485BPOS

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

May 1, 2022

Voya Investors Trust
7337 East Doubletree Ranch Road, Suite 100
Scottsdale, AZ 85258-2034
1-800-366-0066

Voya Balanced Income Portfolio
Class/Ticker: ADV/IIFAX; I/IIFIX; S/IIFSX; S2/IIFTX
Voya Government Liquid Assets Portfolio
Class/Ticker: I/IPLXX; S/ISPXX; S2/ITLXX
Voya High Yield Portfolio
Class/Ticker: ADV/IPYAX; I/IPIMX; S/IPHYX; S2/IPYSX
Voya Large Cap Growth Portfolio
Class/Ticker: ADV/IEOPX; I/IEOHX; R6/VRLCX; S/IEOSX; S2/IEOTX
Voya Large Cap Value Portfolio
Class/Ticker: ADV/IPEAX; I/IPEIX; R6/VLCRX; S/IPESX; S2/IPETX
Voya Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio
Class/Ticker: ADV/IMBAX; I/ILBPX; S/ILMBX
Voya U.S. Stock Index Portfolio
Class/Ticker: ADV/ISIVX; I/INGIX; P2/VPSPX; S/ISJBX; S2/ISIPX
VY® BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Portfolio1
Class/Ticker: ADV/IBRAX; I/IBRIX; R6/VPRBX; S/IBRSX
VY® CBRE Global Real Estate Portfolio
Class/Ticker: ADV/ICRNX; I/IRGIX; S/IRGTX; S2/IRGSX
VY® CBRE Real Estate Portfolio
Class/Ticker: ADV/ICRPX; I/IVRIX; S/IVRSX; S2/IVRTX
VY® Invesco Growth and Income Portfolio1
Class/Ticker: ADV/IVGAX; I/IVGIX; R6/VPRIX; S/IVGSX; S2/IVITX
VY® JPMorgan Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio1
Class/Ticker: ADV/IJEAX; I/IJEMX; R6/VPREX; S/IJPIX; S2/IJPTX
VY® JPMorgan Small Cap Core Equity Portfolio
Class/Ticker: ADV/IJSAX; I/IJSIX; R6/VPRSX; S/IJSSX; S2/IJSTX
VY® Morgan Stanley Global Franchise Portfolio
Class/Ticker: ADV/IGFAX; R6/VPRDX; S/IVGTX; S2/IGFSX
VY® T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Portfolio
Class/Ticker: ADV/ITRAX; I/ITRIX; R6/VPRAX; S/ITCSX; S2/ITCTX
VY® T. Rowe Price Equity Income Portfolio1
Class/Ticker: ADV/ITEAX; I/ITEIX; R6/VPRTX; S/IRPSX; S2/ITETX
VY® T. Rowe Price International Stock Portfolio
Class/Ticker: ADV/IMIOX; I/IMASX; S/IMISX

Class R6 shares of the Portfolio are not currently offered.

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) contains additional information about each portfolio listed above. This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus dated May 1, 2022, as supplemented or revised from time to time. Each portfolio’s financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, including the independent registered public accounting firm’s report thereon found in each portfolio’s most recent annual report to shareholders, are incorporated into this SAI by reference. Each portfolio’s Prospectus and annual or unaudited semi-annual shareholder reports may be obtained free of charge by contacting the portfolio at the address and phone number written above or by visiting our website at www.voyainvestments.com.

The S&P 500® Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“SPDJI”), and has been licensed for use by Voya Services Company and certain affiliates (“Voya”). S&P® and S&P 500® are trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”); and these trademarks have been licensed for use by SPDJI and sublicensed for certain purposes by Voya.

Voya’s investment product (the “Product”) based in whole or in part on the S&P 500® Index (the “Index”) is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, S&P, Dow Jones or any of their respective affiliates (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”). S&P Dow Jones Indices makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Product or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in the Product or purchasing securities generally or the ability of the Index to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices’ only relationship to Voya with respect to the Product is the licensing of the Index and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its licensors. The S&P 500® Index is determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices without regard to Voya or the Product. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation to take the needs of Voya or the owners of the Product into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Index. S&P Dow Jones Indices are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the prices, and amount of the Product or the timing of the issuance or sale of the Product or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Product is to be converted into cash, surrendered or redeemed, as the case may be. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation or liability in connection with the administration or marketing of the Product. There is no assurance that investment products based on the Index will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an investment advisor. Inclusion of a security within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security, nor is it considered to be investment advice.

S&P DOW JONES INDICES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY VOYA, OWNERS OF THE PRODUCT, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBLITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND VOYA, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P DOW JONES INDICES.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION AND GLOSSARY	1
HISTORY OF the Trust	2
SUPPLEMENTAL DESCRIPTION OF Portfolio INVESTMENTS AND RISKS	4
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER	46
FUNDAMENTAL AND NON-FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS	47
DISCLOSURE OF each Portfolio’s PORTFOLIO SECURITIES	59
MANAGEMENT OF the Trust	62
CODE OF ETHICS	77
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS AND CONTROL PERSONS	77
PROXY VOTING PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES	88
ADVISER	89
EXPENSES	93
EXPENSE LIMITATIONS	94
SUB-ADVISER	94
PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITER	117
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICING PLANS	118
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS	123
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS	124
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT Voya Investors Trust	128
PURCHASE, EXCHANGE, AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES	130
TAX CONSIDERATIONS	130
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	135
APPENDIX A – DESCRIPTION OF CREDIT RATINGS	A-1
APPENDIX B – PROXY VOTING PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES	B-1

INTRODUCTION AND GLOSSARY

This SAI is designed to elaborate upon information contained in each Portfolio’s Prospectus, including the discussion of certain securities and investment techniques. The more detailed information contained in this SAI is intended for investors who have read the Prospectus and are interested in a more detailed explanation of certain aspects of some of each Portfolio’s securities and investment techniques. Some investment techniques are described only in the Prospectus and are not repeated here.

Capitalized terms used, but not defined, in this SAI have the same meaning as in the Prospectus and some additional terms are defined particularly for this SAI.

Following are definitions of general terms that may be used throughout this SAI:

1933 Act: Securities Act of 1933, as amended

1934 Act: Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended

1940 Act: Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended

Adviser: Voya Investments, LLC or Voya Investments (formerly, ING Investments, LLC)

Affiliated Fund: A fund within the Voya family of funds

Board: The Board of Trustees for the Trust

Business Day: Each day the NYSE opens for regular trading

CDSC: Contingent deferred sales charge

CFTC: United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Code: Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended

Distributor: Voya Investments Distributor, LLC (formerly, ING Investments Distributor, LLC)

Distribution Agreement: The Distribution Agreement for each Portfolio, as described herein

ETF: Exchange Traded Fund

EU: European Union

Expense Limitation Agreement: The Expense Limitation Agreement(s) for each Portfolio, as described herein

FDIC: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

FHLMC: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation

FINRA: Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.

Fiscal Year End of each Portfolio: December 31

Fitch: Fitch Ratings

FNMA: Federal National Mortgage Association

GNMA: Government National Mortgage Association

Independent Trustees: The Trustees of the Board who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of each Portfolio

Interested Trustees: The Trustees of the Board who are currently treated as “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of each Portfolio

Investment Management Agreement: The Investment Management Agreement for each Portfolio, as described herein

IPO: Initial Public Offering

IRA: Individual Retirement Account

IRS: United States Internal Revenue Service

LIBOR: London Interbank Offered Rate

MLPs: Master Limited Partnerships

Moody’s: Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.

NAV: Net Asset Value

NRSRO: Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization

NYSE: New York Stock Exchange

OTC: Over-the-counter

Portfolio: One or more of the investment management companies listed on the front cover of this SAI

Principal Underwriter: Voya Investments Distributor, LLC or the “Distributor”

Prospectus: One or more prospectuses for each Portfolio

REIT: Real Estate Investment Trust

REMICs: Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits

RIC: A “Regulated Investment Company,” pursuant to the Code

Rule 12b-1: Rule 12b-1 (under the 1940 Act)

Rule 12b-1 Plan: A distribution and/or Shareholder Service Plan adopted under Rule 12b-1

S&L: Savings & Loan Association

S&P: S&P Global Ratings

SEC: United States Securities and Exchange Commission

Sub-Adviser: One or more sub-advisers for a Portfolio, as described herein

Sub-Advisory Agreement: The Sub-Advisory Agreement(s) for each Portfolio, as described herein

Trust: Voya Investors Trust

Underlying Funds: Unless otherwise stated, other mutual funds or ETFs in which each Portfolio may invest

Voya family of funds or the “funds”: All of the RICs managed by Voya Investments

Voya IM: Voya Investment Management Co. LLC (formerly, ING Investment Management Co. LLC)

HISTORY OF the Trust

Voya Investors Trust, an open-end management investment company that is registered under the 1940 Act, was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on August 3, 1988. On July 17, 1989, the name of the Trust changed from Western Capital Specialty Managers Trust to the Specialty Managers Trust. On January 31, 1992, the name of the Trust changed from The Specialty Managers Trust to The GCG Trust. On May 1, 2003, the name of the Trust changed from The GCG Trust to ING Investors Trust. On May 1, 2014, the name of the Trust changed from ING Investors Trust to Voya Investors Trust.

Portfolio Name Changes During the Past Ten Years

Portfolio	Former Name	Date of Change
Voya Balanced Income Portfolio	VY® Franklin Income Portfolio	May 1, 2019
	ING Franklin Income Portfolio	May 1, 2014
Voya Government Liquid Assets Portfolio	Voya Liquid Assets Portfolio	May 1, 2016
	ING Liquid Assets Portfolio	May 1, 2014
Voya High Yield Portfolio	ING High Yield Portfolio	May 1, 2014
	ING PIMCO High Yield Portfolio	February 5, 2014
Voya Large Cap Growth Portfolio	ING Large Cap Growth Portfolio	May 1, 2014
Voya Large Cap Value Portfolio	ING Large Cap Value Portfolio	May 1, 2014
Voya Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio	ING Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio	May 1, 2014
Voya U.S. Stock Index Portfolio	ING U.S. Stock Index Portfolio	May 1, 2014
VY® BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Portfolio	ING BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Portfolio	May 1, 2014
VY® CBRE Global Real Estate Portfolio	VY® Clarion Global Real Estate Portfolio	May 1, 2022
	ING Clarion Global Real Estate Portfolio	May 1, 2014

Portfolio	Former Name	Date of Change
VY® CBRE Real Estate Portfolio	VY® Clarion Real Estate Portfolio	May 1, 2022
	ING Clarion Real Estate Portfolio	May 1, 2014
VY® Invesco Growth and Income Portfolio	ING Invesco Growth and Income Portfolio	May 1, 2014
	ING Invesco Van Kampen Growth and Income Portfolio	April 30, 2013
VY® JPMorgan Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio	ING JPMorgan Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio	May 1, 2014
VY® JPMorgan Small Cap Core Equity Portfolio	ING JPMorgan Small Cap Core Equity Portfolio	May 1, 2014
VY® Morgan Stanley Global Franchise Portfolio	ING Morgan Stanley Global Franchise Portfolio	May 1, 2014
VY® T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Portfolio	ING T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Portfolio	May 1, 2014
VY® T. Rowe Price Equity Income Portfolio	ING T. Rowe Price Equity Income Portfolio	May 1, 2014
VY® T. Rowe Price International Stock Portfolio	ING T. Rowe Price International Stock Portfolio	May 1, 2014

SUPPLEMENTAL DESCRIPTION OF Portfolio INVESTMENTS AND RISKS

Diversification and Concentration

Diversified Investment Companies. The 1940 Act generally requires that a diversified portfolio may not, with respect to 75% of its total assets, invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one issuer and may not purchase more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities or investments in securities of other investment companies).

Non-Diversified Investment Companies. A non-diversified investment company under the 1940 Act means that a portfolio is not limited by the 1940 Act in the proportion of its assets that it may invest in the obligations of a single issuer. The investment of a large percentage of a portfolio’s assets in the securities of a small number of issuers may cause the portfolio’s share price to fluctuate more than that of a diversified investment company. When compared to a diversified portfolio, a non-diversified portfolio may invest a greater portion of its assets in a particular issuer and, therefore, has greater exposure to the risk of poor earnings or losses by an issuer.

Concentration. For purposes of the 1940 Act, concentration occurs when at least 25% of a portfolio’s assets are invested in any one industry or group of industries.

The diversification and concentration status of each Portfolio is outlined in the table below.

Portfolio	Diversified	Non-Diversified	Concentrated
Voya Balanced Income Portfolio	X
Voya Government Liquid Assets Portfolio	X
Voya High Yield Portfolio	X
Voya Large Cap Growth Portfolio		X
Voya Large Cap Value Portfolio	X
Voya Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio	X
Voya U.S. Stock Index Portfolio1	X
VY® BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Portfolio	X
VY® CBRE Global Real Estate Portfolio	X		X
VY® CBRE Real Estate Portfolio	X		X
VY® Invesco Growth and Income Portfolio	X
VY® JPMorgan Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio	X
VY® JPMorgan Small Cap Core Equity Portfolio	X
VY® Morgan Stanley Global Franchise Portfolio		X
VY® T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Portfolio	X
VY® T. Rowe Price Equity Income Portfolio	X
VY® T. Rowe Price International Stock Portfolio	X

In seeking to track the performance of the Index, the Portfolio may become “non-diversified,” as defined in the 1940 Act, as a result of a change in relative market capitalizations or index weightings of one or more components of the Index.

Investments, Investment Strategies, and Risks

The table on the following pages identifies various securities and investment techniques used by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser in managing a Portfolio and provides a more detailed description of those securities and techniques along with the risks associated with them. A Portfolio may use any or all of these techniques at any one time, and the fact that a Portfolio may use a technique does not mean that the technique will be used. A Portfolio’s transactions in a particular type of security or use of a particular technique is subject to limitations imposed by the Portfolio’s investment objective, policies, and restrictions described in that Portfolio’s Prospectus and/or in this SAI, as well as federal securities laws. There can be no assurance that a Portfolio will achieve its investment objective. Each Portfolio’s investment objective, policies, investment strategies, and practices are non-fundamental unless otherwise indicated. A more detailed description of the securities and investment techniques, as well as the risks associated with those securities and investment techniques a Portfolio utilizes is set forth below. The descriptions of the securities and investment techniques in this section supplement the discussion of principal investment strategies contained in each Portfolio’s Prospectus. Where a particular type of security or investment technique is not discussed in a Portfolio’s Prospectus, that security or investment technique is not a principal investment strategy and the Portfolio will not invest more than 5% of its assets in such security or investment technique.

Please refer to the fundamental and non-fundamental investment restrictions following the description of securities and investment techniques for more information on any applicable limitations.

