0001272950 cik0001272950:S000022825Member rr:AfterTaxesOnDistributionsMember cik0001272950:C000066097Member 2012-11-27 2012-11-27 0001272950 cik0001272950:S000022825Member rr:AfterTaxesOnDistributionsAndSalesMember cik0001272950:C000066097Member 2012-11-27 2012-11-27 0001272950 cik0001272950:S000022825Member cik0001272950:BarclaysCapitalUSSecuritizedIndexMember 2012-11-27 2012-11-27 0001272950 cik0001272950:S000022825Member cik0001272950:BarclaysCapitalUSAggregateBondIndexMember 2012-11-27 2012-11-27 0001272950 cik0001272950:S000022825Member cik0001272950:C000074294Member 2012-11-27 2012-11-27 0001272950 cik0001272950:S000022825Member cik0001272950:C000066097Member 2012-11-27 2012-11-27 0001272950 cik0001272950:S000022825Member 2012-11-27 2012-11-27 0001272950 2012-11-27 2012-11-27 iso4217:USD xbrli:pure false 2012-12-04 2012-12-04 2012-09-30 Other 0001272950 RBC FUNDS TRUST <div> <div style="display:none;" >~ http://www.rbcgam.us/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpensesAccessCapitalCommunityInvestmentFund column period compact * column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact cik0001272950_S000022825Member column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact * row primary compact * ~</div> </div> 0.0913 0.0195 0.0502 0.0199 0.0457 0.0547 0.0311 0.0899 0.0465 0.0507 1998-07-01 2009-01-29 0.0602 0.0599 0.0525 0.0466 0.0324 0.0322 0.0784 0.0622 0.0507 0.0075 0.0327 0.0335 0.0650 0.0636 0.0544 0.0445 0.0359 0.0364 0.0578 0.0562 0.0497 0.0437 0.0312 0.0309 <div class="MetaData"> Performance Information</div> <div> <div class="MetaData"> During the periods shown in the chart for the Fund: <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="84%"> <tr style="font-size: 1px;"><td valign="bottom" width="61%">  </td> <td valign="bottom" width="3%">  </td> <td valign="bottom" width="1%">  </td> <td valign="bottom" width="7%">  </td> <td valign="bottom" width="3%">  </td> <td valign="bottom" width="1%">  </td> <td valign="bottom" width="7%">  </td> <td valign="bottom" width="3%">  </td> <td valign="bottom" width="1%">  </td> <td valign="bottom" width="7%">  </td> <td valign="bottom" width="2%">  </td></tr> <tr><td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom" colspan="2"> Quarter</td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom" colspan="2"> Year</td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom" colspan="2"> Returns</td> <td valign="bottom">  </td></tr> <tr><td valign="bottom"> Best quarter:</td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"> Q2</td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"> 2002</td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom">  </td> <td valign="bottom"> 3.83</td> <td valign="bottom"> %</td></tr> <tr><td style="border-bottom: black 1px solid;" valign="bottom"> Worst quarter:</td> <td style="border-bottom: black 1px solid;" valign="bottom">  </td> <td style="border-bottom: black 1px solid;" valign="bottom">  </td> <td style="border-bottom: black 1px solid;" valign="bottom"> Q2</td> <td style="border-bottom: black 1px solid;" valign="bottom">  </td> <td style="border-bottom: black 1px solid;" valign="bottom">  </td> <td style="border-bottom: black 1px solid;" valign="bottom"> 2004</td> <td style="border-bottom: black 1px solid;" valign="bottom">  </td> <td style="border-bottom: black 1px solid;" valign="bottom">  </td> <td style="border-bottom: black 1px solid;" valign="bottom"> -1.27</td> <td style="border-bottom: black 1px solid;" valign="bottom"> %</td></tr></table> The year-to-date return of Class I shares as of September 30, 2012 was 3.73%.</div> </div> <div class="MetaData"> Annual Total Returns for Class I Shares</div> 0.0383 2002-03-31 -0.0127 2004-03-31 <div> <div style="display:none;" >~ http://www.rbcgam.us/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsAccessCapitalCommunityInvestmentFundBarChart column period compact * column primary compact * row dei_LegalEntityAxis compact cik0001272950_S000022825Member row rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact * ~</div> </div> 0.0373 2012-09-30 0 0.0025 You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares of the Fund if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in the Fund. 100000 <div class="MetaData"> Example: </div> <div> <div class="MetaData"> 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 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. The costs for the Fund reflect the net expenses of the Fund that result from the contractual expense waiver and assumption in the first year only. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:</div> </div> <div> <div style="display:none;" >~ http://www.rbcgam.us/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleTransposedAccessCapitalCommunityInvestmentFund row period compact * row dei_LegalEntityAxis compact cik0001272950_S000022825Member row rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact * column primary compact * ~</div> </div> 80 476 249 691 433 922 966 1587 <div class="MetaData"> Fees and Expenses of the Fund</div> <div> <div class="MetaData"> This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares of the Fund if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and under the subheading "Reducing the Initial Sales Charge on Purchases of Class A Shares" section on page 29 of this prospectus.</div> </div> 0.0078 0.0103 0 0 January 31, 2014 Best quarter Worst quarter 0.0062 0.0062 0 0 0 0.0375 0.0078 0.0103 <div class="MetaData"> Investment Objective</div> <div> <div class="MetaData"> The Fund seeks to invest in geographically specific debt securities located in portions of the United States designated by Fund shareholders.