in consultation with the Global Head of Compliance (“GHOC”) and the steps taken to address the issue will be documented in writing.

If necessary, the ESG Oversight Committee, GHOC and senior management will consult with an independent consultant or outside counsel to resolve any material conflicts of interest. Possible resolutions of such conflicts may include:

More Information

The actual voting records relating to portfolio securities of the Funds during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 are available without charge, upon request by calling toll-free, 1-800-331-2979 or by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Funds’ proxy voting policies and procedures is available by calling 1-800-331-2979 and will be sent within three business days of receipt of a request.

PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

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INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

Advisory Agreement

Subject to the supervision of the Board, the Advisor provides investment management and services to the Funds, pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”). Under the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor provides a continuous investment program for the Funds and makes decisions and places orders to buy, sell or hold particular securities. In addition to the fees payable to the Advisor and the Administrator, each Fund is responsible for its operating expenses, including: (i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commissions; (iii) insurance premiums; (iv) compensation and expenses of Trustees other than those affiliated with the Advisor or the Administrator; (v) legal and audit expenses; (vi) fees and expenses of the custodian, shareholder service and transfer agents; (vii) fees and expenses for registration or qualification of the Fund and its shares under federal and state securities laws; (viii) expenses of preparing, printing and mailing reports and notices and proxy material to shareholders; (ix) other expenses incidental to holding any shareholder meetings; (x) dues or assessments of or contributions to the Investment Company Institute or any successor; (xi) such non-recurring expenses as may arise, including litigation affecting the Trust or the Fund and the legal obligations with respect to which the Trust or the Fund may have to indemnify the Trust’s officers and Trustees; and (xii) amortization of organization costs.

Under the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor and its officers, directors, agents, employees, controlling persons, shareholders and other affiliates will not be liable to any Fund for any error of judgment by the Advisor or any loss sustained by the Fund, except in the case of a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services (in which case any award of damages will be limited as provided in the 1940 Act) or of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of duty. In addition, the Funds will indemnify the Advisor and such other persons from any such liability to the extent permitted by applicable law.

The Advisory Agreement with respect to a Fund will continue automatically for successive annual periods, provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in the manner required by applicable law.

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As compensation, the Funds each pay the Advisor at an annual rate as shown below:

The Board of Trustees or the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Funds can terminate the Advisory Agreement with respect to the Funds at any time without penalty, on 60 days written notice to the Advisor. The Advisor may also terminate the Advisory Agreement on 60 days written notice to the Funds. The Advisory Agreement terminates automatically upon its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

With respect to the SMART Fund, the Advisor receives no fee for its services and is responsible for payment of all operating expenses of the Fund other than extraordinary expenses, including: (i) interest and taxes; (ii) brokerage commissions; (iii) insurance premiums; (iv) compensation and expenses of Trustees other than those affiliated with the Advisor or the Administrator; (v) legal and audit expenses; (vi) fees and expenses of the custodian, shareholder service and transfer agents; (vii) fees and expenses for registration or qualification of the Fund and its shares under federal and state securities laws; (viii) expenses of preparing, printing and mailing reports and notices and proxy material to shareholders; (ix) other expenses incidental to holding any shareholder meetings; (x) dues or assessments of or contributions to the Investment Company Institute or any successor; and (xi) amortization of organization costs. However, the Fund is an integral part of one or more “wrap-fee” programs sponsored by investment advisers and broker-dealers that are not affiliated with the Fund or the Advisor. Participants in these programs pay a “wrap” fee to the sponsor of the program, a portion of which is paid to the Advisor pursuant to one or more agreements between the Advisor and the sponsors.

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Subject to Board approval, the Trust has agreed that the amount of any waiver or reimbursement will be repaid to the Advisor without interest at any time before the end of the third full fiscal year of a Fund after the fiscal year in which the waiver or reimbursement occurred, unless that repayment would cause the aggregate operating expenses of a Fund to exceed the Expense Cap for the fiscal year in which the waiver or reimbursement occurred or any lower expense cap in effect at the time of reimbursement.

Advisory fees, waiver and expense reimbursements/(recoupment) for the last three fiscal years were as follows:

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Portfolio Managers

The following includes information regarding the Funds’ portfolio managers and the accounts managed by each of them as of the dates indicated.

