497 1 etf4_497.txt DEFINITIVE MATERIALS Rule 497(c) Registration Nos. 333-174332 and 811-22559 FIRST TRUST FIRST TRUST EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND IV ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- First Trust Strategic Income ETF Ticker Symbol: FDIV Exchange: NASDAQ(R) First Trust Strategic Income ETF (the "Fund") is a series of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund IV (the "Trust") and an exchange-traded fund organized as a separate series of a registered management investment company. The Fund lists and principally trades its shares on The NASDAQ(R) Stock Market LLC ("NASDAQ(R)"). Market prices may differ to some degree from the net asset value of the shares. Unlike mutual funds, the Fund issues and redeems shares, at net asset value, only in large specified blocks each consisting of 50,000 shares (each such block of shares, called a "Creation Unit," and collectively, the "Creation Units"). The Fund's Creation Units are issued for securities in which the Fund invests and/or cash, and redeemed for securities and/or cash, and only to and from broker-dealers and large institutional investors that have entered into participation agreements. THE FUND IS AN ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND AND EXCEPT WHEN AGGREGATED IN CREATION UNITS, THE SHARES ARE NOT REDEEMABLE SECURITIES OF THE FUND. THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION HAS NOT APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. NOT FDIC INSURED MAY LOSE VALUE NO BANK GUARANTEE ---------------------- August 6, 2014 ---------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS Summary Information...........................................................1 Additional Information on the Fund's Investment Objectives and Strategies....10 Fund Investments.............................................................10 Additional Investments.......................................................13 Additional Risks of Investing in the Fund....................................14 Fund Organization............................................................19 Management of the Fund.......................................................19 How to Buy and Sell Shares...................................................22 Dividends, Distributions and Taxes...........................................23 Federal Tax Matters..........................................................23 Distribution Plan............................................................25 Net Asset Value..............................................................25 Fund Service Providers.......................................................26 Premium/Discount Information.................................................26 Other Information............................................................26 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY INFORMATION -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES The Fund's primary investment objective is to seek risk-adjusted income. The Fund's secondary investment objective is capital appreciation. FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. Investors purchasing and selling shares may be subject to costs (including customary brokerage commissions) charged by their broker, which are not reflected in the table below. SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment) Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) None ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) Management Fees 0.85% Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees (1) 0.00% Other Expenses (2) 0.00% Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (3) 0.20% ------- Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.05% Expense Reimbursement (4) 0.18% ------- Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement 0.87% EXAMPLE The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. This example does not take into account customary brokerage commissions that you pay when purchasing or selling shares of the Fund in the secondary market. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain at current levels until August 6, 2016, and thereafter at 1.12% to represent the imposition of the 12b-1 fee of 0.25% per annum of the Fund's average daily net assets. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 1 YEAR 3 YEARS $89 $305 --------- (1) Although the Fund has adopted a 12b-1 plan that permits it to pay up to 0.25% per annum, it will not pay 12b-1 fees at any time before August 6, 2016. (2) Other Expenses are estimates based on the expenses the Fund expects to incur for the current fiscal year. (3) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year. (4) Pursuant to a contractual agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Fund's investment advisor, the management fees paid to the Fund's investment advisor will be reduced by the proportional amount of the acquired fund fees and expenses of the shares of investment companies held by the Fund so that the Fund would not bear the indirect costs of holding them, provided that, the investment companies are advised by the Fund's investment advisor. This contractual agreement shall continue until the earlier of (i) its termination at the direction of the Trust's Board of Trustees or (ii) upon the termination of the Fund's management agreement with the Fund's investment advisor, however, it is expected to remain in place for no less than one year from the date of this prospectus. 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 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. PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES The Fund is a multi-manager, multi-strategy actively managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF"). First Trust Advisors L.P. is the investment advisor (the "Advisor") to the Fund. The following will serve as investment sub-advisors (each, a "Sub-Advisor") to the Fund: First Trust Global Portfolios Ltd; Energy Income Partners, LLC; Stonebridge Advisors LLC; and Richard Bernstein Advisors 1 LLC. The Advisor's Investment Committee determines the Fund's strategic allocation among various general investment categories and allocates the Fund's assets to portfolio management teams comprised of personnel of the Advisor and/or a Sub-Advisor (each, a "Management Team"), which employ their respective investment strategies. The Fund's investment categories will be: (i) high yield corporate bonds, commonly referred to as "junk" bonds, and first lien senior secured floating rate bank loans; (ii) mortgage-related investments; (iii) preferred securities; (iv) international sovereign bonds, including emerging markets debt; (v) equity securities of Energy Infrastructure Companies (as defined below), certain of which are referred to as master limited partnerships ("MLPs"); and (vi) dividend paying U.S. exchange-traded equity securities and depositary receipts. The Management Teams may utilize a related option overlay strategy and/or derivative instruments in implementing their respective investment strategies for the Fund. The Fund seeks to achieve its objectives by having each Management Team focus on those securities within its respective investment category. The Fund may add or remove investment categories or Management Teams at the discretion of the Advisor. Each Management Team will select the securities for its respective investment category by following the investment strategies set forth below: HIGH YIELD CORPORATE BONDS AND SENIOR LOANS In constructing the high yield corporate bonds and first lien senior secured floating rate bank loans portion of the portfolio, the Management Team employs a credit analysis process that involves the evaluation of industry trends, management quality, ownership, collateral adequacy, enterprise value and the consistency of corporate cash flows. This credit analysis process supports the portfolio construction process that considers the macro-economic outlook and near-term economic climate. The Management Team utilizes both the primary and secondary markets. Additional key items that the Management Team considers in the portfolio construction process include relative value assessment, diversification, ongoing monitoring and liquidity. o Relative value assessment. Each potential investment opportunity is evaluated relative to other opportunities available in the market. o Portfolio diversification. The Management Team seeks to have a diversified portfolio across individual issuers and industries. While the portfolio is expected to hold both senior loans and high yield bonds, the allocation between the two assets classes will shift over time as relative value opportunities change. o Ongoing monitoring. The Management Team actively monitors the performance of all positions on an ongoing basis. o Liquidity. The investment process favors investments in more liquid issuers and the Management Team analyzes the potential liquidity of each investment opportunity prior to purchase. MORTGAGE-RELATED INVESTMENTS In constructing the mortgage-related investments portion of the portfolio, the Management Team considers sector analysis, security analysis, total return scenario analysis and surveillance. o Sector analysis. The Management Team performs top-down review of core mortgage-backed securities sectors and macro-economic market trends based on bottom-up analysis of individual securities to determine the sectors in which the Fund will be overweight, neutral weight and underweight. o Security analysis. The Management Team evaluates individual securities based on criteria such as price, yield, rating and option adjusted spreads, prepayment sensitivity and forecasting, default risk, interest rate duration and key rate exposure, sensitivity to yield volatility, liquidity premium and normalized valuation for each security class. o Total return scenario analysis. The Management Team performs individual security and portfolio level return analysis using extensive scenario stress testing of yield curve and spread shocks and/or movements. o Surveillance. The Management Team analyzes holdings on a systematic basis to monitor any changes in security and portfolio performance or meaningful changes in risk measures. o Performance attribution. The Management Team performs granular total return analysis by reviewing key portfolio attributes such as duration, yield curve positioning and sector allocations, as well as spreads. The portfolio's performance is also compared to various benchmarks. PREFERRED SECURITIES In constructing the preferred and hybrid securities portion of the portfolio, the Management Team considers the following factors. 2 o Credit analysis. The Management Team performs bottom-up fundamental credit research on issuers and individual security characteristics to determine suitability for the investment portfolio. o Sector analysis. The Management Tea performs top-down sector and industry analysis to aid in determining appropriate sector weightings and overall credit risk of the portfolio. o Regulatory analysis. The Management Team performs top-down analysis of the impact of regulatory changes for each sector as it relates to credit worthiness and capital securities. o Macro-economic and interest rate analysis. The Management Team performs analysis of macro-economic conditions and interest rate trends to determine an appropriate duration target and overall credit and interest rate risk for the portfolio. o Relative value analysis. The Management Team determines the relative value of individual preferred and hybrid securities for inclusion in the portfolio by analyzing new issues and secondary market securities based on various measures of credit spread to treasuries/other credit spread products, various measures of yield, call/extension risk, credit quality, capital structure positioning, duration and individual security characteristics. o Technical market analysis. The Management Team analyzes trading patterns, market liquidity, deal sizes, new issuance trends and interest rate conditions to evaluate market conditions. INTERNATIONAL SOVEREIGN BONDS In constructing the international sovereign bonds portion of the portfolio, the Management Team focuses on a two-way adaptive process, which combines the Management Team's current fundamental economic assessment with available risk premiums to determine the optimal risk/reward mix for the portfolio. The process includes the following considerations. o The Management Team determines the strategic outlook by assessing structural macro-economic themes, such as debt burdens, inflation, politics and capital flows together with shorter term market drivers like valuations, liquidity and sentiment. o The Management Team analyzes the relevant risk premiums and factors impacting underlying issuers and securities in the investable universe by looking at various quantitative and qualitative measures. The core risk premiums are considered to be interest rate risk, credit risk and currency risk. o The Management Team translates the strategic outlook into exposures to the desired risk premiums expressing the Management Team's conviction levels, time horizons and risk tolerances consistent with macro-economic scenarios. The portfolio is actively allocated across the investment universe by selecting those issuers and securities that provide the desired interest rate, credit and currency risk exposures. Consideration is also given to individual security liquidity and suitability for the portfolio. o The Management Team will seek to add exposure to individual issuers, securities or currencies that it views as undervalued compared to its assessment of the issuer, security or currency's fair market value. Relative and absolute valuation metrics are used comparing yield, spread, interest rate differentials and overbought/oversold indicators among others. o The Management Team will provide ongoing portfolio monitoring so that the portfolio maintains its exposure to the Management Team's desired risk premiums. Systems and controls in place monitor overall portfolio risk and also ensure adherence to mandates and regulatory constraints. ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE COMPANIES Energy Infrastructure Companies are publicly-traded MLPs, MLP affiliates, Canadian income trusts and their successor companies, pipeline companies, utilities, and other companies that are involved in operating or providing services in support of infrastructure assets such as pipeline, power transmission and petroleum and natural gas storage in the petroleum, natural gas and power generation industries. In constructing the Energy Infrastructure Companies portion of the portfolio, the Management Team utilizes the following three step investment process: (1) defining the universe of companies in the energy sector and energy utilities industries that have high dividend payout ratios and/or are involved in the energy infrastructure business; (2) identifying, among this universe, companies that pass a quality threshold established by the Management Team; and (3) constructing the portfolio by determining the portfolio weighting of companies that have made it through the first two steps. In step 1, the Management Team defines the universe by seeking energy sector and energy utilities companies weighted towards: o Regulated monopoly or monopoly-like assets (i.e., companies that own unique assets that provide for a sustainable competitive advantage due to control of location); 3 o Non-cyclical cash flows (i.e., companies that have most or all of their assets in businesses whose revenues tend not to fluctuate with commodity prices and tend to be less sensitive to changes in the economic cycle); o Fee-for-service revenues (i.e., companies that have most or all of their assets in businesses whose revenues are not tied to changes in commodity prices and/or volumes actually shipped through or stored in their facilities); and o Cost escalators (i.e., companies that have most or all of their assets in businesses whose revenues and/or margins can be adjusted to compensate for changes in the company's costs). In step 2, the Management Team identifies companies that pass a quality threshold established by the Management Team by utilizing both quantitative aspects to measure quality, such as the stability of cash flows, returns on invested capital, financial leverage and earnings coverage of dividends, as well as qualitative aspects, such as the confidence that the Management Team has in a company's management and the quality of its assets. In step 3, the Management Team constructs the portfolio by determining the portfolio weighting of companies that have made it through the first two steps. The Management Team will balance each position's expected rate of return against risks, limitations on position sizes and Fund's portfolio limitations. EQUITY SECURITIES o In constructing the equity securities portion of the portfolio, the Management Team utilizes the following investment process. o Construct a universe with all the equity securities that are listed on U.S. exchanges, including American depositary receipts ("ADRs") but excluding preferred securities, master limited partnerships and mortgage real estate investment trusts ("REITs"). o Create a global high dividend yield universe by removing companies with a yield that is less than the market average and also by removing the highest ranked yields, which are considered to have a higher risk of a future dividend cut. o The Management Team examines the sustainability of dividends on the global high dividend yield universe by screening for debt levels below the market average, earnings growth and consistency of earnings. o The Management Team applies a proprietary mean-variance optimization (MVO) method to risk-weight the stocks. The MVO process also limits security weights to approximately 2% and applies sector/industry caps and minimum thresholds for price-per-share, liquidity (average daily trading volume) and market-capitalization. The Fund may invest in the securities within the investment categories directly or, alternatively, may invest in other ETFs that generally provide exposure to those categories. The Advisor expects that the Fund may at times invest significantly (and, potentially, may invest up to 50% of its net assets) in other ETFs, including but not limited to, other ETFs that are advised by the Advisor; however, the Fund does not expect to operate principally as a "funds of funds." Any other ETFs in which the Fund invests to gain exposure to an investment category may be subject to investment parameters that differ in certain respects from those that have been established for such investment category. In general, ETFs will be selected for the Fund to provide exposure to the various investment categories or to achieve diversification within an investment category. ETFs may also be used during the invest-up period, for defensive purposes or to equitize cash. To enhance expected return, the Advisor may periodically tactically adjust investment category weights. Security selection is performed for the Fund by the Advisor and/or a Sub-Advisor. In general, the fixed income securities in which the Fund invests may be issued by U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, of any capitalization range or credit quality, including high yield securities. The high yield securities in which the Fund invests are rated below investment grade at the time of purchase or unrated and deemed by the Advisor to be of comparable quality, commonly referred to as "junk" bonds. In addition, the fixed income securities in which the Fund will invest may have effective or final maturities of any length. The Fund may invest in the equity securities, including preferred securities, of non-U.S. issuers, either directly or through investments that are in the form of depositary receipts. The Fund expects that the depositary receipts in which it invests will be exchange-traded and will not include unsponsored depositary receipts. The Fund may invest in equity securities issued by small, mid or large capitalization companies. Generally, the Fund's exposure to any single country (outside the U.S.) is limited to 20% of the Fund's net assets. The portion of the Fund's net assets that are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar is not expected to exceed 30%. 4 The Fund may invest in derivative instruments, including covered calls, for various purposes. In general, the Fund may invest in exchange-listed futures contracts, exchange-listed options, exchange-listed options on futures contracts, exchange-listed stock index options and forward contracts. In addition, the Fund expects to enter into certain types of derivatives transactions with respect to certain of the particular investment categories described above. PRINCIPAL RISKS You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. There can be no assurance that the Fund's investment objectives will be achieved. CASH TRANSACTIONS RISK. The Fund will, under most circumstances, effect a portion of creations and redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind securities. As a result, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in an ETF that effects its creations and redemption for in-kind securities. Because the Fund may effect a portion of redemptions for cash, it may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. A sale of shares may result in capital gains or losses, and may also result in higher brokerage costs. COVERED CALL RISK. The Fund may invest in covered call options. Covered call risk is the risk that the Fund will forgo, during the option's life, the opportunity to profit from increases in the market value of the security covering the call option above the sum of the premium and the strike price of the call, but has retained the risk of loss should the price of the underlying security decline. In addition, as the Fund writes covered calls over more of its portfolio, its ability to benefit from capital appreciation becomes more limited. The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation as a writer of the option. Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying security at the exercise price. CREDIT RISK. Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a security will be unable or unwilling to make dividend, interest and/or principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a security may decline because of concerns about the issuer's ability to make such payments. CURRENCY RISK. The Fund may hold investments that are denominated in non-U.S. currencies, or in securities that provide exposure to such currencies, currency exchange rates or interest rates denominated in such currencies. Changes in currency exchange rates and the relative value of non-U.S. currencies will affect the value of the Fund's investment and the value of your Fund shares. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS RISK. Depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Any distributions paid to the holders of depositary receipts are usually subject to a fee charged by the depositary. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, and investment restrictions in certain countries may adversely impact the value of depositary receipts because such restrictions may limit the ability to convert the equity shares into depositary receipts and vice versa. Such restrictions may cause the equity shares of the underlying issuer to trade at a discount or premium to the market price of the depositary receipts. DERIVATIVES RISK. The use of options and other derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the underlying asset, index or rate, which may be magnified by certain features of the derivatives. These risks are heightened when the Fund's portfolio managers use derivatives to enhance the Fund's return or as a substitute for a position or security, rather than solely to hedge (or offset) the risk of a position or security held by the Fund. ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE COMPANIES RISK. Energy Infrastructure Companies may be directly affected by energy commodity prices, especially those companies that own the underlying energy commodity. A decrease in the production or availability of natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, coal or other energy commodities or a decrease in the volume of such commodities available for transportation, processing, storage or distribution may adversely impact the financial performance of Energy Infrastructure Companies. Energy Infrastructure Companies are subject to significant federal, state and local government regulation in virtually every aspect of their operations, including how facilities are constructed, maintained and operated, environmental and safety controls, and the prices they may charge for products and services. Various governmental authorities have the power to enforce compliance with these regulations and the permits issued under them and violators are subject to administrative, civil and criminal penalties, including civil fines, injunctions or both. Stricter laws, regulations or enforcement policies could be enacted in the future which would likely increase compliance costs and may adversely affect the financial performance of Energy Infrastructure Companies. Natural disasters, such as hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, also may impact Energy Infrastructure Companies. 5 Certain Energy Infrastructure Companies in the utilities industry are subject to imposition of rate caps, increased competition due to deregulation, difficulty in obtaining an adequate return on invested capital or in financing large construction projects, limitations on operations and increased costs and delays attributable to environmental considerations, and the capital market's ability to absorb utility debt. In addition, taxes, government regulation, international politics, price and supply fluctuations, volatile interest rates and energy conservation may cause difficulties for these companies. Such issuers have been experiencing certain of these problems to varying degrees. EQUITY SECURITIES RISK. The Fund invests in equity securities. The value of the shares will fluctuate with changes in the value of these equity securities. Equity securities prices fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in investors' perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, such as the current market volatility, or when political or economic events affecting the issuers occur. In addition, common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of the capital rises and borrowing costs increase. FINANCIAL COMPANIES RISK. The Fund invests in financial companies, including banks, thrifts and their holding companies. Financial companies are especially subject to the adverse effects of economic recession, currency exchange rates, government regulation, decreases in the availability of capital, volatile interest rates, portfolio concentrations in geographic markets and in commercial and residential real estate loans, and competition from new entrants in their fields of business. FIXED INCOME SECURITIES RISK. An investment in the Fund involves risk associated with an investment in fixed income securities including the risk that certain of the securities in the Fund may not have the benefit of covenants that would prevent the issuer from engaging in capital restructurings or borrowing transactions in connection with corporate acquisitions, leveraged buyouts or restructurings. This limitation could reduce the ability of the issuer to meet its payment obligations and might result in increased credit risk. In addition, certain of the securities may be redeemed or prepaid by the issuer, resulting in lower interest payments received by the Fund and reduced distributions to shareholders. HIGH YIELD SECURITIES RISK. High yield securities, or "junk" bonds, are subject to greater market fluctuations and risk of loss than securities with higher ratings, and therefore, may be highly speculative. These securities are issued by companies that may have limited operating history, narrowly focused operations, and/or other impediments to the timely payment of periodic interest and principal at maturity. If the economy slows down or dips into recession, the issuers of high yield securities may not have sufficient resources to continue making timely payment of periodic interest and principal at maturity. The market for high yield securities is generally smaller and less liquid than that for investment grade securities. High yield securities are generally not listed on a national securities exchange but trade in the over-the-counter markets. Due to the smaller, less liquid market for high yield securities, the bid-offer spread on such securities is generally greater than it is for investment grade securities and the purchase or sale of such securities may take longer to complete. ILLIQUID SECURITIES RISK. Some of the securities held by the Fund may be illiquid. Illiquid securities involve the risk that the securities will not be able to be sold at the time desired by the Fund or at prices approximately the value at which the Fund is carrying the securities on its books. INCOME RISK. Income from the Fund's fixed income investments could decline during periods of falling interest rates. INTEREST RATE RISK. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the fixed income securities in the Fund will decline because of rising market interest rates. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter term investments and higher for longer term investments. Mortgage-related securities are particularly subject to the risk that interest rate volatility may adversely impact the valuation and price of such securities. INVESTMENT COMPANIES RISK. The Fund may invest in the shares of other investment companies, and therefore, the Fund's investment performance and risks may be related to the investment performance and risks of the underlying funds. In general, as a shareholder in other investment companies, the Fund bears its ratable share of the underlying fund's expenses, and would be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies. Pursuant to a contractual agreement, the Advisor has agreed to reduce the management fee paid by the Fund by the proportional amount of the acquired fund fees and expenses of the shares of investment companies held by the Fund so that the Fund would not bear the indirect costs of holding them, provided, that, the investment companies are advised by the Advisor. MANAGEMENT RISK. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund's investment portfolio, the Management Teams will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not have the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objectives. MARKET RISK. Market risk is the risk that a particular security owned by the Fund or shares of the Fund in general may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory 6 or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Overall security values could decline generally or could underperform other investments. MLP RISK. An investment in MLP units involves risks which differ from an investment in common stock of a corporation. Holders of MLP units have limited control and voting rights on matters affecting the partnership. In addition, there are certain tax risks associated with an investment in MLP units and conflicts of interest may exist between common unit holders and the general partner, including those arising from incentive distribution payments. In addition, there is the risk that an MLP could be, contrary to its intention, taxed as a corporation, resulting in decreased returns from such MLP. MORTGAGE SECURITIES RISK. The Fund invests in mortgage-related securities, including mortgage-backed securities, which may make the Fund more susceptible to adverse economic, political or regulatory events that affect the value of real estate. Changes in local, state and federal policies could negatively impact the mortgage-related securities market, which include various government initiated and sponsored homeowner assistance programs and eminent domain issues. Mortgage-related securities may also face liquidity issues when the Fund seeks to sell such securities, but is unable to find buyers at a bid-ask spread to make the transaction feasible. These securities are also subject to the risk that the underlying borrowers may default on their mortgages, resulting in a non-payment of principal and interest. Finally, the mortgage-related securities market may be negatively impacted by regulatory changes including those that are related to the mandate or existence of the government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae. Mortgage-related securities are subject to the risk that the rate of mortgage prepayments decreases, which extends the average life of a security and increases the interest rate exposure. NEW FUND RISK. The Fund currently has fewer assets than larger funds, and like other relatively new funds, large inflows and outflows may impact the Fund's market exposure for limited periods of time. This impact may be positive or negative, depending on the direction of market movement during the period affected. Also, during the initial invest-up period, the Fund may depart from its principal investment strategies and invest a larger amount or all of its assets in cash equivalents, or it may hold cash. NON-DIVERSIFICATION RISK. The Fund is classified as "non-diversified" under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). As a result, the Fund is only limited as to the percentage of its assets that may be invested in the securities of any one issuer by the diversification requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). The Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence affecting one or more of these issuers, experience increased volatility and be highly invested in certain issuers. NON-U.S. SECURITIES RISK AND EMERGING MARKETS RISK. Non-U.S. securities are subject to higher volatility than securities of domestic issuers due to possible adverse political, social or economic developments; restrictions on foreign investment or exchange of securities; lack of liquidity; currency exchange rates; excessive taxation; government seizure of assets; different legal or accounting standards and less government supervision and regulation of exchanges in foreign countries. These risks may be heightened for securities of companies located in, or with significant operations in, emerging market countries. PREFERRED SECURITIES RISK. Preferred securities combine some of the characteristics of both common stocks and bonds. Preferred securities are typically subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a company's capital structure in terms of priority to corporate income, and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments. Preferred securities are also subject to credit risk, interest rate risk and income risk. SENIOR LOAN RISK. An investment in senior loans subjects the Fund to credit risk, which is heightened for loans in which the Fund invests because companies that issue such loans tend to be highly leveraged and thus are more susceptible to the risks of interest deferral, default and/or bankruptcy. The loans are usually rated below investment grade but may also be unrated. An economic downturn would generally lead to a higher non-payment rate, and a loan may lose significant market value before a default occurs. Moreover, any specific collateral used to secure a loan may decline in value or become illiquid, which would adversely affect the loan's value. Unlike the securities markets, there is no central clearinghouse for loan trades, and the loan market has not established enforceable settlement standards or remedies for failure to settle. Therefore, portfolio transactions in loans may have uncertain settlement time periods. Loans are subject to a number of risks described elsewhere in this prospectus, including liquidity risk and the risk of investing in below investment grade debt instruments. Floating rate loans are subject to prepayment risk. The degree to which borrowers prepay loans, whether as a contractual requirement or at their election, may be affected by general business conditions, the financial condition of the borrower and competitive conditions among loan investors, among others. As such, prepayments cannot be predicted with accuracy. Upon a prepayment, either in part or in full, the actual outstanding debt on which the Fund derives interest income will be reduced. The Fund may not be able to reinvest the proceeds received on terms as favorable as the prepaid loan. 7 SMALLER COMPANIES RISK. The Fund invests in small and/or mid capitalization companies. Such companies may be more vulnerable to adverse general market or economic developments, and their securities may be less liquid and may experience greater price volatility than larger, more established companies as a result of several factors, including limited trading volumes, products or financial resources, management inexperience and less publicly available information. Accordingly, such companies are generally subject to greater market risk than larger, more established companies. PERFORMANCE The Fund has not yet commenced operations and, therefore, does not have a performance history. Once available, the Fund's performance information will be available on the Fund's website at www.ftportfolios.com. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT ADVISOR First Trust Advisors L.P. ("First Trust" or the "Advisor") INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORS Energy Income Partners, LLC ("EIP") First Trust Global Portfolios Ltd. ("FTGP") Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC ("RBA") Stonebridge Advisors LLC ("Stonebridge") ADVISOR'S INVESTMENT COMMITTEE The Advisor's Investment Committee, which determines the Fund's strategic allocation among various general investment categories and allocates the Fund's assets, consists of: o Daniel J. Lindquist, Chairman of the Investment Committee and Managing Director of First Trust; o David G. McGarel, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director of First Trust; o Jon C. Erickson, Senior Vice President of First Trust; o Roger F. Testin, Senior Vice President of First Trust; o Todd Larson, CFA, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of First Trust; o John Gambla, CFA, FRM, PRM, Senior Portfolio Manager of First Trust; and o Rob A. Guttschow, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager of First Trust. ADVISOR PORTFOLIO MANAGERS o William Housey, Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of First Trust; o Jeremiah Charles, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of First Trust; and o James Snyder, Vice President and Portfolio Manager of First Trust. SUB-ADVISOR PORTFOLIO MANAGERS o James J. Murchie, Founder, Chief Executive Officer, co-portfolio manager and Principal of EIP. o Derek Fulton, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of FTGP. o Richard Bernstein, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of RBA. o Scott T. Fleming, President and Chief Investment Officer of Stonebridge. Each portfolio manager has served as a part of a Management Team since 2014. PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES The Fund issues and redeems shares on a continuous basis, at net asset value, only in Creation Units consisting of 50,000 shares. The Creation Units are issued for securities in which the Fund invests and/or cash, and redeemed for securities and/or cash, and only to and from broker-dealers and large institutional investors that have entered into participation agreements. Shares of the Fund will trade on NASDAQ(R) at market prices rather than net asset value, which may cause the shares to trade at a price greater than net asset value (premium) or less than net asset value (discount). 8 TAX INFORMATION The Fund's distributions are taxable and will generally be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains. Distributions on shares held in a tax-deferred account, while not immediately taxable, will be subject to tax when the shares are no longer held in a tax-deferred account. PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), First Trust and First Trust Portfolios L.P., the Fund's distributor, may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict 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. 9 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND Strategies The Fund's investment objectives are fundamental and may not be changed without approval by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Unless an investment policy is identified as being fundamental, all investment policies included in this prospectus and the Fund's Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") are non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees (the "Board") of the First Trust Exchange Traded Fund IV (the "Trust"), of which the Fund is a series, without shareholder approval. During the initial invest-up period, the Fund may depart from its principal investment strategies and invest a larger amount or all of its assets in cash equivalents or it may hold cash. In selecting securities for the Fund, the investment strategy of the Management Teams is driven by comprehensive analysis with a goal of investing in securities with the highest expected total return, adjusted for risk. The Fund is seeking a high level of current income and diversification through the use of multiple asset classes, targeted investment strategies and specialized Management Teams. The Fund will use multiple specialist managers and tailored investment strategies to offer an innovative approach to generating income. The Management Teams intend to exercise flexibility in purchasing assets that can act as a complement to traditional fixed income holdings. FUND INVESTMENTS The investment categories in which the Fund invests and the investment strategies that the applicable Management Teams pursue are described below. HIGH YIELD CORPORATE BONDS AND SENIOR LOANS The Fund intends to invest between 0% and 30%, but may invest up to 50%, of its net assets in a combination of high yield corporate bonds and senior loans. High yield corporate bonds are usually rated below investment grade and are commonly referred to as "junk" bonds. Such bonds and loans in which the Fund invests directly will be issued by entities domiciled in the United States. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will seek to invest at least 75% of its net assets that are invested in such bonds and loans (in the aggregate) in bonds and loans that, at the time of original issuance, have at least $100 million par amount outstanding. The high yield corporate bonds in which the Fund invests will usually be rated below investment grade at the time of purchase or unrated and deemed by the Advisor and/or the applicable Management Team to be of comparable quality. For purposes of determining whether a security is below investment grade, the lowest available rating will be considered. High yield debt may be issued, for example, by companies without long track records of sales and earnings or by issuers that have questionable credit strength. Corporate bonds may carry fixed or floating rates of interest. The senior loans in which the Fund will invest will represent amounts borrowed by companies or other entities from banks and other lenders. In many cases, senior loans are issued in connection with recapitalizations, acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and refinancings. A significant portion of the senior loans in which the Fund will invest are expected to be rated below investment grade or unrated. A senior loan is considered senior to all other unsecured claims against the borrower, and senior to or pari passu with all other secured claims, meaning that in the event of a bankruptcy, the senior loan, together with all other first lien claims, is entitled to be the first to be repaid out of the proceeds of the assets securing the loans, before other existing unsecured claims or interests receive repayment. However, in bankruptcy proceedings, there may be other claims, such as taxes or additional advances, which take precedence. Senior loans have interest rates that reset periodically. The interest rates on senior loans are generally based on a percentage above the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), a U.S bank's prime or base rate, the overnight federal funds rate, or another rate. Senior loans may be structured and administered by a financial institution that acts as the agent of the lenders participating in the senior loan. The Fund will generally invest in senior loans that the Advisor and/or the applicable Management Team deems to be liquid with readily available prices. The Management Team does not intend to purchase senior loans that are in default; however, the Fund may hold a senior loan that has defaulted subsequent to the purchase by the Fund. MORTGAGE-RELATED INVESTMENTS The Fund intends to invest between 0% and 30%, but may invest up to 50%, of its net assets in mortgage-related debt securities and other mortgage-related instruments (collectively, "Mortgage-Related Investments"). The Fund generally expects that the Mortgage-Related Investments in which it invests will primarily consist of investment grade securities (i.e., securities with credit ratings within the four highest rating categories of a nationally recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO")) at the time of purchase. The Mortgage-Related Investments in which the Fund invests include mortgage-backed securities (such as residential mortgage-backed securities ("RMBS") and commercial mortgage-backed securities ("CMBS")). Mortgage-backed securities represent an interest in a pool of mortgage loans made by banks and other financial institutions to finance purchases of homes, commercial buildings and other real estate. The individual mortgage loans are packaged or "pooled" 10 together for sale to investors. As the underlying mortgage loans are paid off, investors receive principal and interest payments. Mortgage-backed securities may be fixed-rate or adjustable-rate mortgage-backed securities (ARMS). Certain mortgage-backed securities (including RMBS and CMBS), where mortgage payments are divided up between paying the loan's principal and paying the loan's interest, are referred to as stripped mortgage-backed securities (SMBS). Further, mortgage-backed securities can also be categorized as collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) or real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) where they are divided into multiple classes with each class being entitled to a different share of the principal and/or interest payments received from the pool of underlying assets. The mortgage-backed securities in which the Fund invests may be, but are not required to be, issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, such as Ginnie Mae and U.S. government-sponsored entities, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Government agency or instrumentality securities have different levels of credit support. For example, Ginnie Mae securities carry a guarantee as to the timely repayment of principal and interest that is backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. However, the full faith and credit guarantee does not apply to the market prices and yields of the Ginnie Mae securities or to the net asset value, trading price or performance of the Fund, which will vary with changes in interest rates and other market conditions. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pass-through mortgage certificates are backed by the credit of the respective instrumentality and are not guaranteed by the U.S. government. Other securities issued by government agencies or instrumentalities, including government-sponsored entities, may only be backed by the creditworthiness of the issuing institution, not the U.S. government, or the issuers may have the right to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations. Many mortgage-backed securities are pass-through securities, which means they provide investors with monthly payments consisting of a pro rata share of both regular interest and principal payments as well as unscheduled prepayments on the underlying mortgage loans. Because prepayment rates of individual mortgage pools vary widely, the average life of a particular pool cannot be predicted accurately. Adjustable-rate mortgage-backed securities include ARMS and other mortgage-backed securities with interest rates that adjust periodically to reflect prevailing market rates. Additionally, the Fund may invest in mortgage dollar rolls. In a mortgage dollar roll, the Fund will sell (or buy) mortgage-backed securities for delivery on a specified date and simultaneously contract to repurchase (or sell) substantially similar (same type, coupon and maturity) securities on a future date. During the period between a sale and repurchase, the Fund will forgo principal and interest paid on the mortgage-backed securities. The Fund will earn or lose money on a mortgage dollar roll from any difference between the sale price and the future purchase price. In a sale and repurchase, the Fund will also earn money on the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale. The Fund intends to enter into mortgage dollar rolls only with high quality securities dealers and banks, as determined by the Advisor. The Fund may also invest in to-be-announced transactions ("TBA Transactions"). A TBA Transaction is a method of trading mortgage-backed securities. In a TBA Transaction, the buyer and the seller agree on general trade parameters such as agency, settlement date, par amount and price. The actual pools delivered generally are determined two days prior to the settlement date. Further, the Fund may enter into short sales as part of its overall portfolio management strategies or to offset a potential decline in the value of a security; however, the Fund does not expect, under normal market conditions, to engage in short sales with respect to more than 30% of the value of its net assets that are invested in Mortgage-Related Investments. To the extent required under applicable federal securities laws, rules, and interpretations thereof, the Fund will "set aside" liquid assets or engage in other measures to "cover" open positions and short positions held in connection with the foregoing types of transactions. PREFERRED SECURITIES The Fund intends to invest between 0% and 30%, but may invest up to 50%, of its net assets in preferred securities. Certain of the preferred securities in which the Fund invests are traditional preferred stocks which issue dividends that qualify for the dividends received deduction under which "qualified" domestic corporations are able to exclude a percentage of the dividends received from their taxable income. Certain of the preferred securities in which the Fund invests are preferred stock that does not issue dividends that qualify for the dividends received deduction or generate qualified dividend income. Hybrid preferred securities, another type of preferred securities, are typically junior and fully subordinated liabilities of an issuer or the beneficiary of a guarantee that is junior and fully subordinated to the other liabilities of the guarantor. Preferred securities held by the Fund generally pay fixed or adjustable-rate distributions to investors and have preference over common stock in the payment of distributions and the liquidation of a company's assets, which means that a company typically must pay dividends or interest on its preferred securities before paying any dividends on its common stock. Preferred securities are generally junior to all forms of the company's debt, including both senior and subordinated debt. INTERNATIONAL SOVEREIGN DEBT The Fund intends to invest between 0% and 30%, but may invest up to 50%, of its net assets in debt securities, including inflation-linked bonds, issued by foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises ("Sovereign Debt"). Sovereign Debt may include bonds, notes or other debt obligations denominated in local currencies, Euros or U.S. dollars, as well as issues denominated in emerging market local currencies that are issued by "supranational issuers," such as the International Bank for Reconstruction and 11 Development and the International Finance Corporation, as well as development agencies supported by other national governments. According to the applicable Management Team, while there is no universally accepted definition of what constitutes an "emerging market," in general, emerging market countries are characterized by developing commercial and financial infrastructure with significant potential for economic growth and increased capital market participation by foreign investors. At least 50% of the Fund's net assets that are invested in Sovereign Debt will be invested in securities of issuers rated investment grade (BBB-/Baa3 or higher) at the time of purchase by at least one NRSRO, and unrated securities judged to be of comparable quality by the applicable Management Team. Up to 50% of the Fund's net assets invested in Sovereign Debt may be invested in securities of issuers rated below investment grade at the time of purchase (i.e., "junk" bonds). If a security or issuer of Sovereign Debt is rated by multiple NRSROs and receives different ratings, the Fund will treat the security or issuer (as applicable) as being rated in the highest rating category received from a NRSRO. The Fund intends to invest in Sovereign Debt of issuers in both developed and emerging markets. In addition, the Fund expects that, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Sovereign Debt in which it invests will be issued by issuers with outstanding debt of at least $200 million (or the foreign currency equivalent thereof). EQUITY SECURITIES OF ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE COMPANIES The Fund intends to invest between 0% and 50% of its net assets in exchange-traded equity securities of companies deemed by the applicable Management Team to be engaged in the energy infrastructure sector. These companies principally include publicly-traded master limited partnerships and limited liability companies taxed as partnerships ("MLPs"), MLP affiliates, "Canadian Income Equities," which are successor companies to Canadian income trusts, pipeline companies, utilities, and other companies that are involved in operating or providing services in support of infrastructure assets such as pipelines, power transmission and petroleum and natural gas storage in the petroleum, natural gas and power generation industries (collectively, "Energy Infrastructure Companies"). The Fund may invest in the equity securities of MLPs, which are limited partnerships whose shares (or units) are listed and traded on a U.S. securities exchange. MLP units may be common or subordinated. In addition, the Fund may invest in I-Shares, which represent an ownership interest issued by an affiliated party of an MLP. The MLP affiliate uses the proceeds from the sale of I-Shares to purchase limited partnership interests in the MLP in the form of i-units. I-units have similar features as MLP common units in terms of voting rights, liquidation preference and distributions. However, rather than receiving cash, the MLP affiliate receives additional i-units in an amount equal to the cash distributions received by MLP common units. Similarly, holders of I-Shares will receive additional I-Shares, in the same proportion as the MLP affiliates' receipt of i-units, rather than cash distributions. I-Shares themselves have limited voting rights which are similar to those applicable to MLP common units. I-Shares are listed and traded on a U.S. national securities exchange. If the Fund's investment in qualifying MLPs exceeds 25% of the value of the Fund's total assets at the end of any quarter in which the Fund is required to test its diversification, the Fund may not qualify as a regulated investment company for federal income tax purposes unless the Fund takes corrective measures within 30 days of the end of the quarter. DIVIDEND PAYING U.S. EXCHANGE-TRADED EQUITY SECURITIES AND DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS AND RELATED OPTION OVERLAY STRATEGY The Fund intends to invest between 0% and 30%, but may invest up to 50%, of its net assets in dividend paying U.S. exchange-traded equity securities (including common stock) of companies domiciled in the United States and depositary receipts. The Management Teams may utilize a related option overlay strategy and/or derivative instruments in implementing their respective investment strategies for the Fund. To implement this strategy, the Fund will write (sell) covered U.S. exchange-traded call options in order to seek additional cash flow in the form of premiums on the options. The market value of the option overlay strategy may be up to 30% of the Fund's overall net asset value and the notional value of the calls written may be up to 30% of the overall Fund. The maturity of the options utilized will generally be between one week and three months. The options written may be in-the-money, at-the-money or out-of-the-money. DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS The Fund may invest in derivative instruments. Not including the option overlay strategy, no more than 20% of the value of the Fund's net assets will be invested in derivative instruments (the "20% Limitation"). In general, the Fund may invest in exchange-listed futures contracts, exchange-listed options, exchange-listed options on futures contracts, and exchange-listed stock index options. Primarily in connection with its investments in Sovereign Debt (but, to the extent applicable, in connection with other investments), the Fund may actively manage its foreign currency exposures, including through the use of forward currency contracts, non-deliverable forward currency contracts, exchange-listed currency futures and exchange-listed currency options; such derivatives use will be included for purposes of determining compliance with the 20% Limitation. The Fund may, for instance, enter into forward currency contracts in order to "lock in" the exchange rate between the currency it will deliver and the currency it 12 will receive for the duration of the contract and may buy or sell exchange-listed futures contracts on U.S. Treasury securities, non-U.S. government securities and major non-U.S. currencies. The Fund will comply with the regulatory requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") to maintain assets as "cover," maintain segregated accounts, and/or make margin payments when it takes positions in derivative instruments involving obligations to third parties (i.e., instruments other than purchase options). If the applicable guidelines prescribed under the 1940 Act so require, the Fund will earmark or set aside cash, U.S. government securities, high grade liquid debt securities and/or other liquid assets permitted by the SEC in a segregated custodial account in the amount prescribed. The Fund will only enter into transactions in derivative instruments with counterparties that the Advisor and/or the applicable Management Team reasonably believes are capable of performing under the applicable contract. The Fund's investments in derivative instruments will be consistent with the Fund's investment objectives and the 1940 Act and will not be used to seek to achieve a multiple or inverse multiple of an index. INVESTMENT COMPANIES AND OTHER POOLED INVESTMENT VEHICLES The Fund may invest in securities of investment companies, including ETFs, some of which may be ETFs that are advised by the Advisor. The Fund may invest in the securities of ETFs, and other ETFs may invest in the Fund, in excess of the limits imposed under the 1940 Act pursuant to exemptive orders obtained by certain ETFs and their sponsors from the SEC. ETFs trade on a securities exchange and their shares may, at times, trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value. In general, as a shareholder of an investment company, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that vehicle's expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the fund's advisory and administrative fees with respect to assets so invested. Shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies. However, pursuant to a contractual agreement, the Advisor has agreed to reduce the management fee paid by the Fund by the proportional amount of the acquired fund fees and expenses of the shares of investment companies held by the Fund so that the Fund would not bear the indirect costs of holding them, provided, that, the investment companies are advised by the Advisor. In addition, the Fund will incur brokerage costs when purchasing and selling shares of ETFs and closed-end investment companies. ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS CASH EQUIVALENTS AND SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in short-term debt securities, money market funds and other cash equivalents, or it may hold cash. The percentage of the Fund invested in such holdings will vary and will depend on several factors, including market conditions. For temporary defensive purposes, during the initial invest-up period and during periods of high cash inflows or outflows, the Fund may depart from its principal investment strategies and invest part or all of its assets in these securities or it may hold cash. During such periods, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objectives. The Fund may adopt a defensive strategy when the Advisor believes securities in which the Fund normally invests have elevated risks due to political or economic factors and in other extraordinary circumstances. Short-term debt securities are securities from issuers having a long-term debt rating of at least A by S&P Ratings, Moody's or Fitch and having a maturity of one year or less. The use of temporary investments will not be a part of a principal investment strategy of the Fund. Short-term debt securities are defined to include, without limitation, the following: (i) U.S. government securities, including bills, notes and bonds differing as to maturity and rates of interest, which are either issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities; (ii) short-term securities issued or guaranteed by non-U.S. governments or by their agencies or instrumentalities; (iii) certificates of deposit issued against funds deposited in a bank or savings and loan association; (iv) bankers' acceptances, which are short-term credit instruments used to finance commercial transactions; (v) repurchase agreements, which involve purchases of debt securities; (vi) bank time deposits, which are monies kept on deposit with banks or savings and loan associations for a stated period of time at a fixed rate of interest; and (vii) commercial paper, which is short-term unsecured promissory notes. The Fund may only invest in commercial paper rated A-1 or higher by S&P Ratings, Prime-1 or higher by Moody's or F1 or higher by Fitch. JUNIOR LOANS The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in secured loans that are not first lien loans or loans that are unsecured (collectively referred to as "junior loans"). Junior loans have the same characteristics as senior loans except that junior loans are not first in priority of repayment and/or may not be secured by collateral. 13 ILLIQUID SECURITIES The Fund may hold up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities (calculated at the time of investment), including Rule 144A securities deemed illiquid by the Advisor and/or the applicable Management Team and variable rate master demand notes. The Fund will monitor its portfolio liquidity on an ongoing basis to determine whether, in light of current circumstances, an adequate level of liquidity is being maintained, and will consider taking appropriate steps in order to maintain adequate liquidity if, through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets are held in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets as determined in accordance with SEC staff guidance. DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS A description of the policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund's portfolio securities is included in the Fund's SAI and on the Fund's website at www.ftportfolios.com. ADDITIONAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND Risk is inherent in all investing. Investing in the Fund involves risk, including the risk that you may lose all or part of your investment. There can be no assurance that the Fund will meet its stated objectives. Before you invest, you should consider the following risks in addition to the Principal Risks set forth above in this prospectus: PRINCIPAL RISKS CASH TRANSACTIONS RISK. The Fund currently intends to effect a significant portion of creations and redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind securities. As a result, an investment in the Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in an ETF that effects its creations and redemptions for in-kind securities. ETFs are able to make in-kind redemptions and avoid being taxed on gains on the distributed portfolio securities at the fund level. Because the Fund intends to effect a significant portion of redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind distributions, it may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. Any recognized gain on these sales by the Fund will generally cause the Fund to recognize gain it might not otherwise have recognized, or to recognize such gain sooner than would otherwise be required if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind. The Fund generally intends to distribute these gains to shareholders to avoid being taxed on this gain at the fund level and otherwise comply with the special tax rules that apply to it. This strategy may cause shareholders to be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise be subject to, or at an earlier date than if they had made an investment in a different ETF. Moreover, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market is relatively illiquid and may involve considerable brokerage fees and taxes. These brokerage fees and taxes, which will be higher than if the Fund sold and redeemed its shares principally in-kind, will be passed on to purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units in the form of creation and redemption transaction fees. In addition, these factors may result in wider spreads between the bid and the offered prices of the Fund's shares than for ETFs that distribute portfolio securities in-kind. CREDIT RISK. Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt instrument may be unable or unwilling to make dividend, interest and/or principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of an instrument may decline because of concerns about the issuer's ability or unwillingness to make such payments. High yield and comparable unrated debt securities, while generally offering higher yields than investment grade debt with similar maturities, involve greater risks, including the possibility of dividend or interest deferral, default or bankruptcy, and are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay dividends or interest and repay principal. Credit risk is heightened for loans in which the Fund invests because companies that issue such loans tend to be highly leveraged and thus are more susceptible to the risks of interest deferral, default and/or bankruptcy. CURRENCY RISK. An investment in non-U.S. securities involves further risk due to currency exchange rates. Changes in currency exchange rates may affect the Fund's net asset value, the value of dividends and interest earned, and gains and losses realized on the sale of securities. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies may cause the value of the Fund to decline. Certain non-U.S. currencies may be particularly volatile, and non-U.S. governments may intervene in the currency markets, causing a decline in value or liquidity in the Fund's non-U.S. holdings whose value is tied to the affected non-U.S. currency. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS RISK. In addition to the risks above in "Principal Risks -- Depositary Receipts Risk," an investment in depositary receipts involves further risks due to certain features of depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are usually in the form of ADRs or global depositary receipts ("GDRs"). ADRs are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts representing shares of foreign-based corporations. ADRs are issued by U.S. banks or trust companies, and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares. GDRs are similar to ADRs, but are shares of foreign-based corporations generally issued by non-U.S. banks in one or more markets around the world. ADRs or GDRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market. Any distributions paid to the holders of depositary receipts, whether ADRs or GDRs, are usually subject to a fee charged by the depositary. 14 Holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights pursuant to a deposit agreement between the underlying issuer and the depositary. In certain cases, the depositary will vote the equity shares deposited with it as directed by the underlying issuer's board of directors. Furthermore, investment restrictions in certain countries may adversely impact the value of depositary receipts because such restrictions may limit the ability to convert equity shares into depositary receipts and vice versa. Such restrictions may cause equity shares of the underlying issuer to trade at a discount or premium to the market price of the depositary receipt. Moreover, if depositary receipts are converted into equity shares, the laws in certain countries may limit the ability of a non-resident to trade the equity shares and to reconvert the equity shares to depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be "sponsored" or "unsponsored." Sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depositary and the underlying issuer, whereas unsponsored depositary receipts may be established by a depositary without participation by the underlying issuer. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs associated with establishing the unsponsored depositary receipts. In addition, the issuers of the securities underlying unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be unregistered and unlisted. The Fund's investments may also include depositary receipts that are not purchased in the public markets and are restricted securities that can be offered and sold only to "qualified institutional buyers" under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Securities Act"). Moreover, if adverse market conditions were to develop during the period between the Fund's decision to sell these types of depositary receipts and the point at which the Fund is permitted or able to sell such security, the Fund might obtain a price less favorable than the price that prevailed when it decided to sell. DERIVATIVES RISK. The use of derivatives presents risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in traditional securities. Among the risks presented are market risk, credit risk, management risk and liquidity risk. The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the underlying asset, index or rate, which may be magnified by certain features of the derivatives. In addition, when the Fund invests in certain derivative securities, including, but not limited to, when-issued securities, forward commitments and futures contracts, it is effectively leveraging its investments, which could result in exaggerated changes in the net asset value of the Fund's shares and can result in losses that exceed the amount originally invested. The success of the Fund's derivatives strategies will depend on the ability of the Management Teams to assess and predict the impact of market or economic developments on the underlying asset, index or rate, and the derivative itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the derivative under all possible market conditions. Liquidity risk exists when a security cannot be purchased or sold at the time desired, or cannot be purchased or sold without adversely affecting the price. EMERGING MARKETS RISK. An investment in emerging market companies involves certain further risks not associated with investing in developed market countries because emerging market countries are often in the initial stages of their industrialization cycles and have low per capita income. These increased risks include the possibility of investment and trading limitations, nationalization or expropriation of assets, greater liquidity concerns, higher price volatility, greater delays and possibility of disruptions in settlement transactions, greater political uncertainties and greater dependence on non-U.S. trade or development assistance. In addition, emerging market countries may be subject to overburdened infrastructures and environmental problems. EQUITY SECURITIES RISK. Equity securities may decline significantly in price over short or extended periods of time, and such declines may occur in the equity market as a whole, or they may occur in only a particular country, company, industry or sector of the market. FINANCIAL COMPANIES RISK. An investment in financial companies involves additional risks not set forth above. Negative developments relating to the subprime mortgage market have adversely affected credit and capital markets worldwide and reduced the willingness of lenders to extend credit, making borrowing on favorable terms more difficult. In addition, the liquidity of certain debt instruments has been reduced or eliminated due to the lack of available market makers. Banks and thrifts face increased competition from nontraditional lending sources as regulatory changes permit new entrants to offer various financial products. Regulatory changes could cause business disruptions or result in significant loss of revenue, and there can be no assurance as to the actual impact that these laws and their regulations will have on the financial markets. HIGH YIELD SECURITIES RISK. The Fund's investment in high yield, high risk, domestic and foreign obligations, or "junk" securities, may entail increased credit risks and the risk that the value of Fund's assets will decline, and may decline precipitously, with increases in interest rates. In recent years there have been wide fluctuations in interest rates and thus in the value of fixed rate obligations generally. Securities such as those included in the Fund are, under most circumstances, subject to greater market fluctuations and risk of loss of income and principal than are investments in lower-yielding, higher-rated securities, and their value may decline precipitously because of increases in interest rates, not only because the increases in rates generally decrease values, but also because increased rates may indicate a slowdown in the economy and a decrease in the value of assets generally that may adversely affect the credit of issuers of high yield, high risk securities, resulting in a higher incidence of defaults among high yield, high risk securities. A slowdown in the economy, or a development adversely affecting an issuer's 15 creditworthiness, may result in the issuer being unable to maintain earnings or sell assets at the rate and at the prices, respectively, that are required to produce sufficient cash flow to meet its interest and principal requirements. For an issuer that has outstanding both senior commercial bank debt and subordinated high yield, high risk securities, an increase in interest rates will increase that issuer's interest expense insofar as the interest rate on the bank debt is fluctuating. However, many leveraged issuers enter into interest rate protection agreements to fix or cap the interest rate on a large portion of their bank debt. This reduces exposure to increasing rates, but reduces the benefit to the issuer of declining rates. The Management Teams cannot predict future economic policies or their consequences or, therefore, the course or extent of any similar market fluctuations in the future. High yield debt may be issued by companies without long track records of sales and earnings, or by issuers that have questionable credit strength. High yield debt and comparable unrated debt securities: (i) will likely have some quality and protective characteristics that, in the judgment of the rating agency evaluating the instrument, are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions; and (ii) are predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay dividends or interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation. Many lower-quality debt securities are subject to legal or contractual restrictions limiting the Fund's ability to resell the securities to the general public. ILLIQUID SECURITIES RISK. An investment in the Fund involves further risk due to the fact that the Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets in lower-quality debt instruments issued by companies that are highly leveraged. Lower-quality debt tends to be less liquid than higher-quality debt. If the economy experiences a sudden downturn, or if the debt markets for such companies become distressed, the Fund may have particular difficulty selling its assets in sufficient amounts, at reasonable prices and in a sufficiently timely manner to raise the cash necessary to meet any potentially heavy redemption requests by Fund shareholders. In such event, there would be a greater chance that the Fund may be forced to curtail or suspend redemptions, in which case you might experience a delay or inability to liquidate your investment at the desired time or in the desired amount. INCOME RISK. If interest rates decline, the income earned from the Fund's portfolio may also decline. This can result because the Fund generally holds floating rate debt that will adjust lower with falling interest rates. For loans, interest rates typically reset periodically. INTEREST RATE RISK. The value of the Fund's fixed-rate income may decline if market interest rates rise. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter-term investments and higher for longer-term investments. Duration is a common measure of interest rate risk. Duration measures a bond's expected life on a present value basis, taking into account the bond's yield, interest payments and final maturity. Duration is a reasonably accurate measure of a bond's price sensitivity to changes in interest rates. The longer the duration of a bond, the greater the bond's price sensitivity is to changes in interest rates. INVESTMENT COMPANIES RISK. The Fund may invest in the shares of other investment companies, including ETFs. An ETF may fail to accurately track the returns of the market segment or index that it is designed to track, and the price of an ETF's shares may fluctuate. In addition, because they, unlike traditional mutual funds, are traded on an exchange, ETFs are subject to the following risks: (i) the performance of the ETF may not replicate the performance of the underlying index that it is designed to track; (ii) the market price of the ETF's shares may trade at a premium or discount to the ETF's net asset value; (iii) an active trading market for an ETF may not develop or be maintained; and (iv) there is no assurance that the requirements of the exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the ETF will continue to be met or remain unchanged. In the event substantial market or other disruptions affecting ETFs should occur in the future, the liquidity and value of the Fund's shares could also be substantially and adversely affected. MANAGEMENT RISK. The Fund is subject to management risk because it has an actively managed portfolio. The Management Teams will apply investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives. MLP RISK. The Fund's ability to meet its investment objectives depends, in part, on the level of taxable income and distributions it receives from the MLP and MLP-related entities in which the Fund invests, a factor over which the Fund has no control. The benefit the Fund derives from its investment in MLPs is largely dependent on their being treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes. As a partnership, an MLP has no income tax liability at the entity level. If, as a result of a change in an MLP's business, an MLP were treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, such MLP would be obligated to pay federal income tax on its income at the applicable corporate tax rate. If an MLP was classified as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, the amount of cash available for distribution with respect to its units would be reduced and any such distributions received by the Fund would be taxed entirely as dividend income if paid out of the earnings of the MLP. Therefore, treatment of an MLP as a corporation for federal income tax purposes would result in a material reduction in the after-tax return to the Fund, likely causing a substantial reduction in the value of the shares of the Fund. NON-U.S. SECURITIES RISK. An investment in securities of non-U.S. companies involves other risks not associated with domestic issuers. Investment in non-U.S. securities may involve higher costs than investment in U.S. securities, including higher transaction and custody costs as well as the imposition of additional taxes by non-U.S. governments. Non-U.S. investments may also involve 16 risks associated with the level of currency exchange rates, less complete financial information about the issuers, less market liquidity, more market volatility and political instability. Future political and economic developments, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on dividend income, the possible seizure or nationalization of non-U.S. holdings, the possible establishment of exchange controls or freezes on the convertibility of currency, or the adoption of other governmental restrictions might adversely affect an investment in non-U.S. securities. Additionally, non-U.S. issuers may be subject to less stringent regulation, and to different accounting, auditing and recordkeeping requirements. PREFERRED SECURITIES RISK. In addition to the risks described above in "Principal Risks -- Preferred Securities Risk," an investment in preferred securities involves the further risks not associated with an investment in common stocks set forth below. o Limited Voting Rights. Generally, holders of preferred securities (such as the Fund) have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company unless preferred dividends have been in arrears for a specified number of periods, at which time the preferred security holders may elect a number of directors to the issuer's board. Generally, once the issuer pays all the arrearages, the preferred security holders no longer have voting rights. o Special Redemptions Rights. In certain circumstances, an issuer of preferred securities may redeem the securities prior to a specified date. For instance, for certain types of preferred securities, a redemption may be triggered by a change in federal income tax or securities laws. As with call provisions, a special redemption by the issuer may negatively impact the return of the security held by the Fund. o Deferral. Preferred securities may include provisions that permit the issuer, at its discretion, to defer distributions for a stated period without any adverse consequences to the issuer. If the Fund owns a preferred security that is deferring its distributions, the Fund may be required to report income for federal income tax purposes although it has not yet received such income in cash. o Subordination. Preferred securities are subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a company's capital structure in terms of priority to corporate income and liquidation payments and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than those debt instruments. o Liquidity. Preferred securities may be substantially less liquid than many other securities, such as common stocks or U.S. government securities. SENIOR LOAN RISK. The loans in which the Fund may invest may not (i) be rated at the time of investment; (ii) be registered with the SEC; (iii) be listed on a securities exchange; or (iv) have sufficient collateral securing the loan or the collateral may not be available in the event of bankruptcy. In addition, the amount of public information available with respect to loans may be less extensive than that available for more widely rated, registered and exchange-listed securities. Because no active trading market may exist for some of the loans in which the Fund may invest, such loans may be illiquid and more difficult to value than more liquid instruments for which a trading market does exist. Unlike the securities markets, there is no central clearinghouse for loan trades, and the loan market has not established enforceable settlement standards or remedies for failure to settle. Therefore, portfolio transactions in loans may have uncertain settlement time periods. Because the interest rates of loans in which the Fund may invest may reset frequently, if market interest rates fall, the loans' interest rates will be reset to lower levels, potentially reducing the Fund's income. First Trust or its affiliates may participate in the primary and secondary market for loans. Also, because First Trust may wish to invest in the publicly-traded securities of an obligor, the Fund may not have access to material non-public information regarding the obligor to which other investors have access. Also, during periods of falling interest rates, an issuer of a loan may exercise its right to pay principal on an obligation earlier than expected, which may result in the Fund reinvesting proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Fund's income. OTHER RISKS BORROWING AND LEVERAGE RISK. If the Fund borrows money, it must pay interest and other fees, which will reduce the Fund's returns if such costs exceed the returns on the portfolio securities purchased or retained with such borrowings. Any such borrowings are intended to be temporary. However, under certain market conditions, including periods of low demand or decreased liquidity, such borrowings might be outstanding for longer periods of time. As prescribed by the 1940 Act, the Fund will be required to maintain specified asset coverage of at least 300% with respect to any bank borrowing immediately following such borrowing. The Fund may be required to dispose of assets on unfavorable terms if market fluctuations or other factors reduce the Fund's asset coverage to less than the prescribed amount. COMMODITY PRICING RISK. MLPs, MLP-related entities and energy companies may be directly affected by energy commodity prices, especially those energy companies who own the underlying energy commodity. Commodity prices fluctuate for several reasons including, changes in market and economic conditions, the impact of weather on demand, levels of domestic production and imported commodities, energy conservation, domestic and foreign governmental regulation and taxation and the availability of local, intrastate and interstate transportation systems. Volatility of commodity prices which leads to a reduction in production or supply may also impact the performance of MLPs, MLP-related entities and energy 17 companies that are solely involved in the transportation, processing, storing, distribution or marketing of commodities. Volatility of commodity prices may also make it more difficult for MLPs, MLP-related entities and energy companies to raise capital to the extent the market perceives that their performance may be directly tied to commodity prices. CREDIT RATING AGENCY RISK. Credit ratings are determined by credit rating agencies such as Moody's Investors Service, Inc., Fitch Inc., or Standard & Poor's, Inc., and are only the opinions of such entities. Ratings assigned by a rating agency are not absolute standards of credit quality and do not evaluate market risk or the liquidity of securities. Any shortcomings or inefficiencies in credit rating agencies' processes for determining credit ratings may adversely affect the credit ratings of securities held by the Fund and, as a result, may adversely affect those securities' perceived or actual credit risk. DEFERRED TAX RISK. As a limited partner in the MLPs in which it may invest, the Fund will be allocated its pro rata share of income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses from the MLPs. A significant portion of MLP income has historically been offset by tax deductions. The Fund will recognize income with respect to that portion of a distribution that is not offset by tax deductions, with the remaining portion of the distribution being treated as a tax-deferred return of capital. The percentage of an MLP's distribution which is offset by tax deductions will fluctuate over time for various reasons. A significant slowdown in acquisition or investment activity by MLPs held in the Fund's portfolio could result in a reduction of accelerated depreciation or other deductions generated by these activities, which may result in increased net income to the Fund. A reduction in the percentage of the income from an MLP offset by tax deductions or gains as a result of the sale of portfolio securities will reduce that portion, if any, of the Fund's distribution treated as a tax-deferred return of capital and increase that portion treated as dividend income, resulting in lower after-tax distributions to the Fund's shareholders. The Fund will rely to some extent on information provided by MLPs, which is usually not timely, to determine the tax character of the distributions to shareholders. FAILURE TO QUALIFY AS A REGULATED INVESTMENT COMPANY. If, in any year, the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. In such circumstances, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment. If the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company, distributions to the Fund's shareholders generally would be eligible for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. See "Federal Tax Matters." INFLATION RISK. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the value of the Fund's assets can decline as can the value of the Fund's distributions. ISSUER SPECIFIC CHANGES RISK. The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. LEGISLATION/LITIGATION RISK. From time to time, various legislative initiatives are proposed that may have a negative impact on certain securities in which the Fund invests. In addition, litigation regarding any of the securities owned by the Fund may negatively impact the value of the Fund's shares. Such legislation or litigation may cause the Fund to lose value or may result in higher portfolio turnover if the Advisor determines to sell such a holding. MARKET MAKER RISK. If the Fund has lower average daily trading volumes, it may rely on a small number of third-party market makers to provide a market for the purchase and sale of shares. Any trading halt or other problem relating to the trading activity of these market makers could result in a dramatic change in the spread between the Fund's net asset value and the price at which the Fund's shares are trading on NASDAQ(R) which could result in a decrease in value of the Fund's shares. PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RISK. Because the Fund is actively managed, its portfolio turnover rate may be high from time to time. A higher rate of portfolio turnover increases brokerage fees, taxes and other expenses, and higher costs associated with increased portfolio turnover may offset gains in the Fund's performance. VALUATION RISK. Unlike publicly traded securities that trade on national exchanges, there is no central place or exchange for debt securities trading. Debt securities generally trade on an "over-the-counter" market which may be anywhere in the world where the buyer and seller can settle on a price. Due to the lack of centralized information and trading, the valuation of debt securities may carry more uncertainty and risk than that of publicly traded securities. Accordingly, determinations of the fair value of debt securities may be based on infrequent and dated information. Also, because the available information is less reliable and more subjective, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation of debt securities than for other types of securities. Typically, debt securities are valued using information provided by a third party pricing service, which primarily uses broker quotes to value the securities. TRADING ISSUES Although the Fund lists and trades its shares on NASDAQ(R), there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in shares on NASDAQ(R) may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of NASDAQ(R), make trading in shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in shares on NASDAQ(R) is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to NASDAQ(R) "circuit breaker" rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of NASDAQ(R) 18 necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged. Due to the initial small asset size of the Fund, it is more likely to have difficulty maintaining its listing on NASDAQ(R). FLUCTUATION OF NET ASSET VALUE The net asset value of shares of the Fund will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund's holdings. The market prices of shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in net asset value as well as the relative supply of and demand for shares on NASDAQ(R). The Fund cannot predict whether shares will trade below, at or above their net asset value. Price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the holdings of the Fund trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. However, given that shares can only be purchased and redeemed in Creation Units, and only to and from broker-dealers and large institutional investors that have entered into participation agreements (unlike shares of closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their net asset value), the Fund believes that large discounts or premiums to the net asset value of shares should not be sustained. FUND ORGANIZATION The Fund is a series of the Trust, an investment company registered under the 1940 Act. The Fund is treated as a separate fund with its own investment objectives and policies. The Trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust. Its Board is responsible for the overall management and direction of the Trust. The Board elects the Trust's officers and approves all significant agreements, including those with the Advisor, custodian and fund administrative and accounting agent. MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND First Trust, 120 East Liberty Drive, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, is the investment advisor to the Fund. In this capacity, First Trust is responsible for the selection and ongoing monitoring of the securities in the Fund's portfolio and certain other services necessary for the management of the portfolio. First Trust is a limited partnership with one limited partner, Grace Partners of DuPage L.P., and one general partner, The Charger Corporation. Grace Partners of DuPage L.P. is a limited partnership with one general partner, The Charger Corporation, and a number of limited partners. The Charger Corporation is an Illinois corporation controlled by James A. Bowen, the Chief Executive Officer of First Trust. First Trust discharges its responsibilities subject to the policies of the Board. First Trust serves as advisor or sub-advisor for five mutual fund portfolios, nine ETFs consisting of 88 series and 15 closed-end funds and is also the portfolio supervisor of certain unit investment trusts sponsored by First Trust Portfolios L.P. ("FTP"), 120 East Liberty Drive, Wheaton, Illinois 60187. FTP specializes in the underwriting, trading and distribution of unit investment trusts and other securities. FTP is the principal underwriter of the shares of the Fund. The Fund and First Trust have retained EIP, FTGP, RBA and Stonebridge to serve as investment sub-advisors. In this capacity, the Sub-Advisors will provide recommendations to First Trust regarding the selection and on-going monitoring of the securities in the Fund's investment portfolio. First Trust will execute all transactions on behalf of the Fund, with the exception of the securities that are selected by FTGP. There is no individual who is primarily and jointly responsible for portfolio decisions of the Fund. EIP, an affiliate of First Trust, has been retained by the Fund to provide recommendations regarding the selection of MLP securities for the Fund's investment portfolio and provide ongoing monitoring of the MLP securities, MLP affiliate and energy infrastructure securities in the Fund's investment portfolio selected by EIP. EIP exercises discretion only with respect to assets of the Fund allocated to EIP by the Advisor. EIP, located at 49 Riverside Avenue, Westport, Connecticut 06880, is a Delaware limited liability company and SEC-registered investment adviser and serves in such capacity to investment portfolios with approximately $5.8 billion of assets as of June 30, 2014. EIP was founded in October 2003 by James J. Murchie to provide professional asset management services in the area of energy-related MLPs and other high-payout securities in the energy infrastructure sector. In addition to serving as sub-advisor to the Fund, EIP serves as the investment manager to three privately placed funds and one private registered investment company for high net worth individuals and institutions. EIP also serves as the sub-advisor to the First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund (NYSE: FEN), First Trust Energy Infrastructure Fund (NYSE: FIF), First Trust MLP and Energy Income Fund (NYSE: FEI), First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund (NYSE: EMLP), First Trust New Opportunities MLP & Energy Fund (NYSE: FPL) and First Trust Multi-Income Allocation Portfolio of the First Trust Variable Insurance Trust. EIP mainly focuses on portfolio companies that operate infrastructure assets such as pipelines, storage and terminals that receive fee-based or regulated income from their customers. FTGP, an affiliate of First Trust, has been retained by the Fund to select international sovereign debt securities for the Fund's investment portfolio and provide ongoing monitoring of the international sovereign debt securities in the Fund's investment portfolio selected by FTGP. FTGP, located at 8 Angel Court, 19 London, United Kingdom, EC2R 7HJ, manages portfolios for institutional clients, is authorized and regulated by the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority and is registered as a registered investment adviser with the SEC. The Fixed Income investment team at FTGP has over 30 years combined experience with a proven track record for managing developed and emerging market sovereign debt portfolios. RBA, a SEC-registered investment adviser, will act as a Sub-Advisor of the Fund providing recommendations regarding longer term investment strategies that combine top-down, macroeconomic analysis and quantitatively-driven portfolio construction, utilizing Richard Bernstein's widely recognized expertise in style investing and asset allocation. RBA exercises discretion only with respect to assets of the Fund allocated to RBA by the Advisor. RBA, located at 120 West 45th Street, 19th Floor, New York, New York, 10036, acts as sub-advisor for two Eaton Vance mutual funds and also selects portfolios for income-oriented unit investment trusts sponsored by First Trust Portfolios L.P. Additionally, RBA runs ETF asset allocation portfolios at UBS and in separately managed accounts. RBA has over approximately $3.3 billion in assets under management/advisement as of June 30, 2014. Stonebridge, an affiliate of First Trust based in Wilton, Connecticut, has been retained by the Fund to provide recommendations regarding the selection and ongoing monitoring of the preferred and hybrid securities in the Fund's investment portfolio. Stonebridge is a registered investment adviser with the SEC. Stonebridge, located at 187 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897, is a niche asset management firm that manages portfolios of preferred securities for institutional investors and high net worth individuals. Stonebridge, formed in December 2004, serves as investment advisor or portfolio supervisor to investment portfolios with approximately $3.5 billion in assets, which it managed or supervised as of June 30, 2014. A portion of these assets are contained in investments sponsored by FTP, for which Stonebridge acts as sub-portfolio supervisor. The Advisor's Investment Committee determines the Fund's strategic allocation among various general investment categories and allocates the Fund's assets to each Management Team. The Investment Committee consists of Daniel J. Lindquist, David G. McGarel, Jon C. Erickson, Roger F. Testin, Todd Larson, John Gambla and Rob Guttschow. o Mr. Lindquist is Chairman of the Investment Committee and presides over Investment Committee meetings. Mr. Lindquist is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Fund's investment strategy. Mr. Lindquist was a Senior Vice President of First Trust and FTP from September 2005 to July 2012 and is now a Managing Director of First Trust and FTP. o Mr. McGarel has been Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director since 2012. From 2004 to 2012, he was a Senior Vice President of First Trust and FTP. As First Trust's Chief Investment Officer, Mr. McGarel consults with the other members of the Investment Committee on market conditions and First Trust's general investment philosophy. o Mr. Erickson joined First Trust in 1994 and is a Senior Vice President of First Trust and FTP. As the head of First Trust's Equity Research Group, Mr. Erickson is responsible for determining the securities to be purchased and sold by funds that do not utilize quantitative investment strategies. o Mr. Testin has been a Senior Vice President of First Trust and FTP since 2003. Mr. Testin is the head of First Trust's Portfolio Management Group. o Mr. Larson has been a Vice President and Fixed Income Portfolio Manager at First Trust since December 2007. Mr. Larson is responsible for managing fixed income portfolios for First Trust's institutional clients. Prior to joining First Trust, Mr. Larson was a portfolio manager with ABN AMRO Asset Management, Horizon Cash Management and Van Kampen American Capital. o Mr. Gambla, CFA, FRM, PRM, is a senior portfolio manager for the Alternatives Investment Team at First Trust. Prior to joining First Trust in July 2011, Mr. Gambla was co-Chief Investment Officer at the Nuveen HydePark Group LLC where he started in 2007. While at Nuveen HydePark Group LLC, Mr. Gambla co-directed investment activities including research, product development, trading, portfolio management and performance attribution. Mr. Gambla also lead the research systems and infrastructure development for Nuveen HydePark Group LLC. Previously, Mr. Gambla was a Senior Trader and Quantitative specialist at Nuveen Asset Management. While there, he was responsible for trading all derivatives for the 120+ municipal mutual funds with Nuveen Asset Management. Mr. Gambla has served in a variety of roles throughout his career, including: portfolio management, research, business development and strategy development. o Mr. Guttschow, CFA, is a senior portfolio manager for the Alternatives Investment Team at First Trust. Prior to joining First Trust in July 2011, Mr. Guttschow was co-Chief Investment Officer at the Nuveen HydePark Group LLC where he started in 2007. While at Nuveen HydePark Group LLC, Mr. Guttschow co-directed investment activities including research, product development, trading, portfolio management and performance attribution. Previously, Mr. Guttschow was an Overlay Manager and Senior Portfolio Manager at Nuveen Asset Management. While there, he developed Nuveen's buy-side derivative desk for fixed income and equity portfolio hedging. 20 The Advisor portfolio managers are set forth below: o William Housey, CFA, joined First Trust in June 2010 as the Senior Portfolio Manager for the Leveraged Finance Investment Team and has 17 years of investment experience. Mr. Housey is a Senior Vice President of First Trust. Prior to joining First Trust, Mr. Housey was at Morgan Stanley/Van Kampen Funds, Inc. for 11 years and served as Executive Director and Co-Portfolio Manager. Mr. Housey has extensive experience in portfolio management of both leveraged and unleveraged credit products, including bank loans, high yield bonds, credit derivatives and corporate restructurings. Mr. Housey received a BS in Finance from Eastern Illinois University and an MBA in Finance and Management and Strategy from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Business. He holds the FINRA Series 7, Series 52 and Series 63 licenses and the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Chicago. o Jeremiah Charles is a Portfolio Manager for the First Trust Mortgage Securities Team. Prior to joining First Trust in 2013, Mr. Charles worked as a Vice President of mortgage product sales for CRT Capital where he advised pension funds, hedge funds, and institutional money managers. Before joining CRT in 2011, Mr. Charles spent 6 years with Deerfield Capital Management LLC as a Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager for the mortgage trading team. Mr. Charles began his professional career as an analyst at Piper Jaffray. Mr. Charles holds a B.S. in Finance from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, and a M.S. in Real Estate Finance with Honors from the Charles H. Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University. o James Snyder is a Portfolio Manager for the First Trust Mortgage Securities Team. Prior to joining First Trust in 2013, Mr. Snyder worked as a Senior Portfolio Manager at Fort Sheridan Advisors where he managed mortgage portfolios for institutional clients. Mr. Snyder has led several mortgage trading and portfolio groups at Deerfield Capital, Spyglass Capital & Trading and American Express Financial Advisors. Mr. Snyder managed AXP Federal Income Fund, and developed mortgage trading strategies for Spyglass Capital and Deerfield's Mortgage REIT and Opportunity Fund. Mr. Snyder holds a B.S. and M.A. in Economics from DePaul University and an MBA from University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Each Sub-Advisor's principal portfolio manager is set forth below. o James J. Murchie is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer, co-portfolio manager and a Principal of EIP. After founding EIP in October 2003, Mr. Murchie and the EIP investment team joined Pequot Capital Management Inc. in December 2004. In August 2006, Mr. Murchie and the EIP investment team left Pequot Capital Management Inc. and re-established Energy Income Partners. Prior to founding Energy Income Partners, Mr. Murchie was a Portfolio Manager at Lawhill Capital Partners, LLC, a long/short equity hedge fund investing in commodities and equities in the energy and basic industry sectors. Before Lawhill Capital Partners, LLC, Mr. Murchie was a Managing Director at Tiger Management, LLC, where his primary responsibility was managing a portfolio of investments in commodities and related equities. Mr. Murchie was also a Principal at Sanford C. Bernstein. He began his career at British Petroleum, PLC. Mr. Murchie holds a BA in history and anthropology from Rice University and received his MA from Harvard University. o Derek Fulton is a director, chief executive officer and chief investment officer of FTGP. Mr. Fulton has been managing global portfolios with a focus on fixed income for over 15 years. Prior to joining FTGP in 2011, he co-founded ISIS Asset Management ("ISIS AM") and led its investment team. Before starting ISIS AM he was Head of Global & Closed-End Fixed Income Portfolios at Aberdeen Asset Management ("Aberdeen") in London and also held positions as Head of Asian Fixed Income based in Singapore. At Aberdeen, Mr Fulton oversaw in excess of $10 billion of assets including institutional global government and global aggregate accounts. He was also a member of the currency team running active currency overlays on over $20 billion of institutional mandates. o Richard Bernstein is recognized as an expert in style investing and asset allocation. RBA has over approximately $3.3 billion in assets under management/advisement as of June 30, 2014. Mr. Bernstein serves as RBA's Chief Executive and Chief Investment Officer and has over 30 years' experience on Wall Street, including most recently as the Chief Investment Strategist at Merrill Lynch & Co. o Scott T. Fleming serves as President and Chief Investment Officer of Stonebridge. Prior to founding Stonebridge, Mr. Fleming co-founded Spectrum Asset Management, Inc., an investment advisor that specializes in preferred securities asset management for institutional clients and mutual funds. During his 13-year tenure there, he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Fleming previously served as Vice President, Portfolio Manager for DBL Preferred Management, Inc. in New York City. There he managed over $300 million of institutional assets with a strategy specializing in preferred securities. Mr. Fleming received a BS in Accounting from Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts and his MBA in Finance from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. For additional information concerning First Trust, the Sub-Advisors and the portfolio managers, including a description of the services provided to the Fund, see "Management of the Fund" in the Fund's SAI. Additional information 21 about the portfolio managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers' ownership of securities in the Fund is provided in the SAI. MANAGEMENT FEE Pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement, First Trust will manage the investment of the Fund's assets and will be responsible for the Fund's expenses, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, but excluding fee payments under the Investment Management Agreement, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions, distribution and service fees pursuant to a 12b-1 plan, if any, and extraordinary expenses. The Fund has agreed to pay First Trust an annual management fee equal to 0.85% of its average daily net assets. As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has not paid management fees. Pursuant to a contractual agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and First Trust, the management fees paid to First Trust will be reduced by the proportional amount of the acquired fund fees and expenses of the shares of investment companies held by the Fund so that the Fund would not bear the indirect costs of holding them, provided that, the investment companies are advised by First Trust. This contractual agreement shall continue until the earlier of (i) its termination at the direction of the Board or (ii) upon the termination of the Fund's management agreement with First Trust, however, it is expected to remain in place for no less than one year from the date of this prospectus. A discussion regarding the Board's approval of the Investment Management Agreement for the Fund will be available in the Fund's Annual Report to shareholders for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2014. HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares of the Fund are expected to be listed for trading on the secondary market on NASDAQ(R). Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares. There is no minimum investment when buying shares on NASDAQ(R). Although shares are generally purchased and sold in "round lots" of 100 shares, brokerage firms typically permit investors to purchase or sell shares in smaller "odd lots," at no per-share price differential. When buying or selling shares through a broker, investors should expect to incur customary brokerage commissions, investors may receive less than the net asset value of the shares because shares are bought and sold at market prices rather than net asset value, and investors may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offer price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per share. For purposes of the 1940 Act, the Fund is treated as a registered investment company, and the acquisition of shares by other registered investment companies is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act. The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has received an exemptive order from the SEC that permits certain registered investment companies to invest in the Fund beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including that any such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Fund regarding the terms of any investment. BOOK ENTRY Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no share certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding shares of the Fund and is recognized as the owner of all shares for all purposes. Investors owning shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all shares. Participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of share certificates or to have shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other stocks that you hold in book-entry or "street name" form. SHARE TRADING PRICES The trading prices of shares of the Fund on NASDAQ(R) may differ from the Fund's daily net asset value and can be affected by market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors. Information regarding the intra-day value of the shares of the Fund, also referred to as the "indicative optimized portfolio value" ("IOPV"), is disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the Fund's trading day by the national securities exchange on which the shares are listed or by market data vendors or other information providers. The IOPV should not be viewed as a "real-time" update of the net asset value per share of the Fund because the IOPV may not be calculated in the same manner as the net asset value, which is computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day. The price of a non-U.S. security that is primarily traded on a non-U.S. exchange will be updated, using the last sale price, every 15 seconds throughout the trading day, provided, that upon the 22 closing of such non-U.S. exchange, the closing price of the security, after being converted to U.S. dollars, will be used. Furthermore, in calculating the IOPV of the Fund's shares, exchange rates may be used throughout the day (9:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Eastern time) that may differ from those used to calculate the net asset value per share of the Fund and consequently may result in differences between the net asset value and the IOPV. The Fund is not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the IOPV of shares of the Fund and the Fund does not make any warranty as to its accuracy. FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF THE FUND'S SHARES The Fund imposes no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions ("market timing"). In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by the Fund's shareholders. The Board considered that the Fund's shares can only be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund in Creation Units by broker-dealers and large institutional investors that have entered into participation agreements (i.e., authorized participants ("APs"), and that the vast majority of trading in the Fund's shares occurs on the secondary market. Because the secondary market trades do not involve the Fund directly, it is unlikely those trades would cause many of the harmful effects of market timing, including dilution, disruption of portfolio management, increases in the Fund's trading costs and the realization of capital gains. As the Fund may effect the purchase or redemption of Creation Units in exchange wholly or partially for cash, the Board noted that such trades could result in dilution to the Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund's ability to achieve its investment objectives. However, the Board noted that direct trading by APs is critical to ensuring that the shares trade at or close to net asset value. In addition, the Fund imposes fixed and variable transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effecting trades. Finally, the Advisor monitors purchase and redemption orders from APs for patterns of abusive trading. The Fund reserves the right to reject purchase and redemption orders from APs that the Advisor has determined may be disruptive to the management of the Fund, or otherwise not in the Fund's best interests. DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least monthly by the Fund. The Fund distributes its net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders at least annually. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole shares only if the broker through whom you purchased shares makes such option available. Such shares will generally be reinvested by the broker based upon the market price of those shares and investors may be subject to customary brokerage commissions charged by the broker. FEDERAL TAX MATTERS This section summarizes some of the main U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning shares of the Fund. This section is current as of the date of this prospectus. Tax laws and interpretations change frequently, and these summaries do not describe all of the tax consequences to all taxpayers. For example, these summaries generally do not describe your situation if you are a corporation, a non-U.S. person, a broker-dealer, or other investor with special circumstances. In addition, this section does not describe your state, local or non-U.S. tax consequences. This federal income tax summary is based in part on the advice of counsel to the Fund. The Internal Revenue Service could disagree with any conclusions set forth in this section. In addition, counsel to the Fund was not asked to review, and has not reached a conclusion with respect to, the federal income tax treatment of the assets to be included in the Fund. This may not be sufficient for you to use for the purpose of avoiding penalties under federal tax law. As with any investment, you should seek advice based on your individual circumstances from your own tax advisor. FUND STATUS The Fund intends to qualify as a "regulated investment company" under the federal tax laws. If the Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company and distributes its income as required by the tax law, the Fund generally will not pay federal income taxes. DISTRIBUTIONS The Fund's distributions are generally taxable. After the end of each year, you will receive a tax statement that separates the distributions of the Fund into two categories, ordinary income distributions and capital gains dividends. Ordinary income distributions are generally taxed at your ordinary tax rate; however, as further discussed below, certain ordinary income distributions received from the Fund may be taxed at the capital gains tax rates. Generally, you will treat all capital gain dividends as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares. To determine your actual tax liability for your capital gains dividends, you must calculate your total net capital gain or loss for the tax year after considering all of your other taxable transactions, as described below. In addition, the Fund may make distributions that represent a return of capital for tax purposes and thus will generally not be taxable to you; however, such distributions may reduce basis, which could 23 result in you having to pay higher taxes in the future when shares are sold, even if you sell the shares at a loss from your original investment. The tax status of your distributions from the Fund is not affected by whether you reinvest your distributions in additional shares or receive them in cash. The income from the Fund that you must take into account for federal income tax purposes is not reduced by amounts used to pay a deferred sales fee, if any. The tax laws may require you to treat distributions made to you in January as if you had received them on December 31 of the previous year. Under the "Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010," income from the Fund may also be subject to a new 3.8% "Medicare tax" imposed for taxable years beginning after 2012. This tax will generally apply to your net investment income if your adjusted gross income exceeds certain threshold amounts, which are $250,000 in the case of married couples filing joint returns and $200,000 in the case of single individuals. DIVIDENDS RECEIVED DEDUCTION A corporation that owns shares generally will not be entitled to the dividends received deduction with respect to many dividends received from the Fund because the dividends received deduction is generally not available for distributions from regulated investment companies. However, certain ordinary income dividends on shares that are attributable to qualifying dividends received by the Fund from certain corporations may be reported by the Fund as being eligible for the dividends received deduction. CAPITAL GAINS AND LOSSES AND CERTAIN ORDINARY INCOME DIVIDENDS If you are an individual, the maximum stated marginal federal tax rate for net capital gain is generally 20% for taxpayers in the 39.6% tax bracket, 15% for taxpayers in the 25%, 28%, 33% and 35% tax brackets and 0% for taxpayers in the 10% and 15% tax brackets. Some capital gains dividends from the Fund may be taxed at a higher rate. Capital gains may also be subject to the Medicare tax described above. Net capital gain equals net long-term capital gain minus net short-term capital loss for the taxable year. Capital gain or loss is long-term if the holding period for the asset is more than one year and is short-term if the holding period for the asset is one year or less. You must exclude the date you purchase your shares to determine your holding period. However, if you receive a capital gain dividend from the Fund and sell your shares at a loss after holding it for six months or less, the loss will be recharacterized as long-term capital loss to the extent of the capital gain dividend received. The tax rates for capital gains realized from assets held for one year or less are generally the same as for ordinary income. The Code treats certain capital gains as ordinary income in special situations. Ordinary income dividends received by an individual shareholder from a regulated investment company such as the Fund are generally taxed at the same rates that apply to net capital gain (as discussed above), provided certain holding period requirements are satisfied and provided the dividends are attributable to qualifying dividends received by the Fund itself. The Fund will provide notice to its shareholders of the amount of any distribution which may be taken into account as a dividend which is eligible for the capital gains tax rates. SALE OF SHARES If you sell or redeem your shares, you will generally recognize a taxable gain or loss. To determine the amount of this gain or loss, you must subtract your tax basis in your shares from the amount you receive in the transaction. Your tax basis in your shares is generally equal to the cost of your shares, generally including sales charges. In some cases, however, you may have to adjust your tax basis after you purchase your shares. TAXES ON PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS If you exchange securities for Creation Units you will generally recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and your aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and the cash component paid. If you exchange Creation Units for securities, you will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between your basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate market value of the securities received and the cash redemption amount. The Internal Revenue Service, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units or Creation Units for securities cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing "wash sales," or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. DEDUCTIBILITY OF FUND EXPENSES Expenses incurred and deducted by the Fund will generally not be treated as income taxable to you. In some cases, however, you may be required to treat your portion of these Fund expenses as income. In these cases you may be able to take a deduction for these expenses. However, certain miscellaneous itemized deductions, such as investment expenses, may be deducted by individuals only to the extent that all of these deductions exceed 2% of the individual's adjusted gross income. Some individuals may also be subject to further limitations on the amount of their itemized deductions, depending on their income. 24 NON-U.S. TAX CREDIT Because the Fund invests in non-U.S. securities, the tax statement that you receive may include an item showing non-U.S. taxes the Fund paid to other countries. In this case, dividends taxed to you will include your share of the taxes the Fund paid to other countries. You may be able to deduct or receive a tax credit for your share of these taxes. NON-U.S. INVESTORS If you are a non-U.S. investor (i.e., an investor other than a U.S. citizen or resident or a U.S. corporation, partnership, estate or trust), you should be aware that, generally, subject to applicable tax treaties, distributions from the Fund will be characterized as dividends for federal income tax purposes (other than dividends which the Fund properly reports as capital gain dividends) and will be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes, subject to certain exceptions described below. However, distributions received by a non-U.S. investor from the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends may not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes, provided that the Fund makes certain elections and certain other conditions are met. Distributions may be subject to a U.S. withholding tax of 30% in the case of distributions to (i) certain non-U.S. financial institutions that have not entered into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury to collect and disclose certain information and are not resident in a jurisdiction that has entered into such an agreement with the U.S. Treasury and (ii) certain other non-U.S. entities that do not provide certain certifications and information about the entity's U.S. owners. Dispositions of shares by such persons may be subject to such withholding after December 31, 2016. INVESTMENTS IN CERTAIN NON-U.S. CORPORATIONS If the Fund holds an equity interest in any passive foreign investment companies, which are generally certain non-U.S. corporations that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties or capital gains) or that hold at least 50% of their assets in investments producing such passive income, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and additional interest charges on gains and certain distributions with respect to those equity interests, even if all the income or gain is timely distributed to its shareholders. The Fund will not be able to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for such taxes. The Fund may be able to make an election that could ameliorate these adverse tax consequences. In this case, the Fund would recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of such passive foreign investment companies shares, and as ordinary loss any decrease in such value to the extent it did not exceed prior increases included in income. Under this election, the Fund might be required to recognize in a year income in excess of its distributions from passive foreign investment companies and its proceeds from dispositions of passive foreign investment companies stock during that year, and such income would nevertheless be subject to the distribution requirement and would be taken into account for purposes of the 4% excise tax. Dividends paid by passive foreign investment companies are not treated as qualified dividend income. DISTRIBUTION PLAN FTP serves as the distributor of Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis. FTP does not maintain a secondary market in shares. The Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with its Rule 12b-1 plan, the Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year to reimburse FTP for amounts expended to finance activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units or the provision of investor services. FTP may also use this amount to compensate securities dealers or other persons that are APs for providing distribution assistance, including broker-dealer and shareholder support and educational and promotional services. The Fund does not currently pay 12b-1 fees, and pursuant to a contractual arrangement, the Fund will not pay 12b-1 fees any time before August 6, 2016. However, in the event 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because these fees are paid out of the Fund's assets, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges. NET ASSET VALUE The Fund's net asset value is determined as of the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. Net asset value is calculated for the Fund by taking the market price of the Fund's total assets, including interest or dividends accrued but not yet collected, less all liabilities, and dividing such amount by the total number of shares outstanding. The result, rounded to the nearest cent, is the net asset value per share. All valuations are subject to review by the Trust's Board or its delegate. The Fund's investments are valued daily in accordance with valuation procedures adopted by the Board, and in accordance with provisions of the 1940 Act. Certain securities in which the Fund may invest are not listed on any securities 25 exchange or board of trade. Such securities are typically bought and sold by institutional investors in individually negotiated private transactions that function in many respects like an over the counter secondary market, although typically no formal market makers exist. Certain securities, particularly debt securities, have few or no trades, or trade infrequently, and information regarding a specific security may not be widely available or may be incomplete. Accordingly, determinations of the fair value of debt securities may be based on infrequent and dated information. Because there is less reliable, objective data available, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation of debt securities than for other types of securities. Typically, debt securities are valued using information provided by a third-party pricing service. The third-party pricing service primarily uses broker quotes to value the securities. The Fund's investments will be valued daily at market value or, in the absence of market value with respect to any investment, at fair value in accordance with valuation procedures adopted by the Board and in accordance with the 1940 Act. Portfolio securities listed on any exchange other than NASDAQ(R) and the London Stock Exchange Alternative Investment Market ("AIM") are valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which they are principally traded. Securities listed on NASDAQ(R) or the AIM are valued at the official closing price. Securities traded on more than one securities exchange are valued at the last sale price or official closing price, as applicable, at the close of the exchange representing the principal market for such securities. Portfolio securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at their closing bid prices. Short-term investments that mature in less than 60 days when purchased are valued at cost adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discount. Net asset value may change on days when investors may not sell or redeem Fund shares. Certain securities may not be able to be priced by pre-established pricing methods. Such securities may be valued by the Board or its delegate at fair value. The use of fair value pricing by the Fund is governed by valuation procedures adopted by the Board and in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act. These securities generally include, but are not limited to, certain restricted securities (securities which may not be publicly sold without registration under the Securities Act) for which a pricing service is unable to provide a market price; securities whose trading has been formally suspended; a security whose market price is not available from a pre-established pricing source; a security with respect to which an event has occurred that is likely to materially affect the value of the security after the market has closed but before the calculation of the Fund's net asset value or make it difficult or impossible to obtain a reliable market quotation; and a security whose price, as provided by the pricing service, does not reflect the security's "fair value." As a general principle, the current "fair value" of a security would appear to be the amount which the owner might reasonably expect to receive for the security upon its current sale. The use of fair value prices by the Fund generally results in the prices used by the Fund that may differ from current market quotations or official closing prices on the applicable exchange. A variety of factors may be considered in determining the fair value of such securities. Valuing the Fund's securities using fair value pricing will result in using prices for those securities that may differ from current market valuations. See the Fund's SAI for details. Because foreign securities exchanges may be open on different days than the days during which an investor may purchase or sell shares of the Fund, the value of the Fund's securities may change on days when investors are not able to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. The value of securities denominated in foreign currencies is converted into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates in effect at the time of valuation. FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS The Bank of New York Mellon serves as the administrator, accounting agent, custodian and transfer agent to the Fund. Chapman and Cutler LLP, 111 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603, serves as legal counsel to the Fund. PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION The Fund has not yet commenced operations and, therefore, does not have information about the differences between the Fund's daily market price on NASDAQ(R) and its net asset value. Once the Fund has commenced operations, this information will be available on the Fund's website at www.ftportfolios.com. OTHER INFORMATION CONTINUOUS OFFERING The Fund issues, on a continuous offering basis, its shares in one or more groups of a fixed number of Fund shares (each such group of such specified number of individual Fund shares, a "Creation Unit Aggregation"). The method by which Creation Unit Aggregations of Fund shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Unit Aggregations of shares are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, a "distribution," as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur at any point. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner that could render them statutory 26 underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Unit Aggregations after placing an order with FTP, breaks them down into constituent shares and sells such shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a characterization as an underwriter. Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not "underwriters" but are effecting transactions in shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker-dealer firms should note that dealers who are not underwriters but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with the shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to shares are reminded that, under the Securities Act Rule 153, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to a broker-dealer in connection with a sale on NASDAQ(R) is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available from NASDAQ(R) upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is available with respect to transactions on a national securities exchange, a trading facility or an alternative trading system. 27 This page is intentionally left blank. 28 This page is intentionally left blank. 29 FIRST TRUST FIRST TRUST EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND IV ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- First Trust Strategic Income ETF FOR MORE INFORMATION For more detailed information on the Fund, several additional sources of information are available to you. The SAI, incorporated by reference into this prospectus, contains detailed information on the Fund's policies and operation. Additional information about the Fund's investments is available in the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the Fund's annual reports, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly impacted the Fund's performance during the last fiscal year. The Fund's most recent SAI, annual or semi-annual reports and certain other information are available free of charge by calling the Fund at (800) 621-1675, on the Fund's website at www.ftportfolios.com or through your financial advisor. Shareholders may call the toll-free number above with any inquiries. You may obtain this and other information regarding the Fund, including the SAI and Codes of Ethics adopted by First Trust, FTP and the Trust, directly from the SEC. Information on the SEC's website is free of charge. Visit the SEC's on-line EDGAR database at www.sec.gov or in person at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C., or call the SEC at (202) 551-8090 for information on the Public Reference Room. You may also request information regarding the Fund by sending a request (along with a duplication fee) to the SEC's Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-1520 or by sending an electronic request to publicinfo@sec.gov. First Trust Portfolios L.P. 120 East Liberty Drive Suite 400 Wheaton, Illinois 60187 (800) 621-1675 SEC File #: 333-174332 www.ftportfolios.com 811-22559 STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NO. 811-22559 FIRST TRUST EXCHANGE-TRADED FUND IV TICKER FUND NAME SYMBOL EXCHANGE FIRST TRUST STRATEGIC INCOME ETF FDIV The NASDAQ(R) Stock Market LLC DATED AUGUST 6, 2014 This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated August 6, 2014, as it may be revised from time to time (the "Prospectus"), for First Trust Strategic Income ETF (the "Fund"), a series of the First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund IV (the "Trust"). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by writing to the Trust's distributor, First Trust Portfolios L.P., 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, or by calling toll free at (800) 621-1675. TABLE OF CONTENTS GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND.................................1 EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING..................................................3 INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES............................................4 INVESTMENT STRATEGIES.........................................................6 INVESTMENT RISKS.............................................................24 FUND MANAGEMENT..............................................................33 SUB-ADVISORS.................................................................44 ACCOUNTS MANAGED BY SUB-ADVISORS.............................................46 ACCOUNTS MANAGED BY PORTFOLIO MANAGERS.......................................48 BROKERAGE ALLOCATIONS........................................................52 CUSTODIAN, ADMINISTRATOR, FUND ACCOUNTANT AND TRANSFER AGENT.................53 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.......................................................55 PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.........................................57 CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNIT AGGREGATIONS........................58 REGULAR HOLIDAYS.............................................................65 FEDERAL TAX MATTERS..........................................................70 DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE.............................................76 DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS..................................................78 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION....................................................78 APPENDIX A - RATINGS OF INVESTMENTS.........................................A-1 APPENDIX B - PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES........................................B-1 - ii - GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND The Trust was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on September 15, 2010, and is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares in one or more series or "Funds." The Trust is an open-end management investment company, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). The Trust currently offers shares in five series, including the Fund, which is a non-diversified series. This SAI relates to the Fund. The Fund, as a series of the Trust, represents a beneficial interest in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets, with its own objectives and policies. The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the "Board of Trustees" or the "Trustees") has the right to establish additional series in the future, to determine the preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges thereof and to modify such preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges without shareholder approval. Shares of any series may also be divided into one or more classes at the discretion of the Trustees. The Trust or any series or class thereof may be terminated at any time by the Board of Trustees upon written notice to the shareholders. Each share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all series of the Trust vote together as a single class except as otherwise required by the 1940 Act, or if the matter being voted on affects only a particular series, and, if a matter affects a particular series differently from other series, the shares of that series will vote separately on such matter. The Trust's Declaration of Trust (the "Declaration") requires a shareholder vote only on those matters where the 1940 Act requires a vote of shareholders and otherwise permits the Trustees to take actions without seeking the consent of shareholders. For example, the Declaration gives the Trustees broad authority to approve reorganizations between the Fund and another entity, such as another exchange-traded fund, or the sale of all or substantially all of the Fund's assets, or the termination of the Trust or the Fund without shareholder approval if the 1940 Act would not require such approval. The Declaration provides that by becoming a shareholder of the Fund, each shareholder shall be expressly held to have agreed to be bound by the provisions of the Declaration. The Declaration may, except in limited circumstances, be amended by the Trustees in any respect without a shareholder vote. The Declaration provides that the Trustees may establish the number of Trustees and that vacancies on the Board of Trustees may be filled by the remaining Trustees, except when election of Trustees by the shareholders is required under the 1940 Act. Trustees are then elected by a plurality of votes cast by shareholders at a meeting at which a quorum is present. The Declaration also provides that Trustees may be removed, with or without cause, by a vote of shareholders holding at least two-thirds of the voting power of the Trust, or by a vote of two-thirds of the remaining Trustees. The provisions of the Declaration relating to the election and removal of Trustees may not be amended without the approval of two-thirds of the Trustees. The holders of Fund shares are required to disclose information on direct or indirect ownership of Fund shares as may be required to comply with various laws applicable to the Fund or as the Trustees may determine, and ownership of Fund shares may be disclosed by the Fund if so required by law or regulation. In addition, pursuant to the Declaration, the Trustees may, in their discretion, require the Trust to redeem shares held by any shareholder for any reason under terms set by the Trustees. The Declaration provides a detailed process for the bringing of derivative actions by shareholders in order to permit legitimate inquiries and claims while avoiding the time, expense, distraction and other harm that can be caused to the Fund or its shareholders as a result of spurious shareholder demands and derivative actions. Prior to bringing a derivative action, a demand must first be made on the Trustees. The Declaration details various information, certifications, undertakings and acknowledgements that must be included in the demand. Following receipt of the demand, the Trustees have a period of 90 days, which may be extended by an additional 60 days, to consider the demand. If a majority of the Trustees who are considered independent for the purposes of considering the demand determine that maintaining the suit would not be in the best interests of the Fund, the Trustees are required to reject the demand and the complaining shareholder may not proceed with the derivative action unless the shareholder is able to sustain the burden of proof to a court that the decision of the Trustees not to pursue the requested action was not a good faith exercise of their business judgment on behalf of the Fund. In making such a determination, a Trustee is not considered to have a personal financial interest by virtue of being compensated for his or her services as a Trustee. If a demand is rejected, the complaining shareholder will be responsible for the costs and expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred by the Fund in connection with the consideration of the demand under a number of circumstances. If a derivative action is brought in violation of the Declaration, the shareholder bringing the action may be responsible for the Fund's costs, including attorneys' fees. The Declaration also provides that any shareholder bringing an action against the Fund waives the right to trial by jury to the fullest extent permitted by law. The Trust is not required to and does not intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Under Massachusetts law applicable to Massachusetts business trusts, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable as partners for its obligations. However, the Declaration contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of this disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by the Trust or the Trustees. The Declaration further provides for indemnification out of the assets and property of the Trust for all losses and expenses of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and the Trust or the Fund itself was unable to meet its obligations. The Declaration further provides that a Trustee acting in his or her capacity as Trustee is not personally liable to any person other than the Trust or its shareholders, for any act, omission, or obligation of the Trust. The Declaration requires the Trust to indemnify any persons who are or who have been Trustees, officers or employees of the Trust for any liability for actions or failure to act except to the extent prohibited by applicable federal law. In 2 making any determination as to whether any person is entitled to the advancement of expenses in connection with a claim for which indemnification is sought, such person is entitled to a rebuttable presumption that he or she did not engage in conduct for which indemnification is not available. The Declaration provides that any Trustee who serves as chair of the Board of Trustees or of a committee of the Board of Trustees, lead independent Trustee, or audit committee financial expert, or in any other similar capacity will not be subject to any greater standard of care or liability because of such position. The Fund is advised by First Trust Advisors L.P. (the "Advisor" or "First Trust"). The Fund will have the following sub-advisors: Stonebridge Advisors LLC ("Stonebridge"), Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC ("RBA"), Energy Income Partners, LLC ("EIP") and First Trust Global Portfolios, Ltd. ("First Trust Global"). The Advisor's Investment Committee determines the Fund's strategic allocation among various general investment categories and allocates the Fund's assets to portfolio management teams comprised of personnel of the Advisor and/or a sub-Advisor (each, a "Management Team"), which employ their respective investment strategies. The shares of the Fund list and principally trade on The NASDAQ(R) Stock Market LLC ("NASDAQ(R)" or the "Exchange"). The shares will trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at or above net asset value. The Fund offers and issues shares at net asset value only in aggregations of a specified number of shares (each a "Creation Unit" or a "Creation Unit Aggregation"), generally in exchange for a basket of securities (the "Deposit Securities"), together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (the "Cash Component"), or for cash as specified in the Prospectus. Creation Units are aggregations of 50,000 shares of the Fund. The Trust reserves the right to permit creations and redemptions of Fund shares to be made in whole or in part on a cash basis under certain circumstances. Fund shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Fund cash at least equal to 115% of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities. See the "Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations" section. In each instance of such cash creations or redemptions, transaction fees may be imposed that will be higher than the transaction fees associated with in-kind creations or redemptions. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of shares of the Fund will continue to be met. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of the Fund from listing if (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning at the commencement of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of the shares of the Fund for 30 or more consecutive trading days; or (ii) such other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund. 3 As in the case of other stocks traded on the Exchange, brokers' commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels. The Fund reserves the right to adjust the price levels of shares in the future to help maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Fund. INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES The Prospectus describes the investment objectives and certain policies of the Fund. The following supplements the information contained in the Prospectus concerning the investment objectives and policies of the Fund. The Fund is subject to the following fundamental policies, which may not be changed without approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund: (1) The Fund may not issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act. (2) The Fund may not borrow money, except that the Fund may (i) borrow money from banks for temporary or emergency purposes (but not for leverage or the purchase of investments); and (ii) engage in other transactions permissible under the 1940 Act that may involve a borrowing (such as obtaining short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, engaging in delayed-delivery transactions, or purchasing certain futures and forward contracts), provided that the combination of (i) and (ii) shall not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund's total assets (including the amount borrowed), less the Fund's liabilities (other than borrowings). (3) The Fund will not underwrite the securities of other issuers except to the extent the Fund may be considered an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities. (4) The Fund will not purchase or sell real estate or interests therein, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prohibit the Fund from purchasing or selling securities or other instruments backed by real estate or of issuers engaged in real estate activities). (5) The Fund may not make loans to other persons, except through (i) the purchase of debt securities permissible under the Fund's investment policies; (ii) repurchase agreements; or (iii) the lending of portfolio securities, provided that no such loan of portfolio securities may be made by the Fund if, as a result, the aggregate of such loans would exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund's total assets. 4 (6) The Fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options, futures contracts, forward contracts or other derivative instruments, or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities). (7) The Fund may not invest 25% or more of the value of its total assets in securities of issuers in any one industry. This restriction does not apply to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or securities of other investment companies. For purposes of applying restriction (1) above, under the 1940 Act as currently in effect, the Fund is not permitted to issue senior securities, except that the Fund may borrow from any bank if immediately after such borrowing the value of the Fund's total assets is at least 300% of the principal amount of all of the Fund's borrowings (i.e., the principal amount of the borrowings may not exceed 33 1/3% of the Fund's total assets). In the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300% the Fund shall, within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays), reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowings shall be at least 300%. The fundamental investment limitations set forth above limit the Fund's ability to engage in certain investment practices and purchase securities or other instruments to the extent permitted by, or consistent with, applicable law. As such, these limitations will change as the statute, rules, regulations or orders (or, if applicable, interpretations) change, and no shareholder vote will be required or sought. Except for restriction (2) above, if a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of investment, a later increase in percentage resulting from a change in market value of the investment or the total assets will not constitute a violation of that restriction. With respect to restriction (2), if the limitations are exceeded as a result of a change in market value then the Fund will reduce the amount of borrowings within three days thereafter to the extent necessary to comply with the limitations (not including Sundays and holidays). The Fund's investment objectives and the foregoing fundamental policies of the Fund may not be changed without the affirmative vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The 1940 Act defines a majority vote as the vote of the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the voting securities represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding securities are represented; or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities. With respect to the submission of a change in an investment policy to the holders of outstanding voting securities of the Fund, such matter shall be deemed to have been effectively acted upon with respect to the Fund if a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund vote for the approval of such matter, notwithstanding that such matter has not been approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of any other series of the Trust affected by such matter. In addition to the foregoing fundamental policies, the Fund is also subject to strategies and policies discussed herein which, unless otherwise noted, are non-fundamental policies and may be changed by the Board of Trustees. 5 INVESTMENT STRATEGIES Under normal market circumstances, the Fund will invest in various asset classes, which include equity securities of Energy Infrastructure Companies, preferred securities, international sovereign bonds, high yield corporate bonds and first lien senior secured floating rate bank loans (referred to as "senior loans"), mortgage related investments, and dividend paying domestic equity securities and depositary receipts, together with a related option overlay strategy. In addition to the option overlay strategy, the Management Teams may utilize derivative instruments in implementing their respective investment strategies for the Fund. These asset classes provide a broad scope of investment opportunities that can offer higher yield and diversification relative to traditional income strategies. To enhance expected return, the Fund's advisor will tactically adjust asset class weights quarterly. Security selection will be performed by the Fund's sub-advisors that have experience in their individual asset class. It is anticipated that the Fund will invest approximately 20% of its net assets in each asset class. During the initial invest-up period, the Fund may depart from its principal investment strategies and invest a larger amount or all of its assets in cash equivalents or it may hold cash. In addition, the Fund may invest its remaining assets in other securities and financial instruments. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in short-term debt securities, money market funds and other cash equivalents, or it may hold cash. In addition, to manage foreign currency exposures, the Fund may invest directly in foreign currencies, including without limitation in the form of bank and financial institution deposits, certificates of deposit, and bankers' acceptances denominated in a specified non-U.S. currency. The Fund may invest in the securities of money market funds and other ETFs. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in secured loans that are not first lien loans or loans that are unsecured (collectively referred to as "junior loans"). TYPES OF INVESTMENTS Equities. To the extent disclosed in the Prospectus, the Fund intends to invest in equity securities. Equity securities represent an ownership position in a company. The prices of equity securities fluctuate based on, among other things, events specific to their issuers and market, economic, and other conditions. Equity securities in which the Fund invests may include common and preferred stocks. Common stocks include the common stock of any class or series of a domestic or foreign corporation or any similar equity interest, such as a trust or partnership interest. These investments may or may not pay dividends and may or may not carry voting rights. Common stock occupies the most junior position in a company's capital structure. The Fund may also invest in warrants and rights related to common stocks. The Fund will also invest in preferred equity securities. Preferred stock, unlike common stock, offers a stated dividend rate payable from the issuer's earnings. Preferred stock dividends may be cumulative or non-cumulative, participating or action rate. If interest rates rise, the fixed dividend on preferred stocks may be less attractive, causing the price of preferred stocks to decline. Preferred stock may have mandatory sinking fund provisions, as well as call/redemption provisions prior to maturity, a negative feature when interest rates decline. 6 High Yield Securities: The Fund will invest in high yield securities, commonly referred to as "junk" bonds, which may be rated below investment grade at the time of purchase. The ratings of a rating agency represent its opinion as to the quality of securities it undertakes to rate. Ratings are not absolute standards of quality; consequently, securities with the same maturity, duration, coupon, and rating may have different yields. For purposes of determining whether a security is below investment grade, the lowest available rating will be considered. If a security owned by the Fund is subsequently downgraded, the Fund will not be required to dispose of such security. If a downgrade occurs, the advisor and sub-advisors will consider what action, including the sale of such security, is in the best interests of the Fund. The Credit Rating Definitions, as published by the three major ratings agencies, are set forth in Appendix A to this SAI. Because the risk of default is higher for below investment grade securities than investment grade securities, the advisor's and sub-advisors' research and credit analysis will be an especially important part of managing securities of this type. The advisor and sub-advisors will attempt to identify those issuers of below investment grade securities whose financial condition the advisor and sub-advisors believe are adequate to meet future obligations or who have improved or are expected to improve in the future. The advisor's and sub-advisors' analysis focuses on relative values based on such factors as interest or dividend coverage, asset coverage, earnings prospects and the experience and managerial strength of the issuer. Corporate Bonds. Corporate bonds, also known as fixed-income securities, are debt obligations issued by corporations. Corporate bonds are generally used by corporations to borrow money from investors. Corporate bonds may be either secured or unsecured. Collateral used for secured debt includes, but is not limited to, real property, machinery, equipment, accounts receivable, stocks, bonds or notes. If a corporate bond is unsecured, it is known as a debenture. Holders of corporate bonds, as creditors, have a prior legal claim over common and preferred stockholders as to both income and assets of the issuer for the principal and interest due them and may have a prior claim over other creditors if liens or mortgages are involved. Interest on corporate bonds may be fixed or floating, or the securities may be zero coupon fixed-income securities which pay no interest. Interest on corporate bonds is typically paid semi-annually and is fully taxable to the holder of the bonds. Corporate bonds contain elements of both interest rate risk and credit risk. The market value of a corporate bond generally may be expected to rise and fall inversely with changes in interest rates and may also be affected by the credit rating of the issuer, the issuer's performance and perceptions of the issuer in the marketplace. Corporate bonds usually yield more than government or agency bonds due to the presence of credit risk. Master Limited Partnerships. Much of the opportunities in higher payout energy infrastructure are in the form of Master Limited Partnerships ("MLPs"). The sub-advisors believe that this investment opportunity is difficult for many large investors to take advantage of, which has left these securities largely in the hands of retail investors. Non-taxable investors, such as pension funds and endowments, have not historically owned significant portions of these securities because MLPs can generate a substantial amount of "unrelated business taxable income," or UBTI, which can be disadvantageous to such institutions. In addition, for tax years beginning on or before October 22, 2004, MLPs represented non-qualifying income for mutual funds. Prior to the rapid growth of 7 these asset classes over the last few years, MLPs were considered too small for most large investor allocations. As a result, the sub-advisors believe the combination of the lack of institutional investment and the growth in size of these asset classes has made this an attractive investment universe. For purposes of this SAI, a MLP is a limited partnership or a limited liability company that is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, the interests in which (known as units) are traded on securities exchanges or over-the-counter. Loans. The Fund may invest in fixed and floating rate loans ("Loans"). Loans may include senior floating rate loans ("Senior Loans") and secured and unsecured loans, second lien or more junior loans and bridge loans ("Junior Loans"). Loans are typically arranged through private negotiations between borrowers in the United States or in foreign or emerging markets which may be corporate issuers or issuers of sovereign debt obligations ("Obligors") and one or more financial institutions and other lenders ("Lenders"). The Fund may invest in Loans by purchasing assignments of all or a portion of Loans ("Assignments") or Loan participations ("Participations") from third parties. The Fund has direct rights against the Obligor on the Loan when it purchases an Assignment. Assignments are arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and potential assignors. With respect to Participations, typically, the Fund will have a contractual relationship only with the Lender and not with the Obligor. The agreement governing Participations may limit the rights of the Fund to vote on certain changes which may be made to the Loan agreement, such as waiving a breach of a covenant. However, the holder of a Participation will generally have the right to vote on certain fundamental issues such as changes in principal amount, payment dates and interest rate. Participations may entail certain risks relating to the creditworthiness of the parties from which the participations are obtained. A Loan is typically originated, negotiated and structured by a U.S. or foreign commercial bank, insurance company, finance company or other financial institution (the "Agent") for a group of Loan investors. The Agent typically administers and enforces the Loan on behalf of the other Loan investors in the syndicate. The Agent's duties may include responsibility for the collection of principal and interest payments from the Obligor and the apportionment of these payments to the credit of all Loan investors. The Agent is also typically responsible for monitoring compliance with the covenants contained in the Loan agreement based upon reports prepared by the Obligor. In addition, an institution, typically but not always the Agent, holds any collateral on behalf of the Loan investors. In the event of a default by the Obligor, it is possible, though unlikely, that the Fund could receive a portion of the borrower's collateral. If the Fund receives collateral other than cash, any proceeds received from liquidation of such collateral will be available for investment as part of the Fund's portfolio. In the process of buying, selling and holding Senior Loans, the Fund may receive and/or pay certain fees. These fees are in addition to interest payments received and may include facility fees, commitment fees, commissions and prepayment penalty fees. When the Fund buys or sells a Loan it may pay a fee. In certain circumstances, the Fund may receive a prepayment penalty fee upon prepayment of a Loan. 8 There may be instances in which the Fund is required to vote upon amendments to certain of the Loans in which it invests. In these cases, the Fund will attempt to ensure that such amendments are voted consistently and solely in the best interests of the Fund. Additional Information Concerning Senior Loans. Senior Loans typically hold the most senior position in the capital structure of the Obligor, are typically secured with specific collateral and have a claim on the assets and/or stock of the Obligor that is senior to that held by subordinated debtholders and shareholders of the Obligor. Collateral for Senior Loans may include (i) working capital assets, such as accounts receivable and inventory; (ii) tangible fixed assets, such as real property, buildings and equipment; (iii) intangible assets, such as trademarks and patent rights; and/or (iv) security interests in shares of stock of subsidiaries or affiliates. Preferred Securities and Hybrid Securities. The Fund invests in preferred securities. Certain of the preferred securities in which the Fund invests are traditional preferred securities, which issue dividends that qualify for the dividend received deduction under which "qualified" domestic corporations are able to exclude a percentage of the dividends received from their taxable income. Certain of the preferred securities in which the Fund invests are preferred securities that do not issue dividends that qualify for the dividends received deduction for eligible investors ("non-DRD preferred securities") and debt instruments that are similar in many respects to preferred securities (such debt instruments and non-DRD preferred securities are often referred to as "hybrid securities") that do not qualify for the dividends received deduction or issue qualified dividend income. Pursuant to the dividends received deduction, corporations may generally deduct 70% of the dividend income they receive. Corporate shareholders of a regulated investment company like the Fund generally are permitted to claim a deduction with respect to that portion of their distributions attributable to amounts received by the regulated investment company that qualify for the dividends received deduction. However, not all preferred securities pay dividends that are eligible for the dividends received deduction. Any corporate shareholder who otherwise would qualify for the dividends received deduction should assume that none of the distributions it receives from the Fund will qualify for the dividends received deduction. These types of hybrid securities typically offer additional yield spread versus other types of preferred securities due to this lack of special tax treatment. Hybrid securities are typically issued by corporations, generally in the form of interest bearing notes or preferred securities, or by an affiliated business trust of a corporation, generally in the form of (i) beneficial interests in subordinated debentures or similarly structured securities or (ii) more senior debt securities that pay income and trade in a manner similar to preferred securities. The hybrid securities market consists of both fixed and adjustable coupon rate securities that are either perpetual in nature or have stated maturity dates. The hybrid securities market is divided into the "$25 par" and the "institutional" segments. The $25 par segment is typified by securities that are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE"), which trade and are quoted "flat", i.e., without accrued dividend income, and which are typically callable at par value five years after their original issuance date. The institutional segment is typified by $1,000 par value securities that are not exchange-listed, which trade and are quoted on an "accrued income" 9 basis, and which typically have a minimum of 10 years of call protection (at premium prices) from the date of their original issuance. Hybrid securities are typically junior and fully subordinated liabilities of an issuer or the beneficiary of a guarantee that is junior and fully subordinated to the other liabilities of the guarantor. In addition, hybrid securities typically permit an issuer to defer the payment of income for eighteen months or more without triggering an event of default. Generally, the deferral period is five years or more. Because of their subordinated position in the capital structure of an issuer, the ability to defer payments for extended periods of time without adverse consequence to the issuer, and certain other features (such as restrictions on common dividend payments by the issuer or ultimate guarantor when cumulative payments on the non-DRD preferred securities have not been made), these hybrid securities are often treated as close substitutes for traditional preferred securities, both by issuers and investors. Hybrid securities have many of the key characteristics of equity due to their subordinated position in an issuer's capital structure and because their quality and value are heavily dependent on the profitability of the issuer rather than on any legal claims to specific assets or cash flows. Hybrid securities include but are not limited to: trust originated preferred securities, monthly income preferred securities, quarterly income bond securities, quarterly income debt securities, quarterly income preferred securities, corporate trust securities, public income notes, and other trust preferred securities. Hybrid securities are typically issued with a final maturity date, although some are perpetual in nature. In certain instances, a final maturity date may be extended and/or the final payment of principal may be deferred at the issuer's option for a specified time without any adverse consequence to the issuer. No redemption can typically take place unless all cumulative payment obligations have been met, although issuers may be able to engage in open-market repurchases without regard to any cumulative dividends payable. A portion of the portfolio may include investments in non-cumulative preferred securities, whereby the issuer does not have an obligation to make up any arrearages to its shareholders. Should an issuer default on its obligations under such a security, the amount of dividends the Fund pays may be adversely affected. Many hybrid securities are issued by a trust or other special purpose entities established by operating companies, and are not a direct obligation of an operating company. At the time a trust or special purpose entity sells its preferred securities to investors, the trust or special purpose entity purchases debt of the operating company (with terms comparable to those of the trust or special purpose entity securities), which enables the operating company to deduct for tax purposes the interest paid on the debt held by the trust or special purpose entity. The trust or special purpose entity is generally required to be treated as transparent for federal income tax purposes such that the holders of the non-DRD preferred securities are treated as owning beneficial interests in the underlying debt of the operating company. Accordingly, payments of the non-DRD preferred securities are treated as interest rather than dividends for federal income tax purposes and, as such, are not eligible for the dividends received deduction. The trust or special purpose entity in turn would be a holder of the operating company's debt and would have priority with respect to the operating company's earnings and profits over the operating company's 10 common shareholders, but would typically be subordinated to other classes of the operating company's debt. Typically a non-DRD preferred share has a rating that is slightly below that of its corresponding operating company's senior debt securities. Non-U.S. Investments. The Fund may invest in securities issued by non-U.S. companies that are traded over-the-counter ("OTC") or listed on an exchange. Non-U.S. debt securities in which the Fund may invest include debt securities issued or guaranteed by companies organized under the laws of countries other than the United States, debt securities issued or guaranteed by foreign, national, provincial, state, municipal or other governments with taxing authority or by their agencies or instrumentalities and debt obligations of supranational governmental entities such as the World Bank or European Union. Non-U.S. debt securities also include U.S. dollar denominated debt obligations, such as "Yankee Dollar" obligations, of foreign issuers and of supranational government entities. Yankee Dollar obligations are U.S. dollar-denominated obligations issued in the U.S. capital markets by foreign corporations, banks and governments. Foreign debt securities also may be traded on foreign securities exchanges or in OTC capital markets. Under normal market conditions, up to 10% of the net assets of the Fund may be denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. To the extent the Fund invests in such instruments, the value of the assets of the Fund as measured in U.S. dollars will be affected by changes in exchange rates. Generally, the Fund's currency exchange transactions will be conducted on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market. The cost of the Fund's currency exchange transactions will generally be the difference between the bid and offer spot rate of the currency being purchased or sold. In order to protect against uncertainty in the level of future currency exchange rates, the Fund is authorized to enter into various currency exchange transactions. Additional Information Concerning Certain Investment Categories. Energy Infrastructure Companies that are in the form of preferred securities will not be included in the percentages that constitute the Fund's preferred securities investment category. Dividend paying domestic equity securities that are in the form of preferred securities or that are considered to be Energy Infrastructure Companies will not be included in the percentages that constitute the Fund's preferred securities investment category or the Energy Infrastructure Companies investment category, respectively, or investments in ETFs that are intended to provide exposure to any of the other five investment categories. ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS Additional Information Concerning Synthetic Letters of Credit: Loans may include synthetic letters of credit. In a synthetic letter of credit transaction, the lender typically creates a special purpose entity or a credit-linked deposit account for the purpose of funding a letter of credit to the borrower. When the Fund invests in a synthetic letter of credit, the Fund is typically paid a rate based on the lender's borrowing costs and the terms of a synthetic letter of credit. Synthetic letters of credit are typically structured as assignments with the Fund acquiring direct rights against the obligor. 11 Additional Information Concerning Unfunded Commitments: Unfunded commitments are contractual obligations pursuant to which the Fund agrees to invest in a loan at a future date. Typically, the Fund receives a commitment fee for entering into the unfunded commitment. Credit Linked Notes: Credit linked notes are structured securities typically issued by banks whose principal and interest payments are contingent on the performance of a reference issuer. Credit linked notes are created by embedding a credit default swap in a funded asset to form an investment whose credit risk and cash flow characteristics resemble those of a bond or loan. These credit linked notes pay an enhanced coupon to the investor for taking on the added credit risk of the reference issuer. Illiquid Securities: The Fund may invest in illiquid securities (i.e., securities that are not readily marketable). For purposes of this restriction, illiquid securities include, but are not limited to, certain restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted under the federal securities laws), securities that may only be resold pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act but that are deemed to be illiquid; and repurchase agreements with maturities in excess of seven days. However, the Fund will not acquire illiquid securities if, as a result, such securities would comprise more than 15% of the value of the Fund's net assets. The Board of Trustees or its delegate has the ultimate authority to determine, to the extent permissible under the federal securities laws, which securities are liquid or illiquid for purposes of this 15% limitation. The Board of Trustees has delegated to First Trust the day-to-day determination of the illiquidity of any equity or fixed-income security, although it has retained oversight and ultimate responsibility for such determinations. Although no definitive liquidity criteria are used, the Board of Trustees has directed the Advisor to look to factors such as (i) the nature of the market for a security (including the institutional private resale market), the frequency of trades and quotes for the security, the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security, the amount of time normally needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer); (ii) the terms of certain securities or other instruments allowing for the disposition to a third party or the issuer thereof (e.g., certain repurchase obligations and demand instruments); and (iii) other permissible relevant factors. Restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the 1933 Act. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell. Illiquid securities will be priced at fair value as determined in good faith under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. If, through the appreciation of illiquid securities or the depreciation of liquid securities, the Fund should be in a position where more than 15% of the value of its net assets are invested in illiquid securities, including restricted securities which are not readily marketable, the Fund will take such steps as is deemed advisable, if any, to protect liquidity. Investment Companies and Pooled Investment Vehicles. The Fund may invest in other pooled investment vehicles, including open-end or closed-end investment companies, other exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") and business development 12 companies that invest primarily in securities of the types in which the Fund may invest directly. As a shareholder in a pooled investment vehicle, the Fund will bear its ratable share of that vehicle's expenses, and would remain subject to payment of the Fund's management fees with respect to assets so invested. Shareholders would therefore be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other pooled investment vehicles. In addition, the Fund will incur brokerage costs when purchasing and selling shares of ETFs and closed-end funds. Other pooled investment vehicles may be leveraged, and the net asset value and market value of their securities will therefore be more volatile and the yield to shareholders will tend to fluctuate more than the yield of unleveraged pooled investment vehicles. The Fund may invest in the securities of ETFs in excess of the limits imposed under the 1940 Act pursuant to exemptive orders obtained by certain ETFs and their sponsors from the SEC. An ETF is a fund that holds a portfolio of securities and trades on a securities exchange and its shares may, at times, trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value. Additionally, the Fund may invest in certain investment companies in excess of the limits imposed under the 1940 Act, subject to certain terms and conditions, pursuant to an exemptive order that the SEC has issued to the Trust. The Fund may also invest in shares of money market funds to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Other Loans: The Fund may invest in secured loans that are not first lien and loans that are unsecured. These loans have the same characteristics as senior loans except that such loans are not first in priority of repayment and/or are not secured by collateral. Accordingly, the risks associated with these loans are higher than the risks for loans with first priority over the collateral. Because these loans are lower in priority and/or unsecured, they are subject to the additional risk that the cash flow of the borrower may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments after giving effect to the secured obligations of the borrower. In the event of default on such a loan, the first priority lien holder has first claim to the underlying collateral of the loan. It is possible that no value would remain for the holders of secured loans that are not first lien and loans that are unsecured and therefore result in a loss of investment to the Fund. Junior Loans: Junior loans have the same characteristics as senior loans except that junior loans are not first in priority of repayment and/or may not be secured by collateral. Accordingly, the risks associated with junior loans are higher than the risks for loans with first priority over the collateral. Because junior loans are lower in priority and/or unsecured, they are subject to the additional risk that the cash flow of the borrower may be insufficient to meet scheduled payments after giving effect to the secured obligations of the borrower or in the case of a default, recoveries may be lower for unsecured loans than for secured loans. Fixed Income Investments and Cash Equivalents: Normally, the Fund invests substantially all of its assets to meet its investment objectives; however, for temporary or defensive purposes, the Fund may invest in fixed income investments and cash equivalents in order to provide income, liquidity and preserve capital. Fixed income investments and cash equivalents held by the Fund may include, without limitation, the types of investments set forth below: 13 (1) The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities, including bills, notes and bonds differing as to maturity and rates of interest, which are either issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. government securities include securities that are issued or guaranteed by the United States Treasury, by various agencies of the U.S. government, or by various instrumentalities that have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government. U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Some of the U.S. government agencies that issue or guarantee securities include the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Farmers Home Administration, Federal Housing Administration, Maritime Administration, Small Business Administration and The Tennessee Valley Authority. An instrumentality of the U.S. government is a government agency organized under Federal charter with government supervision. Instrumentalities issuing or guaranteeing securities include, among others, Federal Home Loan Banks, the Federal Land Banks, Central Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks and FNMA. In the case of those U.S. government securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the security for ultimate repayment, and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event that the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. The U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities, and consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate. In addition, the Fund may invest in sovereign debt obligations of non-U.S. countries. A sovereign debtor's willingness or ability to repay principal and interest in a timely manner may be affected by a number of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its non-U.S. reserves, the availability of sufficient non-U.S. exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor's policy toward principal international lenders and the political constraints to which it may be subject. (2) The Fund may invest in certificates of deposit issued against funds deposited in a bank or savings and loan association. Such certificates are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return, and are normally negotiable. If such certificates of deposit are non-negotiable, they will be considered illiquid securities and be subject to the Fund's 15% restriction on investments in illiquid securities. Pursuant to the certificate of deposit, the issuer agrees to pay the amount deposited plus interest to the bearer of the certificate on the date specified thereon. Under current FDIC regulations, the maximum insurance payable as to any one certificate of deposit is $250,000; therefore, certificates of deposit purchased by the Fund may not be fully insured. The Fund may only invest in certificates of deposit issued by U.S. banks with at least $1 billion in assets. (3) The Fund may invest in bankers' acceptances, which are short-term credit instruments used to finance commercial transactions. Generally, an acceptance is a time draft drawn on a bank by an exporter or an importer to obtain a stated amount of funds to pay for specific 14 merchandise. The draft is then "accepted" by a bank that, in effect, unconditionally guarantees to pay the face value of the instrument on its maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an asset or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of interest for a specific maturity. (4) The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements, which involve purchases of debt securities with counterparties that are deemed by the Advisor to present acceptable credit risks. In such an action, at the time the Fund purchases the security, it simultaneously agrees to resell and redeliver the security to the seller, who also simultaneously agrees to buy back the security at a fixed price and time. This assures a predetermined yield for the Fund during its holding period since the resale price is always greater than the purchase price and reflects an agreed-upon market rate. Such actions afford an opportunity for the Fund to invest temporarily available cash. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements only with respect to obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities; certificates of deposit; or bankers' acceptances in which the Fund may invest. Repurchase agreements may be considered loans to the seller, collateralized by the underlying securities. The risk to the Fund is limited to the ability of the seller to pay the agreed-upon sum on the repurchase date; in the event of default, the repurchase agreement provides that the Fund is entitled to sell the underlying collateral. If the value of the collateral declines after the agreement is entered into, however, and if the seller defaults under a repurchase agreement when the value of the underlying collateral is less than the repurchase price, the Fund could incur a loss of both principal and interest. The portfolio managers monitor the value of the collateral at the time the action is entered into and at all times during the term of the repurchase agreement. The portfolio managers do so in an effort to determine that the value of the collateral always equals or exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price to be paid to the Fund. If the seller were to be subject to a federal bankruptcy proceeding, the ability of the Fund to liquidate the collateral could be delayed or impaired because of certain provisions of the bankruptcy laws. (5) The Fund may invest in bank time deposits, which are monies kept on deposit with banks or savings and loan associations for a stated period of time at a fixed rate of interest. There may be penalties for the early withdrawal of such time deposits, in which case the yields of these investments will be reduced. (6) The Fund may invest in commercial paper, which are short-term unsecured promissory notes, including variable rate master demand notes issued by corporations to finance their current operations. Master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between the Fund and a corporation. There is no secondary market for the notes. However, they are redeemable by the Fund at any time. The Fund's portfolio managers will consider the financial condition of the corporation (e.g., earning power, cash flow and other liquidity ratios) and will continuously monitor the corporation's ability to meet all of its financial obligations, because the Fund's liquidity might be impaired if the corporation were unable to pay principal and interest on demand. The Fund may invest in commercial paper only if its has received the highest rating from at least one nationally 15 recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, judged by First Trust to be of comparable quality. (7) The Fund may invest in shares of money market funds, as consistent with its investment objective and policies. Shares of money market funds are subject to management fees and other expenses of those funds. Therefore, investments in money market funds will cause the Fund to bear proportionately the costs incurred by the money market funds' operations. At the same time, the Fund will continue to pay its own management fees and expenses with respect to all of its assets, including any portion invested in the shares of other investment companies. Although money market funds that operate in accordance with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act seek to preserve a $1.00 share price, it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in money market funds. Warrants: The Fund may invest in warrants. Warrants acquired by the Fund entitle it to buy common stock from the issuer at a specified price and time. They do not represent ownership of the securities but only the right to buy them. Warrants are subject to the same market risks as stocks, but may be more volatile in price. The Fund's investment in warrants will not entitle it to receive dividends or exercise voting rights and will become worthless if the warrants cannot be profitably exercised before their expiration date. When-Issued or Delayed-Delivery Transactions: The Fund may from time to time purchase securities on a "when-issued" or other delayed-delivery basis. The price of securities purchased in such transactions is fixed at the time the commitment to purchase is made, but delivery and payment for the securities take place at a later date. During the period between the purchase and settlement, the Fund does not remit payment to the issuer, no interest is accrued on debt securities and dividend income is not earned on equity securities. Delayed-delivery commitments involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date, which risk is in addition to the risk of a decline in value of the Fund's other assets. While securities purchased in delayed-delivery transactions may be sold prior to the settlement date, the Fund intends to purchase such securities with the purpose of actually acquiring them. At the time the Fund makes the commitment to purchase a security in a delayed-delivery transaction, it will record the transaction and reflect the value of the security in determining its net asset value. The Fund will earmark or maintain in a segregated account cash, U.S. government securities, and high-grade liquid debt securities equal in value to commitments for delayed-delivery securities. Such earmarked or segregated securities will mature or, if necessary, be sold on or before the settlement date. When the time comes to pay for delayed-delivery securities, the Fund will meet its obligations from then-available cash flow, sale of the securities earmarked or held in the segregated account as described above, sale of other securities, or, although it would not normally expect to do so, from the sale of the delayed-delivery securities themselves (which may have a market value greater or less than the Fund's payment obligation). Although the Prospectus and this SAI describe certain permitted methods of segregating assets or otherwise "covering" certain transactions, the Fund may segregate against or cover such transactions using other methods permitted under 16 the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder, or orders issued by the SEC thereunder. For these purposes, interpretations and guidance provided by the SEC staff may be taken into account. PORTFOLIO TURNOVER The Fund buys and sells portfolio securities in the normal course of its investment activities. The proportion of the Fund's investment portfolio that is bought and sold during a year is known as the Fund's portfolio turnover rate. A turnover rate of 100% would occur, for example, if the Fund bought and sold securities valued at 100% of its net assets within one year. A high portfolio turnover rate could result in the payment by the Fund of increased brokerage costs, expenses and taxes. LENDING OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES In order to generate additional income, as a non-principal investment strategy, First Trust is authorized to select the Fund, with notice to the Board of Trustees, to lend portfolio securities representing up to 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets to broker-dealers, banks or other institutional borrowers of securities. As with other extensions of credit, there may be risks of delay in recovery of the securities or even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially. However, the Fund will only enter into domestic loan arrangements with broker-dealers, banks or other institutions that First Trust has determined are creditworthy under guidelines established by the Board of Trustees. The Fund will pay a portion of the income earned on the lending transaction to the placing broker and may pay administrative and custodial fees in connection with these loans. First Trust may select the Fund to participate in the securities lending program, at its discretion with notice to the Board of Trustees. In these loan arrangements, the Fund will receive collateral in the form of cash, U.S. government securities or other high grade debt obligations equal to at least 102% (for domestic securities) or 105% (for international securities) of the market value of the securities loaned as determined at the time of loan origination. This collateral must be valued daily by First Trust or the Fund's lending agent and, if the market value of the loaned securities increases, the borrower must furnish additional collateral to the Fund. During the time portfolio securities are on loan, the borrower pays the Fund any dividends or interest paid on the securities. Loans are subject to termination at any time by the Fund or the borrower. While the Fund does not have the right to vote securities on loan, it would terminate the loan and regain the right to vote if that were considered important with respect to the investment. When the Fund lends portfolio securities to a borrower, payments in lieu of dividends made by the borrower to the Fund will not constitute "qualified dividends" taxable at the same rate as long-term capital gains, even if the actual dividends would have constituted qualified dividends had the Fund held the securities. 17 HEDGING STRATEGIES General Description of Hedging Strategies To the extent disclosed in the Prospectus, the Fund may engage in hedging activities, or other investment in derivative instruments. The Fund may utilize a variety of financial instruments, including options, forward contracts, futures contracts (hereinafter referred to as "Futures" or "Futures Contracts"), options on Futures Contracts and shorting strategies to attempt to hedge the Fund's holdings. Hedging or derivative instruments on securities generally are used to hedge against price movements in one or more particular securities positions that the Fund owns or intends to acquire. Such instruments may also be used to "lock-in" realized but unrecognized gains in the value of portfolio securities. Hedging instruments on stock indices, in contrast, generally are used to hedge against price movements in broad market sectors in which the Fund has invested or expects to invest. Hedging strategies, if successful, can reduce the risk of loss by wholly or partially offsetting the negative effect of unfavorable price movements in the investments being hedged. However, hedging strategies can also reduce the opportunity for gain by offsetting the positive effect of favorable price movements in the hedged investments. The use of hedging instruments is subject to applicable regulations of the SEC, the several options and Futures exchanges upon which they are traded, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC") and various state regulatory authorities. In addition, the Fund's ability to use hedging instruments may be limited by tax considerations. General Limitations on Futures and Options Transactions The Fund limits its direct investments in Futures and options on Futures to the extent necessary for the Advisor to claim the exclusion from regulation as a "commodity pool operator" with respect to the Fund under CFTC Rule 4.5, as such rule may be amended from time to time. Under Rule 4.5 as currently in effect, the Fund limits its trading activity in Futures and options on Futures (excluding activity for "bona fide hedging purposes," as defined by the CFTC) such that it meets one of the following tests: (i) aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish its Futures and options on Futures positions do not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund's portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and losses on such positions; or (ii) aggregate net notional value of its Futures and options on Futures positions does not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the Fund's portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and losses on such positions. The Advisor has filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" with respect to the Fund with the National Futures Association, the Futures industry's self-regulatory organization. The Fund will not enter into Futures Contracts and options transactions if more than 30% of its net assets would be committed to such instruments. If the Advisor were no longer able to claim the exclusion for the Fund, the Advisor would be required to register as a "commodity pool operator," and the Fund and the Advisor would be subject to regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act (the "CEA"). 18 The foregoing limitations are non-fundamental policies of the Fund and may be changed without shareholder approval as regulatory agencies permit. Asset Coverage for Futures and Options Positions The Fund will comply with the regulatory requirements of the SEC and the CFTC with respect to coverage of options and Futures positions by registered investment companies and, if the guidelines so require, will earmark or set aside cash, U.S. government securities, high grade liquid debt securities and/or other liquid assets permitted by the SEC and CFTC in a segregated custodial account in the amount prescribed. Securities earmarked or held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the Futures or options position is outstanding, unless replaced with other permissible assets, and will be marked-to-market daily. Stock Index Options The Fund may purchase stock index options, sell stock index options in order to close out existing positions, and/or write covered options on stock indices for hedging purposes. Stock index options are put options and call options on various stock indices. In most respects, they are identical to listed options on common stocks. The primary difference between stock options and index options occurs when index options are exercised. In the case of stock options, the underlying security, common stock, is delivered. However, upon the exercise of an index option, settlement does not occur by delivery of the securities comprising the stock index. The option holder who exercises the index option receives an amount of cash if the closing level of the stock index upon which the option is based is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the stock index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market values of the stocks included in the index. For example, some stock index options are based on a broad market index, such as the S&P 500 Index or the Value Line(R) Composite Index or a more narrow market index, such as the S&P 100 Index. Indices may also be based on an industry or market segment. Options on stock indices are currently traded on the following exchanges: the Chicago Board Options Exchange, NYSE Amex Options, The NASDAQ(R) Stock Market LLC ("NASDAQ(R)") and the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. The Fund's use of stock index options is subject to certain risks. Successful use by the Fund of options on stock indices will be subject to the ability of First Trust to correctly predict movements in the directions of the stock market. This requires different skills and techniques than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. In addition, the Fund's ability to effectively hedge all or a portion of the securities in its portfolio, in anticipation of or during a market decline through transactions in put options on stock indices, depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying index correlate with the price movements of the securities held by the Fund. Inasmuch as the Fund's securities will not duplicate the components of an index, the correlation will not be perfect. Consequently, the Fund will bear 19 the risk that the prices of its securities being hedged will not move in the same amount as the prices of its put options on the stock indices. It is also possible that there may be a negative correlation between the index and the Fund's securities, which would result in a loss on both such securities and the options on stock indices acquired by the Fund. The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets. The purchase of options is a highly specialized activity, which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The purchase of stock index options involves the risk that the premium and transaction costs paid by the Fund in purchasing an option will be lost as a result of unanticipated movements in prices of the securities comprising the stock index on which the option is based. Certain Considerations Regarding Options There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an options exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and for some options no secondary market on an exchange or elsewhere may exist. If the Fund is unable to close out a call option on securities that it has written before the option is exercised, the Fund may be required to purchase the optioned securities in order to satisfy its obligation under the option to deliver such securities. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options on securities that it has purchased, it would have to exercise the option in order to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase and sale of the underlying securities. The writing and purchasing of options is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Imperfect correlation between the options and securities markets may detract from the effectiveness of attempted hedging. Options transactions may result in significantly higher transaction costs and portfolio turnover for the Fund. Futures Contracts The Fund may enter into Futures Contracts, including index Futures as a hedge against movements in the securities markets, in order to hedge against changes on securities held or intended to be acquired by the Fund or for other purposes permissible under the CEA. The Fund's hedging may include sales of Futures as an offset against the effect of expected declines in stock prices and purchases of Futures as an offset against the effect of expected increases in stock prices. The Fund will not enter into Futures Contracts which are prohibited under the CEA and will, to the extent required by regulatory authorities, enter only into Futures Contracts that are traded on national Futures exchanges and are standardized as to maturity date and underlying financial instrument. The principal interest rate Futures exchanges in the United States are the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Futures exchanges and trading are regulated under the CEA by the CFTC. 20 An interest rate Futures Contract provides for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific financial instrument (e.g., a debt security) or currency for a specified price at a designated date, time and place. An index Futures Contract is an agreement pursuant to which the parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to the difference between the value of the index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the index Futures Contract was originally written. Transaction costs are incurred when a Futures Contract is bought or sold and margin deposits must be maintained. A Futures Contract may be satisfied by delivery or purchase, as the case may be, of the instrument or by payment of the change in the cash value of the index. More commonly, Futures Contracts are closed out prior to delivery by entering into an offsetting transaction in a matching Futures Contract. Although the value of an index might be a function of the value of certain specified securities, no physical delivery of those securities is made. If the offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, a gain will be realized. Conversely, if the offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, a gain will be realized; if it is less, a loss will be realized. The transaction costs must also be included in these calculations. There can be no assurance, however, that the Fund will be able to enter into an offsetting transaction with respect to a particular Futures Contract at a particular time. If the Fund is not able to enter into an offsetting transaction, the Fund will continue to be required to maintain the margin deposits on the Futures Contract. Margin is the amount of funds that must be deposited by the Fund with its custodian in a segregated account in the name of the Futures commission merchant in order to initiate Futures trading and to maintain the Fund's open positions in Futures Contracts. A margin deposit is intended to ensure the Fund's performance of the Futures Contract. The margin required for a particular Futures Contract is set by the exchange on which the Futures Contract is traded and may be significantly modified from time to time by the exchange during the term of the Futures Contract. Futures Contracts are customarily purchased and sold on margins that may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the Futures Contract being traded. If the price of an open Futures Contract changes (by increase in the case of a sale or by decrease in the case of a purchase) so that the loss on the Futures Contract reaches a point at which the margin on deposit does not satisfy margin requirements, the broker will require an increase in the margin. However, if the value of a position increases because of favorable price changes in the Futures Contract so that the margin deposit exceeds the required margin, the broker will pay the excess to the Fund. In computing daily net asset value, the Fund will mark to market the current value of its open Futures Contracts. The Fund expects to earn interest income on its margin deposits. Because of the low margin deposits required, Futures trading involves an extremely high degree of leverage. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a Futures Contract may result in immediate and substantial loss, as well as gain, to the investor. For example, if at the time of purchase, 10% of the value of the Futures Contract is deposited as margin, a subsequent 10% decrease in the value of the Futures Contract would result in a total loss of the margin deposit, before any deduction for the transaction costs, if the account were then closed out. A 15% decrease would result in a loss equal to 21 150% of the original margin deposit, if the Future Contracts were closed out. Thus, a purchase or sale of a Futures Contract may result in losses in excess of the amount initially invested in the Futures Contract. However, the Fund would presumably have sustained comparable losses if, instead of the Futures Contract, it had invested in the underlying financial instrument and sold it after the decline. Most U.S. Futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in Futures Contract prices during a single trading day. The day limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a Futures Contract may vary either up or down from the previous day's settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of Futures Contract, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movement during a particular trading day and therefore does not limit potential losses, because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. Futures Contract prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of Futures positions and subjecting some investors to substantial losses. There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist at a time when the Fund seeks to close out a Futures position. The Fund would continue to be required to meet margin requirements until the position is closed, possibly resulting in a decline in the Fund's net asset value. In addition, many of the contracts discussed above are relatively new instruments without a significant trading history. As a result, there can be no assurance that an active secondary market will develop or continue to exist. A public market exists in Futures Contracts covering a number of indices, including but not limited to, the S&P 500 Index, the S&P 100 Index, the NASDAQ-100 Index(R), the Value Line(R) Composite Index and the NYSE Composite Index(R). Options on Futures The Fund may also purchase or write put and call options on Futures Contracts and enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate an existing position. A Futures option gives the holder the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a long position (call) or short position (put) in a Futures Contract at a specified exercise price prior to the expiration of the option. Upon exercise of a call option, the holder acquires a long position in the Futures Contract and the writer is assigned the opposite short position. In the case of a put option, the opposite is true. Prior to exercise or expiration, a Futures option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of a Futures option of the same series. The Fund may use options on Futures Contracts in connection with hedging strategies. Generally, these strategies would be applied under the same market and market sector conditions in which the Fund uses put and call options on securities or indices. The purchase of put options on Futures Contracts is analogous to the purchase of puts on securities or indices so as to hedge the Fund's securities holdings against the risk of declining market prices. The writing of a call option or the purchasing of a put option on a Futures Contract constitutes a partial hedge against declining prices of securities which are deliverable upon exercise of the Futures Contract. If the price at expiration of 22 a written call option is below the exercise price, the Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium which provides a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the Fund's holdings of securities. If the price when the option is exercised is above the exercise price, however, the Fund will incur a loss, which may be offset, in whole or in part, by the increase in the value of the securities held by the Fund that were being hedged. Writing a put option or purchasing a call option on a Futures Contract serves as a partial hedge against an increase in the value of the securities the Fund intends to acquire. As with investments in Futures Contracts, the Fund is required to deposit and maintain margin with respect to put and call options on Futures Contracts written by them. Such margin deposits will vary depending on the nature of the underlying Futures Contract (and the related initial margin requirements), the current market value of the option, and other Futures positions held by the Fund. The Fund will earmark or set aside in a segregated account at the Fund's custodian, liquid assets, such as cash, U.S. government securities or other high-grade liquid debt obligations equal in value to the amount due on the underlying obligation. Such segregated assets will be marked-to-market daily, and additional assets will be earmarked or placed in the segregated account whenever the total value of the earmarked or segregated assets falls below the amount due on the underlying obligation. The risks associated with the use of options on Futures Contracts include the risk that the Fund may close out its position as a writer of an option only if a liquid secondary market exists for such options, which cannot be assured. The Fund's successful use of options on Futures Contracts depends on First Trust's ability to correctly predict the movement in prices of Futures Contracts and the underlying instruments, which may prove to be incorrect. In addition, there may be imperfect correlation between the instruments being hedged and the Futures Contract subject to the option. For additional information, see "Futures Contracts." Certain characteristics of the Futures market might increase the risk that movements in the prices of Futures Contracts or options on Futures Contracts might not correlate perfectly with movements in the prices of the investments being hedged. For example, all participants in the Futures and options on Futures Contracts markets are subject to daily variation margin calls and might be compelled to liquidate Futures or options on Futures Contracts positions whose prices are moving unfavorably to avoid being subject to further calls. These liquidations could increase the price volatility of the instruments and distort the normal price relationship between the Futures or options and the investments being hedged. Also, because of initial margin deposit requirements, there might be increased participation by speculators in the Futures markets. This participation also might cause temporary price distortions. In addition, activities of large traders in both the Futures and securities markets involving arbitrage, "program trading," and other investment strategies might result in temporary price distortions. Short Sales The Fund may take short positions in securities, which are often referred to as "short sales." A short sale is a sale of a security the Fund has borrowed, with the expectation that the security will underperform the market. To settle the short sale transaction, the Fund buys the same security at a later date and returns it to the lender of the security. The Fund makes money on a short position if the market price of the security goes down after the short sale or 23 if the market price of the securities it buys with the proceeds of the short sale increases more than that of the security sold short. Conversely, if the price of the security sold short goes up after the short sale, the Fund loses money because it has to pay more to replace the borrowed security than it received when it sold the security short. Short-selling is considered "leverage" and may involve substantial risk. INVESTMENT RISKS The following information supplements the discussion of the Fund's investment risks that appears in the Prospectus. Overview An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding of the risks that an investment in the Fund shares entails, including the risk that the financial condition of the issuers of the securities or the general condition of the securities market may worsen and the value of the securities and therefore the value of a Fund may decline. The Fund may not be an appropriate investment for those who are unable or unwilling to assume the risks involved generally with such an investment. The past market and earnings performance of any of the securities included in the Fund is not predictive of their future performance. Agent Risk Selling lenders, agents and other entities that may be positioned between the Fund and the obligor will likely conduct their principal business activities in the banking, finance and financial services industries. Investments in loans may be more impacted by a single economic, political or regulatory occurrence affecting such industries than other types of investments. Entities engaged in such industries may be more susceptible to, among other things, fluctuations in interest rates, changes in the Federal Open Market Committee's monetary policy, government regulations concerning such industries and concerning capital raising activities generally and fluctuations in the financial markets generally. An agent, lender or other entity positioned between the Fund and the obligor may become insolvent or enter FDIC receivership or bankruptcy. The Fund might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on a loan or suffer a loss of principal and/or interest if assets or interests held by the agent, lender or other party positioned between the Fund and the obligor are determined to be subject to the claims of the agent's, lender's or such other party's creditors. Collateral, Subordination and Litigation Risk With respect to loans that are secured, the Fund is subject to the risk that collateral securing the loan will decline in value or have no value or that the Fund's lien is or will become junior in payment to other liens. A decline in value, whether as a result of bankruptcy proceedings or otherwise, could cause the loan to be undercollateralized or unsecured. There may be no formal requirement for the obligor to pledge additional collateral. In addition, collateral may consist of assets that may not be readily liquidated, and there is no assurance that the liquidation of such assets would satisfy an obligor's obligation on a loan. If an obligor becomes involved in bankruptcy proceedings, a court may invalidate the loan or the Fund's security interest in loan collateral or subordinate the Fund's rights under a senior loan or junior loan to the interest of the obligor's other creditors, including unsecured creditors, or cause interest or principal previously paid to be refunded to the obligor. If a court 24 required interest or principal to be refunded, it could negatively affect Fund performance. Such action by a court could be based, for example, on a "fraudulent conveyance" claim to the effect that the obligor did not receive fair consideration for granting the security interest in the loan collateral to the Fund. For senior loans made in connection with a highly leveraged transaction, consideration for granting a security interest may be deemed inadequate if the proceeds of the loan were not received or retained by the obligor, but were instead paid to other persons (such as shareholders of the obligor) in an amount which left the obligor insolvent or without sufficient working capital. There are also other events, such as the failure to perfect a security interest due to faulty documentation or faulty official filings, which could lead to the invalidation of the Fund's security interest in loan collateral. If the Fund's security interest in loan collateral is invalidated or the senior loan is subordinated to other debt of an obligor in bankruptcy or other proceedings, the Fund would have substantially lower recovery, and perhaps no recovery on the full amount of the principal and interest due on the loan, or the Fund could have to refund interest. Lenders and investors in loans can be sued by other creditors and shareholders of the obligors. Losses can be greater than the original loan amount and occur years after the principal and interest on the loan have been repaid. Depositary Receipts Risk The Fund may hold securities of certain non-U.S. companies in the form of Depositary Receipts. Depositary Receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by an American bank or trust company that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. EDRs are receipts issued by a European bank or trust company evidencing ownership of securities issued by a foreign corporation. New York shares are typically issued by a company incorporated in the Netherlands and represent a direct interest in the company. Unlike traditional depositary receipts, New York share programs do not involve custody of the Dutch shares of the company. GDRs are receipts issued throughout the world that evidence a similar arrangement. ADRs, EDRs and GDRs may trade in foreign currencies that differ from the currency the underlying security for each ADR, EDR or GDR principally trades in. Global shares are the actual (ordinary) shares of a non-U.S. company which trade both in the home market and the United States. Generally, ADRs and New York shares, in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets. EDRs, in registered form, are used to access European markets. GDRs, in registered form, are tradable both in the United States and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world. Global shares are represented by the same share certificate in the United States and the home market. Separate registrars in the United States and the home country are maintained. In most cases, purchases occurring on a U.S. exchange would be reflected on the U.S. registrar. Global shares may also be eligible to list on exchanges in addition to the United States and the home country. The Fund may hold unsponsored Depositary Receipts. The issuers of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States; therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts. 25 Industry Specific Risk In