Asset Class/Investment Technique	Voya Balanced Income Portfolio	Voya Government Liquid Assets Portfolio	Voya High Yield Portfolio	Voya Large Cap Growth Portfolio	Voya Large Cap Value Portfolio
Equity Securities
Commodities		X	X	X	X
Common Stocks	X	X	X	X	X
Convertible Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Initial Public Offerings	X	X	X	X	X
Master Limited Partnerships		X	X	X	X
Other Investment Companies and Pooled Investment Vehicles	X	X	X	X	X
Preferred Stocks	X	X	X	X	X
Private Investments in Public Companies			X
Real Estate Securities and Real Estate Investment Trusts	X	X	X	X	X
Small- and Mid-Capitalization Issuers	X	X	X	X	X
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies				X	X
Special Situation Issuers			X
Trust Preferred Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Debt Instruments
Asset-Backed Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Bank Instruments	X	X	X	X	X
Commercial Paper	X	X	X	X	X
Corporate Debt Instruments	X	X	X	X	X
Credit-Linked Notes	X	X	X	X	X
Custodial Receipts and Trust Certificates		X	X	X	X
Delayed Funding Loans and Revolving Credit Facilities		X	X	X	X
Event-Linked Bonds		X	X	X	X
Floating or Variable Rate Instruments	X	X	X	X	X
Funding Agreements
Guaranteed Investment Contracts	X	X	X	X	X
High Yield Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Inflation-Indexed Bonds	X	X	X	X	X
Inverse Floating Rate Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Mortgage-Related Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Municipal Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Senior and Other Bank Loans	X		X
U.S. Government Securities and Obligations	X	X	X	X	X
Zero-Coupon, Deferred Interest and Pay-in-Kind Bonds	X	X	X	X	X
Foreign Investments
Depositary Receipts	X	X	X	X	X
Emerging Market Investments	X	X	X	X	X
Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar Instruments	X	X	X	X	X
Foreign Currencies	X	X	X	X	X
Sovereign Debt	X	X	X	X	X
Supranational Entities	X	X	X	X	X
Derivative Instruments
Forward Commitments	X	X	X	X	X
Futures Contracts	X	X	X	X	X
Hybrid Instruments	X	X	X	X	X
Options	X	X	X	X	X

Asset Class/Investment Technique	Voya Balanced Income Portfolio	Voya Government Liquid Assets Portfolio	Voya High Yield Portfolio	Voya Large Cap Growth Portfolio	Voya Large Cap Value Portfolio
Participatory Notes		X	X	X	X
Rights and Warrants	X	X	X	X	X
Swap Transactions and Options on Swap Transactions	X	X	X	X	X
Other Investment Techniques
Borrowing	X	X	X	X	X
Illiquid Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Participation on Creditors Committees		X	X	X	X
Repurchase Agreements	X	X	X	X	X
Restricted Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Reverse Repurchase Agreements and Dollar Roll Transactions	X	X	X	X	X
Securities Lending	X	X	X	X	X
Short Sales	X	X	X	X	X
To Be Announced Sale Commitments	X	X	X	X	X
When-Issued Securities and Delayed-Delivery Transactions	X	X	X	X	X

Asset Class/Investment Technique	Voya Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio	Voya U.S. Stock Index Portfolio	VY® BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Portfolio	VY® CBRE Global Real Estate Portfolio	VY® CBRE Real Estate Portfolio
Equity Securities
Commodities	X	X	X	X	X
Common Stocks	X	X	X	X	X
Convertible Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Initial Public Offerings	X	X	X	X	X
Master Limited Partnerships	X	X	X	X	X
Other Investment Companies and Pooled Investment Vehicles	X	X	X	X	X
Preferred Stocks	X	X	X	X	X
Private Investments in Public Companies
Real Estate Securities and Real Estate Investment Trusts	X	X	X	X	X
Small- and Mid-Capitalization Issuers	X	X	X	X	X
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies				X	X
Special Situation Issuers
Trust Preferred Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Debt Instruments
Asset-Backed Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Bank Instruments	X	X	X	X	X
Commercial Paper	X	X	X	X	X
Corporate Debt Instruments	X	X	X	X	X
Credit-Linked Notes	X	X	X	X	X
Custodial Receipts and Trust Certificates	X	X	X	X	X
Delayed Funding Loans and Revolving Credit Facilities	X	X	X	X	X
Event-Linked Bonds	X	X	X	X	X
Floating or Variable Rate Instruments	X	X	X	X	X
Funding Agreements
Guaranteed Investment Contracts	X	X	X	X	X
High Yield Securities	X	X	X		X

Asset Class/Investment Technique	Voya Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio	Voya U.S. Stock Index Portfolio	VY® BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond Portfolio	VY® CBRE Global Real Estate Portfolio	VY® CBRE Real Estate Portfolio
Inflation-Indexed Bonds	X	X	X	X	X
Inverse Floating Rate Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Mortgage-Related Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Municipal Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Senior and Other Bank Loans
U.S. Government Securities and Obligations	X	X	X	X	X
Zero-Coupon, Deferred Interest and Pay-in-Kind Bonds	X	X	X	X	X
Foreign Investments
Depositary Receipts	X	X	X	X	X
Emerging Market Investments	X	X	X	X	X
Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar Instruments	X	X	X	X	X
Foreign Currencies	X	X	X	X	X
Sovereign Debt	X	X	X	X	X
Supranational Entities	X	X	X	X	X
Derivative Instruments
Forward Commitments	X	X	X	X	X
Futures Contracts	X	X	X	X	X
Hybrid Instruments	X	X	X	X	X
Options	X	X	X	X	X
Participatory Notes	X	X	X	X	X
Rights and Warrants	X	X	X	X	X
Swap Transactions and Options on Swap Transactions	X	X	X	X	X
Other Investment Techniques
Borrowing	X	X	X	X	X
Illiquid Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Participation on Creditors Committees	X	X	X	X	X
Repurchase Agreements	X	X	X	X	X
Restricted Securities	X	X	X	X	X
Reverse Repurchase Agreements and Dollar Roll Transactions	X	X	X	X	X
Securities Lending	X	X	X	X	X
Short Sales	X	X	X	X	X
To Be Announced Sale Commitments	X	X	X	X	X
When-Issued Securities and Delayed-Delivery Transactions	X	X	X	X	X

Asset Class/Investment Technique	VY® Invesco Growth and Income Portfolio	VY® JPMorgan Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio	VY® JPMorgan Small Cap Core Equity Portfolio	VY® Morgan Stanley Global Franchise Portfolio
Equity Securities
Commodities	X	X	X	X
Common Stocks	X	X	X	X
Convertible Securities	X	X	X	X
Initial Public Offerings	X	X	X	X
Master Limited Partnerships	X	X	X	X
Other Investment Companies and Pooled Investment Vehicles	X	X	X	X
Preferred Stocks	X	X	X	X

Asset Class/Investment Technique	VY® Invesco Growth and Income Portfolio	VY® JPMorgan Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio	VY® JPMorgan Small Cap Core Equity Portfolio	VY® Morgan Stanley Global Franchise Portfolio
Private Investments in Public Companies
Real Estate Securities and Real Estate Investment Trusts	X	X	X	X
Small- and Mid-Capitalization Issuers	X	X	X	X
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies	X	X	X	X
Special Situation Issuers
Trust Preferred Securities	X	X	X	X
Debt Instruments
Asset-Backed Securities	X	X	X	X
Bank Instruments	X	X	X	X
Commercial Paper	X	X	X	X
Corporate Debt Instruments	X	X	X	X
Credit-Linked Notes	X	X	X	X
Custodial Receipts and Trust Certificates	X	X	X	X
Delayed Funding Loans and Revolving Credit Facilities	X	X	X	X
Event-Linked Bonds	X	X	X	X
Floating or Variable Rate Instruments	X	X	X	X
Funding Agreements
Guaranteed Investment Contracts	X	X	X	X
High Yield Securities	X	X	X	X
Inflation-Indexed Bonds	X	X	X	X
Inverse Floating Rate Securities	X	X	X	X
Mortgage-Related Securities	X	X	X	X
Municipal Securities	X	X	X	X
Senior and Other Bank Loans
U.S. Government Securities and Obligations	X	X	X	X
Zero-Coupon, Deferred Interest and Pay-in-Kind Bonds	X	X	X	X
Foreign Investments
Depositary Receipts	X	X	X	X
Emerging Market Investments	X	X	X	X
Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar Instruments	X	X	X	X
Foreign Currencies	X	X	X	X
Sovereign Debt	X	X	X	X
Supranational Entities	X	X	X	X
Derivative Instruments
Forward Commitments	X	X	X	X
Futures Contracts	X	X	X	X
Hybrid Instruments	X	X	X	X
Options	X	X	X	X
Participatory Notes	X	X	X	X
Rights and Warrants	X	X	X	X
Swap Transactions and Options on Swap Transactions	X	X	X	X
Other Investment Techniques
Borrowing	X	X	X	X
Illiquid Securities	X	X	X	X
Participation on Creditors Committees	X	X	X	X

Asset Class/Investment Technique	VY® Invesco Growth and Income Portfolio	VY® JPMorgan Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio	VY® JPMorgan Small Cap Core Equity Portfolio	VY® Morgan Stanley Global Franchise Portfolio
Repurchase Agreements	X	X	X	X
Restricted Securities	X	X	X	X
Reverse Repurchase Agreements and Dollar Roll Transactions	X	X	X	X
Securities Lending	X	X	X	X
Short Sales	X	X	X	X
To Be Announced Sale Commitments	X	X	X	X
When-Issued Securities and Delayed-Delivery Transactions	X	X	X	X

Asset Class/Investment Technique	VY® T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Portfolio	VY® T. Rowe Price Equity Income Portfolio	VY® T. Rowe Price International Stock Portfolio
Equity Securities
Commodities	X	X	X
Common Stocks	X	X	X
Convertible Securities	X	X	X
Initial Public Offerings	X	X	X
Master Limited Partnerships	X	X	X
Other Investment Companies and Pooled Investment Vehicles	X	X	X
Preferred Stocks	X	X	X
Private Investments in Public Companies	X	X	X
Real Estate Securities and Real Estate Investment Trusts	X	X	X
Small- and Mid-Capitalization Issuers	X	X	X
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies	X	X	X
Special Situation Issuers	X	X
Trust Preferred Securities	X	X	X
Debt Instruments
Asset-Backed Securities	X	X	X
Bank Instruments	X	X	X
Commercial Paper	X	X	X
Corporate Debt Instruments	X	X	X
Credit-Linked Notes	X	X	X
Custodial Receipts and Trust Certificates	X	X	X
Delayed Funding Loans and Revolving Credit Facilities	X	X	X
Event-Linked Bonds	X	X	X
Floating or Variable Rate Instruments	X	X	X
Funding Agreements
Guaranteed Investment Contracts	X	X	X
High Yield Securities	X	X	X
Inflation-Indexed Bonds	X	X	X
Inverse Floating Rate Securities	X	X	X
Mortgage-Related Securities	X	X	X
Municipal Securities	X	X	X
Senior and Other Bank Loans	X	X	X
U.S. Government Securities and Obligations	X	X	X
Zero-Coupon, Deferred Interest and Pay-in-Kind Bonds	X	X	X

Asset Class/Investment Technique	VY® T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Portfolio	VY® T. Rowe Price Equity Income Portfolio	VY® T. Rowe Price International Stock Portfolio
Foreign Investments
Depositary Receipts	X	X	X
Emerging Market Investments	X	X	X
Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar Instruments	X	X	X
Foreign Currencies	X	X	X
Sovereign Debt	X	X	X
Supranational Entities	X	X	X
Derivative Instruments
Forward Commitments	X	X	X
Futures Contracts	X	X	X
Hybrid Instruments	X	X	X
Options	X	X	X
Participatory Notes	X	X	X
Rights and Warrants	X	X	X
Swap Transactions and Options on Swap Transactions	X	X	X
Other Investment Techniques
Borrowing	X	X	X
Illiquid Securities	X	X	X
Participation on Creditors Committees	X	X	X
Repurchase Agreements	X	X	X
Restricted Securities	X	X	X
Reverse Repurchase Agreements and Dollar Roll Transactions	X	X	X
Securities Lending	X	X	X
Short Sales	X	X	X
To Be Announced Sale Commitments	X	X	X
When-Issued Securities and Delayed-Delivery Transactions	X	X	X

EQUITY SECURITIES

Commodities: Commodities include equity securities of “hard assets companies” and derivative securities and instruments whose value is linked to the price of a commodity or a commodity index. The term “hard assets companies” includes companies that directly or indirectly (whether through supplier relationship, servicing agreements or otherwise) primarily derive their revenue or profit from exploration, development, production, distribution or facilitation of processes relating to precious metals (including gold), base and industrial metals, energy, natural resources and other commodities. Commodities values may be highly volatile, and may decline rapidly and without warning. The values of commodity issuers will typically be substantially affected by changes in the values of their underlying commodities. Securities of commodity issuers may experience greater price fluctuations than the relevant hard asset. In periods of rising hard asset prices, such securities may rise at a faster rate and, conversely, in times of falling commodity prices, such securities may suffer a greater price decline. Some hard asset issuers may be subject to the risks generally associated with extraction of natural resources, such as fire, drought, increased regulatory and environmental costs, and others. Because many commodity issuers have significant operations in many countries worldwide (including emerging markets), their securities may be more exposed than those of other issuers to unstable political, social and economic conditions, including expropriation and disruption of licenses or operations.

Common Stocks: Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. A common stock may decline in value due to an actual or perceived deterioration in the prospects of the issuer, an actual or anticipated reduction in the rate at which dividends are paid, or other factors affecting the value of an investment, or due to a decline in the values of stocks generally or of stocks of issuers in a particular industry or market sector. The values of common stocks may be highly volatile. If an issuer of common stock is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of debt instruments and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock, and as a result the common stock could become worthless.

Convertible Securities: Convertible securities are hybrid securities that combine the investment characteristics of debt instruments and common stocks. Convertible securities typically consist of debt instruments or preferred stock that may be converted (on a voluntary or mandatory basis) within a specified period of time (normally for the entire life of the security) into a certain amount of common stock or other equity security of the same or a different issuer at a predetermined price. Convertible securities also include debt instruments with warrants or common stock attached and derivatives combining the features of debt instruments and equity securities. Other convertible

securities with additional or different features and risks may become available in the future. Convertible securities involve risks similar to those of both debt instruments and equity securities. In a corporation’s capital structure, convertible securities are senior to common stock but are usually subordinated to senior debt instruments of the issuer.