International Equity Fund

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Global Equity Fund

U.S. Value Fund

Emerging Markets Value Fund

Investment decisions with respect to the Emerging Markets Value Fund are the responsibility of the Advisor’s Emerging Markets Investment Committee (“Emerging Markets Committee”) which is comprised of a limited number of senior analysts and portfolio management professionals of the Advisor. The voting members of the Emerging Markets Committee are listed below. As an oversight function, the Advisor also has an Investment Oversight Committee that establishes broad standards and practices to be followed by its product investment committees including the Emerging Markets Committee. Messrs. Mauricio Abadia, Christopher J. Garrett, Louis Y. Lau and Gerardo Zamorano are members of the Emerging Markets Committee. The following chart provides

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International Small Cap Fund

Small Cap Value Fund

Investment decisions with respect to the International Small Cap Fund and the Small Cap Value Fund are the joint responsibility of the Advisor’s Small Cap Investment Committee (“Small Cap Committee”) which is comprised of a limited number of senior analysts and portfolio management professionals of the Advisor. The voting members of the Small Cap Committee are listed below. As an oversight function, the Advisor also has an Investment Oversight Committee that establishes broad standards and practices to be followed by its product investment committees including the Small Cap Committee. Messrs. Mark Costa, Luiz Sauerbronn and Bryan Barrett and Ms. Yingbin Chen

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Core Plus Fund

SMART Fund

Investment decisions with respect to the Core Plus Fund and the SMART Fund are the responsibility of the Advisor’s Fixed Income Investment Committee (“Fixed Income Committee”) which is comprised of a limited number of senior analysts and portfolio management professionals of the Advisor. The voting members of the Fixed Income Committee are listed below. As an oversight function, the Advisor also has an Investment Oversight Committee that establishes broad standards and practices to be followed by its product investment committees including the Fixed Income Committee. Messrs. Charles Gramling, David Gilson and Timothy Doyle are members

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Compensation

The base salary for each of the portfolio managers is fixed. Participation in the annual bonus plan is linked to a number of qualitative and quantitative evaluation criteria. The criteria include research productivity, performance of portfolio management professionals, and the attainment of client service goals. Compensation is not based on the performance of the Fund or other accounts. There is no difference between the method used to determine the compensation of the portfolio managers with respect to the Fund and the other accounts managed by the portfolio managers.

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No portfolio managers owned shares of the Core Plus Fixed Income Fund or the SMART Fund.

Material Conflicts of Interest That May Arise

Investment Opportunities. It is possible that at times identical securities will be held by more than one fund and/or account managed by the Advisor. If one of the Advisor’s investment committees identifies a limited investment opportunity that may be suitable for more than one fund or other account, the Fund may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity with a single trade due to partial trade execution of a purchase or sale order across all eligible funds and other accounts. In order to address these situations, the Advisor has adopted procedures for allocating portfolio transactions across multiple accounts. For all client accounts, including the International, International Small Cap, Small Cap Value, Global Emerging Markets Value, and U.S. Value Funds, that are able to participate in aggregated transactions, the Advisor utilizes a rotational equity client trading system to execute client transactions in order to provide, over the long-run, fair treatment for each account. For fixed income client accounts, including the Core Plus and SMART Funds, the Adviser generally uses a pro-rata allocation method, based on account market value.

Investment in the Fund. Members of the Advisor’s investment committees may invest in a fund or other accounts that they are involved in the management of and a conflict may arise where they may therefore have an incentive to treat the fund that they invest in preferentially as compared to other accounts. In order to address this potential conflict, the Advisor’s investment decision-making and trade allocation policies and methodologies as described above are designed to ensure that none of the Advisor’s clients are disadvantaged in the Advisor’s management of accounts.

Performance-Based Fees. For a small number of accounts, the Advisor may be compensated based on the profitability of the account, such as by a performance-based management fee. These incentive compensation structures may create a conflict of interest for the Advisor with regard to other accounts where the Advisor is paid based on a percentage of assets in that the portfolio manager may have an incentive to allocate securities preferentially to the accounts where the Advisor might share in investment gains. In order to address these potential conflicts, the Advisor’s investment decision-making and trade allocation policies and procedures are designed to ensure that none of the Advisor’s clients are disadvantaged in the Advisor’s management of accounts.

Receipt of Research Benefits. The receipt of research in exchange for brokerage commissions creates conflicts of interest. The Advisor receives a benefit because it can, at no cost to the Advisor, supplement its own research and analysis activities, receive the views and information of individuals and research staff of other securities firms, and gain access to persons having special expertise on certain companies, industries, areas of the economy and

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market factors. The Advisor may have an incentive to select a broker-dealer based on a desire to receive research, rather than based on the Funds’ interest to receive most favorable execution. The Advisor does select broker-dealers based on their ability to provide quality executions and the Advisor’s belief that the research, information and other services provided by such broker-dealer may benefit client accounts including the Funds. Accordingly, the Fund may pay higher commissions if it determines in good faith the value of the brokerage and/or research services provided is reasonable in relation to another broker.