addition to the risks set forth in the Prospectus under "Principal Risks-Energy Infrastructure Company Risk," energy infrastructure companies are also subject to risks that are specific to the industry they serve. o Midstream energy infrastructure companies that provide crude oil, refined product and natural gas services are subject to supply and demand fluctuations in the markets they serve which will be impacted by a wide range of factors including, fluctuating commodity prices, weather, increased conservation or use of alternative fuel sources, increased governmental or environmental regulation, depletion, rising interest rates, declines in domestic or foreign production, accidents or catastrophic events, and economic conditions, among others. o Propane companies are subject to earnings variability based upon weather conditions in the markets they serve, fluctuating commodity prices, increased use of alternative fuels, increased governmental or environmental regulation, and accidents or catastrophic events, among others. o Energy infrastructure companies with coal assets are subject to supply and demand fluctuations in the markets they serve which will be impacted by a wide range of factors including, fluctuating commodity prices, the level of their customers' coal stockpiles, weather, increased conservation or use of alternative fuel sources, increased governmental or environmental regulation, depletion, rising interest rates, transportation issues, declines in domestic or foreign production, mining accidents or catastrophic events, health claims and economic conditions, among others. o Energy infrastructure companies that own interstate pipelines are subject to regulation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") with respect to the tariff rates they may charge for transportation services. An adverse determination by FERC with respect to the tariff rates of such a company could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and its ability to pay cash distributions or dividends. In addition, FERC has a tax allowance policy, which permits such companies to include in their cost of service an income tax allowance to the extent that their owners have an actual or potential tax liability on the income generated by them. If FERC's income tax allowance policy were to change in the future to disallow a material portion of the income tax allowance taken by such interstate pipeline companies, it would adversely impact the maximum tariff rates that such companies are permitted to charge for their transportation services, which in turn could adversely affect such companies' financial condition and ability to pay distributions to shareholders. o Marine shipping (or "tanker") companies are exposed to many of the same risks as other energy infrastructure companies. In addition, the highly cyclical nature of the industry may lead to volatile 26 changes in charter rates and vessel values, which may adversely affect a tanker company's earnings. Fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values result from changes in the supply and demand for tanker capacity and changes in the supply and demand for oil and oil products. Historically, the tanker markets have been volatile because many conditions and factors can affect the supply and demand for tanker capacity. Changes in demand for transportation of oil over longer distances and supply of tankers to carry that oil may materially affect revenues, profitability and cash flows of tanker companies. The successful operation of vessels in the charter market depends upon, among other things, obtaining profitable spot charters and minimizing time spent waiting for charters and traveling unladen to pick up cargo. The value of tanker vessels may fluctuate and could adversely affect the value of tanker company securities. Declining tanker values could affect the ability of tanker companies to raise cash by limiting their ability to refinance their vessels, thereby adversely impacting tanker company liquidity. Tanker company vessels are at risk of damage or loss because of events such as mechanical failure, collision, human error, war, terrorism, piracy, cargo loss and bad weather. In addition, changing economic, regulatory and political conditions in some countries, including political and military conflicts, have from time to time resulted in attacks on vessels, mining of waterways, piracy, terrorism, labor strikes, boycotts and government requisitioning of vessels. These sorts of events could interfere with shipping lanes and result in market disruptions and a significant loss of tanker company earnings. Information Risk There is typically less publicly available information concerning loans than other types of fixed income investments. As a result, the Fund generally will be dependent on reports and other information provided by the obligor, either directly or through an agent, to evaluate the obligor's creditworthiness or to determine the obligor's compliance with the covenants and other terms of the Loan Agreement. Such reliance may make investments in loans more susceptible to fraud than other types of investments. In addition, because the advisor and the sub-advisors may wish to invest in the publicly traded securities of an obligor, they may not have access to material non-public information regarding the obligor to which other loan investors have access. Inventory Risk Affiliates of the advisor and sub-advisors may participate in the primary and secondary market for loans. Because of limitations imposed by applicable law, the presence of the advisor's and sub-advisors' affiliates in the loan market may restrict the Fund's ability to acquire some loans, affect the timing of such acquisition or affect the price at which the loan is acquired. Liquidity Risk Whether or not the equity securities in the Fund are listed on a securities exchange, the principal trading market for certain of the equity securities in the Fund may be in the OTC market. As a result, the existence of a 27 liquid trading market for the equity securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in the equity securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made for any of the equity securities, that any market for the equity securities will be maintained or that there will be sufficient liquidity of the equity securities in any markets made. The price at which the equity securities are held in the Fund will be adversely affected if trading markets for the equity securities are limited or absent. Non-U.S. Securities Risk An investment in non-U.S. securities involves risks in addition to the usual risks inherent in domestic investments, including currency risk. The value of a non-U.S. security in U.S. dollars tends to decrease when the value of the U.S. dollar rises against the non-U.S. currency in which the security is denominated and tends to increase when the value of the U.S. dollar falls against such currency. Non-U.S. securities are affected by the fact that in many countries there is less publicly available information about issuers than is available in the reports and ratings published about companies in the United States and companies may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards. Other risks inherent in non-U.S. investments may include expropriation; confiscatory taxation; withholding taxes on dividends and interest; less extensive regulation of non-U.S. brokers, securities markets and issuers; diplomatic developments; and political or social instability. Non-U.S. economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in various respects, and many non-U.S. securities are less liquid and their prices tend to be more volatile than comparable U.S. securities. From time to time, non-U.S. securities may be difficult to liquidate rapidly without adverse price effects. Passive Foreign Investment Companies Risk The Fund may invest in companies that are considered to be "passive foreign investment companies" ("PFICs"), which are generally certain non-U.S. corporations that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties or capital gains) or that hold at least 50% of their assets in investments producing such passive income. Therefore, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and additional interest charges on gains and certain distributions with respect to those equity interests, even if all the income or gain is distributed to its shareholders in a timely manner. The Fund will not be able to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for such taxes. Regulatory Changes To the extent that legislation or state or federal regulators that regulate certain financial institutions impose additional requirements or restrictions with respect to the ability of such institutions to make loans, particularly in connection with highly leveraged transactions, the availability of loans for investment may be adversely affected. Furthermore, such legislation or regulation could depress the market value of loans held by the Fund. 28 Risk Factors of Loan Assignments and Participations Loans are subject to the risks associated with debt obligations in general including interest rate risk, credit risk and market risk. When a loan is acquired from a lender, the risk includes the credit risk associated with the obligor of the underlying loan. The Fund may incur additional credit risk when the Fund acquires a participation in a loan from another lender because the Fund must assume the risk of insolvency or bankruptcy of the other lender from which the loan was acquired. To the extent that loans involve obligors in foreign or emerging markets, such loans are subject to the risks associated with foreign investments or investments in emerging markets in general. Tax Law Change Risk Changes in tax laws or regulations, or interpretations thereof in the future, could adversely affect the Fund or the assets in which it invests. Any such changes could negatively impact the Fund and its shareholders. RISKS AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS CONCERNING DERIVATIVES Derivatives Risk To the extent disclosed in the Prospectus, the Fund may invest in derivatives. The use of derivatives presents risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in traditional securities. Among the risks presented are market risk, credit risk, management risk and liquidity risk. The use of derivatives can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the underlying asset, index or rate, which may be magnified by certain features of the derivatives. In addition, when the Fund invests in certain derivative securities, including, but not limited to, when-issued securities, forward commitments and Futures Contracts, they are effectively leveraging their investments, which could result in exaggerated changes in the net asset value of the Fund's shares and can result in losses that exceed the amount originally invested. The success of the advisor's and sub-advisors' derivatives strategies will depend on its ability to assess and predict the impact of market or economic developments on the underlying asset, index or rate and the derivative itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the derivative under all possible market conditions. Liquidity risk exists when a security cannot be purchased or sold at the time desired, or cannot be purchased or sold without adversely affecting the price. Writing Covered Options Risk. The Fund may write (or sell) covered call options on up to 30% of its net assets. A call option on securities written by the Fund would obligate the Fund to sell specified securities to the holder of the option at a specified price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date. A put option on securities written by the Fund would obligate the Fund to purchase specified securities from the option holder at a specified price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date. Options on securities indices are similar to options on securities, except that the exercise of securities index options requires cash settlement payments and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. In addition, securities index options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group of securities or segment of the securities market rather than price fluctuations in a single security. Writing covered call options may deprive the Fund of the opportunity to fully profit from an increase in the market price of the 29 securities in its portfolio. Writing covered put options may deprive the Fund of the opportunity to fully profit from a decrease in the market price of the securities to be acquired for its portfolio. If an option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes on the expiration date a capital gain equal to the premium received by the Fund at the time the option was written. If an option purchased by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a capital loss equal to the premium paid at the time the option expires. Prior to the earlier of exercise or expiration, an exchange-traded option may be closed out by an offsetting purchase or sale of an option of the same series (type, underlying security, exercise price, and expiration). There can be no assurance, however, that a closing purchase or sale transaction can be effected when the Fund desires. The Fund may sell put or call options it has previously purchased, which could result in a net gain or loss depending on whether the amount realized on the sale is more or less than the premium and other transaction costs paid on the put or call option purchased. See "Federal Income Tax Matters." All call and put options written by the Fund are covered. A written call option or put option may be covered by (i) maintaining cash or liquid securities in a segregated account with a value at least equal to the Fund's obligation under the option; (ii) entering into an offsetting forward commitment; and/or (iii) purchasing an offsetting option or any other option which, by virtue of its exercise price or otherwise, reduces the Fund's net exposure on its written option position. A written call option on securities is typically covered by maintaining the securities that are subject to the option in a segregated account. The Fund may cover call options on a securities index by owning securities whose price changes are expected to be similar to those of the underlying index. The Fund may terminate its obligations under an exchange traded call or put option by purchasing an option identical to the one it has written. Obligations under OTC options may be terminated only by entering into an offsetting transaction with the counterparty to such option. Such purchases are referred to as "closing purchase transactions." The Fund would normally purchase call options in anticipation of an increase, or put options in anticipation of a decrease ("protective puts"), in the market value of securities of the type in which it may invest. The Fund may also sell call and put options to close out its purchased options. The purchase of a call option would entitle the Fund, in return for the premium paid, to purchase specified securities or currency at a specified price during the option period. The Fund would ordinarily realize a gain on the purchase of a call option if, during the option period, the value of such securities or currency exceeded the sum of the exercise price, the premium paid and transaction costs; otherwise the Fund would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the call option. The purchase of a put option would entitle the Fund, in exchange for the premium paid, to sell specified securities at a specified price during the option period. The purchase of protective puts is designed to offset or hedge against a decline in the market value of the Fund's portfolio securities. Put options may also be purchased by the Fund for the purpose of affirmatively benefiting from a decline in the price of securities which it does not own. The 30 Fund would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying securities decreased below the exercise price sufficiently to cover the premium and transaction costs; otherwise the Fund would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the put option. Gains and losses on the purchase of put options may be offset by countervailing changes in the value of the Fund's portfolio securities. The Fund's options transactions will be subject to limitations established by each of the exchanges, boards of trade or other trading facilities on which such options are traded. These limitations govern the maximum number of options in each class which may be written or purchased by a single investor or group of investors acting in concert, regardless of whether the options are written or purchased on the same or different exchanges, boards of trade or other trading facilities or are held or written in one or more accounts or through one or more brokers. Thus, the number of options which the Fund may write or purchase may be affected by options written or purchased by other investment advisory clients of the sub-advisors. An exchange, board of trade or other trading facility may order the liquidation of positions found to be in excess of these limits, and it may impose certain other sanctions. To the extent disclosed in the Prospectus, the Fund may invest in derivatives. In addition to the foregoing, the use of derivative instruments involves certain general risks and considerations as described below. (1) Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that the value of the underlying assets may go up or down. Adverse movements in the value of an underlying asset can expose the Fund to losses. Derivative instruments may include elements of leverage and, accordingly, fluctuations in the value of the derivative instrument in relation to the underlying asset may be magnified. The successful use of derivative instruments depends upon a variety of factors, particularly the advisor's and sub-advisors' ability to predict movements of the securities, currencies, and commodities markets, which may require different skills than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. There can be no assurance that any particular strategy adopted will succeed. A decision to engage in a derivative transaction will reflect the advisor's or sub-advisors' judgment that the derivative transaction will provide value to the Fund and its shareholders and is consistent with the Fund's objectives, investment limitations, and operating policies. In making such a judgment, the advisor and sub-advisor will analyze the benefits and risks of the derivative transactions and weigh them in the context of the Fund's overall investments and investment objectives. (2) Credit Risk/Counterparty Risk. Credit risk is the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of a counterparty to comply with the terms of a derivative instrument. The counterparty risk for exchange-traded derivatives is generally less than for privately-negotiated or OTC derivatives, since generally a clearing agency, which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded instrument, provides a guarantee of performance. For privately-negotiated instruments, there is no similar clearing agency guarantee. In all transactions, the Fund will bear the risk that the counterparty will default, and this could result in a loss of the expected benefit of the derivative transactions and possibly other losses to the Fund. The Fund 31 will enter into transactions in derivative instruments only with counterparties that First Trust reasonably believes are capable of performing under the contract. (3) Correlation Risk. Correlation risk is the risk that there might be an imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between price movements of a derivative instrument and price movements of investments being hedged. When a derivative transaction is used to completely hedge another position, changes in the market value of the combined position (the derivative instrument plus the position being hedged) result from an imperfect correlation between the price movements of the two instruments. With a perfect hedge, the value of the combined position remains unchanged with any change in the price of the underlying asset. With an imperfect hedge, the value of the derivative instrument and its hedge are not perfectly correlated. For example, if the value of a derivative instrument used in a short hedge (such as writing a call option, buying a put option or selling a Futures Contract) increased by less than the decline in value of the hedged investments, the hedge would not be perfectly correlated. This might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as speculative or other pressures on the markets in which these instruments are traded. The effectiveness of hedges using instruments on indices will depend, in part, on the degree of correlation between price movements in the index and the price movements in the investments being hedged. (4) Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk that a derivative instrument cannot be sold, closed out, or replaced quickly at or very close to its fundamental value. Generally, exchange contracts are very liquid because the exchange clearinghouse is the counterparty of every contract. OTC transactions are less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since they often can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction. The Fund might be required by applicable regulatory requirements to maintain assets as "cover," maintain segregated accounts, and/or make margin payments when it takes positions in derivative instruments involving obligations to third parties (i.e., instruments other than purchase options). If the Fund is unable to close out its positions in such instruments, it might be required to continue to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the position expires, matures, or is closed out. These requirements might impair the Fund's ability to sell a security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require that the Fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time. The Fund's ability to sell or close out a position in an instrument prior to expiration or maturity depends upon the existence of a liquid secondary market or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the counterparty to enter into a transaction closing out the position. Due to liquidity risk, there is no assurance that any derivatives position can be sold or closed out at a time and price that is favorable to the Fund. (5) Legal Risk. Legal risk is the risk of loss caused by the unenforceability of a party's obligations under the derivative. While a party seeking price certainty agrees to surrender the potential upside in exchange for downside protection, the party taking the risk is looking for a positive payoff. Despite this voluntary assumption of risk, a 32 counterparty that has lost money in a derivative transaction may try to avoid payment by exploiting various legal uncertainties about certain derivative products. (6) Systemic or "Interconnection" Risk. Systemic or interconnection risk is the risk that a disruption in the financial markets will cause difficulties for all market participants. In other words, a disruption in one market will spill over into other markets, perhaps creating a chain reaction. Much of the OTC derivatives market takes place among the OTC dealers themselves, thus creating a large interconnected web of financial obligations. This interconnectedness raises the possibility that a default by one large dealer could create losses for other dealers and destabilize the entire market for OTC derivative instruments. MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS The general supervision of the duties performed for the Fund under the investment management agreement is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees. There are five Trustees of the Trust, one of whom is an "interested person" (as the term is defined in the 1940 Act) and four of whom are Trustees who are not officers or employees of First Trust or any of its affiliates ("Independent Trustees"). The Trustees set broad policies for the Fund, choose the Trust's officers and hire the Trust's investment advisor. The officers of the Trust manage its day-to-day operations and are responsible to the Trust's Board of Trustees. The following is a list of the Trustees and executive officers of the Trust and a statement of their present positions and principal occupations during the past five years, the number of portfolios each Trustee oversees and the other directorships they have held during the past five years, if applicable. Each Trustee has been elected for an indefinite term. The officers of the Trust serve indefinite terms. Each Trustee, except for James A. Bowen, is an Independent Trustee. Mr. Bowen is deemed an "interested person" (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) ("Interested Trustee") of the Trust due to his position as Chief Executive Officer of First Trust, investment advisor to the Fund. 33
OTHER TRUSTEESHIPS OR DIRECTORSHIPS NUMBER OF HELD BY PORTFOLIOS IN THE TRUSTEE POSITION TERM OF OFFICE AND FIRST TRUST FUND DURING NAME, ADDRESS AND OFFICES YEAR FIRST ELECTED PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS COMPLEX OVERSEEN THE PAST AND DATE OF BIRTH WITH TRUST OR APPOINTED DURING PAST 5 YEARS BY TRUSTEE 5 YEARS Trustee who is an Interested Person of the Trust ---------------------------- James A. Bowen(1) Chairman of the o Indefinite term Chief Executive Officer 109 Portfolios None. 120 East Liberty Drive, Board and Trustee (December 2010 to Present), Suite 400 President (until December Wheaton, IL 60187 o Since inception 2010), First Trust Advisors D.O.B.: 09/55 L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P.; Chairman of the Board of Directors, BondWave LLC (Software Development Company/Investment Advisor) and Stonebridge Advisors LLC (Investment Advisor) Independent Trustees ---------------------------- Richard E. Erickson Trustee o Indefinite term Physician; President, Wheaton 109 Portfolios None. c/o First Trust Advisors Orthopedics; Co-owner and L.P. Co-Director (January 1996 to 120 East Liberty Drive, o Since inception May 2007), Sports Med Center Suite 400 for Fitness; Limited Partner, Wheaton, IL 60187 Gundersen Real Estate Limited D.O.B.: 04/51 Partnership; Member, Sportsmed LLC Thomas R. Kadlec Trustee o Indefinite term President (March 2010 to 109 Portfolios Director of c/o First Trust Advisors Present), Senior Vice ADM Investor L.P. o Since inception President and Chief Financial Services, 120 East Liberty Drive, Officer (May 2007 to March Inc. and ADM Suite 400 2010), Vice President and Investor Wheaton, IL 60187 Chief Financial Officer (1990 Services D.O.B.: 11/57 to May 2007), ADM Investor International Services, Inc. (Futures Commission Merchant) Robert F. Keith Trustee o Indefinite term President (2003 to Present), 109 Portfolios Director of c/o First Trust Advisors Hibs Enterprises (Financial Trust Company L.P. o Since inception and Management Consulting) of Illinois 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400 Wheaton, IL 60187 D.O.B.: 11/56 Niel B. Nielson Trustee o Indefinite term President and Chief Executive 109 Portfolios Director of c/o First Trust Advisors Officer (July 2012 to Covenant L.P. o Since inception Present), Dew Learning LLC Transport 120 East Liberty Drive, (Educational Products and Inc. Suite 400 Services); President (June Wheaton, IL 60187 2002 to June 2012), Covenant D.O.B.: 03/54 College 34 OTHER TRUSTEESHIPS OR DIRECTORSHIPS NUMBER OF HELD BY PORTFOLIOS IN THE TRUSTEE POSITION TERM OF OFFICE AND FIRST TRUST FUND DURING NAME, ADDRESS AND OFFICES YEAR FIRST ELECTED PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS COMPLEX OVERSEEN THE PAST AND DATE OF BIRTH WITH TRUST OR APPOINTED DURING PAST 5 YEARS BY TRUSTEE 5 YEARS Officers of the Trust ---------------------------- Mark R. Bradley President and Chief o Indefinite term Chief Financial Officer, Chief N/A N/A 120 East Liberty Drive, Executive Officer Operating Officer (December Suite 400 2010 to Present), First Trust Wheaton, IL 60187 o Since inception Advisors L.P. and First Trust D.O.B.: 11/57 Portfolios L.P.; Chief Financial Officer, BondWave LLC (Software Development Company/Investment Advisor) and Stonebridge Advisors LLC (Investment Advisor) James M. Dykas Treasurer, Chief o Indefinite term Controller (January 2011 to N/A N/A 120 East Liberty Drive, Financial Officer Present), Senior Vice Suite 400 and Chief Accounting o Since inception President (April 2007 to Wheaton, IL 60187 Officer Present), First Trust Advisors D.O.B.: 01/66 L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P. W. Scott Jardine Secretary and Chief o Indefinite term General Counsel, First Trust N/A N/A 120 East Liberty Drive, Legal Officer Advisors L.P. and First Trust Suite 400 o Since inception Portfolios L.P.; Secretary and Wheaton, IL 60187 General Counsel, BondWave LLC D.O.B.: 05/60 (Software Development Company/Investment Advisor) and Secretary, Stonebridge Advisors LLC (Investment Advisor) Daniel J. Lindquist Vice President o Indefinite term Managing Director (July 2012 N/A N/A 120 East Liberty Drive, to Present), Senior Vice Suite 400 o Since inception President (September 2005 to Wheaton, IL 60187 July 2012), First Trust D.O.B.: 02/70 Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P. Kristi A. Maher Chief Compliance o Indefinite term Deputy General Counsel, First N/A N/A 120 East Liberty Drive, Officer and Trust Advisors L.P. and First Suite 400 Assistant Secretary o Since inception Trust Portfolios L.P. Wheaton, IL 60187 D.O.B.: 12/66 Roger F. Testin Vice President o Indefinite term Senior Vice President, N/A N/A 120 East Liberty Drive, (November 2003 to Present) Suite 400 o Since inception First Trust Advisors L.P. and Wheaton, IL 60187 First Trust Portfolios L.P. D.O.B.: 06/66 Stan Ueland Vice President o Indefinite term Senior Vice President N/A N/A 120 East Liberty Drive, (September 2012 to Present), Suite 400 o Since inception Vice President (August 2005 to Wheaton, IL 60187 September 2012), First Trust D.O.B.: 11/70 Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P.
35 -------------------- (1) Mr. Bowen is deemed an "interested person" of the Trust due to his position as Chief Executive Officer of First Trust, investment advisor of the Fund. The management of the Fund, including general supervision of the duties performed for the Fund under the investment management agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the advisor and sub-advisors, is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees. The Trustees of the Trust set broad policies for the Fund, choose the Trust's officers and hire the Fund's investment advisor and other service providers. The officers of the Trust manage the day to-day operations and are responsible to the Trust's Board. The interested trustee, Mr. Bowen, serves as the Chairman of the Board for each fund in the First Trust Fund Complex. UNITARY BOARD LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE Each Trustee serves as a trustee of all open-end and closed-end funds in the First Trust Fund Complex (as defined below), which is known as a "unitary" board leadership structure. Each Trustee currently serves as a trustee of First Trust Series Fund and First Trust Variable Insurance Trust, open-end funds with five portfolios advised by First Trust; First Trust Senior Floating Rate Income Fund II, Macquarie/First Trust Global Infrastructure/Utilities Dividend & Income Fund, First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund, First Trust Enhanced Equity Income Fund, First Trust/Aberdeen Global Opportunity Income Fund, First Trust Mortgage Income Fund, First Trust Strategic High Income Fund II, First Trust/Aberdeen Emerging Opportunity Fund, First Trust Specialty Finance and Financial Opportunities Fund, First Trust Dividend and Income Fund, First Trust High Income Long/Short Fund, First Trust Energy Infrastructure Fund, First Trust MLP and Energy Income Fund, First Trust Intermediate Duration Preferred & Income Fund and First Trust New Opportunities MLP & Energy Fund, closed-end funds advised by First Trust; and the Trust, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund II, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund III, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund V, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VI, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VII, First Trust Exchange-Traded AlphaDEX(R) Fund and First Trust Exchange Traded AlphaDEX(R) Fund II, exchange-traded funds with 88 portfolios advised by First Trust (each a "First Trust Fund" and collectively, the "First Trust Fund Complex"). None of the Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust, nor any of their immediate family members, has ever been a director, officer or employee of, or consultant to, First Trust, First Trust Portfolios L.P. or their affiliates. The management of the Fund, including general supervision of the duties performed for the Fund under the investment management agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Advisor, is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees. The Trustees of the Trust set broad policies for the Fund, choose the Trust's officers, and hire the Fund's investment advisor and other service providers. The officers of the Trust manage the day to-day operations and are responsible to the Trust's Board. The Trust's Board is composed of four Independent Trustees and one Interested Trustee. The Interested Trustee, James A. Bowen, serves as the Chairman of the Board for each fund in the First Trust Fund Complex. The same five persons serve as Trustees on the Trust's Board and on the Boards of all other First Trust Funds. The unitary board structure was adopted 36 for the First Trust Funds because of the efficiencies it achieves with respect to the governance and oversight of the First Trust Funds. Each First Trust Fund is subject to the rules and regulations of the 1940 Act (and other applicable securities laws), which means that many of the First Trust Funds face similar issues with respect to certain of their fundamental activities, including risk management, portfolio liquidity, portfolio valuation and financial reporting. Because of the similar and often overlapping issues facing the First Trust Funds, including among the First Trust exchange-traded funds, the Board of the First Trust Funds believes that maintaining a unitary board structure promotes efficiency and consistency in the governance and oversight of all First Trust Funds and reduces the costs, administrative burdens and possible conflicts that may result from having multiple boards. In adopting a unitary board structure, the Trustees seek to provide effective governance through establishing a board the overall composition of which will, as a body, possesses the appropriate skills, diversity, independence and experience to oversee the Fund's business. Annually, the Board reviews its governance structure and the committee structures, their performance and functions and reviews any processes that would enhance Board governance over the Fund's business. The Board has determined that its leadership structure, including the unitary board and committee structure, is appropriate based on the characteristics of the funds it serves and the characteristics of the First Trust Fund Complex as a whole. In order to streamline communication between the Advisor and the Independent Trustees and create certain efficiencies, the Board has a Lead Independent Trustee who is responsible for: (i) coordinating activities of the Independent Trustees; (ii) working with the Advisor, Fund counsel and the independent legal counsel to the Independent Trustees to determine the agenda for Board meetings; (iii) serving as the principal contact for and facilitating communication between the Independent Trustees and the Fund's service providers, particularly the Advisor; and (iv) any other duties that the Independent Trustees may delegate to the Lead Independent Trustee. The Lead Independent Trustee is selected by the Independent Trustees and serves a three year term or until his successor is selected. The Board has established four standing committees (as described below) and has delegated certain of its responsibilities to those committees. The Board and its committees meet frequently throughout the year to oversee the Fund's activities, review contractual arrangements with and performance of service providers, oversee compliance with regulatory requirements, and review Fund performance. The Independent Trustees are represented by independent legal counsel at all Board and committee meetings (other than meetings of the Executive Committee). Generally, the Board acts by majority vote of all the Trustees, including a majority vote of the Independent Trustees if required by applicable law. Commencing January 1, 2014, the three Committee Chairmen and the Lead Independent Trustee rotate every three years in serving as Chairman of the Audit Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee or the Valuation Committee, or as Lead Independent Trustee. The Lead Independent Trustee and immediate past Lead Independent Trustee also serve on the Executive Committee with the Interested Trustee. 37 The four standing committees of the First Trust Fund Complex are: the Executive Committee (and Pricing and Dividend Committee), the Nominating and Governance Committee, the Valuation Committee and the Audit Committee. The Executive Committee, which meets between Board meetings, is authorized to exercise all powers of and to act in the place of the Board of Trustees to the extent permitted by the Trust's Declaration of Trust and By Laws. Such Committee is also responsible for the declaration and setting of dividends. Mr. Kadlec, Mr. Bowen and Mr. Keith are members of the Executive Committee. The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for appointing and nominating non-interested persons to the Trust's Board of Trustees. Messrs. Erickson, Kadlec, Keith and Nielson are members of the Nominating and Governance Committee. If there is no vacancy on the Board of Trustees, the Board will not actively seek recommendations from other parties, including shareholders. The Board of Trustees adopted a mandatory retirement age of 72 for Trustees, beyond which age Trustees are ineligible to serve. The Committee will not consider new trustee candidates who are 72 years of age or older. When a vacancy on the Board of Trustees occurs and nominations are sought to fill such vacancy, the Nominating and Governance Committee may seek nominations from those sources it deems appropriate in its discretion, including shareholders of the Fund. To submit a recommendation for nomination as a candidate for a position on the Board of Trustees, shareholders of the Fund shall mail such recommendation to W. Scott Jardine, Secretary, at the Trust's address, 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, Illinois 60187. Such recommendation shall include the following information: (i) evidence of Fund ownership of the person or entity recommending the candidate (if a Fund shareholder); (ii) a full description of the proposed candidate's background, including their education, experience, current employment and date of birth; (iii) names and addresses of at least three professional references for the candidate; (iv) information as to whether the candidate is an "interested person" in relation to the Fund, as such term is defined in the 1940 Act, and such other information that may be considered to impair the candidate's independence; and (v) any other information that may be helpful to the Committee in evaluating the candidate. If a recommendation is received with satisfactorily completed information regarding a candidate during a time when a vacancy exists on the Board or during such other time as the Nominating and Governance Committee is accepting recommendations, the recommendation will be forwarded to the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and the counsel to the Independent Trustees. Recommendations received at any other time will be kept on file until such time as the Nominating and Governance Committee is accepting recommendations, at which point they may be considered for nomination. The Valuation Committee is responsible for the oversight of the pricing procedures of the Fund. Messrs. Erickson, Kadlec, Keith and Nielson are members of the Valuation Committee. The Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing the Fund's accounting and financial reporting process, the system of internal controls, audit process and evaluating and appointing independent auditors (subject also to Board approval). Messrs. Erickson, Kadlec, Keith and Nielson serve on the Audit Committee. 38 EXECUTIVE OFFICERS The executive officers of the Trust hold the same positions with each fund in the First Trust Fund Complex (representing 109 portfolios) as they hold with the Trust. RISK OVERSIGHT As part of the general oversight of the Fund, the Board is involved in the risk oversight of the Fund. The Board has adopted and periodically reviews policies and procedures designed to address the Fund's risks. Oversight of investment and compliance risk, is performed primarily at the Board level in conjunction with the Advisor's investment oversight group and the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO"). Oversight of other risks also occurs at the committee level. The Advisor's investment oversight group reports to the Board at quarterly meetings regarding, among other things, Fund performance and the various drivers of such performance. The Board reviews reports on the Fund's and the service providers' compliance policies and procedures at each quarterly Board meeting and receives an annual report from the CCO regarding the operations of the Fund's and the service providers' compliance program. In addition, the Independent Trustees meet privately each quarter with the CCO. The Audit Committee reviews with the Advisor the Fund's major financial risk exposures and the steps the Advisor has taken to monitor and control these exposures, including the Fund's risk assessment and risk management policies and guidelines. The Audit Committee also, as appropriate, reviews in a general manner the processes other Board committees have in place with respect to risk assessment and risk management. The Nominating and Governance Committee monitors all matters related to the corporate governance of the Trust. The Valuation Committee monitors valuation risk and compliance with the Fund's Valuation Procedures and oversees the pricing services and actions by the Advisor's Pricing Committee with respect to the valuation of portfolio securities. Not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified nor can controls be developed to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. It may not be practical or cost effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, the processes and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness, and some risks are simply beyond the reasonable control of the Fund or the Advisor or other service providers. Moreover, it is necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment related risks) to achieve the Fund's goals. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Fund's ability to manage risk is subject to substantial limitations. BOARD DIVERSIFICATION AND TRUSTEE QUALIFICATIONS As described above, the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board oversees matters related to the nomination of Trustees. The Nominating and Governance Committee seeks to establish an effective Board with an appropriate range of skills and diversity, including, as appropriate, differences in background, professional experience, education, vocations, and other individual characteristics and traits in the aggregate. Each Trustee must meet certain basic requirements, including relevant skills and experience, time availability, and if qualifying as an Independent Trustee, independence from the Advisor, any sub-advisors, underwriters or other service providers, including any affiliates of these entities. 39 Listed below for each current Trustee are the experiences, qualifications and attributes that led to the conclusion, as of the date of this SAI, that each current Trustee should serve as a trustee in light of the Trust's business and structure. Richard E. Erickson, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon and President of Wheaton Orthopedics. He also has been a co-owner and director of a fitness center and a limited partner of two real estate companies. Dr. Erickson has served as a Trustee of each First Trust Fund since its inception. Dr. Erickson has also served as the Lead Independent Trustee and on the Executive Committee (2008 2009), Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee (2003 - 2007), Chairman of the Audit Committee (2012 - 2013) and Chairman of the Valuation Committee (June 2006 - 2007 and 2010 - 2011) of the First Trust Funds. He currently serves as Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee (since January 1, 2014) of the First Trust Funds. Thomas R. Kadlec is President of ADM Investor Services Inc. ("ADMIS"), a futures commission merchant and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Archer Daniels Midland Company ("ADM"). Mr. Kadlec has been employed by ADMIS and its affiliates since 1990 in various accounting, financial, operations and risk management capacities. Mr. Kadlec serves on the boards of several international affiliates of ADMIS and is a member of ADM's Integrated Risk Committee, which is tasked with the duty of implementing and communicating enterprise-wide risk management. Mr. Kadlec has served as a Trustee of each First Trust Fund, since its inception. Mr. Kadlec also served on the Executive Committee from the organization of the first First Trust closed-end fund in 2003 until he was elected as the first Lead Independent Trustee in December 2005, serving as such through 2007. He also served as Chairman of the Valuation Committee (2008 - 2009), Chairman of the Audit Committee (2010 - 2011) and Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee (2012 - 2013). He currently serves as Lead Independent Trustee and on the Executive Committee (since January 1, 2014) of the First Trust Funds. Robert F. Keith is President of Hibs Enterprises, a financial and management consulting firm. Mr. Keith has been with Hibs Enterprises since 2003. Prior thereto, Mr. Keith spent 18 years with ServiceMaster and Aramark, including three years as President and COO of ServiceMaster Consumer Services, where he led the initial expansion of certain products overseas, five years as President and COO of ServiceMaster Management Services and two years as President of Aramark ServiceMaster Management Services. Mr. Keith is a certified public accountant and also has held the positions of Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of ServiceMaster, at which time he oversaw the financial aspects of ServiceMaster's expansion of its Management Services division into Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Mr. Keith has served as a Trustee of the First Trust Funds since June 2006. Mr. Keith has also served as the Chairman of the Audit Committee (2008 - 2009) and Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee (2010 - 2011) of the First Trust Funds. He served as Lead Independent Trustee and on the Executive Committee (2012 - 2013) and currently serves as Chairman of the Valuation Committee (since January 1, 2014) and on the Executive Committee (since January 31, 2014) of the First Trust Funds. 40 Niel B. Nielson, Ph.D., has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Dew Learning LLC (a global provider of digital and on-line educational products and services) since 2012. Mr. Nielson formerly served as President of Covenant College (2002 - 2012), and as a partner and trader (of options and Futures Contracts for hedging options) for Ritchie Capital Markets Group (1996 - 1997), where he held an administrative management position at this proprietary derivatives trading company. He also held prior positions in new business development for ServiceMaster Management Services Company, and in personnel and human resources for NationsBank of North Carolina, N.A. and Chicago Research and Trading Group, Ltd. ("CRT"). His international experience includes serving as a director of CRT Europe, Inc. for two years, directing out of London all aspects of business conducted by the U.K. and European subsidiary of CRT. Prior to that, Mr. Nielson was a trader and manager at CRT in Chicago. Mr. Nielson has served as a Trustee of each First Trust Fund since its inception and of the First Trust Funds since 1999. Mr. Nielson has also served as the Chairman of the Audit Committee (2003 - 2006), Chairman of the Valuation Committee (2007 - 2008 and 2012 - 2013), Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee (2008 - 2009) and Lead Independent Trustee and a member of the Executive Committee (2010 - 2011). He currently serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee (since January 1, 2014) of the First Trust Funds. James A. Bowen is Chief Executive Officer of First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P. Mr. Bowen is involved in the day-to-day management of the First Trust Funds and serves on the Executive Committee. He has over 26 years of experience in the investment company business in sales, sales management and executive management. Mr. Bowen has served as a Trustee of each First Trust Fund since its inception and of the First Trust Funds since 1999. Each Independent Trustee is paid a fixed annual retainer of $125,000 per year and an annual per fund fee of $4,000 for each closed-end fund or other actively managed fund and $1,000 for each index fund in the First Trust Fund Complex. The fixed annual retainer is allocated pro rata among each fund in the First Trust Fund Complex based on net assets. Additionally, the Lead Independent Trustee is paid $15,000 annually, the Chairman of the Audit Committee is paid $10,000 annually, each of the Chairmen of the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Valuation Committee is paid $5,000 annually to serve in such capacities, with such compensation allocated pro rata among each fund in the First Trust Fund Complex based on net assets. Trustees are also reimbursed by the investment companies in the First Trust Fund Complex for travel and out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with all meetings. The following table sets forth the estimated compensation (including reimbursement for travel and out-of-pocket expenses) to be paid by the Fund for one fiscal year and the actual compensation paid by the First Trust Fund Complex to each of the Independent Trustees for the calendar year ended December 31, 2013, respectively. The Trust has no retirement or pension plans. The officers and Trustee who are "interested persons" as designated above serve without any compensation from the Trust. The Trust has no employees. Its officers are compensated by First Trust. 41