</div> </div> <div class="MetaData"> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr><td bgcolor="#d6f3e8" valign="bottom"> Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)</td></tr></table></div> 0.0016 0.0016 1-800-422-2766 www.rbcgam.us The bar chart and performance table provide an indication of the risks of an investment in the Fund by showing changes in performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns (before and after taxes) compare with those of broad-based securities indexes. <div> <div class="MetaData"> The bar chart and performance table provide an indication of the risks of an investment in the Fund by showing changes in performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns (before and after taxes) compare with those of broad-based securities indexes. The Fund commenced operations on July 28, 2008 and the performance reflects the returns of a predecessor fund for the periods prior to July 28, 2008. The Fund's performance was restated in September 2009 to reflect (i) corrections in the amounts of certain historical dividend payments, and (ii) corrections to dates during the 2003 through 2006 time period on which certain dividend payments were reinvested. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated information on the Fund's performance can be obtained by visiting www.rbcgam.us or by calling 1-800-422-2766.</div> </div> Past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. <div class="MetaData"> Performance Table</div> <div> <div class="MetaData"> The table below shows after-tax returns for Class I shares. After-tax returns for Class A shares will differ. 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 fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as qualified retirement plans. The inception date of the Fund (Class I) is July 1, 1998. Performance shown for Class A prior to its inception date (January 29, 2009) is based on the performance of Class I shares, adjusted to reflect the fees and expenses of Class A shares and the applicable sales charges. Each index below shows how the Fund's performance compares with the returns of a broad-based securities market index. <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr style="font-size: 1px;"><td valign="top" width="50%">  </td> <td valign="top" width="50%">  </td></tr> <tr><td valign="top">  </td> <td valign="top">  </td></tr></table> Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended December 31, 2011)</div> </div> 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 fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as qualified retirement plans. The table below shows after-tax returns for Class I shares. After-tax returns for Class A shares will differ.  <div> <div style="display:none;" >~ http://www.rbcgam.us/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualTotalReturnsTransposedAccessCapitalCommunityInvestmentFund row period compact * row primary compact * column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact cik0001272950_S000022825Member column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact * column rr_PerformanceMeasureAxis compact * ~</div> </div> 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. <div class="MetaData"> Portfolio Turnover</div> 0.2000 <div> <div class="MetaData"> 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 example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 20% of the average value of its portfolio.</div> </div> 2012-11-27 <div class="MetaData"> Principal Risks</div> The value of your investment in the Fund will change daily, which means that you could lose money.  <div> <div class="MetaData"> The value of your investment in the Fund will change daily, which means that you could lose money. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") or any other government agency. By itself, the Fund is not a balanced investment program. There is no guarantee that the Fund will meet its goal. The principal risks of investing in the Fund include: Active Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. The Advisor and each individual portfolio manager will apply investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results. Additionally, legislative, regulatory, or tax restrictions, policies or developments may affect the investment techniques available in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objectives. Call Risk. Call risk is the possibility that during periods of falling interest rates, issuers may call securities with higher coupon or interest rates before maturity. If a security is called, the Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower interest rates resulting in a decline in the Fund's income. Concentration Risk. The Fund's investments are expected to be closely tied to the affordable housing industry and its performance may be more volatile than the performance of a fund that does not concentrate its investments in a particular economic industry or sector. Coordination of Investments Risk. Many of the fixed-income private placement debt securities purchased by the Fund are developed by a variety of organizations that rely on other entities. A lack of interest of other entities in developing investments could adversely affect the economic and financial objectives of the Fund. A limited or dwindling supply of funds available for credit enhancement on Fund investments may adversely affect full realization of the Fund's investment objective. Regulatory or statutory changes may affect the willingness or ability of housing related entities to work in the affordable housing private placement area. Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of the failure of any markets in which its positions trade, of their clearinghouses, of any counterparty or guarantor to the Fund's transactions or of any service provider to the Fund. Their inability or unwillingness to honor obligations can subject the Fund to credit losses from late payments, failed payments or default. In times of general market turmoil, even large, well-established financial institutions may fail rapidly with little warning. CRA Strategy Risk. Portfolio decisions take into account the Fund's goal of holding securities in designated geographic areas and will not be exclusively based on the investment characteristics of the securities, which may or may not have an adverse effect on the Fund's investment performance. CRA qualified securities in geographic areas sought by the Fund may not provide as favorable return as CRA qualified securities in other geographic areas. The Fund may sell securities for reasons relating to CRA qualification at times when such sales may not be desirable and may hold short-term investments that produce relatively low yields pending the selection of long-term investments believed to be CRA-qualified. Duration Management Risk. The Fund's investments in derivative instruments to manage duration can be significant. These transactions can result in sizeable realized and unrealized capital gains and losses relative to the gains and losses from the Fund's investments in bonds and other securities. <div> Government Intervention in Financial Markets Risk. Instability in the financial markets has led the U.S. Government to take unprecedented actions to support certain financial institutions and certain segments of the financial markets that experienced extreme volatility. Regulatory organizations may take future legislative or regulatory actions that may affect the operations of the Fund or the Fund's investments. Such actions could limit or preclude the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective. Government Obligations Risk. Obligations of U.S. Government agencies, authorities, instrumentalities and sponsored enterprises (such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) have historically involved little risk of loss of principal if held to maturity. However, the maximum potential liability of the issuers of some of these securities may greatly exceed their current resources and no assurance can be given that the U.S. Government would provide financial support to any of these entities if it is not obligated to do so by law. In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Housing Finance Agency ("FHFA") announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be placed into a conservatorship under FHFA. The effect that this conservatorship will have on the entities' debt and securities guaranteed by the entities remains unclear. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are continuing to operate as going concerns while in conservatorship and each remain liable for all of its obligations, including its guaranty obligations, associated with its mortgage-backed securities. Interest Rate Risk. The Fund's yield will fluctuate as the general level of interest rates change. During periods when interest rates are low, the Fund's yield will also be low. Issuer/Credit Risk. There is a possibility that issuers of securities in which the Fund may invest may default on the payment of interest or principal on the securities when due, which would cause the Fund to lose money. There can be no assurance of the continued availability of support from GSEs, HFAs, or other credit enhancers and changes in their credit ratings may constrain their value to the Fund as potential sources of credit enhancement. Leverage Risk. Leverage may result from certain transactions, borrowing and reverse repurchase agreements. Leverage may exaggerate the effect of a change in the value of the Fund's portfolio securities, causing the Fund to be more volatile than if leverage was not used. Liquidity Risk. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities or repurchase agreements with a maturity longer than seven days. There can be no assurance that a market will exist for an illiquid security at a certain time and it may be difficult or impossible to sell illiquid securities at desirable prices. Market Risk. The markets in which the Fund invests may go down in value, sometimes sharply and unpredictably. The success of the Fund's investment program may be affected by general economic and market conditions, such as interest rates, availability of credit, inflation rates, economic uncertainty, changes in laws, and national and international political circumstances. Unexpected volatility or illiquidity could impair the Fund's profitability or result in losses. <div class="MetaData"> Non-Diversified Fund Risk. As a non-diversified fund, the Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in fewer issuers and be more sensitive to any single economic, business, political or regulatory occurrence than a diversified fund.</div> Prepayment Risk. The value of some mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities in which the Fund invests may fall due to unanticipated levels of principal prepayments that can occur when interest rates decline. Qualification for CRA Credit Risk. For an institution to receive CRA credit with respect to Fund shares, the Fund must hold CRA qualifying investments that relate to the institution's delineated CRA assessment area. The Fund expects that all investments will be considered eligible for regulatory credit under the CRA but there is no guarantee that an investor will receive CRA credit for their investment in the Fund. </div></div> </div> <div class="MetaData"> Non-Diversified Fund Risk. As a non-diversified fund, the Fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in fewer issuers and be more sensitive to any single economic, business, political or regulatory occurrence than a diversified fund.