To address the conflict, the Advisor compares the brokerage commissions paid by comparable investors to determine the reasonableness of the brokerage commissions paid in connection with portfolio transactions. The Advisor will not enter into any agreement or understanding with any broker-dealer which would obligate the Advisor to direct a specific amount of brokerage transactions or commissions in return for such services.

Compliance Program. Additionally, the Advisor’s internal controls are tested on a routine schedule as part of the Advisor’s compliance monitoring program. Many of the Advisor’s compliance policies and procedures, particularly those involving the greatest risk potential are reviewed on a regular basis firm-wide by committees that include representatives from various departments within the Advisor, including personnel who are responsible for carrying out the job functions covered by the specific policies and procedures; representatives of the Legal and Compliance department (including the CCO); representatives of operations; and other representatives of senior management.

The compliance committees meet on a periodic basis to review the applicable compliance policies and procedures, any suspected instances of non-compliance and discuss how the policy and procedures have worked and how they may be improved. The specific operations of the various compliance committees are set forth in the compliance policies for the particular program area. The compliance committees utilize a risk-based approach in reviewing the compliance policies and procedures.

Administration Agreement

For its services, Fund Services received a fee at the annual rate of 0.03% of the first $1 billion of the Trust’s average daily net assets and 0.02% thereafter, subject to a $50,000 annual minimum for each Fund which is allocated across the Trust based on average net assets; and the Northern Trust Company received a fee at the annual rate of 0.0225% for the first $1 billion of the Trust’s average daily net assets, 0.02% of the next $1.5 billion of the Trust’s average daily net assets, 0.0175% of the next $2.5 billion of the Trust’s average daily net assets, and 0.015% thereafter, along with a $10,000 annual fee per Fund.

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Distribution Agreement

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE

In all purchases and sales of securities for the Funds, the primary consideration is to seek to obtain the most favorable price and execution available. Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor determines which securities are to be purchased and sold by the Funds and which broker-dealers are eligible to execute portfolio transactions, subject to the direction and control of the Board.

For equity trading, the Advisor’s objective in selecting brokers and dealers when buying or selling securities for the Funds is to seek to obtain best execution. The execution price and brokerage commissions are two of the many important factors that the Advisor considers in seeking best execution.

The Advisor may also consider:

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The Advisor believes broker selection is an integral component of best execution process. When selecting brokers, it considers the following:

The Advisor has procedures in place to monitor broker performance and execution.

For fixed-income trading, the duty to seek best execution generally applies to all of the Funds’ portfolio transactions, including those relating to fixed-income securities. Certain factors outlined above with respect to the ability of a broker to provide best execution are also considered when the Advisor manages the fixed-income Funds. However, certain factors would not be considered with respect to a broker’s ability to provide best execution with respect to fixed-income securities, such as the Advisor’s knowledge of the negotiated commission rates currently available and other current transaction costs and the ability and willingness of a broker-dealer to facilitate transactions by acting as principal and utilizing its own capital to facilitate trades. These, and other similar considerations, are not applicable to the best execution analysis utilized in trading fixed-income securities due to the nature of fixed-income securities and the way such securities are traded.

FINRA has adopted rules governing FINRA members’ execution of investment company portfolio transactions. These rules prohibit broker-dealers from selling the shares of, or acting as an underwriter for, any investment company if the broker-dealer knows or has reason to know that the investment company or its investment adviser or underwriter have directed brokerage arrangements in place that are intended to promote the sale of investment company securities. The Advisor does not consider whether a broker-dealer sells shares of the Fund when allocating the Fund’s brokerage.

When the Advisor executes portfolio transactions for the Funds and when it is consistent with its duty to seek best execution, the Advisor may execute securities transactions for the Funds with broker-dealers who provide the Advisor with research and brokerage products and services. When the Advisor receives research services from broker-dealers in connection with brokerage commissions generated with respect to client account including the funds, it receives a benefit in that it is not required to pay for from its own resources or produce on its own.

The research services may include tangible research products as well as access to analysts, companies, and traders. These services can be either proprietary or provided by a third party.

The brokerage commissions the Advisor uses to acquire research are known as “soft dollars.” The Advisor utilizes soft dollars in two ways:

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The Advisor makes investment decisions for the Funds independently from those of the Advisor’s other client accounts. Nevertheless, at times the same securities may be acceptable for the Fund and for one or more of such client accounts. To the extent any of these client accounts and the Fund seek to acquire or sell the same security at the same time, the Funds may not be able to acquire/sell as large a portion of such security as it desires, or it may have to pay a higher price or obtain a lower yield for such security. Similarly, the Funds may not be able to obtain as high a price for, or as large an execution of, an order to sell any particular security at the same time. If the Funds and one or more of such other client accounts simultaneously purchases or sells the same security, the Advisor allocates each day’s transactions in such security between the Funds and all such client accounts as it decides is fair, taking into account the amount being purchased or sold and other factors it deems relevant. In some cases this system could have a detrimental effect on the price or value of the security insofar as the Funds are concerned. In other cases, however, the ability of the Funds to participate in volume transactions may produce better executions for the Funds.

