Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund

 

(CMALX)

 

PROSPECTUS

 

April 30, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE:

To provide current income.

 

600 Galleria Parkway, SE

Suite 1650

Atlanta, GA 30339

 

www.crawfordinvestmentfunds.com

 

(800) 431-1716

 

 

 

 

 

Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved
or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any
representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

SUMMARY SECTION   1
Investment Objective   1
Fees and Expenses of the Fund   1
Portfolio Turnover   2
Principal Investment Strategies   2
Principal Risks   2
Performance   6
Portfolio Management   7
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares   7
Tax Information   7
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries   8
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND’S PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS   8
Investment Objective   8
Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund   8
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund   9
Changes in Investment Objective or Policies   13
Temporary Defensive Positions   13
Portfolio Holdings   13
Cybersecurity   13
ACCOUNT INFORMATION   14
How to Buy Shares   14
How to Redeem Shares   16
Determination of Net Asset Value   19
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes   20
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND   21
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS   23
for more information   Back Cover

 

 

 

SUMMARY SECTION

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund (the “Fund”) is to provide current income.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and examples below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)    
     
Management Fees   1.00%
Other Expenses   0.20%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses1   0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses   1.20%
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement2   (0.21)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement)   0.99%

 

1 Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. AFFE in the table above round to less than 0.005%.
2 The Fund’s Adviser has agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse expenses so that total annual operating expenses, excluding portfolio transaction and other investment-related costs (including brokerage fees and commissions); taxes; borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short); acquired fund fees and expenses; fees and expenses associated with investments in other collective investment vehicles or derivative instruments (including for example option and swap fees and expenses); expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization; extraordinary expenses (such as litigation expenses, indemnification of Trust officers and Trustees and contractual indemnification of Fund service providers); and other expenses that the Trustees agree have not been incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, do not exceed 0.99% through April 30, 2024. This expense cap may not be terminated prior to this date except by the Board of Trustees. Each waiver/expense payment by the Adviser is subject to recoupment by the Adviser from the Fund in the three years following the date the particular waiver/expense payment occurred, but only if such recoupment can be achieved without exceeding the annual expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver/expense payment and any expense limitation in effect at the time of the recoupment.

 

Expense Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same and the expense reduction/reimbursement described above remains in place for the contractual period only. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

 

1 Year   3 Years   5 Years   10 Years
$101   $360   $639   $1,436

 

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Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the Expense Example, above, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 36% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund pursues a multi-asset income strategy with the primary objective of generating current income. The Fund invests primarily in dividend paying common stocks, preferred stocks, corporate bonds, U.S. government securities, convertible bonds and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). The Fund may invest throughout the investment quality spectrum, including debt securities with below investment grade ratings (“junk bonds”). Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. (the “Adviser”) utilizes a bottom-up approach to security selection. The Fund emphasizes income over capital appreciation.

 

The Adviser seeks to provide diversified exposure across income producing assets. Within each asset class, the Adviser places an emphasis on the relative quality among the investments available. The Adviser also assesses each security’s risk profile and attempts to balance the Fund’s holdings across the four primary risk categories of market risk, interest rate risk, oil/energy price risk and credit risk. The Fund plans to invest in high yield, dividend paying stocks across the capitalization spectrum. The Fund may invest in bonds of all maturities. The Fund’s maturity strategy will be heavily influenced by yield opportunities, which will be balanced by interest rate risk.

 

Under normal circumstances the Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in income producing securities. The Fund may invest in equity securities of foreign issuers, directly or indirectly through American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or other types of depositary receipts. The Fund may also invest in business development companies (“BDCs”), master limited partnerships (“MLPs”), residential mortgage backed securities (“RMBS”), commercial mortgage backed securities (“CMBS”), asset backed securities (“ABS”), and closed end funds. The Adviser typically seeks to hold between 30 and 125 securities (although the number may vary depending on market conditions).

 

The Fund may at times overweight certain economic sector/asset classes in comparison to the Fund’s benchmark, the NASDAQ U.S. Multi-Asset Diversified Income Index, because the Adviser seeks the best investment opportunities regardless of sector or asset class. The Adviser generally purchases securities for the long-term. As a result, the Adviser believes that under normal circumstances the Fund will have low turnover, which should help minimize short-term capital gains and postpone long-term capital gains. However, when the Adviser deems that changes will benefit the Fund, portfolio turnover will not be a limiting factor.

 

The Fund may sell a security when the Adviser believes that the company’s fundamentals have deteriorated, if the company decreases its dividends, or if the security has become overvalued in the opinion of the Adviser. The Fund also may sell a security when the current yield is incompatible with the Fund’s objective of providing current income or the Adviser believes that a better investment opportunity is present.

 

Principal Risks

 

All investments involve risk, and the Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by any government agency. As with any mutual fund investment, the Fund’s returns and share price will fluctuate, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. Below are some of the specific risks of investing in the Fund.

 

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Market and Geopolitical Risk. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters, climate and climate related events, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years, such as terrorist attacks around the world, natural disasters, social and political discord or debt crises and downgrades, among others, may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets. There is a risk that you may lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

COVID-19 Risk. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic and the responses taken by many governments resulted in travel restrictions, closed international borders, enhanced health screenings, disruption and delays in healthcare services, prolonged quarantines, cancellations, temporary store closures, social distancing, government ordered curfews and business closures, disruptions to supply chains and consumer activity, shortages, highly volatile financial markets, and negative impacts, in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic shutdown, which may impact your Fund investments.

 

Dividend Risk. Changes to the dividend policies of companies in which the Fund invests and the capital resources available for dividend payment at such companies may harm Fund performance. The Fund may also be harmed by changes to the favorable federal income tax treatment generally afforded to dividends.

 

Large-Cap Risk. Larger, more established companies may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful, smaller companies during periods of economic expansion.

 

Small- and Mid-Cap Risk. Investments in small- and mid-cap companies may be riskier than investments in larger, more established companies. The securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in lower volumes than securities of larger companies. In addition, smaller companies may be more vulnerable to economic, market and industry changes. As a result, share price changes may be more sudden or erratic than the prices of other equity securities, especially over the short term. Because smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources or may depend on a few key employees, they may be more susceptible to particular economic events or competitive factors than larger companies.

 

Interest Rate Risk. The market value of the securities in which the Fund invests and, thus, the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), can be expected to vary inversely with changes in interest rates. Interest rate risk is the risk that the prices of securities held by the Fund (to the extent their prices are dependent on their income-producing features, such as dividends or interest) will decline over short or even long periods of time due to rising interest rates. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter-term investments and higher for longer-term investments.

 

Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a security or other instrument will not be able to make principal and interest payments when due. Generally, the lower the credit rating of the security the greater the risk that the issuer will default on its obligations. If this occurs, or is perceived as likely to occur, the value of the security will likely fall.

 

U.S. Government Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities. These securities may be backed by the credit of the government as a whole or only by the issuing agency. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies and instrumentalities if it is not required to do so by law. Neither the U.S. government nor its agencies guarantee the market value of their securities, and interest rate changes, prepayments and other factors may affect the value of the government securities.

 

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Convertible Securities Risk. A convertible security is a fixed income security (a debt instrument or a preferred stock) that may be converted at a stated price within a specified period of time into a certain quantity of the common stock of the same or a different issuer. While providing a fixed income stream (generally higher in yield than the income derivable from common stock but lower than that afforded by a similar non-convertible security) a convertible security also gives an investor the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation of the issuing company depending upon a market price advance in the convertible security’s underlying common stock. As a result of these features, a convertible security is subject to many of the risks to which common stock and fixed income securities are subject.