ESTIMATED COMPENSATION FROM TOTAL COMPENSATION FROM NAME OF TRUSTEE THE FUND(1) THE FIRST TRUST FUND COMPLEX(2) Richard E. Erickson $4,396 $306,162 Thomas R. Kadlec $4,426 $299,500 Robert F. Keith $4,411 $310,300 Niel B. Nielson $4,611 $304,334
-------------------- (1) The estimated compensation to be paid by the Fund to the Independent Trustees for one fiscal year for services to the Fund. (2) The total compensation paid to the Independent Trustees for the calendar year ended December 31, 2013 for services to the 12 portfolios of First Defined Portfolio Fund, LLC, First Trust Series Fund and First Trust Variable Insurance Trust, open-end funds, 14 closed-end funds and 79 series of the Trust, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund II, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund III, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund V, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VI, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VII, First Trust Exchange-Traded AlphaDEX(R) Fund and First Trust Exchange-Traded AlphaDEX(R) Fund II, all advised by First Trust. The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the Trustees in the Fund and in other funds overseen by the Trustees in the First Trust Fund Complex as of December 31, 2013:
AGGREGATE DOLLAR RANGE OF EQUITY SECURITIES IN DOLLAR RANGE OF ALL REGISTERED INVESTMENT COMPANIES EQUITY SECURITIES OVERSEEN BY TRUSTEE IN THE FIRST IN THE FUND TRUST TRUSTEE (NUMBER OF SHARES HELD) FUND COMPLEX Interested Trustee James A. Bowen None $10,001 - $50,000 Independent Trustees Richard E. Erickson None Over $100,000 Thomas R. Kadlec None Over $100,000 Robert F. Keith None Over $100,000 Niel B. Nielson None Over $100,000
As of August 5, 2014, the Independent Trustees of the Trust and immediate family members do not own beneficially or of record any class of securities of an investment advisor or principal underwriter of the Fund or any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment advisor or principal underwriter of the Fund. As of August 5, 2014, the officers and Trustees, in the aggregate, owned less than 1% of the shares of the Fund. As of August 5, 2014, First Trust Portfolios was the sole shareholder of the Fund. As sole shareholder, First Trust Portfolios has the ability to control the outcome of any item presented to shareholders for approval. 42 As of August 5, 2014, the Advisor does not own any shares of the Fund. Investment Advisor. The Board of Trustees of the Trust, including the Independent Trustees, approved an investment management agreement (the "Investment Management Agreement") for the Fund for an initial two-year term at a meeting held on January 22, 2014. The Board of Trustees determined that the Investment Management Agreement is in the best interests of the Fund in light of the extent and quality of the services expected to be provided, and such other matters as the Board of Trustees considered to be relevant in the exercise of its reasonable business judgment. Pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement between First Trust and the Trust, First Trust will manage the investment of the Fund's assets and will be responsible for paying all expenses of the Fund, excluding the fee payments under the Investment Management Agreement, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions, distribution and service fees payable pursuant to a Rule 12b-1 plan, if any, and extraordinary expenses. The Fund has agreed to pay First Trust an annual management fee equal to 0.85% of its average daily net assets. Pursuant to a contractual agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and First Trust, the management fees paid to First Trust will be reduced by the proportional amount of the acquired fund fees and expenses of the shares of investment companies held by the Fund so that the Fund would not bear the indirect costs of holding them, provided, that, the investment companies are advised by First Trust. This contractual agreement shall continue until the earlier of (i) its termination at the direction of the Board or (ii) upon the termination of the Fund's management agreement with First Trust, however, it is expected to remain in place for no less than one year from the date of this SAI. First Trust, 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, is the investment advisor to the Fund. First Trust is a limited partnership with one limited partner, Grace Partners of DuPage L.P., and one general partner, The Charger Corporation. Grace Partners of DuPage L.P. is a limited partnership with one general partner, The Charger Corporation, and a number of limited partners. The Charger Corporation is an Illinois corporation controlled by James A. Bowen, the Chief Executive Officer of First Trust. First Trust discharges its responsibilities to the Fund subject to the policies of the Board of Trustees. First Trust provides investment tools and portfolios for advisors and investors. First Trust is committed to theoretically sound portfolio construction and empirically verifiable investment management approaches. Its asset management philosophy and investment discipline are deeply rooted in the application of intuitive factor analysis and model implementation to enhance investment decisions. First Trust acts as investment advisor for and manages the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund. First Trust also administers the Trust's business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and permits any of its officers or employees to serve without compensation as Trustees or officers of the Trust if elected to such positions. 43 Under the Investment Management Agreement, First Trust shall not be liable for any loss sustained by reason of the purchase, sale or retention of any security, whether or not such purchase, sale or retention shall have been based upon the investigation and research made by any other individual, firm or corporation, if such recommendation shall have been selected with due care and in good faith, except loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence on the part of First Trust in the performance of its obligations and duties, or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties. The Investment Management Agreement continues until two years after the initial issuance of Fund shares, and thereafter only if approved annually by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Investment Management Agreement terminates automatically upon assignment and is terminable at any time without penalty as to the Fund by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, or by vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities on 60 days' written notice to First Trust, or by First Trust on 60 days' written notice to the Fund. SUB-ADVISORS The Fund and First Trust have retained the following sub-advisors to oversee the selection and on-going monitoring of certain of the securities in the Fund's investment portfolio: Energy Income Partners, LLC: EIP is an affiliate of First Trust, to serve as its investment sub-advisor for the MLP portfolio. EIP, located at 49 Riverside Avenue, Westport, Connecticut 06880, is a registered investment advisor and serves as investment advisor to investment portfolios with approximately $5.8 billion of assets as of June 30, 2014. EIP is a Delaware limited liability company and an SEC-registered investment advisor, founded in October 2003 by James J. Murchie to provide professional asset management services in the area of energy-related MLPs and other high-payout securities in the energy infrastructure sector. In addition to serving as sub-advisor to the Fund, EIP serves as the investment manager to three unregistered investment companies and one private registered investment company for high net worth individuals and institutions. EIP also serves as the sub-advisor to the First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund (NYSE: FEN), First Trust Energy Infrastructure Fund (NYSE: FIF) and First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund (NYSE: EMLP). EIP mainly focuses on portfolio companies that operate infrastructure assets such as pipelines, storage and terminals that receive fee-based or regulated income from their customers. o James J. Murchie is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer, co-portfolio manager and a Principal of EIP. After founding EIP in October 2003, Mr. Murchie and the EIP investment team joined Pequot Capital Management Inc. in December 2004. In August 2006, Mr. Murchie and the EIP investment team left Pequot Capital Management Inc. and re-established Energy Income Partners. Prior to founding Energy Income Partners, Mr. Murchie was a Portfolio Manager at Lawhill Capital Partners, LLC, a long/short equity hedge fund investing in commodities and equities in the energy and basic industry sectors. Before Lawhill Capital Partners, LLC, Mr. Murchie was a Managing Director at Tiger Management, LLC, where his primary responsibility was managing a portfolio of investments in commodities and related equities. Mr. Murchie was also a Principal at Sanford C. Bernstein. He began his career at British Petroleum, 44 PLC. Mr. Murchie holds a BA in history and anthropology from Rice University and received his MA from Harvard University. Stonebridge Advisors, LLC: Stonebridge, an affiliate of First Trust based in Wilton, Connecticut, has been retained to oversee the selection and ongoing monitoring of the preferred and hybrid securities in the Fund's investment portfolio. Stonebridge is a registered institutional advisor with the SEC. Stonebridge is a niche asset management firm that manages portfolios of preferred securities for institutional investors and high net worth individuals. Stonebridge, formed in December 2004, serves as investment advisor or portfolio supervisor to investment portfolios with approximately $3.5 billion in assets, which it managed or supervised as of June 30, 2014. A portion of these assets are contained in investments sponsored by FTP, for which Stonebridge acts as sub-portfolio supervisor. The members of Stonebridge's investment committee are Scott T. Fleming, Robert Wolf, Allen Shepard and Danielle Salters who serve as the Fund's portfolio managers and share responsibilities for the day-to-day management of the Fund's investment portfolio. o Scott T. Fleming serves as President and Chief Investment Officer of Stonebridge. Prior to founding Stonebridge, Mr. Fleming co-founded Spectrum Asset Management, Inc., an investment advisor that specializes in preferred securities asset management for institutional clients and mutual funds. During his 13-year tenure there, he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Fleming previously served as Vice President, Portfolio Manager for DBL Preferred Management, Inc. in New York City. There he managed over $300 million of institutional assets with a strategy specializing in preferred securities. Mr. Fleming received a BS in Accounting from Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts and his MBA in Finance from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC: RBA, a registered investment advisor, will act as a sub-advisor of the Fund focusing on longer term investment strategies that combine top-down, macroeconomic analysis and quantitatively-driven portfolio construction. Richard Bernstein serves as the portfolio manager of the Fund. Mr. Bernstein is recognized as an expert in style investing and asset allocation. RBA has over approximately $3.3 billion in assets under management/advisement as of June 30, 2014. Mr. Bernstein serves as RBA's Chief Executive and Chief Investment Officer and has over 30 years' experience on Wall Street, including most recently as the Chief Investment Strategist at Merrill Lynch & Co. o Richard Bernstein is a chief executive officer and chief investment officer of RBA. Mr. Bernstein is recognized as an expert in style investing and asset allocation. RBA has over approximately $3.3 billion in assets under management/advisement as of June 30, 2014. Mr. Bernstein serves as RBA's Chief Executive and Chief Investment Officer and has over 30 years' experience on Wall Street, including most recently as the Chief Investment Strategist at Merrill Lynch & Co. First Trust Global Portfolios Ltd.: FTGP will act as a sub-advisor of the Fund, and will serve as the portfolio manager for the international sovereign debt allocation. The investment team at FTGP has over 30 years combined 45 experience managing international sovereign debt. The team has a dynamic investment process with decisions made by investment managers, not a committee. The team has a strong track record in managing capital successfully across a broad range of asset classes: o Derek Fulton is a director, chief executive officer and chief investment officer of FTGP. Mr. Fulton has been managing global portfolios with a focus on fixed income for over 15 years. Prior to joining FTGP in 2011, he co-founded ISIS Asset Management ("ISIS AM") and led its investment team. Before starting ISIS AM he was Head of Global & Closed-End Fixed Income Portfolios at Aberdeen Asset Management ("Aberdeen") in London and also held positions as Head of Asian Fixed Income based in Singapore. At Aberdeen, Mr Fulton oversaw in excess of $10 billion of assets including institutional global government and global aggregate accounts. He was also a member of the currency team running active currency overlays on over $20 billion of institutional mandates. Compensation. The sub-advisors are compensated by a competitive minimum base salary and share in the profits of their respective companies in relationship to their ownership of such companies.
ACCOUNTS MANAGED BY SUB-ADVISORS REGISTERED INVESTMENT OTHER POOLED COMPANIES INVESTMENT VEHICLES NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS OTHER ACCOUNTS NUMBER OF SUB-ADVISOR ($ ASSETS) ($ ASSETS) ACCOUNTS ($ ASSETS) Energy Income Partners, LLC 7 ($4,641,200,000) 3 ($198,200,000) 1,868 ($1,034,000,000) First Trust Global Portfolios Ltd. N/A 4 ($19,098,352) N/A Stonebridge Advisors, LLC 3 ($2,421,250,000) N/A 3,026 ($1,065,300,000) Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC 4 ($1,576,272,231) N/A 4 ($383,194,886)
-------------------- Conflicts of Interest. Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a sub-advisor has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one fund or other account. More specifically, sub-advisors who manage multiple funds and/or other accounts may be presented with one or more of the potential conflicts described below. 46 The management of multiple funds and/or other accounts may result in a sub-advisor devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each fund and/or other account. The advisor seeks to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of a sub-advisor by having the sub-advisor focus on a particular investment discipline. Most other accounts managed by a sub-advisor are managed using the same investment models that are used in connection with the management of the Fund. If a sub-advisor identifies a limited investment opportunity that may be suitable for more than one fund or other account, a fund may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible funds and other accounts. To deal with these situations, the sub-advisors have adopted procedures for allocating portfolio transactions across multiple accounts. With respect to securities transactions for the Fund, each sub-advisor determines which broker to use to execute each order, consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the transaction. However, with respect to certain other accounts (such as mutual funds for which a sub-advisor acts as sub-advisor, other pooled investment vehicles that are not registered mutual funds, and other accounts managed for organizations and individuals), the sub-advisor may be limited by the client with respect to the selection of brokers or may be instructed to direct trades through a particular broker. In these cases, trades for the Fund in a particular security may be placed separately from, rather than aggregated with, such other accounts. Having separate transactions with respect to a security may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the possible detriment of the Fund or other account(s) involved. The sub-advisors, the advisor and the Fund have adopted certain compliance procedures that are designed to address these types of conflicts. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises. The Sub-Advisory Agreements. EIP and FTGP (the "Discretionary Sub-Advisors"), subject to the Board of Trustees' and Advisor's supervision, provide the Fund with discretionary investment services, while Stonebridge and RBA (the "Non-Discretionary Sub-Advisors") provide the Fund with non-discretionary investment services. Specifically, the Discretionary Sub-Advisors are responsible for managing the investments of the Fund in accordance with the Fund's investment objective, policies and restrictions as provided in the Prospectus and this SAI, as may be subsequently changed by the Board of Trustees and communicated to the sub-advisors in writing. The Non-Discretionary Sub-Advisors make investment recommendations to the manager on a regular basis, regarding the investment, reinvestment and sale of investments of the Fund in accordance with the Fund's investment objective, policies and restrictions as provided in the Prospectus and this SAI, as may be subsequently changed by the Board of Trustees and communicated to the sub-advisors in writing. The sub-advisors further agree to conform to all applicable laws and regulations of the SEC in all material respects and to conduct their activities under the Sub-Advisory Agreements in all material respects in accordance with applicable regulations of any governmental authority pertaining to their investment advisory services. In the performance of their duties, the sub-advisors will in all material respects satisfy any applicable fiduciary duties they may have to the Fund, will monitor the Fund's investments and will 47 comply with the provisions of the Fund's Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, as amended from time to time, and the stated investment objective, policies and restrictions of the Fund. The sub-advisors are responsible for effecting all security transactions for the Fund's assets. Each Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that the sub-advisors shall not be liable for any loss suffered by the Fund or the advisor (including, without limitation, by reason of the purchase, sale or retention of any security) in connection with the performance of the sub-advisors' duties under the Sub-Advisory Agreement, except for a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the sub-advisor in performance of its duties under such Sub-Advisory Agreement, or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under such Sub-Advisory Agreement. Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement among the advisor, a sub-advisor and the Fund, the advisor has agreed to pay for the services and facilities provided by the sub-advisors through sub-advisory fees, as set forth in the Fund's Prospectus. Each sub-advisor receives a portfolio management fee, which are paid by the Advisor out of the Advisor's management fee. The Sub-Advisory Agreements may be terminated without the payment of any penalty by First Trust Advisors, the Fund's Board of Trustees, or a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act), upon 60 days' written notice to the sub-advisors. All fees and expenses are accrued daily and deducted before payment of dividends to investors. The Sub-Advisory Agreements have been approved by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees of the Fund, and the common shareholders of the Fund. ACCOUNTS MANAGED BY PORTFOLIO MANAGERS Portfolio Managers. The following persons serve as the portfolio managers of the Fund.
POSITION WITH LENGTH OF SERVICE PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION NAME FIRST TRUST WITH FIRST TRUST DURING PAST FIVE YEARS ADVISOR'S INVESTMENT COMMITTEE Daniel J. Lindquist Managing Director Since 2004 Managing Director (July 2012 to Present), Senior Vice President (September 2005 to July 2012), Vice President (April 2004 to September 2005), First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P. David G. McGarel Chief Investment Officer Since 1997 Chief Investment Officer (June and Managing Director 2012, to Present), Managing Director (July 2012 to Present); Senior Vice President (September 2005 to July 2012), First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P. 48 POSITION WITH LENGTH OF SERVICE PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION NAME FIRST TRUST WITH FIRST TRUST DURING PAST FIVE YEARS Jon C. Erickson Senior Vice President Since 1994 Senior Vice President, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P. Roger F. Testin Senior Vice President Since 2001 Senior Vice President, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P. Todd Larson Vice President Since 2007 Vice President and Portfolio Manager, First Trust Advisors L.P. John Gambla Senior Portfolio Manager Since 2011 Senior Portfolio Manager, First Trust Advisors L.P. (2011 to Present); Co-Chief Investment Officer, Nuveen HydePark Group LLC (2007 - 2011) Rob A. Guttschow Senior Portfolio Manager Since 2011 Senior Portfolio Manager, First Trust Advisors L.P. (2011 to Present); Co-Chief Investment Officer, Nuveen HydePark Group LLC (2007 - 2011) ADVISOR PORTFOLIO MANAGERS William Housey Senior Portfolio Manager Since 2010 Senior Portfolio Manager, First Trust Advisors L.P. (2010 to Present) Jeremiah Charles Portfolio Manager Since 2013 Vice President of Mortgage Product Sales, CRT Capital (2011 - 2013); Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager (2005 - 2011) James Snyder Vice President and Since 2013 Vice President and Portfolio Portfolio Manager Manager, First Trust Advisors L.P. (2013 to Present); Senior Portfolio Manager, Fort Sheridan Advisors (2003 - 2013)
49
PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION NAME POSITION DURING PAST FIVE YEARS SUB-ADVISOR PORTFOLIO MANAGERS James J. Murchie Founder, Chief Executive Founder, Chief Executive Officer, co-portfolio Officer, co-portfolio manager manager and Principal and Principal, Energy Income Partners, LLC Scott T. Fleming President and Chief President and Chief Investment Investment Officer Officer, Stonebridge Advisors, LLC Richard Bernstein Chief Executive Officer President and Chief Investment and Chief Investment Officer, Richard Bernstein Officer Advisors, LLC Derek Fulton Director, Chief Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Officer and Chief Investment Investment Officer Officer, First Trust Global Portfolios Ltd.
As of August 5, 2014, none of the portfolio managers beneficially own any shares of the Fund. Compensation. The portfolio managers are compensated with an industry competitive salary and a year-end discretionary bonus based on client service, asset growth and the performance of the Fund. Each portfolio manager's performance is formally evaluated annually based on a variety of factors. Bonus compensation is primarily a function of the firm's overall annual profitability and the individual portfolio manager's contribution as measured by the overall investment performance of client portfolios in the strategy the portfolio manager manages relative to the strategy's general benchmark. Other Accounts Managed. The portfolio managers manage the investment vehicles (other than series of the Trust) with the number of accounts and assets, as of June 30, 2014, set forth in the table below:
REGISTERED INVESTMENT OTHER POOLED COMPANIES INVESTMENT VEHICLES NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS OTHER ACCOUNTS NUMBER OF PORTFOLIO MANAGER ($ ASSETS) ($ ASSETS) ACCOUNTS ($ ASSETS) Daniel J. Lindquist 84 ($26,692,689,284) 10 ($233,210,219) 2,414 ($816,131,709) David G. McGarel 84 ($26,692,689,284) 10 ($233,210,219) 2,414 ($816,131,709) 50 REGISTERED INVESTMENT OTHER POOLED COMPANIES INVESTMENT VEHICLES NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS OTHER ACCOUNTS NUMBER OF PORTFOLIO MANAGER ($ ASSETS) ($ ASSETS) ACCOUNTS ($ ASSETS) Jon C. Erickson 84 ($26,692,689,284) 10 ($233,210,219) 2,414 ($816,131,709) Roger F. Testin 84 ($26,692,689,284) 10 ($233,210,219) 2,414 ($816,131,709) Todd Larson 7 ($442,249,887) N/A N/A John Gambla 5 ($197,183,886) 4 ($92,127,791) N/A Rob A. Guttschow 5 ($197,183,886) 4 ($92,127,791) N/A William Housey 5 ($1,123,149,348) 1 ($69,437,181) N/A Jeremiah Charles 1 ($1,235,472) N/A N/A James Snyder 1 ($1,235,472) N/A N/A James J. Murchie 7 ($4,641,200,000) 3 ($198,200,000) 1,868 ($1,034,000,000) Scott T. Fleming 3 ($2,421,250,000) N/A 3,026 ($1,065,300,000) Richard Bernstein 4 ($1,576,272,231) N/A 4 ($383,194,886) Derek Fulton N/A 4 ($19,098,352) N/A
-------------------- Conflicts. None of the accounts managed by the portfolio managers pay an advisory fee that is based upon the performance of the account. In addition, First Trust believes that there are no material conflicts of interest that may arise in connection with the portfolio managers' management of the Fund's investments and the investments of the other accounts managed by the portfolio managers. However, because the investment strategy of the Fund and the investment strategies of many of the other accounts managed by the portfolio managers are based on fairly mechanical investment processes, the portfolio managers may recommend that certain clients sell and other clients buy a given security at the same time. In addition, because the investment strategies of the Fund and other accounts managed by the portfolio managers generally result in the clients investing in readily available securities, First Trust believes that there should not be material conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities between the Fund and other accounts managed by the portfolio managers. 51 BROKERAGE ALLOCATIONS First Trust is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for the Fund and for the placement of the Fund's securities business, the negotiation of the commissions to be paid on brokered transactions, the prices for principal trades in securities, and the allocation of portfolio brokerage and principal business. It is the policy of First Trust to seek the best execution at the best security price available with respect to each transaction, and with respect to brokered transactions in light of the overall quality of brokerage and research services provided to First Trust and its clients. The best price to the Fund means the best net price without regard to the mix between purchase or sale price and commission, if any. Purchases may be made from underwriters, dealers, and, on occasion, the issuers. Commissions will be paid on the Fund's Futures transactions, if any. The purchase price of portfolio securities purchased from an underwriter or dealer may include underwriting commissions and dealer spreads. The Fund may pay mark-ups on principal transactions. In selecting broker/dealers and in negotiating commissions, First Trust considers, among other things, the firm's reliability, the quality of its execution services on a continuing basis and its financial condition. Fund portfolio transactions may be effected with broker/dealers who have assisted investors in the purchase of shares. Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act") permits an investment advisor, under certain circumstances, to cause an account to pay a broker or dealer who supplies brokerage and research services a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction. Brokerage and research services include (a) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (b) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (c) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement, and custody). Such brokerage and research services are often referred to as "soft dollars." First Trust has advised the Board of Trustees that it does not currently intend to use soft dollars. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in selecting brokers, First Trust may in the future consider investment and market information and other research, such as economic, securities and performance measurement research, provided by such brokers, and the quality and reliability of brokerage services, including execution capability, performance, and financial responsibility. Accordingly, the commissions charged by any such broker may be greater than the amount another firm might charge if First Trust determines in good faith that the amount of such commissions is reasonable in relation to the value of the research information and brokerage services provided by such broker to First Trust or the Trust. In addition, First Trust must determine that the research information received in this manner provides the Fund with benefits by supplementing the research otherwise available to the Fund. The Investment Management Agreement provides that such higher commissions will not be paid by the Fund unless the Advisor determines in good faith that the amount is reasonable in relation to the services provided. The investment advisory fees paid by the Fund to First Trust under the Investment Management Agreement would not be reduced as a result of receipt by First Trust of research services. 52 First Trust places portfolio transactions for other advisory accounts advised by it, and research services furnished by firms through which the Fund effects securities transactions may be used by First Trust in servicing all of its accounts; not all of such services may be used by First Trust in connection with the Fund. First Trust believes it is not possible to measure separately the benefits from research services to each of the accounts (including the Fund) advised by it. Because the volume and nature of the trading activities of the accounts are not uniform, the amount of commissions in excess of those charged by another broker paid by each account for brokerage and research services will vary. However, First Trust believes such costs to the Fund will not be disproportionate to the benefits received by the Fund on a continuing basis. First Trust seeks to allocate portfolio transactions equitably whenever concurrent decisions are made to purchase or sell securities by the Fund and another advisory account. In some cases, this procedure could have an adverse effect on the price or the amount of securities available to the Fund. In making such allocations between the Fund and other advisory accounts, the main factors considered by First Trust are the respective investment objectives, the relative size of portfolio holding of the same or comparable securities, the availability of cash for investment and the size of investment commitments generally held. CUSTODIAN, ADMINISTRATOR, FUND ACCOUNTANT AND TRANSFER AGENT, DISTRIBUTOR Custodian, Administrator, Fund Accountant and Transfer Agent. The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation ("BNYM"), as custodian for the Fund pursuant to a Custodian Agreement, holds the Fund's assets. Also, pursuant to an Administrative Agency Agreement, BNYM provides certain administrative and accounting services to the Fund, including maintaining the Fund's books of account, records of the Fund's securities transactions and certain other books and records; acting as liaison with the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm by providing such accountant with various audit-related information with respect to the Fund; and providing other continuous accounting and administrative services. BNYM also serves as the Fund's transfer agent pursuant to a Transfer Agency Agreement. BNYM is located at One Wall Street, New York, New York 10286. Pursuant to the Administrative Agency Agreement, the Trust on behalf of the Fund has agreed to indemnify the Administrator for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws, unless such loss or liability results from negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties. Pursuant to the Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement between BNYM and the Trust, the Fund has agreed to pay such compensation as is mutually agreed from time to time and such out-of-pocket expenses as incurred by BNYM in the performance of its duties. Distributor. First Trust Portfolios L.P., an affiliate of First Trust, is the distributor ("FTP" or the "Distributor") and principal underwriter of the shares of the Fund. Its principal address is 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, Illinois 60187. The Distributor has entered into a Distribution Agreement with the Trust pursuant to which it distributes Fund shares. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Fund through the Distributor only in Creation Unit Aggregations, as described below under the heading "Creation and Redemption of Creation Unit Aggregations." 53 First Trust or its affiliates may from time to time make payments, out of their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries that sell shares of First Trust mutual funds and ETFs ("First Trust Funds") to promote the sales and retention of fund shares by those firms and their customers. The amounts of these payments vary by financial intermediary. The level of payments that First Trust is willing to provide to a particular financial intermediary may be affected by, among other factors, the firm's total assets held in and recent net investments into First Trust Funds, the firm's level of participation in First Trust Funds' sales and marketing programs, the firm's compensation program for its registered representatives who sell fund shares and provide services to fund shareholders, and the asset class of the First Trust Funds for which these payments are provided. First Trust or its affiliates may also make payments to financial intermediaries in connection with sales meetings, due diligence meetings, prospecting seminars and other meetings at which First Trust or its affiliates promotes its products and services. First Trust may also make payments to certain financial intermediaries for certain administrative services, including record keeping and sub-accounting of shareholder accounts pursuant to a sub-transfer agency, omnibus account service or sub-accounting agreement. All fees payable by First Trust under this category of services may be charged back to the Fund, subject to approval by the Board. 12b-1 Plan. The Trust has adopted a Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the "Plan") pursuant to which the Fund may reimburse the Distributor up to a maximum annual rate of 0.25% of its average daily net assets. Under the Plan and as required by Rule 12b-1, the Trustees will receive and review after the end of each calendar quarter a written report provided by the Distributor of the amounts expended under the Plan and the purpose for which such expenditures were made. With the exception of the Distributor and its affiliates, no "interested person" of the Trust (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) and no Trustee of the Trust has a direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or any related agreement. The Plan was adopted in order to permit the implementation of the Fund's method of distribution. However, no fee is currently paid by the Fund under the Plan, and pursuant to a contractual agreement, the Fund will not pay 12b-1 fees any time before August 6, 2016. Aggregations. Fund shares in less than Creation Unit Aggregations are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor will deliver the Prospectus and, upon request, this SAI to persons purchasing Creation Unit Aggregations and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA"). The Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on at least 60 days' written notice by the Trust to the Distributor (i) by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees; or (ii) by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act). 54 The Distributor may also enter into agreements with participants that utilize the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (the "DTC Participants"), which have international, operational, capabilities and place orders for Creation Unit Aggregations of Fund shares. Participating Parties (which are participants in the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation) shall be DTC Participants. Additional Service Provider. First Trust, on behalf of the Fund has engaged Markit Group Limited or its designee (the "IPV Calculator"), to calculate the intra-day values for the shares of the Fund. Exchange. The only relationship that the Exchange has with First Trust or the Distributor of the Fund in connection with the Fund is that the Exchange lists the shares of the Fund and disseminates the intra-day portfolio values that are calculated by the IPV Calculator pursuant to its listing agreement with the Trust. The Exchange is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of pricing or the timing of the issuance or sale of the shares of the Fund or in the determination or calculation of the asset value of the Fund. The Exchange has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Fund. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Book Entry Only System. The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus. DTC Acts as Securities Depository for Fund Shares. Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (the "DTC Participants") and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities, or certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the "Indirect Participants"). Beneficial ownership of shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as "Beneficial Owners") is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC 55 Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase and sale of shares. Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to a letter agreement between DTC and the Trust, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the shares of the Fund held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participants a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. Fund distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, as the registered holder of all Fund shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall immediately credit DTC Participants' accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in shares of the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a "street name," and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants. The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants. DTC may decide to discontinue providing its service with respect to shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost. Intra-Day Portfolio Value. The price of a non-U.S. security that is primarily traded on a non-U.S. exchange shall be updated every 15 seconds throughout its trading day, provided, that upon the closing of such non-U.S. exchange the closing price of the security will be used throughout the remainder of the business day where the markets remain open. These exchange rates may differ from those used by First Trust and consequently result in intra-day portfolio values that may vary. Furthermore, in calculating the intra-day portfolio values of the Fund's shares, the exchange rates used throughout the day (9:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time) shall be those that are deemed to be most appropriate. 