Global Equity Fund

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ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION

Net Asset Value

The net asset value per share of each Class of each of the Funds is calculated by adding the value of all portfolio securities and other assets of the Funds attributable to the Class, subtracting the liabilities of the Funds attributable to the Class, and dividing the result by the number of outstanding shares of such Class. Assets attributable to a Class consist of the consideration received upon the issuance of shares of the Class together with all net investment income, realized gains/losses and proceeds derived from the investment thereof, including any proceeds from the sale of such investments, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds.

Net asset value for purposes of pricing purchase and redemption orders is determined as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, the normal close of regular trading hours on the New York Stock Exchange, on each day the Exchange is open for trading and the Federal Reserve Bank’s Fedline System is open. Currently, the Exchange observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Securities that are traded on a national or foreign securities exchange are valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which they are primarily traded on the day of valuation or, if there has been no sale on such day, at the mean between the last bid and ask price.

Options listed on an exchange are valued at the last sales price at the close of trading on such exchange (or any other exchange on which such options are listed) having the trade closest to the close of the New York Stock Exchange on the day of valuation or, if there was no sale on the applicable options exchange on such day, at the mean between the bid and ask price on any of such exchanges on such day closest to the close of the New York Stock Exchange on such day. However, if an exchange closes later than the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) on the day of valuation, options that are traded on the NYSE are valued at the last sale price on such exchange as of the close of the NYSE on such day (or, if there was no sale on such day, at the previous business day’s last price coinciding with the close of the NYSE). OTC options are valued at the average between the bid and asked prices on the day of valuation provided by a dealer selected by the Advisor. On a monthly basis, the Advisor obtains bid and asked prices from at least two other dealers engaged in OTC options transactions for the purpose of comparison with the then current valuations of OTC options written or held by the Fund. In addition, the Advisor on a daily basis monitors the market prices on the securities underlying the OTC options with a view to determining the necessity of obtaining additional bid and ask quotations from other dealers to assess the validity of the prices received from the primary pricing dealer.

Futures contracts and options listed on a national exchange are valued at the sale price on the exchange on which they are traded at the close of the Exchange or, in the absence of any sale on the valuation date, at the mean between the bid and ask prices on any of such exchanges on such day closest to the close of the New York Stock Exchange. Short-term securities, including bonds, notes, debentures and other debt securities, and money market instruments such as certificates of deposit, commercial paper, bankers’ acceptances and obligations of domestic and foreign banks, for which reliable market quotations are readily available, are valued at current market quotations as provided by an independent pricing service or principal market maker. Bonds and other fixed-income securities (other than the short-term securities described above) are valued using the bid price as provided by an independent pricing service (which uses information provided by market makers or estimates of market value).

Foreign securities markets normally complete trading well before the close of the New York Stock Exchange. In addition, foreign securities trading may not take place on all days on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading, and may occur in certain foreign markets on days on which the Fund’s net asset value is not

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calculated. Except as described below, calculations of net asset value will not reflect events affecting the values of portfolio securities that occur between the time their prices are determined and the close of the New York Stock Exchange. The Fund translates assets or liabilities expressed in foreign currencies into U.S. dollars based on the spot exchange rates at 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, or at such other rates as the Advisor may determine to be appropriate.

The Funds may use a pricing service approved by the Board. Prices provided by such a service represent evaluations of the current bid price, may be determined without exclusive reliance on quoted prices, and may reflect appropriate factors such as institution-size trading in similar groups of securities, yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, individual trading characteristics, indications of values from dealers and other market data. Such services also may use electronic data processing techniques and/or a matrix system to determine valuations.

Extraordinary Circumstances Affecting Redemptions.

Under the extraordinary circumstances discussed under Section 22(e) under the 1940 Act, the Trust may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date of payment of a redemption for longer than seven days for any Fund. Generally, those extraordinary circumstances are when: (1) the New York Stock Exchange is closed or trading thereon is restricted; (2) an emergency exists which makes the disposal by a Fund of securities it owns, or the fair determination of the value of the Fund’s net assets not reasonable or practical; or (3) the SEC, by order, permits the suspension of the right of redemption for the protection of shareholders.

Purchases and Redemptions Through Brokers and/or Their Affiliates.