 

Stock and Preferred Stock Risk. Because stocks are generally more volatile than fixed income securities, the risk of losses is often higher for funds holding stocks than for those investing only in fixed income securities. Preferred stock is subject to many of the risks to which common stock and fixed income securities are subject, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, preferred stock may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as provisions allowing the stock to be called or redeemed, which can limit the benefit of a decline in interest rates.

 

Active Management Risk. Because the Fund is actively managed, it may underperform its benchmark or other funds with similar investment objectives. The Adviser’s investment strategy may fail to produce the intended results and the Fund may fail to meet its investment objective.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Investing in foreign securities may involve risks not associated with U.S. investments, including settlement risks, currency fluctuation, local withholding and other taxes, different financial reporting practices and regulatory standards, high costs of trading, changes in political conditions, expropriation, investment and repatriation restrictions, and settlement and custody risks.

 

Depositary Receipt Risk. ADRs and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) are receipts, issued by depository banks in the U.S. or elsewhere, for shares of a foreign-based corporation that entitle the holder to dividends and capital gains on the underlying security. ADRs and GDRs may be sponsored or unsponsored. In addition to the risks of investing in foreign securities, there is no guarantee that an ADR or GDR issuer will continue to offer a particular ADR or GDR. As a result, the Fund may have difficulty selling the ADRs or GDRs, or selling them quickly and efficiently at the prices at which they have been valued. The issuers of unsponsored ADRs or GDRs are not obligated to disclose information that is considered material in the U.S. and voting rights with respect to the deposited securities are not passed through. ADRs or GDRs may not track the prices of the underlying foreign securities on which they are based, and their values may change materially at times when U.S. markets are not open for trading. Certain ADRs or GDRs are not listed on an exchange and therefore may be illiquid.

 

Currency Risk. Foreign investments also may be riskier than U.S. investments because of fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Exchange rate fluctuations may reduce or eliminate gains or create losses. The Adviser does not hedge against currency movements in the various markets in which foreign issuers are located, so the values of the Fund’s foreign securities are subject to the risk of adverse changes in currency exchange rates.

 

REIT Risk. The value of REITs can be negatively impacted by declines in the value of real estate, adverse general and local economic conditions and environmental problems. REITs are also subject to certain other risks related specifically to their structure and focus, such as: (a) dependency upon management’s skills; (b) limited diversification; (c) heavy cash flow dependency; (d) possible default by borrowers; and (e) in many cases, less liquidity and greater price volatility.

 

Publicly Traded Master Limited Partnership Risk. Investments in publicly traded master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) are subject to various risks related to the underlying operating companies controlled by the MLPs, including dependence upon specialized management skills and the risk that the underlying companies may lack or have limited operating histories. The success of the Fund’s investments also will vary depending on the underlying industry represented by the MLP’s portfolio. For example, when the Fund

 

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    invests in MLPs that invest in oil and gas companies, its return on the investment will be highly dependent on oil and gas prices, which can be highly volatile. Similarly, MLPs that invest in real estate typically are subject to risks similar to those of a REIT. Unlike ownership of common stock of a corporation, the Fund would have limited voting rights and have no ability annually to elect directors in connection with its investment in an MLP.

 

MLP Tax Risk. MLPs, typically, do not pay U.S. federal income tax at the partnership level. Instead, each partner is allocated a share of the partnership’s income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses. A change in current tax law or in the underlying business mix of a given MLP could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in the MLP being required to pay U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income. The classification of an MLP as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes would have the effect of reducing the amount of cash available for distribution by the MLP. Thus, if any of the MLPs owned by the Fund were treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it could result in a reduction of the value of your investment in the Fund and lower income, as compared to an MLP that is not taxed as a corporation.

 

BDC Risk. BDCs have little or no operating history and may carry risks similar to those of a private equity or venture capital fund. BDC securities are not redeemable at the option of the shareholder and they may trade in the market at a discount to their NAV. A significant portion of a BDC’s investments are recorded at fair value as determined by its board of directors, which may create uncertainty as to the value of the BDC’s investments. Non-traded BDCs are illiquid and it may not be possible to redeem shares or to do so without paying a substantial penalty. Publicly-traded BDCs usually trade at a discount to their NAV because they invest in unlisted securities and have limited access to capital markets.

 

Closed-End Fund Risk. Closed-end funds are subject to management risk because the adviser to the underlying closed-end fund may be unsuccessful in meeting the fund’s investment objective. These funds may also trade at a discount or premium to their NAV and may trade at a larger discount or smaller premium subsequent to purchase by the Fund. Since closed-end funds trade on exchanges, the Fund will also incur brokerage expenses and commissions when it buys or sells closed-end fund shares.

 

Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in ABS and mortgage-backed securities, the Fund is subject to credit risk because underlying loan borrowers may default. Borrower default rates may be significantly higher than estimated. Additionally, these securities are subject to call or prepayment risk because the underlying loans held by the issuers may be paid off prior to maturity at faster or slower rates than expected.

 

High Yield Securities Risk. Below investment grade bonds, known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, often are considered to be speculative and present greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased risk of default or price change due to changes in the issuer’s creditworthiness or changes in economic conditions. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these bonds and reduce the Fund’s ability to sell its bonds. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Fund’s share price.

 

Sector Concentration Risk. The Fund may focus its investments in securities of a particular sector. Economic, legislative or regulatory developments may occur that significantly affect the sector. This may cause the Fund’s NAV to fluctuate more than that of a fund that does not focus in a particular sector.

 

Investment Company Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in other investment companies, including closed end investment companies and BDCs, it will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses payable directly by the other investment company. Therefore, the Fund will incur higher expenses, many of which may be duplicative. In addition, the Fund may be affected by losses of the underlying funds and the level of risk arising from the investment practices of the underlying funds (such as the use of leverage by the underlying funds).

 

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Issuer Cybersecurity Risk. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, counterparties with which the Fund engages in transactions, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions may experience cybersecurity breaches. These breaches may result in harmful disruptions to operations and may negatively impact the financial condition of an issuer or market participant. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

 

 

Performance

 

The bar chart below shows how the Fund’s investment results have varied from year to year. The table below shows how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare over time to those of a broad-based securities market index. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance of the Fund is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future.

 

Annual Total Return (years ended December 31st)

 

 

Years

The Best/Worst quarterly results during this time period were:

 

Best Quarter: 2nd Quarter, 2020, 13.76%
Worst Quarter: 1st Quarter,2020, (28.10)%

 

Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2022)

 

Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund   One Year   Five Years   Since
Inception
(09/12/2017)
Return Before Taxes   (1.00) %   4.07%   3.86%
Return After Taxes on Distributions   (2.12) %   2.84%   2.63%
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares   0.21%   2.91%   2.73%
             
NASDAQ U.S. Multi-Asset Diversified Income Index1   (3.71)%   1.79%   1.98%

 

1 The NASDAQ U.S. Multi-Asset Diversified Income IndexSM is designed to provide exposure to multiple asset segments, each selected to result in a consistent and high yield. The index is comprised of securities classified as U.S. equities, U.S. Real Estate Investment Trusts, U.S. preferred securities, U.S. Master Limited Partnerships, and a high-yield corporate debt Exchange Traded Fund and is representative of a broader market and range of securities than are found in the Fund’s portfolio. Index returns do not reflect the deduction of expenses, which have been deducted from the Fund’s returns. Index returns assume reinvestment of all distributions and do not reflect the deduction of taxes and fees. Individuals cannot invest directly in an index; however, an individual may invest in exchange-traded funds or other investment vehicles that attempt to track the performance of a benchmark index.

 

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After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”). The index returns presented above assume reinvestment of all distributions and exclude the effect of taxes and fees (if taxes and fees were deducted, the actual returns of the index would be lower).