The market value of a convertible security is a function of its “investment value” and its “conversion value.” A security’s “investment value” represents the value of the security without its conversion feature (i.e., a nonconvertible fixed-income security). The investment value may be determined by reference to its credit quality and the current value of its yield to maturity or probable call date. At any given time, investment value is dependent upon such factors as the general level of interest rates, the yield of similar nonconvertible securities, the financial strength of the issuer, and the seniority of the security in the issuer’s capital structure. A security’s “conversion value” is determined by multiplying the number of shares the holder is entitled to receive upon conversion or exchange by the current price of the underlying security. If the conversion value of a convertible security is significantly below its investment value, the convertible security will trade like a nonconvertible debt instruments or preferred stock and its market value will not be influenced greatly by fluctuations in the market price of the underlying security. In that circumstance, the convertible security takes on the characteristics of a debt instrument, and the price moves in the opposite direction from interest rates. Conversely, if the conversion value of a convertible security is near or above its investment value, the market value of the convertible security will be more heavily influenced by fluctuations in the market price of the underlying security. In that case, the convertible security’s price may be as volatile as that of common stock. Because both interest rates and market movements can influence its value, a convertible security generally is not as sensitive to interest rates as a similar debt security, nor is it as sensitive to changes in share price as its underlying equity security. Convertible securities are often rated below investment grade or are not rated, and they are generally subject to greater levels of credit risk and liquidity risk.

Contingent Convertible Securities (“CoCos”): CoCos are a form of hybrid fixed-income debt instrument. They are subordinated instruments that are designed to behave like bonds or preferred equity in times of economic health for the issuer, yet absorb losses when a pre-determined trigger event affecting the issuer occurs. CoCos are either convertible into equity at a predetermined share price or written down if a pre-specified trigger event occurs. Trigger events vary by individual security and are defined by the documents governing the contingent convertible security. Such trigger events may include a decline in the issuer’s capital below a specified threshold level, an increase in the issuer’s risk-weighted assets, the share price of the issuer falling to a particular level for a certain period of time, and certain regulatory events. CoCos are subject to credit, interest rate, high-yield securities, foreign investments and market risks associated with both debt instruments and equity securities. In addition, CoCos have no stated maturity and have fully discretionary coupons. If the CoCos are converted into the issuer’s underlying equity securities following a conversion event, each holder will be subordinated due to their conversion from being the holder of a debt instrument to being the holder of an equity instrument, hence worsening the holder’s standing in a bankruptcy proceeding.

Initial Public Offerings: The value of an issuer’s securities may be highly unstable at the time of its IPO and for a period thereafter due to factors such as market psychology prevailing at the time of the IPO, the absence of a prior public market, the small number of shares available, and limited availability of investor information. Securities purchased in an IPO may be held for a very short period of time. As a result, investments in IPOs may increase portfolio turnover, which increases brokerage and administrative costs. Investors in IPOs can be adversely affected by substantial dilution of the value of their shares due to sales of additional shares, and by concentration of control in existing management and principal shareholders.

Investments in IPOs may have a substantial beneficial effect on investment performance. Investment returns earned during a period of substantial investment in IPOs may not be sustained during other periods of more limited, or no, investments in IPOs. In addition, as an investment portfolio increases in size, the impact of IPOs on performance will generally decrease. Investment in securities offered in an IPO may lose money. There can be no assurance that investments in IPOs will be available or improve performance. Investments in secondary public offerings may be subject to certain of the foreign risks. A Portfolio will not necessarily participate in an IPO in which other mutual funds or accounts managed by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser participate.

Master Limited Partnerships: Master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) typically are characterized as “publicly traded partnerships” that qualify to be treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes and are typically engaged in one or more aspects of the exploration, production, processing, transmission, marketing, storage or delivery of energy-related commodities, such as natural gas, natural gas liquids, coal, crude oil or refined petroleum products. Generally, an MLP is operated under the supervision of one or more managing general partners. Limited partners are not involved in the day-to-day management of the partnership.

Investments in MLPs are generally subject to many of the risks that apply to partnerships. For example, holders of the units of MLPs may have limited control and limited voting rights on matters affecting the partnership. There may be fewer corporate protections afforded investors in an MLP than investors in a corporation. Conflicts of interest may exist among unit holders, subordinated unit holders, and the general partner of an MLP, including those arising from incentive distribution payments. MLPs that concentrate in a particular industry or region are subject to risks associated with such industry or region. MLPs holding credit-related investments are subject to interest rate risk and the risk of default on payment obligations by debt issuers. Investments held by MLPs may be illiquid. MLP units may trade infrequently and in limited volume, and they may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than securities of larger or more broadly based issuers.

The manner and extent of direct and indirect investments in MLPs and limited liability companies may be limited by an intention to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code, and any such investments may adversely affect the ability of an investment company to so qualify.

Other Investment Companies and Pooled Investment Vehicles: Securities of other investment companies and pooled investment vehicles, including shares of closed-end investment companies, unit investment trusts, ETFs, open-end investment companies, and private investment funds represent interests in managed portfolios that may invest in various types of instruments. Investing in another investment company or pooled investment vehicle exposes a Portfolio to all the risks of that other investment company or pooled investment vehicle as well as additional expenses at the other investment company or pooled investment vehicle-level, such as a proportionate share of portfolio management fees and operating expenses. Such expenses are in addition to the expenses a Portfolio pays in connection with its own operations. Investing in a pooled investment vehicle involves the risk that the vehicle will not perform as anticipated. The amount of assets that may be invested in another investment company or pooled investment vehicle or in other investment companies or pooled investment vehicles generally may be limited by applicable law.

The securities of other investment companies, particularly closed-end funds, may be leveraged and, therefore, will be subject to the risks of leverage. The securities of closed-end investment companies and ETFs carry the risk that the price paid or received may be higher or lower than their NAV. Closed-end investment companies and ETFs are also subject to certain additional risks, including the risks of illiquidity and of possible trading halts due to market conditions or other factors.

In making decisions on the allocation of the assets in other investment companies, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser are subject to several conflicts of interest when they serve as the Adviser and Sub-Adviser to one or more of the other investment companies. These conflicts could arise because the Adviser or Sub-Adviser or their affiliates earn higher net advisory fees (the advisory fee received less any sub-advisory fee paid and fee waivers or expense subsidies) on some of the other investment companies than others. For example, where the other investment companies have a sub-adviser that is affiliated with the Adviser, the entire advisory fee is retained by a Voya company. Even where the net advisory fee is not higher for other investment companies sub-advised by an affiliate of the Adviser or Sub-Adviser, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser may have an incentive to prefer affiliated sub-advisers for other reasons, such as increasing assets under management or supporting new investment strategies, which in turn would lead to increased income to Voya. Further, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser may believe that redemption from another investment company will be harmful to that investment company, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser or an affiliate. Therefore, the Adviser and Sub-Adviser may have incentives to allocate and reallocate in a fashion that would advance its own economic interests, the economic interests of an affiliate, or the interests of another investment company.

The Adviser has informed the Board that its investment process may be influenced by an affiliated insurance company that issues financial products in which a Portfolio may be offered as an investment option. In certain of those products an affiliated insurance company may offer guaranteed lifetime income or death benefits. The Adviser’s and Sub-Adviser’s investment decisions, including their allocation decisions with respect to the other investment companies, may benefit the affiliated insurance company issuing such benefits. For example, selecting and allocating assets to other investment companies which invest primarily in debt instruments or in a more conservative or less volatile investment style, may reduce the regulatory capital requirements which the affiliated insurance company must satisfy to support its guarantees under its products, may help reduce the affiliated insurance company’s risk from the lifetime income or death benefits, or may make it easier for the insurance company to manage its risk through the use of various hedging techniques.

The Adviser and Sub-Adviser have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor, and address actual or potential conflicts of interest. Nonetheless, investors bear the risk that the Adviser's and Sub-Adviser’s allocation decisions may be affected by their conflicts of interest.

New SEC Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act, which became effective on January 19, 2022, is designed to streamline and enhance the regulatory framework for funds of funds arrangements. Rule 12d1-4 permits acquiring funds to invest in the securities of other registered investment companies beyond certain statutory limits, subject to certain conditions. In connection with this rule, the SEC rescinded Rule 12d1-2 under the 1940 Act and most fund of funds exemptive orders, effective January 19, 2022.

Exchange-Traded Funds: ETFs are investment companies whose shares trade like a stock throughout the day. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and will not attempt to take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs are actively managed (i.e., they do not seek to replicate the performance of a particular index). The value of an ETF’s shares will change based on changes in the values of the investments it holds. The value of an ETF’s shares will also likely be affected by factors affecting trading in the market for those shares, such as illiquidity, exchange or market rules, and overall market volatility. The market price for ETF shares may be higher or lower than the ETF’s NAV. The timing and magnitude of cash flows in and out of an ETF could create cash balances that act as a drag on the ETF’s performance. An active secondary market in an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. Substantial market or other disruptions affecting ETFs could adversely affect the liquidity and value of the shares of a Portfolio to the extent it invests in ETFs. There can be no assurance an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange.

Holding Company Depositary Receipts: Holding Company Depositary Receipts (“HOLDRs”) are securities that represent beneficial ownership in a group of common stocks of specified issuers in a particular industry. HOLDRs are typically organized as grantor trusts, and are generally not required to register as investment companies under the 1940 Act. Each HOLDR initially owns a set number of stocks, and the composition of a HOLDR does not change after issue, except in special cases like corporate mergers, acquisitions or other specified events. As a result, stocks selected for those HOLDRs with a sector focus may not remain the largest and most liquid in their industry, and may even leave the industry altogether. If this happens, HOLDRs invested may not provide the same targeted exposure to the industry that was initially expected. Because HOLDRs are not subject to concentration limits, the relative weight of an individual stock may increase substantially, causing the HOLDRs to be less diversified and creating more risk.

Private Funds: Private funds are private investment funds, pools, vehicles, or other structures, including hedge funds and private equity funds. They may be organized as corporations, partnerships, trusts, limited partnerships, limited liability companies, or any other form of business organization (collectively, “Private Funds”). Investments in Private Funds may be highly speculative and highly volatile and may produce gains or losses at rates that exceed those of a Portfolio’s other holdings and of publicly offered investment pools. Private Funds may engage actively in short selling. Private Funds may utilize leverage without limit and, to the extent a Portfolio invests in Private Funds that utilize leverage, a Portfolio will indirectly be exposed to the risks associated with that leverage and the values of its shares may be more volatile as a result.

Many Private Funds invest significantly in issuers in the early stages of development, including issuers with little or no operating history, issuers operating at a loss or with substantial variation in operation results from period to period, issuers with the need for substantial additional capital to support expansion or to maintain a competitive position, or issuers with significant financial leverage. Such issuers may also face intense competition from others including those with greater financial resources or more extensive development, manufacturing, distribution or other attributes, over which a Portfolio will have no control.

Interests in a Private Fund will be subject to substantial restrictions on transfer and, in some instances, may be non-transferable for a period of years. Private Funds may participate in only a limited number of investments and, as a consequence, the return of a particular Private Fund may be substantially adversely affected by the unfavorable performance of even a single investment. Certain Private Funds may pay their investment managers a fee based on the performance of the Private Fund, which may create an incentive for the manager to make investments that are riskier or more speculative than would be the case if the manager was paid a fixed fee. Private Funds are not registered under the 1940 Act and, consequently, are not subject to the restrictions on affiliated transactions and other protections applicable to registered investment companies. The valuations of securities held by Private Funds, which are generally unlisted and illiquid, may be very difficult and will often depend on the subjective valuation of the managers of the Private Funds, which may prove to be inaccurate. Inaccurate valuations of a Private Fund’s portfolio holdings will affect the ability of a Portfolio to calculate its net asset value accurately.

Preferred Stocks: Preferred stock represents an equity interest in an issuer that generally entitles the holder to receive, in preference to the holders of other stocks such as common stocks, dividends and a fixed share of the proceeds resulting from a liquidation of the issuer.

Preferred stocks may pay fixed or adjustable rates of return. Preferred stock dividends may be cumulative or noncumulative, fixed, participating, auction rate or other. If interest rates rise, a fixed dividend on preferred stocks may be less attractive, causing the value of preferred stocks to decline either absolutely or relative to alternative investments. Preferred stock may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as provisions that allow the issuer to redeem or call the stock.

Preferred stock is subject to issuer-specific and market risks applicable generally to equity securities. In addition, because a substantial portion of the return on a preferred stock may be the dividend, its value may react similarly to that of a debt instrument to changes in interest rates. An issuer’s preferred stock generally pays dividends only after the issuer makes required payments to holders of its debt instruments and other debt. For this reason, the value of preferred stock will usually react more strongly than debt instruments to actual or perceived changes in the issuer’s financial condition or prospects. Preferred stocks of smaller issuers may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than preferred stock of larger issuers.

Private Investments in Public Companies: In a typical private placement by a publicly-held company (“PIPE”) transaction, a buyer will acquire, directly from an issuer seeking to raise capital in a private placement pursuant to Regulation D under the 1933 Act, common stock or a security convertible into common stock, such as convertible notes or convertible preferred stock. The issuer’s common stock is usually publicly traded on a U.S. securities exchange or in the OTC market, but the securities acquired will be subject to restrictions on resale imposed by U.S. securities laws absent an effective registration statement. In recognition of the illiquid nature of the securities being acquired, the purchase price paid in a PIPE transaction (or the conversion price of the convertible securities being acquired) will typically be fixed at a discount to the prevailing market price of the issuer’s common stock at the time of the transaction. As part of a PIPE transaction, the issuer usually will be contractually obligated to seek to register within an agreed upon period of time for public resale under the U.S. securities laws the common stock or the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the convertible securities. If the issuer fails to so register the shares within that period, the buyer may be entitled to additional consideration from the issuer (e.g. warrants to acquire additional shares of common stock), but the buyer may not be able to sell its shares unless and until the registration process is successfully completed. Thus PIPE transactions present certain risks not associated with open market purchases of equities.

Among the risks associated with PIPE transactions is the risk that the issuer may be unable to register for public resale the shares in a timely manner or at all, in which case the shares may be saleable only in a privately negotiated transaction at a price less than that paid, assuming a suitable buyer can be found. Disposing of the securities may involve time-consuming negotiation and legal expenses, and selling them promptly at an acceptable price may be difficult or impossible. Even if the shares are registered for public resale, the market for the issuer’s securities may nevertheless be “thin” or illiquid, making the sale of securities at desired prices or in desired quantities difficult or impossible.

While private placements may offer attractive opportunities not otherwise available in the open market, the securities purchased are usually “restricted securities” or are “not readily marketable.” Restricted securities cannot be sold without being registered under the 1933 Act, unless they are sold pursuant to an exemption from registration (such as Rules 144 or 144A under the 1933 Act). Securities that are not readily marketable are subject to other legal or contractual restrictions on resale.