A broker may charge transaction fees on the purchase and/or sale of Fund shares in addition to those fees described in the Prospectuses in the Summary of Expenses. The Trust has authorized one or more brokers to receive on its behalf purchase and redemption orders, and such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on the Trust’s behalf. The Trust will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order for Fund shares when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a broker’s authorized designee, receives the order, and such orders will be priced based on the Fund’s NAV next calculated after they are received by the authorized broker or the broker’s designee.

SHAREHOLDER SERVICE PLAN

The Trust has adopted a Shareholder Service Plan on behalf of certain Funds that allows a Fund to pay fees to broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries for certain non-distribution services provided to Class C Shares of the Global Equity Fund, International Equity Fund, International Small Cap Fund and Emerging Markets Value Fund which commenced operations on January 31, 2013. Because these fees are paid out of the assets attributable to each applicable Fund’s share class, over time they will increase the cost of your investment in such

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shares. The maximum annual shareholder servicing fees paid as a percentage of the average daily net assets of each Fund under the Shareholder Service Plan are as follows:

As authorized by the Shareholder Service Plan, each Fund may enter into a Shareholder Service Agreement with a service provider pursuant to which the service provider agrees to provide certain shareholder support services to its customers who own Class C shares of the Fund. Such shareholder support services may include, but are not limited to: (1) maintaining shareholder accounts; (2) providing information periodically to shareholders showing their positions in shares; (3) arranging for bank wires; (4) responding to shareholder inquiries relating to the services performed by the service provider; (5) responding to inquiries from shareholders concerning their investments in shares; (6) forwarding shareholder communications from the Fund (such as proxies, shareholder reports, annual and semi-annual financial statements and dividend, distribution and tax notices) to shareholders; (7) processing purchase, exchange and redemption requests from shareholders and placing such orders with the Fund or its service providers; (8) assisting shareholders in changing dividend options, account designations, and addresses; (9) providing sub-accounting with respect to shares beneficially owned by shareholders; (10) processing dividend payments from the Fund on behalf of shareholders; and (11) providing such other similar services as the Fund may reasonably request to the extent that the service provider is permitted to do so under applicable laws or regulations.

SUB-TRANSFER AGENCY SERVICE FEES

In addition to the fees that the Funds may pay to their Transfer Agent, the Board has authorized Class I shares of the Funds to pay service fees, at the annual rate of up to 0.05% of applicable average net assets to intermediaries such as banks, broker-dealers, financial advisers or other financial institutions, for sub-administration, sub-transfer agency, recordkeeping (collectively, “sub-accounting services”) and other shareholder services associated with shareholders whose shares are held of record in omnibus, networked, or other group accounts or accounts traded through registered securities clearing agents.

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DISTRIBUTION PLAN

The Trust has adopted a Distribution Plan applicable to Class A shares and Class C Shares, which commenced operations on January 31, 2013 and December 31, 2014, in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its shares. Because these fees are paid out of the assets attributable to each applicable Fund’s share class, over time they will increase the cost of your investment in such shares. The Board has determined that the Distribution Plan is in the best interests of the Funds’ Class A and Class C shareholders.

Continuance of the Distribution Plan must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees and by a majority of the Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan (“Qualified Trustees”). All material amendments to the Distribution Plan must be approved by a majority of the Trustees and of the Qualified Trustees. In addition, the Distribution Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount that may be spent under the Distribution Plan without approval by a majority of the outstanding shares of the Class of each Fund affected.

The Distribution Plan provides that the Trust will pay the Distributor an annual fee of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets attributable to each Fund’s Class A shares. The Distribution Plan also provides that the Trust will pay the Distributor an annual fee of up to 0.75% of the average daily net assets attributable to of the Class C shares of the Global Equity Fund, the International Equity Fund, the International Small Cap Fund, and the Emerging Markets Value Fund. The Distributor can use such payments to compensate broker-dealers and service providers that provide distribution-related services to the Class A or Class C shareholders or to their customers who beneficially own Class A or Class C shares. Such services include reviewing purchase and redemption orders, assisting in processing purchase, exchange and redemption requests from customers, providing certain shareholder communications requested by the Distributor, forwarding sales literature and advertisements provided by the Distributor, and arranging for bank wires.

Distribution fees paid by a particular Class of a Fund may only be used to pay for the distribution expenses of that Class of the Fund. Distribution fees are accrued daily and paid monthly, and are charged as expenses as accrued. Shares are not obligated under the Distribution Plan to bear any distribution expense in excess of the distribution fee. Thus, if the Distribution Plan is terminated or otherwise not continued with respect to a Fund, no amounts (other than current amounts accrued but not yet paid) would be owed by the Class A or Class C shares of the Fund to the Distributor.