 

Current performance of the Fund may be lower or higher than the performance quoted above. Performance data current to the most recent month end may be obtained by calling (800) 431-1716, a toll-free number, or data current to the most recent quarter end may be accessed on the Fund’s website at www.crawfordinvestmentfunds.com.

 

Portfolio Management

 

Investment Adviser – Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

John H. Crawford, IV, CFA – Managing Director of Equity Investments and Portfolio Manager for the Fund since its inception in September 2017.

 

Aaron R. Foresman, CFA – Managing Director of Equity Research, Portfolio Manager of the Multi-Asset Income Strategy and Portfolio Manager for the Fund since its inception in September 2017.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

Minimum Initial Investment

$10,000 for all account types

 

There is no minimum amount for subsequent investments.

 

To Place Buy or Sell Orders

 

By Mail: Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund
  c/o: Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
  P.O. Box 46707
  Cincinnati, Ohio 45246-0707
By Phone: (800) 431-1716

 

You may sell or redeem shares directly through the Fund or through your dealer or financial adviser. Please contact your financial intermediary directly to find out if additional requirements apply.

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund’s distributions are taxable and will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan, IRA or 529 college savings plan. Tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those accounts.

 

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Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

If you purchase Fund shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or trust company), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create conflicts of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND’S PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT
STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS

 

Investment Objective

 

The investment objective of the Fund is to provide current income.

 

Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund

 

The Fund pursues a multi-asset income strategy with the primary objective of generating current income. The Fund invests primarily in dividend paying common stocks, preferred stocks, corporate bonds, U.S. government securities, convertible bonds and real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). The Fund may invest throughout the investment quality spectrum, including debt securities with below investment grade ratings (“junk bonds”). Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. (the “Adviser”) utilizes a bottom-up approach to security selection. The Fund emphasizes income over capital appreciation.

 

The Adviser seeks to provide diversified exposure across income producing assets. Within each asset class, the Adviser places an emphasis on the relative quality among the investments available. The Adviser also assesses each security’s risk profile and attempts to balance the Fund’s holdings across the four primary risk categories of market risk, interest rate risk, oil/energy price risk and credit risk. The Fund plans to invest in high yield, dividend paying stocks across the capitalization spectrum. The Fund may invest in bonds of all maturities. The Fund’s maturity strategy will be heavily influenced by yield opportunities, which will be balanced by interest rate risk.

 

Under normal circumstances the Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in income producing securities. The Fund may invest in equity securities of foreign issuers, directly or indirectly through American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) or other types of depositary receipts. The Fund may also invest in business development companies (“BDCs”), master limited partnerships (“MLPs”), residential mortgage backed securities (“RMBS”), commercial mortgage backed securities (“CMBS”), asset backed securities (“ABS”), and closed end funds. The Adviser typically seeks to hold between 30 and 125 securities (although the number may vary depending on market conditions).

 

The Fund may at times overweight certain economic sector/asset classes in comparison to the Fund’s benchmark, the NASDAQ U.S. Multi-Asset Diversified Income Index, because the Adviser seeks the best investment opportunities regardless of sector or asset class. The Adviser generally purchases securities for the long-term. As a result, the Adviser believes that under normal circumstances the Fund will have low turnover, which should help minimize short-term capital gains and postpone long-term capital gains. However, when the Adviser deems that changes will benefit the Fund, portfolio turnover will not be a limiting factor.

 

The Fund may sell a security when the Adviser believes that the company’s fundamentals have deteriorated, if the company decreases its dividends, or if the stock has become overvalued in the opinion of the Adviser. The Fund also may sell a security when the current yield is incompatible with the Fund’s objective of providing current income or

 

8

 

 

the Adviser believes that a better investment opportunity is present.

 

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

 

All investments involve risks, and the Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by any government agency. As with any mutual fund investment, the Fund’s returns and share price will fluctuate, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. Below are some of the specific risks of investing in the Fund.

 

Market and Geopolitical Risk. The prices of securities held by the Fund may decline sharply in response to certain events taking place around the world, including those directly involving the companies whose securities are owned by the Fund; conditions affecting the general economy; overall market changes; local, regional or global political, social or economic instability; and currency, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations. The market’s daily movements, sometimes called volatility, may be greater or less depending on the types of securities the Fund owns and the markets in which the securities trade. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters, climate and climate related events, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years, such as terrorist attacks around the world, natural disasters, social and political discord or debt crises and downgrades, among others, may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets. The value and growth-oriented equity securities purchased by the Fund may experience large price swings and potential for loss.

 

COVID-19 Risk. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic and the responses taken by many governments resulted in travel restrictions, closed international borders, enhanced health screenings, disruption and delays in healthcare services, prolonged quarantines, cancellations, temporary store closures, social distancing, government ordered curfews and business closures, disruptions to supply chains and consumer activity, shortages, highly volatile financial markets, and negative impacts, in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic shutdown, which may impact your Fund investments. The impact of COVID-19, and other infectious illness outbreaks that may arise in the future, could adversely affect the economies and capital markets of many nations or the entire global economy, as well as individual companies, entire sectors, and securities and commodities markets (including liquidity), in ways that may not necessarily be foreseen at the present time. COVID-19 and other health crises in the future may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks, and its impact in developing or emerging market countries may be greater due to less established health care systems. The duration and ultimate impact of the current outbreak is not known. There is a risk that you may lose money by investing in the Fund.

 

Dividend Risk. The dividend policies of the Fund’s portfolio companies are highly influenced by the favorable federal income tax treatment generally afforded to dividends. Any change in this favorable federal income tax treatment may hurt the value of the Fund’s portfolio and the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment objective. The ability of the Fund’s portfolio companies to pay dividends is dependent on the economic climate and the companies’ current earnings and capital resources. Changes in economic conditions or a company’s earnings or financial resources could cause a company to reduce its dividend payments or suspend the payment of dividends altogether.

 

Large-Cap Risk. Larger, more established companies may be unable to attain the high growth rates of successful, smaller companies during periods of economic expansion.

 

Small- and Mid-Cap Risk. Investments in small- and mid-cap companies may be riskier than investments in larger, more established companies. The securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in lower

 

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  volumes than securities of larger companies. In addition, smaller companies may be more vulnerable to economic, market and industry changes. As a result, share price changes may be more sudden or erratic than the prices of other equity securities, especially over the short term. Because smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources or may depend on a few key employees, they may be more susceptible to particular economic events or competitive factors than larger companies.

 

Interest Rate Risk. The market value of the securities in which the Fund invests and, thus, the Fund’s net asset value, can be expected to vary inversely with changes in interest rates. Interest rate risk is the risk that the prices of securities held by the Fund (to the extent their prices are dependent on their income-producing features, such as dividends or interest) will decline over short or even long periods of time due to rising interest rates. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter-term investments and higher for longer-term investments.

 

Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the issuer of a security or other instrument will not be able to make principal and interest payments when due. Generally, the lower the credit rating of the security the greater the risk that the issuer will default on its obligations. If this occurs, or is perceived as likely to occur, the value of the security will likely fall.

 

U.S. Government Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities. These securities may be backed by the credit of the government as a whole or only by the issuing agency. No assurance can be given that the U.S. government would provide financial support to its agencies and instrumentalities if it is not required to do so by law. Neither the U.S. government nor its agencies guarantee the market value of their securities, and interest rate changes, prepayments and other factors may affect the value of the government securities.

 

Convertible Securities Risk. A convertible security is a fixed income security (a debt instrument or a preferred stock) that may be converted at a stated price within a specified period of time into a certain quantity of the common stock of the same or a different issuer. While providing a fixed income stream (generally higher in yield than the income derivable from common stock but lower than that afforded by a similar non-convertible security) a convertible security also gives an investor the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation of the issuing company depending upon a market price advance in the convertible security’s underlying common stock. As a result of these features, a convertible security is subject to many of the risks to which common stock and fixed income securities are subject.