Real Estate Securities and Real Estate Investment Trusts: Investments in equity securities of issuers that are principally engaged in the real estate industry are subject to certain risks associated with the ownership of real estate and with the real estate industry in general. These risks include, among others: possible declines in the value of real estate; risks related to general and local economic conditions;

possible lack of availability of mortgage funds or other limitations on access to capital; overbuilding; risks associated with leverage; market illiquidity; extended vacancies of properties; increase in competition, property taxes, capital expenditures and operating expenses; changes in zoning laws or other governmental regulation; costs resulting from the clean-up of, and liability to third parties for damages resulting from, environmental problems; tenant bankruptcies or other credit problems; casualty or condemnation losses; uninsured damages from floods, earthquakes or other natural disasters; limitations on and variations in rents, including decreases in market rates for rents; investment in developments that are not completed or that are subject to delays in completion; and changes in interest rates. To the extent that assets underlying a Portfolio’s investments are concentrated geographically, by property type or in certain other respects, the Portfolio may be subject to certain of the foregoing risks to a greater extent. Investments by a Portfolio in securities of issuers providing mortgage servicing will be subject to the risks associated with refinancing and their impact on servicing rights.

In addition, if a Portfolio receives rental income or income from the disposition of real property acquired as result of a default on securities the Portfolio owns, the receipt of such income may adversely affect the Portfolio’s ability to qualify as a RIC because of certain income source requirements applicable to RICs under the Code.

REITs are pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in income-producing real estate or real estate-related loans or interests. The affairs of REITs are managed by the REIT's sponsor and, as such, the performance of the REIT is dependent on the management skills of the REIT's sponsor. REITs are not diversified, and are subject to the risks of financing projects. REITs possess certain risks which differ from an investment in common stocks. REITs are financial vehicles that pool investor’s capital to purchase or finance real estate. REITs may concentrate their investments in specific geographic areas or in specific property types, i.e., hotels, shopping malls, residential complexes and office buildings. REITs are subject to management fees and other expenses, and so a Portfolio that invests in REITs will bear its proportionate share of the costs of the REITs’ operations. There are three general categories of REITs: Equity REITs, Mortgage REITs and Hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest primarily in direct fee ownership or leasehold ownership of real property; they derive most of their income from rents. Mortgage REITs invest mostly in mortgages on real estate, which may secure construction, development or long-term loans; the main source of their income is mortgage interest payments. Hybrid REITs hold both ownership and mortgage interests in real estate.

Investing in REITs involves certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in real estate industry in general. The market value of REIT shares and the ability of the REITs to distribute income may be adversely affected by several factors, including rising interest rates, changes in the national, state and local economic climate and real estate conditions, perceptions of prospective tenants of the safety, convenience and attractiveness of the properties, the ability of the owners to provide adequate management, maintenance and insurance, the cost of complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act, increased competition from new properties, the impact of present or future environmental legislation and compliance with environmental laws, failing to maintain their eligibility for favorable tax-treatment under the Code and for exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act, changes in real estate taxes and other operating expenses, adverse changes in governmental rules and fiscal policies, adverse changes in zoning laws and other factors beyond the control of the issuers of the REITs.

REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are also subject to interest rate risk. Rising interest rates may cause REIT investors to demand a higher annual yield, which may, in turn, cause a decline in the market price of the equity securities issued by a REIT. Rising interest rates also generally increase the costs of obtaining financing, which could cause the value of investments in REITs to decline. During periods when interest rates are declining, mortgages are often refinanced. Refinancing may reduce the yield on investments in mortgage REITs. In addition, since REITs depend on payment under their mortgage loans and leases to generate cash to make distributions to their shareholders, investments in REITs may be adversely affected by defaults on such mortgage loans or leases.

Investing in certain REITs, which often have small market capitalizations, may also involve the same risks as investing in other small-capitalization issuers. REITs may have limited financial resources and their securities may trade less frequently and in limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger issuer securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks such as those included in the S&P 500® Index. The management of a REIT may be subject to conflicts of interest with respect to the operation of the business of the REIT and may be involved in real estate activities competitive with the REIT. REITs may own properties through joint ventures or in other circumstances in which the REIT may not have control over its investments. REITs may involve significant amounts of leverage.

Small- and Mid-Capitalization Issuers: Issuers with smaller market capitalizations, including small- and mid-capitalization issuers, may have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources, may lack the competitive strength of larger issuers, may have inexperienced managers or depend on a few key employees. In addition, their securities often are less widely held and trade less frequently and in lesser quantities, and their market prices are often more volatile, than the securities of issuers with larger market capitalizations. Issuers with smaller market capitalizations may include issuers with a limited operating history (unseasoned issuers). Investment decisions for these securities may place a greater emphasis on current or planned product lines and the reputation and experience of the issuer’s management and less emphasis on fundamental valuation factors than would be the case for more mature issuers. In addition, investments in unseasoned issuers are more speculative and entail greater risk than do investments in issuers with an established operating record. The liquidation of significant positions in small- and mid-capitalization issuers with limited trading volume, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in investment losses.

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies: A Portfolio may invest in stock, rights, and warrants of special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”). Also known as a “blank check company,” a SPAC is a company with no commercial operations that is formed solely to raise capital from investors for the purpose of acquiring one or more existing private companies. The typical SPAC IPO involves the sale of units consisting of one share of common stock combined with one or more warrants or fractions of warrants to purchase common stock at a fixed price upon or after consummation of the acquisition. SPACs often have pre-determined time frames to make an acquisition after going public (typically two years) or the SPAC will liquidate, at which point invested funds are returned to the entity’s shareholders (less

certain permitted expenses) and any rights or warrants issued by the SPAC expire worthless. Unless and until an acquisition is completed, a SPAC generally holds its assets in U.S. government securities, money market securities and cash. To the extent the SPAC holds cash or similar securities, this may impact a Portfolio’s ability to meet its investment objective.

Because SPACs have no operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of a SPAC’s securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the entity’s management to identify and complete a favorable acquisition. Some SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions, which may increase the volatility of their prices. At the time a Portfolio invests in a SPAC, there may be little or no basis for the Portfolio to evaluate the possible merits or risks of the particular industry in which the SPAC may ultimately operate or the target business which the SPAC may ultimately acquire. There is no guarantee that a SPAC in which a Portfolio invests will complete an acquisition or that any acquisitions that are completed will be profitable.

It is possible that a significant portion of the funds raised by a SPAC for the purpose of identifying and effecting an acquisition or merger may be expended during the search for a target transaction. Attractive acquisition or merger targets may become scarce if the number of SPACs seeking to acquire operating businesses increases. Only a thinly traded market for shares of or interests in a SPAC may develop, leaving a Portfolio unable to sell its interest in a SPAC or able to sell its interest only at a price below what the Portfolio believes is the SPAC security’s value.

Special Situation Issuers: A special situation arises when, in the opinion of the manager, the securities of a particular issuer can be purchased at prices below the anticipated future value of the cash, securities or other consideration to be paid or exchanged for such securities solely by reason of a development applicable to that issuer and regardless of general business conditions or movements of the market as a whole. Developments creating special situations might include, among others: liquidations, reorganizations, recapitalizations, mergers, material litigation, technical breakthroughs, and new management or management policies. Investments in special situations often involve much greater risk than is inherent in ordinary investment securities, because of the high degree of uncertainty that can be associated with such events.

If a security is purchased in anticipation of a proposed transaction and the transaction later appears unlikely to be consummated or in fact is not consummated or is delayed, the market price of the security may decline sharply. There is typically asymmetry in the risk/reward payout of special situations strategies – the losses that can occur in the event of deal break-ups can far exceed the gains to be had if deals close successfully. The consummation of a proposed transaction can be prevented or delayed by a variety of factors, including regulatory and antitrust restrictions, political developments, industry weakness, stock specific events, failed financings, and general market declines. Certain special situation investments prevent ownership interest therein from being withdrawn until the special situation investment, or a portion thereof, is realized or deemed realized, which may negatively impact Portfolio performance.

Trust Preferred Securities: Trust preferred securities have the characteristics of both subordinated debt and preferred stock. Generally, trust preferred securities are issued by a trust that is wholly owned by a financial institution or other corporate entity, typically a bank holding company. The financial institution creates the trust and owns the trust’s common stocks, which may typically represent a small percentage of the trust’s capital structure. The remainder of the trust’s capital structure typically consists of trust preferred securities, which are sold to investors. The trust uses the sale proceeds of its common stocks to purchase subordinated debt instruments issued by the financial institution. The financial institution uses the proceeds from the sale of the subordinated debt instruments to increase its capital while the trust receives periodic interest payments from the financial institution for holding the subordinated debt instruments. The interests of the holders of the trust preferred securities are senior to those of common stockholders in the event that the financial institution is liquidated, although their interests are typically subordinated to those of other holders of other debt instruments issued by the financial institution. The primary advantage of this structure to the financial institution is that the trust preferred securities issued by the trust are treated by the financial institution as debt instruments for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the interest on which is generally a deductible expense for U.S. federal income tax purposes and as equity for the calculation of capital requirements.

The trust uses interest payments it receives from the financial institution to make dividend payments to the holders of the trust preferred securities. Trust preferred securities typically bear a market rate coupon comparable to interest rates available on debt of a similarly rated issuer. Typical characteristics of trust preferred securities include long-term maturities, early redemption option by the issuer, and maturities at face value. Holders of trust preferred securities have limited voting rights to control the activities of the trust and no voting rights with respect to the financial institution. The market value of trust preferred securities may be more volatile than those of conventional debt instruments. Trust preferred securities may be issued in reliance on Rule 144A under the 1933 Act and subject to restrictions on resale. There can be no assurance as to the liquidity of trust preferred securities and the ability of holders to sell their holdings. The condition of the financial institution can be considered when seeking to identify the risks of trust preferred securities as the trust typically has no business operations other than to issue the trust preferred securities. If the financial institution defaults on interest payments to the trust, the trust will not be able to make dividend payments to holders of its securities.

DEBT INSTRUMENTS

Asset-Backed Securities: Asset-backed securities are securities backed by home equity loans, installment sale contracts, credit card receivables or other assets. Asset-backed securities are “pass-through” securities, meaning that principal and interest payments – net of expenses – made by the borrower on the underlying assets (such as credit card receivables) are passed through to the investor. The value of asset-backed securities based on fixed-income debt instruments, like that of traditional fixed-income debt instruments, typically increases when interest rates fall and decreases when interest rates rise. However, these asset-backed securities differ from traditional fixed-income debt instruments because of their potential for prepayment. The price paid for asset-backed securities, the yield expected from such securities and the average life of the securities are based on a number of factors, including the anticipated rate of prepayment of the underlying assets. In a period of declining interest rates, borrowers may prepay the underlying assets more quickly than anticipated, thereby reducing the yield

to maturity and the average life of the asset-backed security. Moreover, when the proceeds of a prepayment are reinvested in these circumstances, a rate of interest will likely be received that is lower than the rate on the security that was prepaid. To the extent that asset-backed securities are purchased at a premium, prepayments may result in a loss to the extent of the premium paid. If such securities are bought at a discount, both scheduled payments and unscheduled prepayments generally will also result in the recognition of income. In a period of rising interest rates, prepayments of the underlying assets may occur at a slower than expected rate, creating maturity extension risk. This particular risk may effectively change a security that was considered short- or intermediate-term at the time of purchase into a longer term security. Since the value of longer-term asset-backed securities generally fluctuates more widely in response to changes in interest rates than does the value of shorter term asset-backed securities maturity extension risk could increase volatility. When interest rates decline, the value of an asset-backed security with prepayment features may not increase as much as that of other fixed-income debt instruments, and as noted above, changes in market rates of interest may accelerate or retard prepayments and thus affect maturities. During periods of deteriorating economic conditions, such as recessions or periods of rising unemployment, delinquencies and losses generally increase, sometimes dramatically, with respect to securitizations involving loans, sales contracts, receivables and other obligations underlying asset-backed securities. The effects of COVID-19, and governmental responses to the effects of the pandemic may result in increased delinquencies and losses and may have other, potentially unanticipated, adverse effects on such investments and the markets for those investments.

The credit quality of asset-backed securities depends primarily on the quality of the underlying assets, the rights of recourse available against the underlying assets and/or the issuer, the level of credit enhancement, if any, provided for the securities, and the credit quality of the credit-support provider, if any. The values of asset-backed securities may be affected by other factors, such as the availability of information concerning the pool of assets and its structure, the market’s perception of the asset backing the security, the creditworthiness of the servicing agent for the pool of assets, the originator of the underlying assets, or the entities providing the credit enhancement. The market values of asset-backed securities also can depend on the ability of their servicers to service the underlying assets and are, therefore, subject to risks associated with servicers’ performance. In some circumstances, a servicer’s or originator’s mishandling of documentation related to the underlying assets (e.g., failure to document a security interest in the underlying assets properly) may affect the rights of the security holders in and to the underlying assets. In addition, the insolvency of an entity that generated the assets underlying an asset-backed security is likely to result in a decline in the market price of that security as well as costs and delays. Asset-backed securities that do not have the benefit of a security interest in the underlying assets present certain additional risks that are not present with asset-backed securities that do have a security interest in the underlying assets. For example, many securities backed by credit card receivables are unsecured.

Collateralized Debt Obligations: Collateralized Debt Obligations (“CDOs”) are a type of asset-backed security and include collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), and other similarly structured securities. A CBO is an obligation of a trust or other special purpose vehicle backed by a pool of bonds. A CLO is an obligation of a trust or other special purpose vehicle typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include senior secured and unsecured loans and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment-grade, or equivalent unrated loans. CDOs may incur management fees and administrative expenses.

For both CBOs and CLOs, the cash flows from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, which vary in risk and yield. The riskier portions are the residual, equity, and subordinate tranches, which bear some or all of the risk of default by the debt instruments or loans in the trust, and therefore protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since they are partially protected from defaults, senior tranches of a CBO trust or CLO trust typically have higher ratings and lower yields than junior tranches. Despite the protection from the riskier tranches, senior CBO or CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults (including collateral default), the total loss of the riskier tranches due to losses in the collateral, market anticipation of defaults, fraud by the trust, and the illiquidity of CBO or CLO securities.

The risks of an investment in a CDO largely depend on the type of underlying collateral securities and the tranche in which there are investments. Typically, CBOs, CLOs, and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized as illiquid. CDOs are subject to the typical risks associated with debt instruments discussed elsewhere in this SAI and the Prospectus, including interest rate risk, prepayment and extension risk, credit risk, liquidity risk and market risk. Additional risks of CDOs include: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will be insufficient to make interest or other payments; (ii) the possibility that the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default, due to factors such as the availability of any credit enhancement, the level and timing of payments and recoveries on and the characteristics of the underlying collateral, remoteness of those collateral assets from the originator or transferor, the adequacy of and ability to realize upon any related collateral, and the capability of the servicer of the securitized assets; and (iii) market and liquidity risks affecting the price of a structured finance investment, if required to be sold, at the time of sale. In addition, due to the complex nature of a CDO, an investment in a CDO may not perform as expected. An investment in a CDO also is subject to the risk that the issuer and the investors may interpret the terms of the instrument differently, giving rise to disputes.