</div> An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") or any other government agency. <div class="MetaData"> Access Capital Community Investment Fund</div> <div class="MetaData"> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%"> <tr><td bgcolor="#d6f3e8" valign="bottom"> Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)</td></tr></table></div> <div> <div style="display:none;" >~ http://www.rbcgam.us/role/ScheduleShareholderFeesAccessCapitalCommunityInvestmentFund column period compact * column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact cik0001272950_S000022825Member column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact * row primary compact * ~</div> </div> <div class="MetaData"> Principal Investment Strategies</div> <div> <div class="MetaData"> The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in high quality debt securities and other debt instruments supporting the affordable housing industry in areas of the United States designated by Fund shareholders. Within those parameters, the Fund seeks a competitive return consisting of current income and capital appreciation. The Fund defines instruments supporting the "affordable housing industry" to include government-guaranteed loans, asset-backed securities, particularly mortgage-backed securities, small business loans, taxable municipal securities, and other instruments supporting affordable housing and economic development, and serving low- and moderate-income ("LMI") individuals and communities. These investments may involve private placement transactions and may include variable rate instruments. The Fund is non-diversified and, therefore, compared to a diversified investment company, the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its assets in securities of a particular issuer. The Fund may borrow money from banks and enter into reverse repurchase agreements to obtain additional funds to make investments. Community Investments. At the time of their share purchase, investors meeting certain investment levels may elect to have their investment amount invested in particular areas of the United States as their preferred geographic focus or Designated Target Region. If, after six months, the Advisor is unable to make appropriate investments in a shareholder's Designated Target Region, the shareholder will have the option to redefine its Designated Target Region. Each shareholder's returns will be based on the investment performance of the Fund's blended overall portfolio of investments and not just on the performance of the assets in the Designated Target Region(s) selected by that shareholder. The Fund expects that all of its investments will be considered eligible for regulatory credit under the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 ("CRA") and that shares of the Fund will be eligible for regulatory credit under the CRA. The Fund intends to invest solely in qualified investments in Designated Target Regions. Investment Program. The Fund is designed for investors seeking a competitive return on high quality debt securities that support underlying community development activities in distinct parts of the United States. Not all of the investors in the Fund are subject to CRA requirements, but may be seeking to make investments in underserved communities or to fulfill other socially responsible related investment objectives. Investors that are not subject to the CRA requirements do not receive CRA credit for their investments. Concentration in the Affordable Housing Industry. The Fund concentrates in the affordable housing industry, which means it will invest at least 25% of its total assets in the affordable housing industry. The Fund may, however, invest up to 100% of its total assets in the affordable housing industry. The Fund will invest a significant amount of its assets in securities issued by Government National Mortgage Association ("Ginnie Mae") and government sponsored enterprises ("GSEs"), such as the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae") and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac"), Federal Housing Administration ("FHA") project loans, and tax-exempt debt issued by state housing finance authorities ("HFAs") to finance their work in affordable housing. Credit Quality. The Fund will only invest in (i) securities in the highest category assigned by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, are deemed by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, or (ii) securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, government agencies, or GSEs. <div> Duration. From time to time, the Advisor may seek to maintain an overall average dollar-weighted portfolio duration for the Fund that is within certain percentage ranges above or below a selected benchmark index.</div></div> </div> year-to-date A 1.00% CDSC is imposed on redemptions of Class A shares made within 12 months of a purchase of $1 million or more of Class A shares on which no front-end sales charge was paid. The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive fees or pay operating expenses through January 31, 2014, to maintain Other Expenses, which does not include Interest Expense, Management Fees or Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees, at 0.20% of the Fund's average monthly gross assets less accrued liabilities, other than indebtedness for borrowing.