 

Stock and Preferred Stock Risk. Because stocks are generally more volatile than fixed income securities, the risk of losses is often higher for funds holding stocks than for those investing only in fixed income securities. Equity securities risk includes the risk that events negatively affecting issuers, industries or financial markets in which the Fund invests will impact the value of the equity securities held by the Fund and thus, the value of the Fund’s shares over short or extended periods. Preferred stock is subject to many of the risks to which common stock and fixed income securities are subject, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. In addition, preferred stock may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as provisions allowing the stock to be called or redeemed, which can limit the benefit of a decline in interest rates.

 

Active Management Risk. Because the Fund is actively managed, it may underperform its benchmark or other funds with similar investment objectives. The Adviser’s investment strategy may fail to produce the intended results and the Fund may fail to meet its investment objective.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Foreign securities may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than securities of U.S. companies because a limited number of companies may represent a small number of industries. Foreign issuers may not be subject to the same degree of regulation as U.S. issuers. Nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation or political changes could adversely affect the Fund’s investments in a foreign company. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies can change when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar. These currency movements may negatively impact the value of the Fund’s portfolio even when there is no change in the value of the related security in the issuer’s home country. Settlement procedures in foreign markets may be more complex than in the United States and involve additional

 

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  risks, including the risk of delay in payment or delivery of securities or the loss of Fund securities or cash due to failures in the system, such as corruption or fraud.

 

Depositary Receipt Risk. ADRs and GDRs are receipts, issued by depository banks in the U.S. or elsewhere, for shares of a foreign-based corporation that entitle the holder to dividends and capital gains on the underlying security. ADRs and GDRs may be sponsored or unsponsored. In addition to the risks of investing in foreign securities, there is no guarantee that an ADR or GDR issuer will continue to offer a particular ADR or GDR. As a result, the Fund may have difficulty selling the ADRs or GDRs, or selling them quickly and efficiently at the prices at which they have been valued. The issuers of unsponsored ADRs or GDRs are not obligated to disclose information that is considered material in the U.S. and voting rights with respect to the deposited securities are not passed through. ADRs or GDRs may not track the prices of the underlying foreign securities on which they are based, and their values may change materially at times when U.S. markets are not open for trading. Certain ADRs or GDRs are not listed on an exchange and therefore may be illiquid.

 

Currency Risk. Foreign investments also may be riskier than U.S. investments because of fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Exchange rate fluctuations may reduce or eliminate gains or create losses. The Adviser does not hedge against currency movements in the various markets in which foreign issuers are located, so the values of the Fund’s foreign securities are subject to the risk of adverse changes in currency exchange rates.

 

REIT Risk. When the Fund invests in REITs, it is subject to risks generally associated with investing in real estate directly, such as: (i) possible declines in the value of real estate, (ii) adverse general and local economic conditions, (iii) possible lack of availability of mortgage funds, (iv) changes in interest rates, and (v) environmental problems. In addition, REITs are subject to certain other risks related specifically to their structure and focus, such as: (a) dependency upon management skills; (b) limited diversification; (c) the risks of locating and managing financing for projects; (d) heavy cash flow dependency; (e) possible default by borrowers; (f) the costs and potential losses of self-liquidation of one or more holdings; (g) the possibility of failing to maintain exemptions from securities registration; and, (h) in many cases, relatively small market capitalizations, which may result in less market liquidity and greater price volatility.

 

Publicly Traded Master Limited Partnership Risk. Investments in publicly traded master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) are subject to various risks related to the underlying operating companies controlled by the MLPs, including dependence upon specialized management skills and the risk that the underlying companies may lack or have limited operating histories. The success of the Fund’s investments also will vary depending on the underlying industry represented by the MLP’s portfolio. For example, when the Fund invests in MLPs that invest in oil and gas companies, its return on the investment will be highly dependent on oil and gas prices, which can be highly volatile. Similarly, MLPs that invest in real estate typically are subject to risks similar to those of a REIT. Unlike ownership of common stock of a corporation, the Fund would have limited voting rights and have no ability annually to elect directors in connection with its investment in an MLP.

 

MLP Tax Risk. MLPs, typically, do not pay U.S. federal income tax at the partnership level. Instead, each partner is allocated a share of the partnership’s income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses. A change in current tax law or in the underlying business mix of a given MLP could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in such MLP being required to pay U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income. The classification of an MLP as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes would have the effect of reducing the amount of cash available for distribution by the MLP. Thus, if any of the MLPs owned by the Fund were treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it could result in a reduction of the value of your investment in the Fund and lower income, as compared to an MLP that is not taxed as a corporation.

 

BDC Risk. BDCs have little or no operating history and may carry risks similar to those of a private equity or venture capital fund. BDC securities are not redeemable at the option of the shareholder and they may trade in the market at a discount to their NAV. A significant portion of a BDC’s investments are recorded at fair value as

 

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determined by its board of directors, which may create uncertainty as to the value of the BDC’s investments. Non-publicly traded BDCs are illiquid and it may not be possible to redeem shares or to do so without paying a substantial penalty. Publicly-traded BDCs usually trade at a discount to their NAV because they invest in unlisted securities and have limited access to capital markets.

 

Closed-End Fund Risk. Closed-end funds are subject to management risk because the adviser to the underlying closed-end fund may be unsuccessful in meeting the fund’s investment objective. These funds may also trade at a discount or premium to their net asset value and may trade at a larger discount or smaller premium subsequent to purchase by the Fund. Since closed-end funds trade on exchanges, the Fund will also incur brokerage expenses and commissions when it buys or sells closed-end fund shares.

 

Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in ABS and mortgage-backed securities, the Fund is subject to credit risk because underlying loan borrowers may default. Borrower default rates may be significantly higher than estimated. Additionally, these securities are subject to call or prepayment risk because the underlying loans held by the issuers may be paid off prior to maturity at faster or slower rates than expected. The value of some mortgage- or asset-backed securities may be particularly sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates. Early repayment of principal on some mortgage-related securities may expose the Fund to a lower rate of return upon reinvestment of principal. When interest rates rise, the value of a mortgage-related security generally will decline; however, when interest rates are declining, the value of mortgage-related securities with prepayment features may not increase as much as other fixed income securities. The value of these securities may fluctuate in response to the market’s perception of the creditworthiness of the issuers. Because the assets providing cash flows to a mortgage-backed security (“MBS”) are comprised of home mortgage loans, the holders of an MBS are subject to default and delinquency risks. If mortgage borrowers are delinquent or default on their payments, the holders of an MBS may not realize full repayment of their investment or may experience delays in the repayment of their investment. The credit risk of an MBS depends, in part, on the likelihood of the borrower making timely payments of principal and interest. The credit risk of a specific MBS may be influenced by a variety of factors including: (i) the mortgage borrower’s lessened ability or willingness to repay in light of changed circumstances such as a job loss; (ii) the borrower’s ability or willingness to make higher mortgage payments which may result from floating-rate interest resets; (iii) declines in the value of the property which serves as collateral for the mortgage loan; and (iv) seniority or priority of the specific MBS relative to other claims on the cash flow from the pool of mortgage loans. Call or prepayment risk is associated with mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. If interest rates fall, the underlying debt may be repaid ahead of schedule, reducing the value of the Fund’s investments. If interest rates rise, there may be fewer prepayments, which would cause the average bond maturity to rise, increasing the potential for the Fund to lose money. A prepayment or call may force the Fund to reinvest in lower yielding securities.

 

High Yield Securities Risk. Lower-quality bonds, known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, often are considered to be speculative and present greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased risk of default or price change due to changes in the issuer’s creditworthiness or changes in economic conditions. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these bonds and reduce the Fund’s ability to sell its bonds. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Fund’s share price.