Bank Instruments: Bank instruments include certificates of deposit (“CDs”), fixed-time deposits, and other debt and deposit-type obligations (including promissory notes that earn a specified rate of return) issued by: (i) a U.S. branch of a U.S. bank; (ii) a non-U.S. branch of a U.S. bank; (iii) a U.S. branch of a non-U.S. bank; or (iv) a non-U.S. branch of a non-U.S. bank. Bank instruments may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations.

CDs typically are interest-bearing debt instruments issued by banks and have maturities ranging from a few weeks to several years. Yankee dollar certificates of deposit are negotiable CDs issued in the United States by branches and agencies of non-U.S. banks. Eurodollar certificates of deposit are CDs issued by non-U.S. banks with interest and principal paid in U.S. dollars. Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar CDs typically have maturities of less than two years and have interest rates that typically are pegged to the London Interbank Offered

Rate or LIBOR. Bankers’ acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are “accepted” by a bank, meaning, in effect, that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. Bankers’ acceptances are a customary means of effecting payment for merchandise sold in import-export transactions and are a general source of financing. A fixed-time deposit is a bank obligation payable at a stated maturity date and bearing interest at a fixed rate. There are generally no contractual restrictions on the right to transfer a beneficial interest in a fixed-time deposit to a third party, although there is generally no market for such deposits. Typically, there are penalties for early withdrawals of time deposits. Promissory notes are written commitments of the maker to pay the payee a specified sum of money either on demand or at a fixed or determinable future date, with or without interest.

Certain bank instruments, such as some CDs, are insured by the FDIC up to certain specified limits. Many other bank instruments, however, are neither guaranteed nor insured by the FDIC or the U.S. government. These bank instruments are “backed” only by the creditworthiness of the issuing bank or parent financial institution. U.S. and non-U.S. banks are subject to different governmental regulation. They are subject to the risks of investing in the particular issuing bank and of investing in the banking and financial services sector generally. Certain obligations of non-U.S. banks, including Eurodollar and Yankee dollar obligations, involve different and/or heightened investment risks than those affecting obligations of U.S. banks, including, among others, the possibilities that: (i) their liquidity could be impaired because of political or economic developments; (ii) the obligations may be less marketable than comparable obligations of U.S. banks; (iii) a non-U.S. jurisdiction might impose withholding and other taxes at high levels on interest income; (iv) non-U.S. deposits may be seized or nationalized; (v) non-U.S. governmental restrictions such as exchange controls may be imposed, which could adversely affect the payment of principal and/or interest on those obligations; (vi) there may be less publicly available information concerning non-U.S. banks issuing the obligations; and (vii) the reserve requirements and accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements applicable to non-U.S. banks may differ (including those that are less stringent) from those applicable to U.S. banks. Non-U.S. banks generally are not subject to examination by any U.S. government agency or instrumentality.

Commercial Paper: Commercial paper represents short-term unsecured promissory notes issued in bearer form by banks or bank holding companies, corporations and finance companies. Commercial paper may consist of U.S. dollar- or foreign currency-denominated obligations of U.S. or non-U.S. issuers, and may be rated or unrated. The rate of return on commercial paper may be linked or indexed to the level of exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and a foreign currency or currencies.

Section 4(a)(2) commercial paper is commercial paper issued in reliance on the so-called “private placement” exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act, as amended (“Section 4(a)(2) paper”). Section 4(a)(2) paper is restricted as to disposition under the federal securities laws, and generally is sold to investors who agree that they are purchasing the paper for investment and not with a view to public distribution. Any resale by the purchaser must be in an exempt transaction. Section 4(a)(2) paper is normally resold to other investors through or with the assistance of the issuer or dealers who make a market in Section 4(a)(2) paper, thus providing liquidity.

Corporate Debt Instruments: Corporate debt instruments are long and short term debt instruments typically issued by businesses to finance their operations. Corporate debt instruments are issued by public or private issuers, as distinct from debt instruments issued by a government or its agencies. The issuer of a corporate debt instrument typically has a contractual obligation to pay interest at a stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal periodically or on a specified maturity date. The broad category of corporate debt instruments includes debt issued by U.S. or non-U.S. issuers of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. The category also includes bank loans, as well as assignments, participations and other interests in bank loans. Corporate debt instruments may be rated investment-grade or below investment-grade and may be structured as fixed-, variable or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. They may also be senior or subordinated obligations. Because of the wide range of types and maturities of corporate debt instruments, as well as the range of creditworthiness of issuers, corporate debt instruments can have widely varying risk/return profiles.

Corporate debt instruments carry both credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that an investor could lose money if the issuer of a corporate debt instrument is unable to pay interest or repay principal when it is due. Some corporate debt instruments that are rated below investment-grade (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) are generally considered speculative because they present a greater risk of loss, including default, than higher rated debt instruments. The credit risk of a particular issuer’s debt instrument may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher-ranking (senior) debt instruments have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) debt instruments. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated debt instruments while continuing to make payments on senior debt instruments. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of higher-ranking senior debt instruments may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of more junior securities. The market value of corporate debt instruments may be expected to rise and fall inversely with interest rates generally. In general, corporate debt instruments with longer terms tend to fall more in value when interest rates rise than corporate debt instruments with shorter terms. The value of a corporate debt instrument may also be affected by supply and demand for similar or comparable securities in the marketplace. Fluctuations in the value of portfolio securities subsequent to their acquisition will not affect cash income from such securities but will be reflected in net asset value. Corporate debt instruments generally trade in the over-the-counter market and can be less liquid that other types of investments, particularly during adverse market and economic conditions.

Credit-Linked Notes: Credit-linked notes are privately negotiated obligations whose returns are linked to the returns of one or more designated securities or other instruments that are referred to as “reference securities,” such as an emerging market bond. A credit-linked note typically is issued by a special purpose trust or similar entity and is a direct obligation of the issuing entity. The entity, in turn, invests in debt instruments or derivative contracts in order to provide the exposure set forth in the credit-linked note. The periodic interest payments and principal obligations payable under the terms of the note typically are conditioned upon the entity’s receipt of payments on its underlying

investment. Purchasing a credit-linked note assumes the risk of the default or, in some cases, other declines in credit quality of the reference securities. There is also exposure to the issuer of the credit-linked note in the full amount of the purchase price of the note and the note is often not secured by the reference securities or other collateral.

The market for credit-linked notes may be or become illiquid. The number of investors with sufficient understanding to support transacting in the notes may be quite limited, and may include only the parties to the original purchase/sale transaction. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid and unpredictable changes in the value for credit-linked notes. In certain cases, a market price for a credit-linked note may not be available and it may be difficult to determine a fair value of the note.

Custodial Receipts and Trust Certificates: Custodial receipts and trust certificates, which may be underwritten by securities dealers or banks, represent interests in instruments held by a custodian or trustee. The instruments so held may include U.S. government securities or other types of instruments. The custodial receipts or trust certificates may evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on the underlying instruments, or, in some cases, the payment obligation of a third party that has entered into an interest rate swap or other arrangement with the custodian or trustee. The holder of custodial receipts and trust certificates will bear its proportionate share of the fees and expenses charged to the custodial account or trust. There may also be investments in separately issued interests in custodial receipts and trust certificates. Custodial receipts may be issued in multiple tranches, representing different interests in the payment streams in the underlying instruments (including as to priority of payment).

In the event an underlying issuer fails to pay principal and/or interest when due, a holder could be required to assert its rights through the custodian bank, and assertion of those rights may be subject to delays, expenses, and risks that are greater than those that would have been involved if the holder had purchased a direct obligation of the issuer. In addition, in the event that the trust or custodial account in which the underlying instruments have been deposited is determined to be an association taxable as a corporation instead of a non-taxable entity, the yield on the underlying instruments would be reduced by the amount of any taxes paid.

Certain custodial receipts and trust certificates may be synthetic or derivative instruments that pay interest at rates that reset inversely to changing short-term rates and/or have embedded interest rate floors and caps that require the issuer to pay an adjusted interest rate if market rates fall below, or rise above, a specified rate. These instruments include inverse and range floaters. Because some of these instruments represent relatively recent innovations and the trading market for these instruments is less developed than the markets for traditional types of instruments, it is uncertain how these instruments will perform under different economic and interest-rate scenarios. Also, because these instruments may be leveraged, their market values may be more volatile than other types of instruments and may present greater potential for capital gain or loss, including potentially loss of the entire principal investment. The possibility of default by an issuer or the issuer’s credit provider may be greater for these derivative instruments than for other types of instruments. In some cases, it may be difficult to determine the fair value of a derivative instrument because of a lack of reliable objective information, and an established secondary market for some instruments may not exist. In many cases, the IRS has not ruled on the tax treatment of the interest or payments received on such derivative instruments.

Delayed Funding Loans and Revolving Credit Facilities: Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities are borrowing arrangements in which the lender agrees to make loans, up to a maximum amount, upon demand by the borrower during a specified term. A revolving credit facility differs from a delayed funding loan in that, as the borrower repays the loan, an amount equal to the repayment may be borrowed again during the term of the revolving credit facility (whereas, in the case of a delayed funding loan, such amounts may not be “re-borrowed”). Delayed funding loans and revolving credit facilities usually provide for floating or variable rates of interest. Agreeing to participate in a delayed fund loan or a revolving credit facility may have the effect of requiring an increased investment in an issuer at a time when such investment might not otherwise have been made (including at a time when the issuer’s financial condition makes it unlikely that such amounts will be repaid). To the extent that there is such a commitment to advancing additional funds, assets that are determined to be liquid by the Adviser or a Sub-Adviser in accordance with procedures established by the Board will at times be segregated, in an amount sufficient to meet such commitments.

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, such investments may not be sold at an opportune time or may have to be resold at less than fair market value.

Event-Linked Bonds: Event-linked exposure typically results in gains or losses depending on the occurrence of a specific “trigger” event, such as a hurricane, earthquake, or other physical or weather-related phenomenon. Some event-linked bonds are commonly referred to as “catastrophe bonds.” They may be issued by government agencies, insurance companies, reinsurers, special purpose corporations or other on-shore or off-shore entities. If a trigger event causes losses exceeding a specific amount in the geographic region and time period specified in a bond, there may be a loss of a portion, or all, of the principal invested in the bond. If no trigger event occurs, the principal plus interest will be recovered. For some event-linked bonds, the trigger event or losses may be based on issuer-wide losses, index-portfolio losses, industry indices, or readings of scientific instruments rather than specified actual losses. Event-linked bonds often provide for extensions of maturity that are mandatory, or optional, at the discretion of the issuer, in order to process and audit loss claims in those cases where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred.

Floating or Variable Rate Instruments: Variable and floating rate instruments are a type of debt instrument that provides for periodic adjustments in the interest rate paid on the instrument. Variable rate instruments provide for the automatic establishment of a new interest rate on set dates, while floating rate instruments provide for an automatic adjustment in the interest rate whenever a specified interest rate changes. Variable rate instruments will be deemed to have a maturity equal to the period remaining until the next readjustment of the interest rate.

There is a risk that the current interest rate on variable and floating rate instruments may not accurately reflect current market interest rates or adequately compensate the holder for the current creditworthiness of the issuer. Some variable or floating rate instruments are structured with liquidity features such as: (1) put options or tender options that permit holders (sometimes subject to conditions) to demand payment of the unpaid principal balance plus accrued interest from the issuers or certain financial intermediaries; or (2) auction rate features, remarketing provisions, or other maturity-shortening devices designed to enable the issuer to refinance or redeem outstanding debt instruments (market-dependent liquidity features). The market-dependent liquidity features may not operate as intended as a result of the issuer’s declining creditworthiness, adverse market conditions, or other factors or the inability or unwillingness of a participating broker-dealer to make a secondary market for such instruments. As a result, variable or floating rate instruments that include market-dependent liquidity features may lose value and the holders of such instruments may be required to retain them for an extended period of time or indefinitely.

Generally, changes in interest rates will have a smaller effect on the market value of variable and floating rate instruments than on the market value of comparable fixed-income instruments. Thus, investing in variable and floating rate instruments generally allows less potential for capital appreciation and depreciation than investing in comparable fixed-income instruments.

Funding Agreements: A Portfolio may invest in Funding Agreements issued by insurance companies affiliated with the investment adviser and Sub-Adviser, such as Voya Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company (“VRIAC”), and insurance companies unaffiliated with the investment adviser and Sub-Adviser. A Funding Agreement has a stable principal value and typically pays interest at a relatively short-term rate, which is subject to change periodically. Investment in a Funding Agreement is subject to the credit risk of the insurer, and an insurer may be unable to repay the entire amount of principal and interest due under a Funding Agreement. In a rising interest rate environment, the interest rate provided by a Funding Agreement may not increase as quickly as the yields of other short-term investments, adversely affecting a Portfolio’s performance. In the case of a Funding Agreement with VRIAC, there can be no guarantee that the interest rate a Portfolio receives under such a Funding Agreement will be as favorable to a Portfolio as the rate that might be paid under a Funding Agreement with another, unaffiliated insurer.

The Sub-Adviser’s decision to invest in a Funding Agreement issued by VRIAC presents conflicts of interest. VRIAC will typically invest the proceeds of the Funding Agreement at a spread above what it agrees to pay a Portfolio, resulting in a financial benefit to VRIAC, and the Sub-Adviser receives a management fee from VRIAC for managing the proceeds of the Funding Agreement (along with the proceeds of other funding agreements issued by VRIAC). In addition, an investment in a Funding Agreement may have the effect of reducing a Portfolio’s gross expenses, thereby also reducing the investment adviser’s obligations under fee waiver and expense limitation arrangements with a Portfolio. Any changes in the interest rate paid by VRIAC on a Funding Agreement is determined by VRIAC, with prior notice to a Portfolio. The Sub-Adviser may have a financial incentive to invest a greater percentage of a Portfolio’s assets in a Funding Agreement with VRIAC than the percentage of a Portfolio’s assets it might invest in obligations of any other single issuer, including following a reduction in the interest rate paid on the Funding Agreement. A Portfolio’s affiliation with VRIAC might delay or limit a Portfolio’s ability to recover its investment in a Funding Agreement in the event of an insolvency of VRIAC. The Sub-Adviser is subject to a fiduciary duty to a Portfolio in its decisions as to whether, and how much, a Portfolio should invest in a Funding Agreement with VRIAC at any time. In addition, investments by a Portfolio in a Funding Agreement with VRIAC must comply with conditions set forth in applicable exemptive relief provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission designed to mitigate the foregoing conflicts of interest, and in related policies and procedures adopted by a Portfolio’s Board of Trustees.