The Distribution Plan (and any distribution-related agreement among the Fund, the Distributor and a selling agent with respect to the shares) may be terminated with respect to a Class of shares of a Fund without penalty upon at least 60 days’ notice by the Distributor, or by the Trust by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the applicable Class of the Fund.

All distribution fees paid by the Fund under the Distribution Plan will be paid in accordance with Rule 2830 of the Rules of Conduct of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, as such Rule may change from time to time.

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Pursuant to the Distribution Plan, the Trustees will review at least quarterly a written report of the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor on behalf of the shares of the Funds. In addition, as long as the Distribution Plan remains in effect, the selection and nomination of Trustees who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust will be made by the Independent Trustees.

The Advisor may pay dealers a commission of up to 1.00% on certain investments in Class A shares that are not subject to an initial sales charge. These purchases consist of purchases of $1 million or more, purchases by employer-sponsored defined contribution-type retirement plans investing $1 million or more or with 100 or more eligible employees, and purchases made at net asset value by certain retirement plans, endowments and foundations with assets of $50 million or more. Commissions on such investments (other than IRA rollover assets that roll over at no sales charge under the Fund’s IRA rollover policy as described in the Prospectus) are paid to dealers at the following rates:

1.00% on amounts of less than $4 million, 0.50% on amounts of at least $4 million but less than $10 million and 0.25% on amounts of at least $10 million. Commissions are based on cumulative investments over the life of the account with no adjustment for redemptions, transfers, or market declines. For example, if a shareholder has accumulated investments in excess of $4 million (but less than $10 million) and subsequently redeems all or a portion of the account(s), purchases following the redemption will generate a dealer commission of 0.50%. A dealer concession of up to 0.25% may be paid by a Fund under its Class A plan of distribution to reimburse the principal underwriter in connection with dealer and wholesaler compensation paid by it with respect to investments made with no initial sales charge.

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REDEMPTIONS

The Funds intend to pay cash (U.S. dollars) for all shares redeemed, but, under abnormal conditions which make payment in cash unwise, the Funds may make payment partly in readily marketable securities with a current market value equal to the redemption price. Although the Funds do not expect to make any part of a redemption payment in securities, if such payment were made, an investor would incur brokerage costs in converting such securities to cash. The Funds have elected to be governed by the provisions of Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, which commits the Funds to paying redemptions in cash, limited in amount with respect to each shareholder during any 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Funds’ total net assets at the beginning of such 90-day period.

TAXATION

The Funds have elected (or will elect) and intend to continue to qualify each year for treatment as RICs under the Code. In each taxable year that a Fund so qualifies, the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on income distributed in a timely manner to shareholders.

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A 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 year. 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 treatment of capital loss carryovers for the Funds is similar to the rules that apply to capital loss carryovers of individuals, which provide that such losses are carried over indefinitely. If a Fund has a “net capital loss” (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains), 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 the 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. 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.

The Funds may invest in complex securities and these investments may be subject to numerous special and complex tax rules. These rules could affect a Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Funds are treated as ordinary income or capital gain, accelerate the recognition of income to the Funds and/or defer the Funds’ ability to recognize losses, and, in limited cases, subject the Funds to U.S. federal income tax on income from certain of their foreign securities. In turn, these rules may affect the amount, timing or character of the income distributed to you by the Funds.

To the extent a Fund invests in foreign securities, it may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Any such tax would, if imposed, reduce the yield on or return from those investments. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If more than 50% in value of a Fund’s total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of stock or securities of foreign corporations, that Fund will be eligible, and intends, to file an election with the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) to pass through to its shareholders their proportionate share of qualified foreign taxes. Pursuant to this election, its shareholders will be required to include their proportionate share of such qualified foreign taxes in their gross income, will treat such proportionate share as taxes paid by them, and may, subject to applicable limitations, deduct such proportionate share in computing their taxable incomes or, alternatively, take foreign tax credits against their U.S. income taxes. No deduction for such taxes will be permitted to individuals in computing their alternative minimum tax liability.

A 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.

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These provisions also may require a Fund to mark-to-market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out), which may cause a 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. The Funds intend to monitor their transactions, intend to make the appropriate tax elections, and intend to make the appropriate entries in their books and records when they acquire any foreign currency or forward foreign currency contract in order to mitigate the effect of these rules so as to prevent disqualification of a Fund as a RIC and minimize the imposition of income and excise taxes.

If a Fund purchases shares in certain foreign entities treated as PFICs and does not timely make certain elections, it may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the Fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains.