 

Sector Concentration Risk. The Fund may focus its investments in securities of a particular sector. Economic, legislative or regulatory developments may occur that significantly affect the sector. This may cause the Fund’s net asset value to fluctuate more than that of a fund that does not focus in a particular sector. For example, to the extent the Fund focuses its investments in the financial services sector, it will be exposed to additional risk related to changes in government regulations that affect the scope of activities of such financial services companies, the prices they can charge, and the amount of capital they must maintain. Companies in the financial services sector may also be significantly affected by general economic conditions, including without limitation changes in interest rates. To the extent the Fund invests in the real estate sector, it may increase the volatility of the Fund’s returns and may also expose the Fund to the risk of economic downturns.

 

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Investment Company Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in other investment companies, including closed end investment companies and BDCs, it will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses payable directly by the other investment company. Therefore, the Fund will incur higher expenses, many of which may be duplicative. In addition, the Fund may be affected by losses of the underlying funds and the level of risk arising from the investment practices of the underlying funds (such as the use of leverage by the underlying funds).

 

Issuer Cybersecurity Risk. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, counterparties with which the Fund engages in transactions, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions may experience cybersecurity breaches. Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices; infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; ransomware; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. These breaches may result in harmful disruptions to their operations and may negatively impact the financial condition for the municipal issuer, counterparty or other market participant. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

 

Changes in Investment Objective or Policies

 

The Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”) may change the Fund’s investment objective and/or its 80% policy without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders. The Fund’s other investment policies and strategies may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval unless otherwise provided in this prospectus or in the Statement of Additional Information.

 

Temporary Defensive Positions

 

In response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Fund may take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies, such as investing some or all of the Fund’s assets in cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may also choose not to use these temporary defensive strategies for a variety of reasons, even in volatile market conditions. Engaging in these temporary defensive measures may cause the Fund to miss out on investment opportunities and may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective. While temporary defensive positions are designed to limit losses, these strategies may not work as intended.

 

Portfolio Holdings

 

A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information, which is available at www.crawfordinvestmentfunds.com.

 

Cybersecurity

 

The computer systems, networks and devices used by the Fund and its service providers to carry out routine business operations employ a variety of protections designed to prevent damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and security breaches. Despite the various protections utilized by the Fund and its service providers, systems, networks, or devices potentially can be breached. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result of a cybersecurity breach. Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices; infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. Cybersecurity breaches may cause disruptions and impact the Fund’s business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses; interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV; impediments to trading; the inability of the Fund, the Adviser, and other service providers to transact business; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines; penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs; as well as the inadvertent release of confidential information.

 

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ACCOUNT INFORMATION

 

How to Buy Shares

 

To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. This means that when you open an account, we will ask for your name, residential address, date of birth, government identification number and other information that will allow us to identify you. We also may ask to see your driver’s license or other identifying documents, and may take additional steps to verify your identity. If we do not receive these required pieces of information, there may be a delay in processing your investment request, which could subject your investment to market risk. If we are unable to immediately verify your identity, the Fund may restrict further investment until your identity is verified. However, if we are unable to verify your identity, the Fund reserves the right to close your account without notice and return your investment to you at the NAV per share determined on the day in which your account is closed. If we close your account because we are unable to verify your identity, your investment will be subject to market fluctuation, which could result in a loss of a portion of your principal investment.

 

The minimum initial investment in the Fund is $10,000. There is no minimum for subsequent investments. The Adviser may waive the minimum at its discretion, including for existing clients of the Adviser. The Fund may waive or lower the investment minimum for investors who invest in the Fund through an asset-based fee program made available through a financial intermediary. The Fund may waive or lower the investment minimum for investors who invest in the Fund through an employer sponsored retirement plan. If your investment is aggregated into an omnibus account established by an investment adviser, broker or other intermediary, the account minimums apply to the omnibus account, not to your individual investment; however, the financial intermediary may also impose minimum requirements that are different from those set forth in this prospectus. If you choose to purchase or redeem shares directly from the Fund, you will not incur charges on purchases and redemptions. However, if you purchase or redeem shares through a broker-dealer or another intermediary, you may be charged a fee or a commission by that intermediary.

 

Initial Purchase

 

By Mail - To be in proper form, your initial purchase request must include:

 

a completed and signed investment application form; and

 

a personal check with name pre-printed (subject to the minimum amount) made payable to the Fund (the initial purchase cannot be made via ACH).

 

Mail the application and check to:

 

U.S. Mail: Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund
  c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
  P.O. Box 46707
  Cincinnati, Ohio 45246-0707
   
Overnight: Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund
  c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
  225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450
  Cincinnati, Ohio 45246

 

By Wire - You may also purchase shares of the Fund by wiring federal funds from your bank, which may charge you

 

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a fee for doing so. To wire money, you must call Shareholder Services at (800) 431-1716 to obtain instruction on how to set up your account and to obtain an account number.

 

You must provide a signed application to Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (“Ultimus”), at the above address, to complete your initial wire purchase. Wire orders will be accepted only on a day on which the Fund, its custodian and its transfer agent are open for business. A wire purchase will not be considered made until the wired money is received and the purchase is accepted by the Fund. The purchase price per share will be the NAV per share next determined after the wire purchase is accepted by the Fund. Any delays which may occur in wiring money, including delays which may occur in processing by the banks, are not the responsibility of the Fund or its transfer agent. There is presently no fee for the receipt of wired funds, but the Fund may charge shareholders for this service in the future.

 

By Depositing Securities - Shares of the Fund may be purchased in exchange for an investor’s securities if the securities are acceptable to the Fund and satisfy applicable investment objectives and policies. Investors interested in exchanging securities must contact the Adviser, to acquire instructions regarding submission of a written description of the securities which the investor wishes to exchange. The Adviser requires that investors represent that all securities offered to the Fund are not subject to any sale restrictions. Within five business days after receipt of the written description, the Adviser will advise the investor whether the securities to be exchanged are acceptable. There is no charge for this review by the Adviser. Upon the Adviser’s acceptance of such exchange orders, the investor must deliver the securities in fully negotiable form within five days.

 

Securities accepted by the Fund must have a readily ascertainable value as determined by the Fund’s custodian. Securities are valued in the manner described for valuing Fund assets in the section entitled “Determination of Net Asset Value.” Acceptance of such orders may occur on any day during the five-day period afforded the Adviser to review the acceptability of the securities. The Adviser will provide delivery instructions at the time of acceptance. A gain or loss for federal income tax purposes may be realized by the investor upon the exchange of securities, depending upon the adjusted tax basis and value of the securities tendered. The Fund will accept securities in this manner only for purposes of investment, and not for resale.

 

Additional Investments

 

You may purchase additional shares of the Fund at any time by mail, wire or automatic investment. Each additional mail purchase request must contain:

 

your name

 

the name on your account(s)

 

your account number(s)

 

a check made payable to “Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund”

 

Checks should be sent to the Fund at the address listed under the heading “Initial Purchase – By Mail” in this prospectus. To wire money, you must call Shareholder Services at (800) 431-1716 to obtain instructions.

 

Automatic Investment Plan

 

You may make regular investments in the Fund with an Automatic Investment Plan by completing the appropriate section of the account application or completing a systematic investment plan form with the proper signature guarantee and attaching a voided personal check. Investments may be made monthly or quarterly to allow dollar-cost averaging by automatically deducting funds from your bank checking account. You may change the amount of your monthly purchase at any time. If an Automatic Investment Plan purchase is rejected by your bank, your shareholder account will be charged a $25 fee to defray bank charges.