Guaranteed Investment Contracts: Guaranteed Investment Contracts (“GICs”) are issued by insurance companies. An insurance company issuing a GIC typically agrees, in return for the purchase price of the contract, to pay interest at an agreed upon rate (which may be a fixed or variable rate) and to repay principal. GICs typically guarantee that the interest rate will not be less than a certain minimum rate. The insurance company may assess periodic charges against a GIC for expense and service costs allocable to it, and the charges will be deducted from the value of the deposit fund. A GIC is a general obligation of the issuing insurance company and not a separate account. The purchase price paid for a GIC becomes part of the general assets of the insurance company, and the contract is paid from the insurance company’s general assets. Generally, a GIC is not assignable or transferable without the permission of the issuing insurance company, and an active secondary market in GICs does not currently exist. In addition, the issuer may not be able to pay the principal amount to a Portfolio on seven days’ notice or less, at which time the investment may be considered illiquid securities. GICs are not backed by the U.S. government nor are they insured by the FDIC. GICs are generally guaranteed only by the insurance companies that issue them.

High-Yield Securities: High-yield securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) are debt instruments that are rated below investment-grade. Investing in high-yield securities involves special risks in addition to the risks associated with investments in higher rated debt instruments. While investments in high-yield securities generally provide greater income and increased opportunity for capital appreciation than investments in higher quality securities, investments in high-yield securities typically entail greater price volatility as well as principal and income risk. High-yield securities are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of high-yield securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher quality debt instruments.

High-yield securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than investment grade securities. The prices of high-yield securities are likely to be sensitive to adverse economic downturns or individual corporate developments. A projection of an economic downturn or of a period of rising interest rates, for example, could cause a decline in high-yield security prices because the advent of a recession could lessen the ability of a highly leveraged issuer to make principal and interest payments on its debt instruments. If an issuer of high-yield securities defaults, in addition to risking payment of all or a portion of interest and principal, additional expenses to seek recovery may be incurred.

The secondary market on which high-yield securities are traded may be less liquid than the market for higher grade securities. Less liquidity in the secondary trading market could adversely affect the price at which a high-yield security could be sold, and could adversely affect daily NAV. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of high-yield securities, especially in a thinly traded market. When secondary markets for high-yield securities are less liquid than the market for higher grade securities, it may be more difficult to value lower rated securities because such valuation may require more research, and elements of judgment may play a greater role in the valuation because there is less reliable, objective data available.

Credit ratings issued by credit rating agencies are designed to evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments of rated securities. They do not, however, evaluate the market value risk of lower-quality securities and, therefore, may not fully reflect the true risks of an investment. In addition, credit rating agencies may or may not make timely changes in a rating to reflect changes in the economy or in the condition of the issuer that affect the market value of the securities. Consequently, credit ratings are used only as a preliminary indicator of investment quality. Each credit rating agency applies its own methodology in measuring creditworthiness and uses a specific rating scale to publish its ratings. For more information on credit agency ratings, please see Appendix A. Furthermore, high-yield debt securities may not be registered under the 1933 Act, and, unless so registered, a Portfolio will not be able to sell such high-yield debt securities except pursuant to an exemption from registration under the 1933 Act. This may further limit a Portfolio's ability to sell high-yield debt securities or to obtain the desired price for such securities.

Special tax considerations are associated with investing in high-yield securities structured as zero-coupon or pay-in-kind instruments. Income accrues on these instruments prior to the receipt of cash payments, which income must be distributed to shareholders when it accrues, potentially requiring the liquidation of other investments, including at times when such liquidation may not be advantageous, in order to comply with the distribution requirements applicable to RICs under the Code.

Inflation-Indexed Bonds: Inflation-indexed bonds are debt instruments whose principal and/or interest value are adjusted periodically according to a rate of inflation (usually a consumer price index). Two structures are most common. The U.S. Treasury and some other issuers use a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the bond. Most other issuers pay out the inflation accruals as part of a semi-annual coupon.

U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (“TIPS”) currently are issued with maturities of five, ten, or thirty years, although it is possible that bonds with other maturities will be issued in the future. The principal amount of TIPS adjusts for inflation, although the inflation-adjusted principal is not paid until maturity. Semi-annual coupon payments are determined as a fixed percentage of the inflation-adjusted principal at the time the payment is made.

If the rate measuring inflation falls, the principal value of inflation-indexed bonds will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these bonds (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. At maturity, TIPS are redeemed at the greater of their inflation-adjusted principal or at the par amount at original issue. If an inflation-indexed bond does not provide a guarantee of principal at maturity, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.

The value of inflation-indexed bonds is expected to change in response to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates in turn are tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. For example, if inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates would likely decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-indexed bonds. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increase at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates would likely rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-indexed bonds.

While these bonds, if held to maturity, are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to a decline in value. If nominal interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to an expansion of non-inflationary economic activity), investors in these bonds may not be protected to the extent that the increase in rates is not reflected in the bond’s inflation measure.

The inflation adjustment of TIPS is tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (“CPI-U”), which is calculated monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI-U is a measurement of price changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation, and energy.

Other issuers of inflation-protected bonds include other U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities, corporations, and foreign governments. There can be no assurance that the CPI-U or any foreign inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a foreign country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these bonds may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bond’s inflation measure.

Any increase in principal for an inflation-protected bond resulting from inflation adjustments is considered to be taxable income in the year it occurs. For direct holders of inflation-protected bonds, this means that taxes must be paid on principal adjustments even though these amounts are not received until the bond matures. Similarly, with respect to inflation-protected instruments held by each Portfolio, both interest income and the income attributable to principal adjustments must currently be distributed to shareholders in the form of cash or reinvested shares.

Inverse Floating Rate Instruments: Inverse floaters have variable interest rates that typically move in the opposite direction from movements in prevailing interest rates, most often short-term rates. Accordingly, the values of inverse floaters, or other instruments or certificates structured to have similar features, generally move in the opposite direction from interest rates. The value of an inverse floater can be

considerably more volatile than the value of other debt instruments of comparable maturity and quality. Inverse floaters incorporate varying degrees of leverage. Generally, greater leverage results in greater price volatility for any given change in interest rates. Inverse floaters may be subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale and therefore may be less liquid than other types of instruments.

LIBOR: The obligations of the parties under many financial arrangements, such as debt instruments (including senior loans) and derivatives, may be determined based in whole or in part on LIBOR. In 2017, the United Kingdom (“UK”) Financial Conduct Authority announced its intention to cease compelling banks to provide the quotations needed to sustain LIBOR after 2021. ICE Benchmark Administration, the administrator of LIBOR, ceased publication of most LIBOR settings on a representative basis at the end of 2021 and is expected to cease publication of a majority of U.S. dollar LIBOR settings on a representative basis after June 30, 2023. In addition, global regulators have announced that, with limited exceptions, no new LIBOR-based contracts should be entered into after 2021. Actions by regulators have resulted in the establishment of alternative reference rates to LIBOR in most major currencies (e.g., the Secured Overnight Financing Rate for U.S. Dollar LIBOR and the Sterling Overnight Interbank Average Rate for Sterling LIBOR). Discontinuance of LIBOR and adoption/implementation of alternative rates pose a number of risks, including, among others, whether any substitute rate will experience the market participation and liquidity necessary to provide a workable substitute for LIBOR; the effect on parties' existing contractual arrangements, hedging transactions, and investment strategies generally from a conversion from LIBOR to alternative rates; the effect on a Portfolio's existing investments, including the possibility that some of those investments may terminate or their terms may be adjusted to the disadvantage of a Portfolio; and the risk of general market disruption during the period of the conversion. Markets relying on new, non-LIBOR rates are developing slowly, and may offer limited liquidity. In addition, the transition process away from LIBOR may involve increased volatility or illiquidity in markets for instruments that currently rely on LIBOR. The transition may also result in a reduction in the value of certain LIBOR-based investments held by a Portfolio or reduce the effectiveness of related transactions such as hedges. The effect of any changes to or discontinuation of LIBOR on a Portfolio's existing investments and obligations will vary depending on, among other things, (1) existing fallback provisions in individual contracts and (2) whether, how, and when industry participants develop and widely adopt new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products or instruments. The general unavailability of LIBOR and the transition away from LIBOR to other rates could have a substantial adverse impact on the performance of a Portfolio.

Mortgage-Related Securities: Mortgage-related securities are interests in pools of residential or commercial mortgage loans, including mortgage loans made by savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers, commercial banks and others. Pools of mortgage loans are assembled as securities for sale to investors by various governmental, government-related and private organizations. There may also be investments in debt instruments which are secured with collateral consisting of mortgage-related securities (see “Collateralized Mortgage Obligations”).

Financial downturns (particularly an increase in delinquencies and defaults on residential mortgages, falling home prices, and unemployment) may adversely affect the market for mortgage-related securities. Many so-called sub-prime mortgage pools have become distressed during periods of economic distress and may trade at significant discounts to their face value during such periods. In addition, various market and governmental actions may impair the ability to foreclose on or exercise other remedies against underlying mortgage holders, or may reduce the amount received upon foreclosure. These factors may cause certain mortgage-related securities to experience lower valuations and reduced liquidity. There is also no assurance that the U.S. government will take further action to support the mortgage-related securities industry, as it has in the past, should the economy experience another downturn. Further, legislative action and any future government actions may significantly alter the manner in which the mortgage-related securities market functions. Each of these factors could ultimately increase the risk of losses on mortgage-related securities.

Mortgage Pass-Through Securities: Interests in pools of mortgage-related securities differ from other forms of debt instruments, 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 or commercial 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 property, refinancing or foreclosure, net of fees or costs which may be incurred. Some mortgage-related securities (such as securities issued by GNMA) 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.

The rate of pre-payments on underlying mortgages will affect the price and volatility of a mortgage-related security, and may have the effect of shortening or extending the effective duration of the security relative to what was anticipated at the time of purchase. To the extent that unanticipated rates of pre-payment on underlying mortgages increase the effective duration of a mortgage-related security, the volatility of such security can be expected to increase. The residential mortgage market in the United States has in the past experienced difficulties that may adversely affect the performance and market value of certain mortgage-related investments. Delinquencies and losses on residential mortgage loans (especially subprime and second-lien mortgage loans) generally have increased in the past and may continue to increase, and a decline in or flattening of housing values (as has in the past been experienced and may continue to be experienced in many housing markets) may exacerbate such delinquencies and losses. Borrowers with adjustable rate mortgage loans are more sensitive to changes in interest rates, which affect their monthly mortgage payments, and may be unable to secure replacement mortgages at comparably low interest rates. Also, a number of residential mortgage loan originators have experienced serious financial difficulties or bankruptcy. Due largely to the foregoing, reduced investor demand for mortgage loans and mortgage-related securities and increased investor yield requirements have caused limited liquidity in the secondary market for certain mortgage-related securities, which can adversely affect the market value of mortgage-related securities. It is possible that such limited liquidity in such secondary markets could continue or worsen.

Adjustable Rate Mortgage-Backed Securities: Adjustable rate mortgage-backed securities (“ARM MBSs”) have interest rates that reset at periodic intervals. Acquiring ARM MBSs permits participation in increases in prevailing current interest rates through periodic adjustments in the coupons of mortgages underlying the pool on which ARM MBSs are based. Such ARM MBSs generally have higher current yield and lower price fluctuations than is the case with more traditional fixed-income debt securities of comparable rating and maturity. In addition, when prepayments of principal are made on the underlying mortgages during periods of rising interest rates, there can be reinvestment in the proceeds of such prepayments at rates higher than those at which they were previously invested. Mortgages underlying most ARM MBSs, however, have limits on the allowable annual or lifetime increases that can be made in the interest rate that the mortgagor pays. Therefore, if current interest rates rise above such limits over the period of the limitation, there is no benefit from further increases in interest rates. Moreover, when interest rates are in excess of coupon rates (i.e., the rates being paid by mortgagors) of the mortgages, ARM MBSs behave more like fixed-income debt instruments and less like adjustable rate debt instruments and are subject to the risks associated with fixed-income debt instruments. In addition, during periods of rising interest rates, increases in the coupon rate of adjustable rate mortgages generally lag current market interest rates slightly, thereby creating the potential for capital depreciation on such securities.

Agency Mortgage-Related Securities: The principal governmental guarantor of mortgage-related securities is GNMA. GNMA is a wholly owned U.S. government corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. GNMA is authorized to guarantee, with the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, the timely payment of principal and 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 Administration (the “FHA”), or guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (the “VA”). Government-related guarantors (i.e., not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government) include FNMA and FHLMC. FNMA is a government-sponsored corporation. FNMA purchases conventional (i.e., not insured or guaranteed by any government agency) residential mortgages from a list of approved sellers/servicers which include state and federally chartered savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, commercial banks and credit unions and mortgage bankers. Pass-through securities issued by FNMA are guaranteed as to timely payment of principal and interest by FNMA, but are not backed by the full faith and mortgage credit for residential housing. It is a government-sponsored corporation that issues Participation Certificates (“PCs”), which are pass-through securities, each representing an undivided interest in a pool of residential mortgages. FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of principal, but PCs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

On September 6, 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) placed FNMA and FHLMC into conservatorship. As the conservator, FHFA succeeded to all rights, titles, powers and privileges of FNMA and FHLMC and of any stockholder, officer or director of FNMA and FHLMC with respect to FNMA and FHLMC and the assets of FNMA and FHLMC. FHFA selected a new chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors for each of FNMA and FHLMC.

FNMA and FHLMC are continuing to operate as going concerns while in conservatorship and each remain liable for all of its obligations, including its guaranty obligations, associated with its mortgage-backed securities. The Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement is intended to enhance each of FNMA’s and FHLMC’s ability to meet its obligations. The FHFA has indicated that the conservatorship of each enterprise will end when the director of FHFA determines that FHFA’s plan to restore the enterprise to a safe and solvent condition has been completed.

Under the Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008 (the “Reform Act”), which was included as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, FHFA, as conservator or receiver, has the power to repudiate any contract entered into by FNMA or FHLMC prior to FHFA’s appointment as conservator or receiver, as applicable, if FHFA determines, in its sole discretion, that performance of the contract is burdensome and that repudiation of the contract promotes the orderly administration of FNMA’s or FHLMC’s affairs. The Reform Act requires FHFA to exercise its right to repudiate any contract within a reasonable period of time after its appointment as conservator or receiver.

FHFA, in its capacity as conservator, has indicated that it has no intention to repudiate the guaranty obligations of FNMA or FHLMC because FHFA views repudiation as incompatible with the goals of the conservatorship. However, in the event that FHFA, as conservator or if it is later appointed as receiver for FNMA or FHLMC, were to repudiate any such guaranty obligation, the conservatorship or receivership estate, as applicable, would be liable for actual direct compensatory damages in accordance with the provisions of the Reform Act. Any such liability could be satisfied only to the extent of FNMA’s or FHLMC’s assets available therefor.