If a Fund were to invest in a PFIC and timely elect to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” under the Code for the first year of its holding period in the PFIC stock, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, the Fund would generally be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to the Fund, and such amounts would be subject to the distribution requirements described above. In order to distribute this income and avoid a tax at the Fund level, a Fund might be required to liquidate portfolio securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss. In order to make the “qualified electing fund” election in respect of a PFIC, a Fund would be required to obtain certain annual information from the PFIC, which may be difficult or impossible to obtain. Amounts included in income each year by a Fund arising from a “qualified electing fund” election, will be “qualifying income” for purposes of the 90% Test (as described above) even if not distributed to the Fund, if the Fund derives such income from its business of investing in stock, securities or currencies.

If a Fund were to invest in a PFIC and make a mark-to-market election, the Fund would be treated as if it had sold and repurchased all of the PFIC stock at the end of each year. In such case, the Fund would report any such gains as ordinary income and would deduct any such losses as ordinary losses to the extent of previously recognized gains. Such an election must be made separately for each PFIC owned by a Fund and, once made, would be effective for all subsequent taxable years of the Fund, unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. By making the election, a Fund could potentially ameliorate the adverse tax consequences with respect to its ownership of shares in a PFIC, but in any particular year might be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock. The Fund might have to distribute such excess income and gain to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax. In order to distribute this income and avoid a tax at the Fund level, a Fund might be required to liquidate portfolio securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss.

With respect to investments in zero coupon securities which are sold at original issue discount and thus do not make periodic cash interest payments, a 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. In order to satisfy the distribution requirements describe above for qualification as a RIC and to avoid the imposition of the 4% excise tax, a Fund may have to sell Fund securities to distribute such imputed income which may occur at a time when the Advisor 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 a 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.

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capital gains by the Fund and, in turn, may be distributed by the Fund to its shareholders as a capital gain distribution. Dividends received by a Fund from a REIT generally will not constitute qualified dividend income or qualify for the dividends received deduction. If a REIT is operated in a manner such that it fails to qualify as a REIT, an investment in the REIT would become subject to double taxation, meaning the taxable income of the REIT would be subject to federal income tax at the regular corporate rate without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders and the dividends would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the REIT’s current and accumulated earnings and profits.

“Qualified REIT dividends” (i.e., ordinary REIT dividends other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT dividends designated as qualified dividend income eligible for capital gain tax rates) are eligible for a 20% deduction by non-corporate taxpayers. This deduction, if allowed in full, equates to a maximum effective tax rate of 29.6% (37% top rate applied to income after 20% deduction). Distributions by a Fund to its shareholders that are attributable to qualified REIT dividends received by such Fund and which such Fund properly reports as “section 199A dividends,” are treated as “qualified REIT dividends” in the hands of non-corporate shareholders. A section 199A dividend is treated as a qualified REIT dividend only if the shareholder receiving such dividend holds the dividend-paying RIC shares for at least 46 days of the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the shares become ex-dividend, and is not under an obligation to make related payments with respect to a position in substantially similar or related property. A Fund is permitted to report such part of its dividends as section 199A dividends as are eligible, but is not required to do so.

REITs in which a Fund invests often do not provide complete and final tax information to the Funds until after the time that the Funds issue a tax reporting statement. As a result, a Fund may at times find it necessary to reclassify the amount and character of its distributions to you after it issues your tax reporting statement. When such reclassification is necessary, a Fund (or its administrative agent) will send you a corrected, final Form 1099-DIV to reflect the reclassified information. If you receive a corrected Form 1099-DIV, use the information on this corrected form, and not the information on the previously issued tax reporting statement, in completing your tax returns.

Dividends from a Fund’s investment company taxable income (whether paid in cash or invested in additional shares) will be taxable to shareholders (other than qualified retirement plans and other tax-exempt investors) as ordinary income or “qualified dividend income” (if so designated by the Fund) to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Distributions of investment company taxable income reported by a Fund as “qualified dividend income” will be taxed in the hands of noncorporate shareholders at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain, provided that both the shareholder and the Fund meet certain holding period and other requirements. Distributions of a Fund’s net capital gain (whether paid in cash or invested in additional shares) will be taxable to shareholders at the tax rates applicable to long-term capital gain, regardless of how long they have held their Fund shares. Certain of the Funds’ investment strategies may significantly limit their ability to distribute dividends eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income.