 

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Tax Sheltered Retirement Plans

 

Shares of the Fund may be an appropriate investment for tax-sheltered retirement plans, including: individual retirement plans (“IRA”); simplified employee pensions (“SEP”); 401(k) plans; qualified corporate pension and profit-sharing plans (for employees); tax-deferred investment plans (for employees of public school systems and certain types of charitable organizations); and other qualified retirement plans. You should call Shareholder Services at (800) 431-1716 to obtain information about opening an IRA or SEP plan, as well as more specific information regarding these retirement plan options. Please consult with an attorney or tax adviser regarding these plans. You must pay custodial fees for your IRA by redemption of sufficient shares of the Fund from the IRA unless you pay the fees directly to the IRA custodian. Please call Shareholder Services at (800) 431-1716 to obtain information about IRA custodial fees.

 

Other Purchase Information

 

The Fund may limit the amount of purchases and refuse to sell shares to any person. If your check or wire does not clear, you will be responsible for any loss incurred by the Fund and charged a $25 fee to defray bank charges. You may be prohibited or restricted from making future purchases in the Fund. Checks must be made payable to the Fund. The Fund and its transfer agent may refuse any purchase order for any reason. Cash, third party checks (except for properly endorsed IRA rollover checks), counter checks, starter checks, traveler’s checks, money orders (other than money orders issued by a bank), credit card checks, and checks drawn on non-U.S. financial institutions will not be accepted. Cashier’s checks, bank official checks, and bank money orders are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be accepted under certain circumstances. In such cases, a 15-business day hold will be applied to the funds (which means that you may not redeem your shares until the holding period has expired).

 

The Fund has authorized certain financial intermediaries to accept on its behalf purchase and sale orders. The Fund is deemed to have received an order when the authorized person or designee accepts the order, and the order is processed at the NAV per share next calculated thereafter. It is the responsibility of the financial intermediary to transmit orders promptly to the Fund’s transfer agent.

 

How to Redeem Shares

 

You may receive redemption payments by check, ACH or federal wire transfer. The minimum redemption amount via ACH is $100 and the minimum redemption amount via wire is $1,000. The proceeds may be more or less than the purchase price of your shares, depending on the market value of the Fund’s securities at the time of your redemption. A wire transfer fee of $15 is charged to defray custodial charges for redemptions paid by wire transfer. This fee is subject to change. Any charges for wire redemptions will be deducted from your Fund account by redemption of shares.

 

The Fund encourages, to the extent possible, advance notification of large redemptions. The Fund typically expects that it will take up to seven days following the receipt of your redemption request to pay out redemption proceeds by check or electronic transfer. The Fund typically expects to pay redemptions from cash, cash equivalents, proceeds from the sale of Fund shares, any lines of credit, and then from the sale of portfolio securities. These redemption payment methods will be used in regular and stressed market conditions.

 

The Fund will normally pay your redemption proceeds to you in cash. However, if the amount you are redeeming is over the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s NAV, the Fund has the right to redeem your shares by giving you the amount that exceeds the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s NAV in securities instead of cash. If an in-kind distribution is made, you may incur additional expenses, such as the payment of brokerage commissions, on the sale or other disposition of the securities received from the Fund. If you redeem your shares through a financial intermediary, you may be charged a fee (including commissions) by that financial intermediary.

 

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By Mail - You may redeem any part of your account in the Fund at no charge by mail. Your request should be addressed to:

 

U.S. Mail: Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund
  c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
  P.O. Box 46707
  Cincinnati, Ohio 45246-0707
   
Overnight: Crawford Multi-Asset Income Fund
  c/o Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC
  225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450
  Cincinnati, Ohio 45246

 

Your request for a redemption must include your letter of instruction, including the Fund name, account number, account name(s), the address, and the dollar amount or number of shares you wish to redeem. Requests to sell shares that are received in good order are processed at the NAV per share next calculated after we receive your order in proper form. To be in proper order, your request must be signed by all registered share owner(s) in the exact name(s) and any special capacity in which they are registered. The Fund may require that signatures be guaranteed if you request the redemption check be made payable to any person other than the shareholder(s) of record or mailed to an address other than the address of record, if the mailing address has been changed within 30 days of the redemption request, or in certain other circumstances, such as to prevent unauthorized account transfers or redemptions. The Fund may require a signature guarantee if a redemption is transmitted by ACH or wire to a bank other than the bank of record. The Fund may also require a signature guarantee for redemptions of $50,000 or more. Signature guarantees are for the protection of shareholders. All redemptions requiring a signature guarantee must utilize a New Technology Medallion stamp, generally available from the bank where you maintain your checking or savings account. For joint accounts, both signatures must be guaranteed. Please call Shareholder Services at (800) 431-1716 if you have questions. At the discretion of the Fund or the transfer agent, you may be required to furnish additional legal documents prior to a redemption to ensure proper authorization.

 

By Telephone - Unless you have opted out of telephone privileges, you may redeem any part of your account (up to $50,000) in the Fund by calling Shareholder Services at (800) 431-1716. Payment will be made by check mailed to the address of record unless you have previously provided electronic funds transfer instructions. The Fund, its transfer agent and custodian are not liable for following redemption instructions communicated by telephone to the extent that they reasonably believe the telephone instructions to be genuine, subject to applicable law. However, if they do not employ reasonable procedures to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine, they may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. Procedures employed may include recording telephone instructions and requiring a form of personal identification from the caller.

 

The Fund or the transfer agent may terminate telephone redemption procedures at any time. During periods of high market activity, you may encounter higher than usual wait times. Please allow sufficient time to ensure that you will be able to complete your telephone transaction prior to market close. Neither the Fund nor its transfer agent will be held liable if you are unable to place your trade due to high call volume. If you are unable to reach the Fund by telephone, you may request a redemption by mail.

 

Tax Withholding

 

If your account is an IRA or other retirement plan account, you must indicate on your redemption request whether the Fund should withhold federal income tax. Unless you elect in your redemption request that you do not want to have federal income tax withheld, the redemption will be subject to withholding. If you request a redemption by telephone, you will be asked whether or not the Fund should withhold federal income tax.

 

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Additional Information

 

If you are not certain of the requirements for a redemption, please call Shareholder Services at (800) 431-1716. Redemptions specifying a certain date or share price cannot be accepted and will be returned. You will be mailed the proceeds on or before the fifth business day following the redemption. However, payment for redemption made against shares purchased by check will be made only after the check has been collected, which normally may take up to fifteen calendar days. Also, when the New York Stock Exchange is closed (or when trading is restricted) for any reason other than its customary weekend or holiday closing, or under any emergency circumstances (as determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”)), the Fund may suspend redemptions or postpone payment dates. You may be assessed a fee if the Fund incurs bank charges because you direct the Fund to re-issue a redemption check.

 

For non-retirement accounts, redemption proceeds, including dividends and other distributions, sent by check by the Fund and not cashed within 180 days will be reinvested in the Fund at the current day’s NAV per share. Redemption proceeds that are reinvested are subject to the risk of loss like any other investment in the Fund.

 

Because the Fund incurs certain fixed costs in maintaining shareholder accounts, the Fund may require you to redeem all of your shares in the Fund on 30 days’ written notice if the value of your shares in the Fund is less than $2,500 due to redemptions, or such other minimum amount as the Fund may determine from time to time. You may increase the value of your shares in the Fund to the minimum amount within the 30-day period.

 

All shares of the Fund are also subject to involuntary redemption if the Board determines to liquidate the Fund. In such event, the Fund will provide notice to shareholders, but the Fund will not be required to obtain shareholder approval prior to such liquidation. An involuntary liquidation will create a capital gain or capital loss which may have tax consequences about which you should consult your tax adviser.