In the event of repudiation, the payments of interest to holders of FNMA or FHLMC mortgage-backed securities would be reduced if payments on the mortgage loans represented in the mortgage loan groups related to such mortgage-backed securities are not made by the borrowers or advanced by the servicer. Any actual direct compensatory damages for repudiating these guaranty obligations may not be sufficient to offset any shortfalls experienced by such mortgage-backed security holders.

Further, in its capacity as conservator or receiver, FHFA has the right to transfer or sell any asset or liability of FNMA or FHLMC without any approval, assignment or consent. Although FHFA has stated that it has no present intention to do so, if FHFA, as conservator or receiver, were to transfer any such guaranty obligation to another party, holders of FNMA or FHLMC mortgage-backed securities would have to rely on that party for satisfaction of the guaranty obligation and would be exposed to the credit risk of that party.

In addition, certain rights provided to holders of mortgage-backed securities issued by FNMA and FHLMC under the operative documents related to such securities may not be enforced against FHFA, or enforcement of such rights may be delayed, during the conservatorship or any future receivership. The operative documents for FNMA and FHLMC mortgage-backed securities may provide (or with respect to securities issued prior to the date of the appointment of the conservator may have provided) that upon the occurrence of an event of default on the part of FNMA or FHLMC, in its capacity as guarantor, which includes the appointment of a conservator or receiver, holders of such mortgage-backed securities have the right to replace FNMA or FHLMC as trustee if the requisite percentage of mortgage-backed

securities holders consent. The Reform Act prevents mortgage-backed security holders from enforcing such rights if the event of default arises solely because a conservator or receiver has been appointed. The Reform Act also provides that no person may exercise any right or power to terminate, accelerate or declare an event of default under certain contracts to which FNMA or FHLMC is a party, or obtain possession of or exercise control over any property of FNMA or FHLMC, or affect any contractual rights of FNMA or FHLMC, without the approval of FHFA, as conservator or receiver, for a period of 45 or 90 days following the appointment of FHFA as conservator or receiver, respectively.

To the extent third party entities involved with mortgage-backed securities issued by private issuers are involved in litigation relating to the securities, actions may be taken that are adverse to the interests of holders of the mortgage-backed securities, including each Portfolio. For example, third parties may seek to withhold proceeds due to holders of the mortgage-related securities, including each Portfolio, to cover legal or related costs. Any such action could result in losses to each Portfolio.

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations: Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (“CMOs”) are debt obligations of a legal entity that are collateralized by mortgages and divided into classes. Similar to a bond, interest and prepaid principal is paid, in most cases, on a monthly basis. CMOs may be collateralized by whole mortgage loans or private mortgage bonds, but are more typically collateralized by portfolios of mortgage pass-through securities guaranteed by GNMA, FHLMC, or FNMA, and their income streams.

CMOs are structured into multiple classes, often referred to as “tranches,” with each class bearing a different stated maturity and entitled to a different schedule for payments of principal and interest, including pre-payments. Actual maturity and average life will depend upon the pre-payment experience of the collateral. In the case of certain CMOs (known as “sequential pay” CMOs), payments of principal received from the pool of underlying mortgages, including pre-payments, are applied to the classes of CMOs in the order of their respective final distribution dates. Thus, no payment of principal will be made to any class of sequential pay CMOs until all other classes having an earlier final distribution date have been paid in full.

As CMOs have evolved, some classes of CMO bonds have become more common. For example, there may be investments in parallel-pay and planned amortization class (“PAC”) CMOs and multi-class pass-through certificates. Parallel-pay CMOs and multi-class pass-through certificates are structured to provide payments of principal on each payment date to more than one class. These simultaneous payments are taken into account in calculating the stated maturity date or final distribution date of each class, which, as with other CMO and multi-class pass-through structures, must be retired by its stated maturity date or final distribution date but may be retired earlier. PACs generally require payments of a specified amount of principal on each payment date. PACs are parallel-pay CMOs with the required principal amount on such securities having the highest priority after interest has been paid to all classes. Any CMO or multi-class pass through structure that includes PAC securities must also have support tranches—known as support bonds, companion bonds or non-PAC bonds—which lend or absorb principal cash flows to allow the PAC securities to maintain their stated maturities and final distribution dates within a range of actual prepayment experience. These support tranches are subject to a higher level of maturity risk compared to other mortgage-related securities, and usually provide a higher yield to compensate investors. If principal cash flows are received in amounts outside a pre-determined range such that the support bonds cannot lend or absorb sufficient cash flows to the PAC securities as intended, the PAC securities are subject to heightened maturity risk. A manager may invest in various tranches of CMO bonds, including support bonds.

CMO Residuals: CMO residuals are mortgage securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose entities of the foregoing.

The cash flow generated by the mortgage assets underlying a series of CMOs is applied first to make required payments of principal and interest on the CMOs and second to pay the related administrative expenses and any management fee of the issuer. The residual in a CMO structure generally represents the interest in any excess cash flow remaining after making the foregoing payments. Each payment of such excess cash flow to a holder of the related CMO residual represents income and/or a return of capital. The amount of residual cash flow resulting from a CMO will depend on, among other things, the characteristics of the mortgage assets, the coupon rate of each class of CMO, prevailing interest rates, the amount of administrative expenses and the pre-payment experience on the mortgage assets. In particular, the yield to maturity on CMO residuals is extremely sensitive to pre-payments on the related underlying mortgage assets, in the same manner as an interest-only (“IO”) class of stripped mortgage-backed securities. See “Other Mortgage- Related Securities-Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities.” In addition, if a series of a CMO includes a class that bears interest at an adjustable rate, the yield to maturity on the related CMO residual will also be extremely sensitive to changes in the level of the index upon which interest rate adjustments are based. As described below with respect to stripped mortgage-backed securities, in certain circumstances, the initial investment in a CMO residual may never be fully recouped.

CMO residuals are generally purchased and sold by institutional investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers. Transactions in CMO residuals are generally completed only after careful review of the characteristics of the securities in question. In addition, CMO residuals may, or pursuant to an exemption therefrom, may not have been registered under the 1933 Act. CMO residuals, whether or not registered under the 1933 Act, may be subject to certain restrictions on transferability.

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities: Commercial mortgage-backed securities include securities that reflect an interest in, and are secured by, mortgage loans on commercial real property. Many of the risks of investing in commercial mortgage-backed securities reflect the risks of investing in the real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans. These risks reflect the effects of local and other economic conditions on real estate markets, the ability of tenants to make loan payments, and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants. Commercial mortgage-backed securities may be less liquid and exhibit greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or asset-backed securities.

Reverse Mortgage-Related Securities and Other Mortgage-Related Securities: Reverse mortgage-related securities and other mortgage-related securities include securities other than those described above that directly or indirectly represent a participation in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans on real property, including mortgage dollar rolls, or stripped mortgage-backed securities (“SMBS”). Other mortgage-related securities may be equity or debt instruments issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government 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 of the foregoing.

Mortgage-related securities include, among other things, securities that reflect an interest in reverse mortgages. In a reverse mortgage, a lender makes a loan to a homeowner based on the homeowner’s equity in his or her home. While a homeowner must be age 62 or older to qualify for a reverse mortgage, reverse mortgages may have no income restrictions. Repayment of the interest or principal for the loan is generally not required until the homeowner dies, sells the home, or ceases to use the home as his or her primary residence.

There are three general types of reverse mortgages: (1) single-purpose reverse mortgages, which are offered by certain state and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations; (2) federally-insured reverse mortgages, which are backed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and (3) proprietary reverse mortgages, which are privately offered loans. A mortgage-related security may be backed by a single type of reverse mortgage. Reverse mortgage-related securities include agency and privately issued mortgage-related securities. The principal government guarantor of reverse mortgage-related securities is GNMA.

Reverse mortgage-related securities may be subject to risks different than other types of mortgage-related securities due to the unique nature of the underlying loans. The date of repayment for such loans is uncertain and may occur sooner or later than anticipated. The timing of payments for the corresponding mortgage-related security may be uncertain. Because reverse mortgages are offered only to persons 62 and older and there may be no income restrictions, the loans may react differently than traditional home loans to market events.

Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities: SMBS are derivative multi-class mortgage securities. SMBS may be issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government, or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose entities of the foregoing.

SMBS are usually structured with two classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of SMBS will have one class receiving some of the interest and most of the principal from the mortgage assets, while the other class will receive most of the interest and the remainder of the principal. In the most extreme case, one class will receive all of the interest (the “IO class”), while the other class will receive all of the principal (the principal-only or “PO class”). The yield to maturity on an IO class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including pre-payments) on the related underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on a yield to maturity from these securities. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated pre-payments of principal, there may be failure to recoup some or all of the initial investment in these securities even if the security is in one of the highest rating categories.

Privately Issued Mortgage-Related Securities: Commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers also create pass-through pools of conventional residential mortgage loans. Such issuers may be the originators and/or servicers of the underlying mortgage loans as well as the guarantors of the mortgage-related securities. Pools created by such non-governmental issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than government and government-related pools because there are no direct or indirect government or agency guarantees of payments in the former pools. However, timely payment of interest and principal of these pools may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit, which may be issued by governmental entities or private insurers. Such insurance and guarantees and the creditworthiness of the issuers thereof will be considered in determining whether a mortgage-related security meets certain investment quality standards. There can be no assurance that insurers or guarantors can meet their obligations under the insurance policies or guarantee arrangements. Mortgage-related securities without insurance or guarantees may be bought if, through an examination of the loan experience and practices of the originators/servicers and poolers, the Adviser or Sub-Adviser determines that the securities meet certain quality standards. Securities issued by certain private organizations may not be readily marketable.

Privately issued mortgage-related securities are not subject to the same underwriting requirements for the underlying mortgages that are applicable to those mortgage-related securities that have a government or government-sponsored entity guarantee. As a result, the mortgage loans underlying privately issued mortgage-related securities may, and frequently do, have less favorable collateral, credit risk or other underwriting characteristics than government or government-sponsored mortgage-related securities and have wider variances in a number of terms including interest rate, term, size, purpose and borrower characteristics. Mortgage pools underlying privately issued mortgage-related securities more frequently include second mortgages, high loan-to-value ratio mortgages and manufactured housing loans, in addition to commercial mortgages and other types of mortgages where a government or government sponsored entity guarantee is not available. The coupon rates and maturities of the underlying mortgage loans in a privately-issued mortgage-related securities pool may vary to a greater extent than those included in a government guaranteed pool, and the pool may include subprime mortgage loans. Subprime loans are 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.

The risk of non-payment is greater for mortgage-related securities that are backed by loans that were originated under weak underwriting standards, including loans made to borrowers with limited means to make repayment. A level of risk exists for all loans, although, historically, the poorest performing loans have been those classified as subprime. Other types of privately issued mortgage-related securities, such

as those classified as pay-option adjustable rate or Alt-A have also performed poorly. Even loans classified as prime have experienced higher levels of delinquencies and defaults. Market factors that may adversely affect mortgage loan repayment include adverse economic conditions, unemployment, a decline in the value of real property, or an increase in interest rates.

Privately issued mortgage-related securities are not traded on an exchange and there may be a limited market for the securities, especially when there is a perceived weakness in the mortgage and real estate market sectors. Without an active trading market, mortgage-related securities may be particularly difficult to value because of the complexities involved in assessing the value of the underlying mortgage loans.

Privately issued mortgage-related securities may be purchased that are originated, packaged and serviced by third party entities. It is possible these third parties could have interests that are in conflict with the holders of mortgage-related securities, and such holders could have rights against the third parties or their affiliates. For example, if a loan originator, servicer or its affiliates engaged in negligence or willful misconduct in carrying out its duties, then a holder of the mortgage-related security could seek recourse against the originator/servicer or its affiliates, as applicable. Also, as a loan originator/servicer, the originator/servicer or its affiliates may make certain representations and warranties regarding the quality of the mortgages and properties underlying a mortgage-related security. If one or more of those representations or warranties is false, then the holders of the mortgage-related securities could trigger an obligation of the originator/servicer or its affiliates, as applicable, to repurchase the mortgages from the issuing trust. Notwithstanding the foregoing, many of the third parties that are legally bound by trust and other documents have failed to perform their respective duties, as stipulated in such trust and other documents, and investors have had limited success in enforcing terms.

Mortgage-related securities that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, are not subject to the investment restrictions related to industry concentration by virtue of the exclusion from that test available to all U.S. government securities. The assets underlying such securities may be represented by a portfolio of residential or commercial mortgages (including both whole mortgage loans and mortgage participation interests that may be senior or junior in terms of priority of repayment) or portfolios of mortgage pass-through securities issued or guaranteed by GNMA, FNMA or FHLMC. Mortgage loans underlying a mortgage-related security may in turn be insured or guaranteed by the FHA or the VA. In the case of privately issued mortgage-related securities whose underlying assets are neither U.S. government securities nor U.S. government-insured mortgages, to the extent that real properties securing such assets may be located in the same geographical region, the security may be subject to a greater risk of default than other comparable securities in the event of adverse economic, political or business developments that may affect such region and, ultimately, the ability of residential homeowners to make payments of principal and interest on the underlying mortgages.

Tiered Index Bonds: Tiered index bonds are relatively new forms of mortgage-related securities. The interest rate on a tiered index bond is tied to a specified index or market rate. So long as this index or market rate is below a predetermined “strike” rate, the interest rate on the tiered index bond remains fixed. If, however, the specified index or market rate rises above the “strike” rate, the interest rate of the tiered index bond will decrease. Thus, under these circumstances, the interest rate on a tiered index bond, like an inverse floater, will move in the opposite direction of prevailing interest rates, with the result that the price of the tiered index bond may be considerably more volatile than that of a fixed-rate bond.

Municipal Securities: Municipal securities are debt instruments issued by state and local governments, municipalities, territories and possessions of the United States, regional government authorities, and their agencies and instrumentalities of states, and multi-state agencies or authorities, the interest of which, in the opinion of bond counsel to the issuer at the time of issuance, is exempt from federal income tax. Municipal securities include both notes (which have maturities of less than one (1) year) and bonds (which have maturities of one (1) 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, water and sewer works. Municipal securities may be issued to refinance outstanding obligations as well as to raise funds for general operating expenses and lending to other public institutions and facilities.

The two principal classifications of municipal securities are “general obligation” securities and “revenue” securities. General obligation securities are obligations secured by the issuer’s pledge of its full faith, credit, and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. 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 instruments 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. Revenue bonds are issued to finance a wide variety of capital projects including, among others: electric, gas, water, and sewer systems; highways, bridges, and tunnels; port and airport facilities; colleges and universities; and hospitals. Conditions in those sectors may affect the overall municipal securities markets.