Certain dividends received by a Fund from U.S. corporations and distributed and appropriately so reported by the Fund may be eligible for the 50% dividends-received deduction generally available to corporations under the Code. Capital gain dividends distributed to a Fund from other RICs are not eligible for the dividends-received deduction. In order to qualify for the deduction, corporate shareholders must meet the minimum holding period requirements with respect to their shares in a Fund, taking into account any holding period reductions from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their shares, and, if they borrow to acquire or otherwise incur debt attributable to their shares, they may be denied a portion of the dividends-received deduction with respect to those shares. Certain of the Funds’ investment strategies may significantly limit their ability to distribute dividends eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.

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180 days before the date on which the share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend. Section 163(j) Interest Dividends, if so designated by a Fund, will be reported to your financial intermediary or otherwise in accordance with the requirements specified by the IRS.

A tax generally applies to all or a portion of the net investment income of a shareholder who is an individual and not a nonresident alien for U.S. federal income tax purposes and who has adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) that exceeds a threshold amount. This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts. For these purposes, Fund dividends and certain capital gains (among other categories of income) are generally taken into account in computing a shareholder’s net investment income.

Dividends declared by the Funds in October, November or December of any year and payable to shareholders of record on a date in one of those months will be deemed to have been paid by the Funds and received by the shareholders on the record date if the dividends are paid by the Funds during the following January. Accordingly, such dividends will be taxed to shareholders for the year in which the record date falls. You may wish to avoid purchasing shares of a Fund shortly before the Fund pays a dividend or capital gain distribution, as such a dividend or distribution will be taxable to you, even though it effectively represents a return of a portion of your investment.

Upon the sale or exchange of shares in a Fund, a shareholder will generally recognize a taxable gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and the shareholder’s basis in the shares. A redemption of shares by a Fund and an exchange of a Fund’s shares for shares of another Brandes fund will be treated as a sale for this purpose. Such gain or loss will be treated as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholder’s hands, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for more than one year and short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for one year or less. Any loss realized by a shareholder on the sale of shares held by the shareholder for six months or less will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions or deemed distributions of long-term capital gains received by the shareholder (including amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains) with respect to such shares.

Each Fund is required to withhold (as “backup withholding”) 24% of all dividends, capital gain distributions and repurchase proceeds payable to any individuals and certain other non-corporate shareholders who do not provide the applicable Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number or make required certifications. A Fund also is

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required to withhold 24% of all dividends and capital gain distributions paid to such shareholders who otherwise are subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liabilities provided that the necessary information is timely provided to the IRS.

Under Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS 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. A shareholder who fails to make the required disclosure to the IRS may be subject to adverse tax consequences, including significant penalties. 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.

A Fund’s shares held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from the Fund until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account. Because each shareholder’s tax situation is different, shareholders should consult their tax advisor about the tax implications of an investment in the Funds.

Any non-U.S. investors in the Funds may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisors prior to investing in the Funds. Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. A Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of shares of a Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from a Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.

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Under legislation generally known as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”), the Funds are required to withhold 30% of certain ordinary dividends they pay to shareholders that fail to meet prescribed information reporting or certification requirements. In general, no such withholding will be required with respect to a U.S. person or non-U.S. person that timely provides the certifications required by a Fund or its agent on a valid IRS Form W-9 or applicable series of IRS Form W-8, respectively. Shareholders potentially subject to withholding include foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”), such as non-U.S. investment funds, and non-financial foreign entities (“NFFEs”). To avoid withholding under FATCA, an FFI generally must enter into an information sharing agreement with the IRS in which it agrees to report certain identifying information (including name, address, and taxpayer identification number) with respect to its U.S. account holders (which, in the case of an entity shareholder, may include its direct and indirect U.S. owners), and an NFFE generally must identify and provide other required information to the Fund or other withholding agent regarding its U.S. owners, if any. Such non-U.S. shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by regulations and other guidance. A non-U.S. shareholder resident doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.

A non-U.S. entity that invests in a Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity’s status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. Non-U.S. investors in the Fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard.

Distributions by a Fund to shareholders and the ownership of shares may be subject to state and local taxes. Rules of state and local taxation of dividend and capital gains distributions from RICs often differ from the rules for federal income taxation described above. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the consequences of these and other state and local tax rules affecting an investment in Fund shares.

Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers regarding their particular situation and the possible application of foreign, state and local tax laws.

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

Custodian

The Trust’s custodian, The Northern Trust Company, 50 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603, is responsible for holding the assets of the Funds.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 601 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, California 90017, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP provides audit services, tax assistance and consultation in connection with review of SEC and IRS filings.

Legal Counsel

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, One Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, acts as legal counsel for the Trust and the Independent Trustees.

Securities Lending Agent

The Funds participate in securities lending arrangements whereby they lend certain of their portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and financial institutions (not with individuals) in order to receive additional income and increase the rate of return of their portfolios. The Northern Trust Company, the Funds’ custodian, also serves as the Funds’

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