 

Fund Policy on Market Timing

 

The Fund discourages market timing. Market timing is an investment strategy using frequent purchases, redemptions and/or exchanges in an attempt to profit from short-term market movements. Market timing may result in dilution of the value of Fund shares held by long-term shareholders, disrupt portfolio management and increase Fund expenses for all shareholders. The Board has adopted a policy directing the Fund to reject any purchase order with respect to any investor, a related group of investors or their agent(s), where the Fund detects a pattern of purchases and sales of the Fund’s shares that indicates market timing or trading that it determines is abusive. This policy generally applies to all Fund shareholders.

 

Ultimus, the Fund’s administrator, performs automated monitoring of short-term trading activity with respect to the Fund. Instances of suspected short-term trading are investigated by the administrator’s compliance department. If an instance is deemed a violation of the short-term trading policies of the Fund, then Ultimus notifies the Adviser and action, such as suspending future purchases, may be taken. A quarterly certification reporting any instances of short-term trading in violation of the Fund’s policies is provided to the Board.

 

There is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to detect or deter market timing in all accounts. In particular, many shareholders may invest in the Fund through financial intermediaries that hold omnibus accounts with the Fund. Omnibus accounts—in which Fund shares are held in the name of an intermediary on behalf of multiple beneficial owners—are a common form that financial intermediaries (including brokers, advisers, and third-party administrators) use to hold shares for their clients. In general, the Fund is not able to identify trading by a particular beneficial owner within an omnibus account, which makes it difficult or impossible to determine if a particular shareholder is engaging in market timing. The Fund’s administrator reviews trading activity at the omnibus account level and looks for activity that may indicate potential frequent trading or market timing. If cash flows or other information indicate that market timing may be taking place, the Fund will seek the intermediary’s assistance to help identify and remedy any market

 

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timing. However, the Fund’s ability to monitor and deter market timing in omnibus accounts ultimately depends on the capabilities and cooperation of these third-party financial intermediaries. Financial intermediaries may apply different or additional limits on frequent trading. If you invest in the Fund through an intermediary, please read that intermediary’s program materials carefully to learn of any additional rules or fees that may apply.

 

Determination of Net Asset Value

 

The price you pay for your shares is based on the Fund’s NAV per share. The NAV per share is calculated at the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open for business. The NYSE is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The NAV per share is calculated by dividing the value of the Fund’s total assets (including interest and dividends accrued but not yet received) minus liabilities (including accrued expenses) by the total number of shares outstanding. Requests to purchase and sell shares are processed at the NAV per share next calculated after the Fund receives your order in proper form.

 

The Fund’s assets generally are valued at their market value. Fixed income securities for which market quotations are readily available are generally valued based upon the mean of the last bid and ask prices as provided by an independent pricing service. If market quotations are not readily available, the pricing service may use electronic data processing techniques and/or a computerized matrix system to determine valuations. In determining the value of a bond or other fixed income security, matrix pricing takes into consideration recent transactions, yield, liquidity, risk, credit quality, coupon, maturity and type of issue, and any other factors or market data as the independent pricing service deems relevant for the security being priced and for other securities with similar characteristics.

 

Equity securities are generally valued by using market quotations. Equity securities traded on a securities exchange are valued at the last sales price reported by the primary exchange on which the securities are listed. Securities listed on NASDAQ are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. Securities traded on a securities exchange for which a last-quoted price is not readily available will be valued at the last bid price.

 

If the Adviser as the “Valuation Designee” considers a valuation unreliable due to market or other events (including events that occur after the close of the trading market but before the calculation of the NAV), then the assets will be valued at a fair value as determined in good faith by the Valuation Designee pursuant to guidelines established by the Board. When pricing securities using the fair valuation guidelines established by the Board, the Valuation Designee seeks to assign a value that represents the amount that the Fund might reasonably expect to receive upon a current sale of the securities.

 

Without fair value pricing, short-term traders could take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity and dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Fair valuation of the Fund’s portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders. However, there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of the Fund’s NAV by short-term traders, or that the Fund will realize fair valuation upon the sale of a security. The Fund may invest in portfolio securities that are listed on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not price its shares and, as a result, the NAV of the Fund’s shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem the Fund’s shares.

 

Given the subjectivity inherent in fair valuation and the fact that events could occur after NAV calculation, the actual market prices for a security may differ from the fair value of that security as determined by the Valuation Designee at the time of NAV calculation. Thus, discrepancies between fair values and actual market prices may occur on a regular and recurring basis. These discrepancies do not necessarily indicate that the fair value methodology is inappropriate. The Valuation Designee will adjust the fair values assigned to securities in the Fund’s portfolio, to the extent necessary, as soon as market prices become available.

 

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Dividends, Distributions and Taxes

 

Dividends and Distributions. The Fund typically distributes to its shareholders as dividends substantially all of its net investment income monthly and any realized net capital gains, if any, annually. These distributions, if any, are automatically reinvested in the Fund unless you request cash distributions on your application or through a written request to the Fund.

 

Taxes. Net investment income distributed by the Fund generally will consist of interest income, if any, and dividends received on investments, less expenses. The net investment dividend income you receive, whether or not reinvested, generally will be taxed as ordinary income. However, “qualified dividend income” (generally, dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations and some foreign corporations) generally will be taxable to individuals and most trusts and estates at the same maximum federal income tax rate applicable to net capital gains (currently 20%).

 

The Fund will typically distribute net realized capital gains (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, to its shareholders once a year. Capital gains are generated when the Fund sells its capital assets for a profit. Capital gains are taxed differently depending on how long the Fund has held the capital asset sold. Distributions of gains recognized on the sale of capital assets held for one year or less are taxed at ordinary income rates; distributions of gains recognized on the sale of capital assets held longer than one year are taxed at long- term capital gains rates regardless of how long you have held your shares. Currently, long-term capital gains are generally taxable to individuals and most trusts and estates at a maximum federal income tax rate of 20%. If the Fund distributes an amount exceeding its income and gains, this excess will generally be treated as a non-taxable return of capital.

 

Unless you indicate another option on your account application, any dividends and capital gain distributions paid to you by the Fund automatically will be invested in additional Fund shares. Alternatively, you may elect to have: (1) dividends paid to you in cash and the amount of any capital gain distributions reinvested; or (2) the full amount of any dividends and capital gain distributions paid to you in cash. The Fund will send dividends and capital gain distributions elected to be received as cash to the address of record or bank of record on the applicable account. Your distribution option will automatically be converted to having all dividends and other distributions reinvested in additional shares if any of the following occur:

 

Postal or other delivery service is unable to deliver checks to the address of record;

 

Dividends and capital gain distributions are not cashed within 180 days; or

 

Bank account of record is no longer valid.

 

Dividends and capital gain distribution checks issued by the Fund which are not cashed within 180 days will be reinvested in the Fund at the current day’s NAV per share. When reinvested, those amounts are subject to market risk (i.e., the risk of loss) like any other investment in the Fund.

 

You may want to avoid making a substantial investment when the Fund is about to make a taxable distribution because you would be responsible for any taxes on the distribution regardless of how long you have owned your shares.

 

Selling shares for a gain is usually a taxable event to the Fund’s shareholders as long-term or short-term capital gains, depending on whether you held the shares for more than one year or less than that period, respectively. Losses are subject to special rules.

 

An additional 3.8% Medicare tax generally will be imposed on certain net investment income of non-corporate taxpayers, including dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and gains from the sale of shares, including redemptions.

 

If shares of the Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after redeeming other shares of the Fund at a loss, all or a portion of that loss will not be deductible and will increase the basis of the newly purchased shares. If shares of the

 

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Fund are sold at a loss after being held by a shareholder for six months or less, the loss will be a long-term, instead of short-term, capital loss to the extent of any capital gain distributions received on the shares.

 

If you are a non-corporate shareholder and if the Fund does not have your correct social security or other taxpayer identification number, federal law requires us to withhold and pay to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) 24% of your distributions and sales proceeds. If you are subject to back up withholding, we also will withhold and pay to the IRS 24% (or any applicable higher rate) of your distributions (under current law). Any tax withheld may be applied against the tax liability on your federal income tax return.