Some longer-term municipal bonds give the investor the right to “put” or sell the security at par (face value) to the issuer within a specified number of days following the investor’s request. This demand feature enhances a security’s liquidity by shortening its effective maturity and enables it to trade at a price equal to or very close to par. If a demand feature terminates prior to being exercised, the longer-term securities still held could experience substantially more volatility.

Insured municipal debt involves scheduled payments of interest and principal 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.

Municipal securities are subject to credit and market risk. Generally, prices of higher quality issues tend to fluctuate less with changes in market interest rates than prices of lower quality issues and prices of longer maturity issues tend to fluctuate more than prices of shorter maturity issues. The secondary market for municipal bonds typically has been less liquid than that for taxable debt/fixed-income securities, and this may affect a Portfolio’s ability to sell particular municipal bonds at then-current market prices, especially in periods when other investors are attempting to sell the same securities.

Prices and yields on municipal bonds are dependent on a variety of factors, including general money-market conditions, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the municipal bond market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. A number of these factors, including the ratings of particular issues, are subject to change from time to time. Information about the financial condition of an issuer of municipal bonds may not be as extensive as that which is made available by corporations whose securities are publicly traded.

Securities, including municipal securities, are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the federal Bankruptcy Code (including special provisions related to municipalities and other public entities), and laws, if any, that may be enacted by Congress or state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. There is also the possibility that, as a result of litigation or other conditions, the power, ability or willingness of issuers to meet their obligations for the payment of interest and principal on their municipal securities may be materially affected or their obligations may be found to be invalid or unenforceable. Such litigation or conditions may from time to time have the effect of introducing uncertainties in the market for municipal securities or certain segments thereof, or of materially affecting the credit risk with respect to particular securities. Adverse economic, business, legal or political developments might affect all or a substantial portion of a Portfolio’s municipal securities in the same manner.

From time to time, proposals have been introduced before Congress that, if enacted, would have the effect of restricting or eliminating the federal income tax exemption for interest on debt instruments issued by states and their political subdivisions. Federal tax laws limit the types and amounts of tax-exempt bonds issuable for certain purposes, especially industrial development bonds and private activity bonds. Such limits may affect the future supply and yields of these types of municipal securities. Further proposals limiting the issuance of municipal securities may well be introduced in the future.

Industrial Development and Pollution Control Bonds: Industrial development bonds and pollution control bonds, which in most cases are revenue bonds and generally are not payable from the unrestricted revenues of an issuer, are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to raise money to finance privately operated facilities for business, manufacturing, housing, sport complexes, and pollution control. The principal security for these bonds is generally the net revenues derived from a particular facility, group of facilities, or in some cases, the proceeds of a special excise tax or other specific revenue sources. Consequently, the credit quality of these securities is dependent upon the ability of the user of the facilities financed by the bonds and any guarantor to meet its financial obligations.

Moral Obligation Securities: Moral obligation securities are usually issued by special purpose public authorities. A moral obligation security is a type of state issued municipal bond which is backed by a moral, not a legal, obligation. If the issuer of a moral obligation security 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 that created the issuer.

Municipal Lease Obligations and Certificates of Participation: Municipal lease obligations and participations in municipal leases are undivided interests in an obligation in the form of a lease or installment purchase or conditional sales contract which is issued by a state, local government, or a municipal financing corporation to acquire land, equipment, and/or facilities (collectively hereinafter referred to as “Lease Obligations”). Generally Lease Obligations do not constitute general obligations of the municipality for which the municipality’s taxing power is pledged. Instead, a Lease Obligation is ordinarily backed by the municipality’s covenant to budget for, appropriate, and make the payments due under the Lease Obligation. As a result of this structure, Lease Obligations are generally not subject to state constitutional debt limitations or other statutory requirements that may apply to other municipal securities.

Lease Obligations may contain “non-appropriation” clauses, which provide that the municipality has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless money is appropriated for that purpose on a yearly basis. If the municipality does not appropriate in its budget enough to cover the payments on the Lease Obligation, the lessor may have the right to repossess and relet the property to another party. Depending on the property subject to the lease, the value of the property may not be sufficient to cover the debt.

In addition to the risk of “non-appropriation,” municipal lease securities may not have as highly liquid a market as conventional municipal bonds.

Short-Term Municipal Obligations: Short-term municipal securities include tax anticipation notes, revenue anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes, construction loan notes and short-term discount notes. Tax anticipation notes are used to finance working capital needs of municipalities and are issued in anticipation of various seasonal tax revenues, to be payable from these specific future taxes. They are usually general obligations of the issuer, secured by the taxing power of the municipality for the payment of principal and interest when due. Revenue anticipation notes are generally issued in expectation of receipt of other kinds of revenue, such as the revenues expected to be generated from a particular project. Bond anticipation notes normally are issued to provide interim financing until long-term financing can be arranged. The long-term bonds then provide the money for the repayment of the notes. Construction loan notes are sold to provide construction financing for specific projects. After successful completion and acceptance, many such projects may receive permanent financing through another source. Short-term Discount notes (tax-exempt commercial paper) are short-term (365 days or less) promissory notes issued by municipalities to supplement their cash flow. Revenue anticipation notes, construction loan notes, and short-term discount notes may, but will not necessarily, be general obligations of the issuer.

Senior and Other Bank Loans: Investments in variable or floating rate loans or notes (“Senior Loans”) are typically made by purchasing an assignment of a portion of a Senior Loan from a third party, either in connection with the original loan transaction (i.e., the primary market) or after the initial loan transaction (i.e., in the secondary market). A Portfolio may also make its investments in Senior Loans through the use of derivative instruments as long as the reference obligation for such instrument is a Senior Loan. In addition, a Portfolio has the ability to act as an agent in originating and administering a loan on behalf of all lenders or as one of a group of co-agents in originating loans.

Investment Quality and Credit Analysis

The Senior Loans in which a Portfolio may invest generally are rated below investment-grade credit quality or are unrated. In acquiring a loan, the manager will consider some or all of the following factors concerning the borrower: ability to service debt from internally generated funds; adequacy of liquidity and working capital; appropriateness of capital structure; leverage consistent with industry norms; historical experience of achieving business and financial projections; the quality and experience of management; and adequacy of collateral coverage. The manager performs its own independent credit analysis of each borrower. In so doing, the manager may utilize information and credit analyses from agents that originate or administer loans, other lenders investing in a loan, and other sources. The manager also may communicate directly with management of the borrowers. These analyses continue on a periodic basis for any Senior Loan held by a Portfolio.

Senior Loan Characteristics

Senior Loans are loans that are typically made to business borrowers to finance leveraged buy-outs, recapitalizations, mergers, stock repurchases, and internal growth. Senior Loans generally hold the most senior position in the capital structure of a borrower and are usually secured by liens on the assets of the borrowers; including tangible assets such as cash, accounts receivable, inventory, property, plant and equipment, common and/or preferred stocks of subsidiaries; and intangible assets including trademarks, copyrights, patent rights, and franchise value. They may also provide guarantees as a form of collateral. Senior Loans are typically structured to include two or more types of loans within a single credit agreement. The most common structure is to have a revolving loan and a term loan. A revolving loan is a loan that can be drawn upon, repaid fully or partially, and then the repaid portions can be drawn upon again. A term loan is a loan that is fully drawn upon immediately and once repaid it cannot be drawn upon again.

Sometimes there may be two or more term loans and they may be secured by different collateral, have different repayment schedules and maturity dates. In addition to revolving loans and term loans, Senior Loan structures can also contain facilities for the issuance of letters of credit and may contain mechanisms for lenders to pre-fund letters of credit through credit-linked deposits.

By virtue of their senior position and collateral, Senior Loans typically provide lenders with the first right to cash flows or proceeds from the sale of a borrower’s collateral if the borrower becomes insolvent (subject to the limitations of bankruptcy law, which may provide higher priority to certain claims such as employee salaries, employee pensions, and taxes). This means Senior Loans are generally repaid before unsecured bank loans, corporate bonds, subordinated debt, trade creditors, and preferred or common stockholders.

Senior Loans typically pay interest at least quarterly at rates, which equal a fixed percentage spread over a base rate such as the LIBOR. For example, if LIBOR were 3% and the borrower was paying a fixed spread of 2.50%, the total interest rate paid by the borrower would be 5.50%. Base rates, and therefore the total rates paid on Senior Loans, float, i.e., they change as market rates of interest change.

Although a base rate such as LIBOR can change every day, loan agreements for Senior Loans typically allow the borrower the ability to choose how often the base rate for its loan will change. A single loan may have multiple reset periods at the same time, with each reset period applicable to a designated portion of the loan. Such periods can range from one day to one year, with most borrowers choosing monthly or quarterly reset periods. During periods of rising interest rates, borrowers will tend to choose longer reset periods, and during periods of declining interest rates, borrowers will tend to choose shorter reset periods. The fixed spread over the base rate on a Senior Loan typically does not change.

Agents

Senior Loans generally are arranged through private negotiations between a borrower and several financial institutions represented by an agent who is usually one of the originating lenders. In larger transactions, it is common to have several agents; however, generally only one such agent has primary responsibility for ongoing administration of a Senior Loan. Agents are typically paid fees by the borrower for their services.

The agent is primarily responsible for negotiating the loan agreement which establishes the terms and conditions of the Senior Loan and the rights of the borrower and the lenders. An agent for a loan is required to administer and manage the loan and to service or monitor the collateral. The agent is also responsible for the collection of principal, interest, and fee payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to the credit of all lenders which are parties to the loan agreement. The agent is charged with the responsibility of monitoring compliance by the borrower with the restrictive covenants in the loan agreement and of notifying the lenders of any adverse change in the borrower’s financial condition. In addition, the agent generally is responsible for determining that the lenders have obtained a perfected security interest in the collateral securing the loan.

Loan agreements may provide for the termination of the agent’s agency status in the event that it fails to act as required under the relevant loan agreement, becomes insolvent, enters FDIC receivership or, if not FDIC insured, enters into bankruptcy. Should such an agent, lender or assignor with respect to an assignment inter-positioned between a Portfolio and the borrower become insolvent or enter FDIC receivership or bankruptcy, any interest in the Senior Loan of such person and any loan payment held by such person for the benefit

of the fund should not be included in such person’s or entity’s bankruptcy estate. If, however, any such amount were included in such person’s or entity’s bankruptcy estate, a Portfolio would incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment or could suffer a loss of principal or interest. In this event, a Portfolio could experience a decrease in the NAV.

Typically, under loan agreements, the agent is given broad discretion in enforcing the loan agreement and is obligated to use the same care it would use in the management of its own property. The borrower compensates the agent for these services. Such compensation may include special fees paid on structuring and funding the loan and other fees on a continuing basis. The precise duties and rights of an agent are defined in the loan agreement.

When a Portfolio is an agent it has, as a party to the loan agreement, a direct contractual relationship with the borrower and, prior to allocating portions of the loan to the lenders if any, assumes all risks associated with the loan. The agent may enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement. Agents also have voting and consent rights under the applicable loan agreement. Action subject to agent vote or consent generally requires the vote or consent of the holders of some specified percentage of the outstanding principal amount of the loan, which percentage varies depending on the relative loan agreement. Certain decisions, such as reducing the amount or increasing the time for payment of interest on or repayment of principal of a loan, or relating collateral therefor, frequently require the unanimous vote or consent of all lenders affected.

Pursuant to the terms of a loan agreement, the agent typically has sole responsibility for servicing and administering a loan on behalf of the other lenders. Each lender in a loan is generally responsible for performing its own credit analysis and its own investigation of the financial condition of the borrower. Generally, loan agreements will hold the agent liable for any action taken or omitted that amounts to gross negligence or willful misconduct. In the event of a borrower’s default on a loan, the loan agreements provide that the lenders do not have recourse against a Portfolio for its activities as agent. Instead, lenders will be required to look to the borrower for recourse.

At times a Portfolio may also negotiate with the agent regarding the agent’s exercise of credit remedies under a Senior Loan.

Additional Costs

When a Portfolio purchases a Senior Loan in the primary market, it may share in a fee paid to the original lender. When a Portfolio purchases a Senior Loan in the secondary market, it may pay a fee to, or forego a portion of the interest payments from, the lending making the assignment.

A Portfolio may be required to pay and receive various fees and commissions in the process of purchasing, selling, and holding loans. The fee component may include any, or a combination of, the following elements: arrangement fees, non-use fees, facility fees, letter of credit fees, and ticking fees. Arrangement fees are paid at the commencement of a loan as compensation for the initiation of the transaction. A non-use fee is paid based upon the amount committed but not used under the loan. Facility fees are on-going annual fees paid in connection with a loan. Letter of credit fees are paid if a loan involves a letter of credit. Ticking fees are paid from the initial commitment indication until loan closing if for an extended period. The amount of fees is negotiated at the time of closing.

Loan Participation and Assignments

A Portfolio’s investment in loan participations typically will result in the fund having a contractual relationship only with the lender and not with the borrower. A Portfolio will have the right to receive payments of principal, interest, and any fees to which it is entitled only from the lender selling the participation and only upon receipt by the lender of the payments from the borrower. In connection with purchasing participation, a Portfolio generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement relating to the loan, nor any right of set-off against the borrower, and a Portfolio may not directly benefit from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, a Portfolio may be subject to the credit risk of both the borrower and the lender that is selling the participation. In the event of the insolvency of the lender selling the participation, a Portfolio may be treated as a general creditor of the lender and may not benefit from any set-off between the lender and the borrower.

When a Portfolio is a purchaser of an assignment, it succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the loan agreement of the assigning lender and becomes a lender under the loan agreement with the same rights and obligations as the assigning lender. These rights include the ability to vote along with the other lenders on such matters as enforcing the terms of the loan agreement (e.g., declaring defaults, initiating collection action, etc.). Taking such actions typically requires at least a vote of the lenders holding a majority of the investment in the loan and may require a vote by lenders holding two-thirds or more of the investment in the loan. Because a Portfolio usually does not hold a majority of the investment in any loan, it will not be able by itself to control decisions that require a vote by the lenders.

Because assignments are arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and potential assignors, the rights and obligations acquired by a Portfolio as the purchaser of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning lender. Because there is no liquid market for such assets, a Portfolio anticipates that such assets could be sold only to a limited number of institutional investors. The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an adverse impact on the value of such assets and a Portfolio’s ability to dispose of particular assignments or participations when necessary to meet redemption of fund shares, to meet a Portfolio’s liquidity needs or, in response to a specific economic event such as deterioration in the creditworthiness of the borrower. The lack of a liquid secondary market for assignments and participations also may make it more difficult for a Portfolio to value these assets for purposes of calculating its NAV.

Additional Information on Loans

The loans in which a Portfolio may invest usually include restrictive covenants which must be maintained by the borrower. Such covenants, in addition to the timely payment of interest and principal, may include mandatory prepayment provisions arising from free