 

Because your tax situation is unique, you should consult your tax professional about federal, state and local tax consequences.

 

Cost Basis Reporting. Federal law requires mutual fund companies to report their shareholders’ cost basis, gain/loss, and holding period to the IRS on Fund shareholders’ Form 1099s when “covered” securities are sold. Covered securities generally include any regulated investment company and/or dividend reinvestment plan shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012. The Fund has chosen High Cost as its default tax lot identification method for all shareholders. The tax lot identification method is the way the Fund will determine which specific shares are deemed to be sold when there are multiple purchases (including reinvested dividends and declared or reinvested capital gain distributions) on different dates at differing NAVs, and the entire position is not sold at one time. The Fund’s default tax lot identification method is the method covered shares will be reported on your IRS Form 1099-B if you do not select a specific tax lot identification method. You may choose a method different than the Fund’s default method at the time of your purchase or upon the sale of covered shares. Please refer to the appropriate Treasury Department regulations or consult your tax adviser with regard to your personal circumstances.

 

General Disclaimer. For those securities defined as “covered” under current IRS cost basis reporting regulations, the Fund is responsible for maintaining accurate cost basis and tax lot identification information for tax reporting purposes. The Fund is not responsible for the reliability or accuracy of the information for those securities that are not “covered.” The Fund and its service providers do not provide tax advice. You should consult independent sources, which may include a tax professional, with respect to any decisions you may make with respect to choosing a tax lot identification method.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

 

Adviser. Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc., 600 Galleria Parkway, SE, Suite 1650, Atlanta, GA 30339, serves as investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser has been providing portfolio management services since 1980 when it was founded by John H. Crawford, III. The Adviser provides investment advice to mutual funds and separately managed equity, fixed income and balanced portfolios of high net worth individuals, pension plans, trusts, and other institutional investors. As of December 31, 2022, the Adviser managed approximately $7.4 billion in assets. The Adviser is 100% employee owned.

 

For its management services, the Adviser is entitled to receive a management fee at the annual rate of 1.00% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The Adviser contractually has agreed to waive its management fee and, to the extent necessary, reimburse certain operating expenses so that total annual operating expenses, excluding portfolio transaction and other investment-related costs (including brokerage fees and commissions); taxes; borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short); acquired fund fees and expenses; fees and expenses associated with investments in other collective investment vehicles or derivative instruments (including for example option and swap fees and expenses); expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization; extraordinary expenses (such as litigation expenses, indemnification of Trust officers and Trustees and contractual indemnification of Fund service providers); and other expenses that the Trustees agree have not been incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business, do not exceed 0.99% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The contractual agreement is

 

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in place through April 30, 2024. Each waiver/expense payment by the Adviser is subject to recoupment by the Adviser from the Fund in the three years following the date the particular waiver/expense payment occurred, but only if such recoupment can be achieved without exceeding the annual expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver/expense payment and any expense limitation in effect at the time of the recoupment. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, the Fund paid the Adviser a management fee equal to 0.80% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, after fee waivers and expense reimbursements. The expense limitation agreement may be terminated at any time, and without payment of any penalty, by the Board upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Adviser and may not be terminated by the Adviser without the consent of the Board.

 

A discussion regarding the factors that the Board considered in renewing the Fund’s management agreement is included in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders dated December 31, 2022.

 

Portfolio Managers. The investment decisions for the Fund are made by John H. Crawford, IV, CFA, and Aaron R. Foresman, CFA.

 

Mr. Crawford oversees the Adviser’s proprietary equity strategies and leads its equity research process. In addition to leading investment committee meetings and supervising the Adviser’s team of dedicated equity analysts, he serves as portfolio manager of two other mutual funds managed by the Adviser. He joined the Adviser in 1990. Mr. Crawford began his career in the investment industry at Merrill Lynch Capital Markets in 1988. He received his BBA degree from the University of Georgia and his Master of Finance from Georgia State University. He has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

 

Mr. Foresman oversees the Adviser’s Multi-Asset Income strategy, is responsible for equity research in the Information Technology sector, and serves as a voting member of the Equity Investment Team. Mr. Foresman joined the Adviser in 2014. Prior to joining the Adviser, Mr. Foresman served as a portfolio manager at Buckhead Capital Management as well as an associate with Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. Mr. Foresman received his BS in Mechanical Engineering with a certificate in Economics from The Georgia Institute of Technology and his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

 

The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information provides the following additional information about the Fund’s portfolio managers: (i) compensation structure, (ii) a description of other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and (iii) the portfolio managers’ ownership of shares of the Fund.

 

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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

The financial highlights are intended to help you better understand the financial performance of the Fund for the periods shown. The total return in the table represents the rate that you would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. The information was audited by Cohen & Company, Ltd., Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.

 

CRAWFORD MULTI-ASSET INCOME FUND

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

(For a share outstanding during each year)

 

    For the Years Ended December 31,  
    2022     2021     2020     2019     2018  
Selected Per Share Data:                              
Net asset value, beginning of year   $ 25.80     $ 23.01     $ 25.74     $ 22.54     $ 24.79  
Investment operations:                                        
Net investment income     0.83       0.74       0.79       0.94       1.05  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)     (1.09 )     2.88       (2.68 )     3.56       (2.20 )
Total from investment operations     (0.26 )     3.62       (1.89 )     4.50       (1.15 )
Less distributions to shareholders from:                                        
Net investment income     (0.87 )     (0.83 )     (0.82 )     (1.00 )     (1.04 )
Net realized gains     (0.30 )     -       -       (0.29 )     (0.06 )
Return of capital     (0.03 )     -       (0.02 )     (0.01 )     -  
Total distributions     (1.20 )     (0.83 )     (0.84 )     (1.30 )     (1.10 )
Net asset value, end of year   $ 24.34     $ 25.80     $ 23.01     $ 25.74     $ 22.54  
Total Return(a)     (1.00 )%     15.90 %     (7.00 )%     20.25 %     (4.86 )%
Ratios and Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (000 omitted)   $ 129,273     $ 138,692     $ 106,056     $ 93,326     $ 50,923  
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets     1.00 %     1.00 %     1.00 %     1.00 %     1.00 %
Ratio of expenses to average net assets before waiver or recoupment     1.20 %     1.20 %     1.26 %     1.32 %     1.39 %
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets     3.37 %     2.94 %     3.67 %     3.89 %     4.51 %
Portfolio turnover rate     36 %     12 %     33 %     20 %     28 %
                                         

 

(a)

Total return represents the rate that the investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of distributions.

 

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

 

You can find additional information about the Fund in the following documents:

 

Annual and Semi-Annual Reports: While the Prospectus describes the Fund’s potential investments, the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports detail the Fund’s actual investments as of their report dates. The Annual Report also includes a discussion by Fund management of recent market conditions, economic trends, and investment strategies that significantly affected Fund performance during the reporting period.

 

Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”): The SAI supplements the Prospectus and contains detailed information about the Fund and its investment restrictions, risks and policies and operations, including the Fund’s policies and procedures relating to the disclosure of portfolio holdings by the Fund’s affiliates. A current SAI for the Fund is on file with the SEC and is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference, which means it is considered part of this Prospectus.

 

You can obtain free copies of the current SAI and the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports by contacting Shareholder Services at (800) 431-1716. You may also request other information about the Fund and make shareholder inquiries. Alternatively, the Fund’s SAI and Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders are available, free of charge, at the Fund’s website at www.crawfordinvestmentfunds.com.

 

Information about the Fund (including the SAI and other reports) is available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: [email protected].

 

Investment Company Act #811-21237