56 PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES The Trust has adopted a proxy voting policy that seeks to ensure that proxies for securities held by the Fund are voted consistently with the best interests of the Fund. The Board has delegated to First Trust the proxy voting responsibilities for the Fund and has directed First Trust to vote proxies consistent with the Fund's best interests. First Trust has engaged the services of ISS Governance Services, a division of RiskMetrics Group, Inc. ("ISS"), to make recommendations to First Trust on the voting of proxies relating to securities held by the Fund. If First Trust manages the assets of a company or its pension plan and any of First Trust's clients hold any securities of that company, First Trust will vote proxies relating to such company's securities in accordance with the ISS recommendations to avoid any conflict of interest. While these guidelines are not intended to be all-inclusive, they do provide guidance on First Trust's general voting policies. First Trust has adopted the ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines. While these guidelines are not intended to be all-inclusive, they do provide guidance on First Trust's general voting policies. The ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines are attached hereto as Exhibit B. Quarterly Portfolio Schedule. The Trust is required to disclose, after its first and third fiscal quarters, the complete schedule of the Fund's portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-Q. Form N-Q for the Trust is available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The Fund's Form N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. and information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330. The Trust's Forms N-Q are available without charge, upon request, by calling (800) 621-1675 or by writing to First Trust Portfolios L.P., 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, Illinois 60187. Policy Regarding Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings. The Trust has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Fund's portfolio holdings. The Board of Trustees must approve all material amendments to this policy. The Fund's portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services, including publicly accessible Internet websites. In addition, a basket composition file, which includes the security names and share quantities to deliver in exchange for Fund shares, together with estimates and actual cash components, is publicly disseminated each day the NYSE is open for trading via the National Securities Clearing Corporation ("NSCC"). The basket represents one Creation Unit of the Fund. The Fund's portfolio holdings are also available on the Fund's website at http://www.ftportfolios.com. The Trust, First Trust, FTP and BNYM will not disseminate non-public information concerning the Trust. Codes of Ethics. In order to mitigate the possibility that the Fund will be adversely affected by personal trading, the Trust, First Trust and the Distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. These Codes of Ethics contain policies restricting securities trading in personal accounts of the officers, Trustees and others who normally come into possession of information on portfolio transactions. Personnel subject to the Codes of Ethics may invest in securities that may be purchased or held by the 57 Fund; however, the Codes of Ethics require that each transaction in such securities be reviewed by the CCO or his or her designee. These Codes of Ethics are on public file with, and are available from, the SEC. CREATION AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNIT AGGREGATIONS GENERAL The Trust issues and sells shares of the Fund only in Creation Unit Aggregations on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at their net asset values next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined below), of an order in proper form. A "Business Day" is any day on which the NYSE is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the NYSE observes the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President's Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. PURCHASE AND ISSUANCE OF CREATION UNIT AGGREGATIONS Fund Deposit. Unless cash purchases are required or permitted for the Fund under the circumstances described below, the consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit Aggregation of shares of the Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of the Deposit Securities generally corresponding pro rata (except in certain circumstances) to the Fund's portfolio positions (including cash positions) as of the end of the prior Business Day and the Cash Component. Together, the Deposit Securities (and/or any cash with respect to cash purchases and cash-in-lieu amounts) and the Cash Component constitute the "Fund Deposit," which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit Aggregation of the Fund. The Cash Component is sometimes also referred to as the Balancing Amount. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the net asset value per Creation Unit Aggregation and the Deposit Amount (as defined below). The Cash Component is an amount equal to the difference between (i) the net asset value of Fund shares (per Creation Unit Aggregation) and (ii) the "Deposit Amount" -- an amount equal to the aggregate market value of the Deposit Securities. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the net asset value per Creation Unit Aggregation exceeds the Deposit Amount), the creator will deliver the Cash Component. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the net asset value per Creation Unit Aggregation is less than the Deposit Amount), the creator will receive the Cash Component. The Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business of the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time), the list of the names and the required quantity of each Deposit Security as well as the estimated Cash Component (if any) that will be applicable to Fund Deposits for the Fund for that day (subject to correction of any errors). Such Fund Deposit information is applicable in order to effect creations of Creation Unit Aggregations of the Fund until the next Business Day. 58 The identities and quantities of the Deposit Securities required for a Fund Deposit for the Fund change as corporate action events are reflected within the Fund from time to time by First Trust with a view to the investment objectives of the Fund. The Fund reserves the right to require or permit purchases of Creation Unit Aggregations to be made in whole or in part on a cash basis, rather than in-kind, under the following circumstances: (i) to the extent there is a Cash Component; (ii) if, on a given Business Day, the Fund announces before the open of trading that all purchases on that day will be made entirely in cash; (iii) if, upon receiving a purchase order from an Authorized Participant (as defined below), the Fund determines to require the purchase to be made entirely in cash; (iv) if, on a given Business Day, the Fund requires all Authorized Participants purchasing shares on that day to deposit cash in lieu of some or all of the Deposit Securities because: (a) such instruments are not eligible for transfer through either the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC as such processes have been enhanced to effect purchases and redemptions of Creation Unit Aggregations (the "NSCC Process") or through the facilities of DTC (the "DTC Process"); or (b) in the case of non-U.S. Deposit Securities, such instruments are not eligible for trading due to local trading restrictions, local restrictions on securities transfers or other similar circumstances; or (v) if the Fund permits an Authorized Participant to deposit cash in lieu of some or all of the Deposit Securities because: (a) such instruments are not available in sufficient quantity; or (b) such instruments are not eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant or the investor on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting. In addition, under the following circumstances, it is possible that Deposit Securities may not correspond pro rata to the positions in the Fund's portfolio as of the end of the prior Business Day: (i) in the case of bonds, for minor differences when it is impossible to break up bonds beyond certain minimum sizes needed for transfer and settlement; (ii) for minor differences when rounding is necessary to eliminate fractional shares or lots that are not tradeable round lots (a tradeable round lot for a security will be the standard unit of trading in that particular type of security in its primary market); or (iii) with respect to "to-be-announced" transactions, short positions and other positions that cannot be transferred in kind (including instruments that can be transferred in kind only with the consent of the original counterparty to the extent the Fund does not intend to seek such consents), and they will therefore be excluded from the Deposit Securities with their value reflected in the determination of the Cash Component. Procedures for Creation of Creation Unit Aggregations. In order to be eligible to place orders with the Distributor and to create a Creation Unit Aggregation of the Fund, an entity must be a DTC Participant (see the "Book Entry Only System" section), must have executed an agreement with the Distributor and transfer agent, with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Unit Aggregations ("Participant Agreement") (discussed below), and must have international operational capabilities. A DTC Participant is also referred to as an "Authorized Participant." Investors should contact the Distributor for the names of Authorized Participants that have signed a Participant Agreement. All Fund shares, however created, will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of Cede & Co. for the account of a DTC Participant. All standard orders to create Creation Unit Aggregations must be received by the transfer agent no later than the closing time of the regular trading session on the NYSE ("Closing Time") (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) in 59 each case on the date such order is placed in order for the creation of Creation Unit Aggregations to be effected based on the net asset value of shares of the Fund as next determined on such date after receipt of the order in proper form. Subject to the provisions of the applicable Participant Agreement, in the case of custom orders, the order must generally be received by the transfer agent no later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the trade date. The Fund may require custom orders for the purchase of Creation Unit Aggregations to be placed earlier in the day (for example, on days when the generally accepted close of the Exchange or the applicable fixed-income security market occurs earlier than normal (such as the day before a holiday)). In addition, it is possible that orders to purchase a Creation Unit Aggregation may not be accepted on any day when the applicable fixed-income security markets are closed. The date on which an order to create Creation Unit Aggregations (or an order to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations, as discussed below) is placed is referred to as the "Transmittal Date." Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the transfer agent pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the transfer agent or an Authorized Participant. All orders from investors who are not Authorized Participants to create Creation Unit Aggregations shall be placed with an Authorized Participant, as applicable, in the form required by such Authorized Participant. In addition, the Authorized Participant may request the investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to create Creation Unit Aggregations of the Fund have to be placed by the investor's broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement. Those persons placing orders should ascertain the deadlines applicable to DTC and the Federal Reserve Bank wire system by contacting the operations department of the broker or depository institution effectuating such transfer of Deposit Securities and Cash Component. Deposit Securities must be delivered to the Trust through the applicable processes set forth in the Participant Agreement. Deposit Securities which are non-U.S. securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local subcustodian of the Trust on or before the International Contractual Settlement Date (as defined below), all in accordance with the terms of the Participant Agreement. If a Deposit Security is an American Depositary Receipt ("ADR") or similar domestic instrument, it may be delivered to the Custodian. The Authorized Participant must also pay on or before the International Contractual Settlement Date immediately available or same-day funds estimated by Trust to be sufficient to pay the Cash Component next determined after acceptance of the creation order, together with the applicable Creation Transaction Fee (as defined below) and additional variable amounts, as described below, all in accordance with the terms of the Participant Agreement. The "International Contractual Settlement Date" is the earlier of (i) the date upon which all of the required Deposit Securities, the Cash Component and any other cash amounts which may be due are delivered to the Fund; or (ii) the latest day for settlement on the customary settlement cycle in the jurisdiction(s) where 60 any of the securities of the Fund are customarily traded. Any excess funds will be returned following settlement of the issue of the Creation Unit Aggregation. Issuance of Creation Unit Aggregations. A Creation Unit Aggregation will generally not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the portfolio of Deposit Securities and the payment of the Cash Component, the Creation Transaction Fee (as defined below) and any other required cash amounts have been completed. As described in the next paragraph, in the event that an order for a Creation Unit is incomplete because certain or all of the Deposit Securities are missing, the Trust may issue a Creation Unit notwithstanding such deficiency in reliance on the undertaking of the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by an additional cash deposit (described below) with respect to the undelivered Deposit Securities. To the extent contemplated by the applicable Participant Agreement, Creation Unit Aggregations of the Fund will be issued to such Authorized Participant notwithstanding the fact that the corresponding Fund Deposits have not been received in part or in whole, in reliance on the undertaking of the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash in the form of U.S. dollars in immediately available funds having a value (marked to market daily) at least equal to 115% (which First Trust may change from time to time) of the value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Fund to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such securities and the value of the collateral. Acceptance of Orders for Creation Unit Aggregations. The Trust reserves the absolute right to reject a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor with respect to the Fund if: (i) the order is not in proper form; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Fund shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (iii) the required Fund Deposit is not delivered; (iv) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (v) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of the Trust, be unlawful; (vi) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Distributor, have an adverse effect on the Trust, the Fund or the rights of Beneficial Owners; or (vii) circumstances outside the control of the Trust or the Fund make it impossible to process creation orders for all practical purposes. Examples of such circumstances include: acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Fund, First Trust, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, the transfer agent, the Custodian, the sub-custodian or any other participant in the creation process; the imposition by a foreign government or a regulatory body of controls, or other monetary, currency or trading restrictions that directly affect the portfolio securities held; and similar extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such prospective creator of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Fund, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give 61 notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits, nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. All questions as to the quantity of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility, and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust's determination shall be final and binding. Creation Transaction Fee. Purchasers of Creation Units must pay a creation transaction fee (the "Creation Transaction Fee") that is currently $500. The Creation Transaction Fee is applicable to each purchase transaction regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased in the transaction. The Creation Transaction Fee may vary and is based on the composition of the securities included in the Fund's portfolio and the countries in which the transactions are settled. The price for each Creation Unit will equal the daily net asset value per share times the number of shares in a Creation Unit plus the fees described above and, if applicable, any operational processing and brokerage costs, transfer fees or stamp taxes. When the Fund permits an Authorized Participant to substitute cash in lieu of depositing one or more of the requisite Deposit Securities, the Authorized Participant may also be assessed an amount to cover the cost of purchasing the Deposit Securities, including operational processing and brokerage costs, transfer fees, stamp taxes, and part or all of the spread between the expected bid and offer side of the market related to such Deposit Securities. REDEMPTIONS OF CREATION UNIT AGGREGATIONS Redemption of Fund Shares In Creation Unit Aggregations. Fund shares may be redeemed only in Creation Unit Aggregations at their net asset value next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Fund through the transfer agent and only on a Business Day. The Fund will not redeem shares in amounts less than Creation Unit Aggregations. Beneficial Owners must accumulate enough shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit Aggregation in order to have such shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit Aggregation. Investors should expect to incur customary brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Fund shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit Aggregation. The Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time), the list of the names and the required quantity of the securities and other instruments ("Fund Securities"), as well as the estimated Cash Redemption Amount (defined below) (if any), that will be applicable for the Fund for that day (subject to correction of any errors) to redemption requests received in proper form (as described below) on that day. Unless cash redemptions are required or permitted for the Fund under the circumstances described below, the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit Aggregation generally consist of Fund Securities--as announced on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form--plus or minus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the Fund shares (per Creation Unit Aggregation) being redeemed, as next determined after a 62 receipt of a request in proper form, and the aggregate market value of the Fund Securities (the "Cash Redemption Amount"), less the applicable Redemption Transaction Fee as listed below and, if applicable, any operational processing and brokerage costs, transfer fees or stamp taxes. In the event that the Fund Securities have an aggregate market value greater than the net asset value of the Fund shares (per Creation Unit Aggregation), a compensating cash payment equal to the difference plus, the applicable Redemption Transaction Fee and, if applicable, any operational processing and brokerage costs, transfer fees or stamp taxes is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. The Fund reserves the right to require or permit redemptions of Creation Unit Aggregations to be made in whole or in part on a cash basis, rather than in-kind, under the following circumstances: (i) to the extent there is a Cash Redemption Amount; (ii) if, on a given Business Day, the Fund announces before the open of trading that all redemptions on that day will be made entirely in cash; (iii) if, upon receiving a redemption order from an Authorized Participant, the Fund determines to require the redemption to be made entirely in cash; (iv) if, on a given Business Day, the Fund requires all Authorized Participants redeeming shares on that day to receive cash in lieu of some or all of the Fund Securities because: (a) such instruments are not eligible for transfer through either the NSCC Process or the DTC Process, or (b) in the case of non-U.S. Fund Securities, such instruments are not eligible for trading due to local trading restrictions, local restrictions on securities transfers or other similar circumstances; or (v) if the Fund permits an Authorized Participant to receive cash in lieu of some or all of the Fund Securities because: (a) such instruments are not eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant or the investor on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting; or (b) with respect to non-U.S. Fund Securities, a holder of shares of the Fund would be subject to unfavorable income tax treatment if the holder receives redemption proceeds in kind. In addition, under the following circumstances, it is possible that Fund Securities may not correspond pro rata to the positions in the Fund's portfolio as of the end of the prior Business Day: (i) in the case of bonds, for minor differences when it is impossible to break up bonds beyond certain minimum sizes needed for transfer and settlement; (ii) for minor differences when rounding is necessary to eliminate fractional shares or lots that are not tradeable round lots; or (iii) with respect to "to-be-announced" transactions, short positions and other positions that cannot be transferred in kind (including instruments that can be transferred in kind only with the consent of the original counterparty to the extent the Fund does not intend to seek such consents), and they will therefore be excluded from the Fund Securities with their value reflected in the determination of the Cash Redemption Amount. The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed (i) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) for any period during which trading on the NYSE is suspended or restricted; (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the shares of the Fund or determination of the Fund's net asset value is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstances as are permitted by the SEC. Redemption Transaction Fee. Parties redeeming Creation Units must pay a redemption transaction fee (the "Redemption Transaction Fee") that is currently $500. The Redemption Transaction Fee is applicable to each redemption 63 transaction regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction. The Redemption Transaction Fee may vary and is based on the composition of the securities included in the Fund's portfolio and the countries in which the transactions are settled. Investors will also bear the costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary in addition to an Authorized Participant to effect a redemption of a Creation Unit Aggregation may be charged an additional fee for such services. Placement of Redemption Orders. Orders to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations must be delivered through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement and must comply with the applicable provisions of such Participant Agreement. Investors other than Authorized Participants are responsible for making arrangements for a redemption request to be made through an Authorized Participant. Deliveries of Fund Securities to investors are generally expected to be made within three Business Days. Due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, however, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds for the Fund may take longer than three Business Days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. In such cases, the local market settlement procedures will not commence until the end of the local holiday periods. See below for a list of the local holidays in the foreign countries relevant to the Fund. Under the 1940 Act, the Fund would generally be required to make payment of redemption proceeds within seven days after a security is tendered for redemption. However, because the settlement of redemptions of Fund shares is contingent not only on the settlement cycle of the United States securities markets, but also on delivery cycles of foreign markets, pursuant to an exemptive order upon which the Fund may rely, the Fund's in-kind redemption proceeds are permitted to be paid within the maximum number of calendar days required for such payment or satisfaction in the principal local foreign markets where transactions in portfolio securities customarily clear and settle, but no later than 15 calendar days following tender of a Creation Unit Aggregation in proper form. In connection with taking delivery of shares of non-U.S. Fund Securities upon redemption of shares of the Fund, a redeeming Beneficial Owner, or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such Beneficial Owner, must maintain appropriate security arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody provider in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant's agreement, in the event the Authorized Participant has submitted a redemption request in proper form but is unable to transfer all or part of the Creation Unit Aggregation to be redeemed to the Fund's transfer agent, the transfer agent may nonetheless accept the redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing shares as soon as possible. Such undertaking shall be secured by the Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value (marked to market daily) at least equal to 115%, (which First Trust may change from time to time), of the value of the missing shares. 64 The current procedures for collateralization of missing shares require, among other things, that any cash collateral shall be in the form of U.S. dollars in immediately available funds and shall be held by BNYM and marked to market daily, and that the fees of BNYM and any sub-custodians in respect of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery of the cash collateral shall be payable by the Authorized Participant. If the Authorized Participant's agreement provides for collateralization, it will permit the Trust, on behalf of the affected Fund, to purchase the missing shares at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such shares and the value of the collateral. The calculation of the value of the Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered/received upon redemption will be made by BNYM according to the procedures set forth in this SAI under "Determination of Net Asset Value" computed on the Business Day on which a redemption order is deemed received by the Trust. Therefore, if a redemption order in proper form is submitted to BNYM by a DTC Participant not later than Closing Time on the Transmittal Date, and the requisite number of shares of the Fund are delivered to BNYM prior to the specified time, then the value of the Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered will be determined by BNYM on such Transmittal Date. A redemption order must be submitted in proper form. Redemptions of Fund shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund reserves the right to redeem Creation Unit Aggregations for cash under the circumstances described above. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting may therefore be paid redemption proceeds in cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming Beneficial Owner of the Fund shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment, beneficial ownership of shares or delivery instructions. Because the portfolio securities of the Fund may trade on the relevant exchange(s) on days that the listing exchange for the Fund is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for the Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase and sell shares of the Fund on the listing exchange for the Fund, on days when the net asset value of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant foreign markets. REGULAR HOLIDAYS The Fund generally intends to effect deliveries of Creation Units and securities in its portfolio ("Portfolio Securities") on a basis of "T" plus three Business Days (i.e., days on which the NYSE is open). The Fund may effect deliveries of Creation Units and portfolio securities on a basis other than "T" plus three in order to accommodate local holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates, or under certain other circumstances. The ability of the Trust to effect in-kind creations and redemptions within three Business Days of receipt of an order in good form is subject, among other things, to the condition that, within the time period from the date of the order to the date of delivery of the securities, there are no days that are holidays in the applicable foreign market. For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable non-U.S. market that are not holidays observed in the 65 U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle will be extended by the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a non-U.S. market due to emergencies may also prevent the Trust from delivering securities within the normal settlement period. The longest redemption cycle for the Fund is a function of the longest redemption cycle among the countries whose securities comprise the Fund. The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring Portfolio Securities to redeeming investors, coupled with non-U.S. market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days for the Fund in certain circumstances. In no event, however, will the Fund take more than fifteen calendar days from the date of the tender to deliver the redemption proceeds. The holidays applicable to the Fund during such periods are listed below. Certain holidays may occur on different dates in subsequent years. The proclamation of new holidays, the treatment by market participants of certain days as "informal holidays" (e.g., days on which no or limited securities transactions occur, as a result of substantially shortened trading hours), the elimination of existing holidays, or changes in local securities delivery practices could affect the information set forth herein at some time in the future. The dates of the regular holidays affecting the relevant securities markets from July 2014 through June 2015, of the below-listed countries are as follows: ARGENTINA AUSTRALIA AUSTRIA BELGIUM --------- --------- ------- ------- July 9 December 25 August 15 July 21 August 18 December 26 December 8 August 15 October 13 December 28 December 24 November 11 November 6 January 1 December 25 December 25 November 24 January 26 December 26 January 1 December 8 April 3 December 31 April 6 December 24 April 6 January 1 May 1 December 25 June 8 January 6 May 14 December 26 April 6 May 25 December 31 May 1 January 1 May 14 February 16 May 25 February 17 June 4 March 24 April 2 April 3 May 1 May 25 BRAZIL CANADA CHILE CHINA ------ ------ ----- ----- July 9 July 1 July 16 September 8 November 20 August 4 August 15 October 1 December 24 September 1 September 18 October 2 66 December 25 October 13 September 19 October 3 December 31 December 25 October 31 October 6 January 1 December 26 December 8 October 7 February 16 January 1 December 25 January 1 February 17 February 16 December 31 January 2 April 3 April 3 January 1 February 18 April 21 May 18 April 3 February 19 May 1 May 1 February 20 June 4 May 21 February 23 June 29 February 24 February 25 April 6 May 1 June 22 DENMARK FINLAND FRANCE GERMANY ------- ------- ------ ------- December 25 December 25 July 14 October 3 December 26 December 26 August 15 December 24 January 1 January 1 November 11 December 25 April 2 January 6 December 25 December 26 April 3 April 3 January 1 December 31 April 6 April 6 April 3 January 1 May 1 May 1 April 6 February 18 May 14 May 14 May 1 April 2 May 25 May 8 April 3 May 14 April 6 May 25 May 1 May 14 May 25 GREECE HONG KONG INDIA IRELAND ------ --------- ----- ------- August 15 July 1 July 29 August 4 October 28 September 9 August 15 October 27 December 24 October 1 August 29 December 25 December 25 October 2 October 2 December 26 December 26 December 25 October 3 January 1 December 31 December 26 October 6 March 17 January 1 January 1 October 23 April 6 January 6 February 19 October 24 May 4 February 23 February 20 November 4 June 1 March 25 April 3 November 6 April 10 April 6 December 25 April 13 April 7 January 26 May 1 May 1 March 5 June 1 May 25 April 1 April 3 67 April 14 May 1 ISRAEL ITALY JAPAN MALAYSIA ------ ----- ----- -------- August 5 August 15 July 21 July 15 September 24 December 8 September 15 July 28 September 25 December 25 September 23 July 29 September 26 December 26 October 13 September 1 October 3 December 31 November 3 September 16 October 8 January 1 November 24 October 6 October 9 January 6 December 23 October 22 October 15 April 3 December 31 October 23 October 16 April 6 January 1 October 25 December 17 May 1 January 2 December 25 March 5 June 2 January 12 February 19 April 3 February 11 February 20 April 9 April 29 May 1 April 10 May 4 April 22 May 5 April 23 May 6 May 24 MEXICO NEW ZEALAND NETHERLANDS NORWAY ------ ----------- ----------- ------ September 16 October 27 December 25 December 25 November 17 December 25 December 26 December 26 December 12 December 26 January 1 January 1 December 25 January 1 April 6 April 2 January 1 January 2 April 27 April 3 February 2 February 6 May 5 April 6 March 16 April 3 May 14 May 1 April 2 April 6 May 25 May 14 April 3 April 27 May 25 May 1 June 1 PORTUGAL SINGAPORE SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH KOREA -------- --------- ------------ ----------- August 15 July 28 September 24 August 15 December 8 October 6 December 16 September 8 December 25 October 22 December 25 September 9 January 1 December 25 December 26 October 3 April 3 January 1 January 1 October 9 May 1 February 19 April 3 December 25 June 10 February 20 April 6 January 1 April 3 April 27 February 18 May 1 May 1 February 19 June 1 June 16 February 20 May 5 May 25 June 6 68 SPAIN SWEDEN SWITZERLAND TAIWAN ----- ------ ----------- ------ August 15 December 25 August 1 September 8 October 13 December 26 December 24 October 10 December 8 January 1 December 25 January 1 December 25 January 6 December 26 February 18 January 1 April 3 December 31 February 19 January 6 April 6 January 1 February 20 April 3 May 1 January 2 February 23 May 1 May 14 April 3 February 27 April 6 April 3 May 1 May 1 May 14 May 25 THAILAND UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES -------- -------------- ------------- July 11 December 25 July 4 August 12 December 26 September 1 October 23 January 1 October 13 December 5 April 3 November 11 December 10 May 4 November 27 December 31 May 25 December 25 January 1 January 1 April 6 January 19 April 13 February 16 April 14 May 25 April 15 May 1 May 5 69 FEDERAL TAX MATTERS This section summarizes some of the main U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning shares of the Fund. This section is current as of the date of the Prospectus. Tax laws and interpretations change frequently, and these summaries do not describe all of the tax consequences to all taxpayers. For example, these summaries generally do not describe your situation if you are a corporation, a non-U.S. person, a broker-dealer, or other investor with special circumstances. In addition, this section does not describe your state, local or foreign tax consequences. This federal income tax summary is based in part on the advice of counsel to the Fund. The Internal Revenue Service could disagree with any conclusions set forth in this section. In addition, our counsel was not asked to review, and has not reached a conclusion with respect to the federal income tax treatment of the assets to be deposited in the Fund. This may not be sufficient for prospective investors to use for the purpose of avoiding penalties under federal tax law. As with any investment, prospective investors should seek advice based on their individual circumstances from their own tax advisor. The Fund intends to qualify annually and to elect to be treated as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally accorded to regulated investment companies, the Fund must, among other things, (a) derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, or net income derived from interests in certain publicly traded partnerships; (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund's assets is represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities, the securities of other regulated investment companies and other securities, with such other securities of any one issuer generally limited for the purposes of this calculation to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer, or two or more issuers which the Fund controls which are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more of certain publicly traded partnerships; and (c) distribute at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (which includes, among other items, dividends, interest and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses) and at least 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income each taxable year. There are certain exceptions for failure to qualify if the failure is for reasonable cause or is de minimis, and certain corrective action is taken and certain tax payments are made by the Fund. 70 As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, that it distributes to shareholders. The Fund intends to distribute to its shareholders, at least annually, substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain. If the Fund retains any net capital gain or investment company taxable income, it will generally be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates on the amount retained. In addition, amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax unless, generally, the Fund distributes during each calendar year an amount equal to the sum of (1) at least 98% of its ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gains or losses) for the calendar year; (2) at least 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the one-year period ending October 31 of the calendar year; and (3) any ordinary income and capital gains for previous years that were not distributed during those years. In order to prevent application of the excise tax, the Fund intends to make its distributions in accordance with the calendar year distribution requirement. A distribution will be treated as paid on December 31 of the current calendar year if it is declared by the Fund in October, November or December with a record date in such a month and paid by the Fund during January of the following calendar year. Such distributions will be taxable to shareholders in the calendar year in which the distributions are declared, rather than the calendar year in which the distributions are received. Subject to certain reasonable cause and de minimis exceptions, if the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company or failed to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement in any taxable year, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation on its taxable income (even if such income were distributed to its shareholders) and all distributions out of earnings and profits would be taxed to shareholders as ordinary income. DISTRIBUTIONS Dividends paid out of the Fund's investment company taxable income are generally taxable to a shareholder as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund's earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. However, certain ordinary income distributions received from the Fund may be taxed at capital gains tax rates. In particular, ordinary income dividends received by an individual shareholder from a regulated investment company such as the Fund are generally taxed at the same rates that apply to net capital gain, provided that certain holding period requirements are satisfied and provided the dividends are attributable to qualifying dividends received by the Fund itself. Dividends received by the Fund from foreign corporations are qualifying dividends eligible for this lower tax rate only in certain circumstances. The Fund will provide notice to its shareholders of the amount of any distributions that may be taken into account as a dividend which is eligible for the capital gains tax rates. The Fund cannot make any guarantees as to the amount of any distribution which will be regarded as a qualifying dividend. Under the "Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010," income from the Fund may also be subject to a new 3.8% "Medicare tax" imposed for 71 taxable years beginning after 2012. This tax will generally apply to net investment income if the taxpayer's adjusted gross income exceeds certain threshold amounts, which are $250,000 in the case of married couples filing joint returns and $200,000 in the case of single individuals. A corporation that owns shares generally will not be entitled to the dividends received deduction with respect to many dividends received from the Fund because the dividends received deduction is generally not available for distributions from regulated investment companies. However, certain ordinary income dividends on shares that are attributable to qualifying dividends received by the Fund from certain domestic corporations may be reported by the Fund as being eligible for the dividends received deduction. Distributions of net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, properly reported as capital gain dividends are taxable to a shareholder as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long the shareholder has held Fund shares. Some capital gains dividends may be taxed at a maximum stated rate of 25% or 28%. Shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional shares, rather than cash, generally will have a cost basis in each such share equal to the value of a share of the Fund on the reinvestment date. A distribution of an amount in excess of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated by a shareholder as a return of capital which is applied against and reduces the shareholder's basis in his or her shares. To the extent that the amount of any such distribution exceeds the shareholder's basis in his or her shares, the excess will be treated by the shareholder as gain from a sale or exchange of the shares. Shareholders will be notified annually as to the U.S. federal income tax status of distributions, and shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional shares will receive a report as to the value of those shares. SALE OR EXCHANGE OF FUND SHARES Upon the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund, which a shareholder holds as a capital asset, such a shareholder may realize a capital gain or loss which will be long-term or short-term, depending upon the shareholder's holding period for the shares. Generally, a shareholder's gain or loss will be a long-term gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. Any loss realized on a sale or exchange will be disallowed to the extent that shares disposed of are replaced (including through reinvestment of dividends) within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after disposition of shares or to the extent that the shareholder, during such period, acquires or enters into an option or contract to acquire, substantially identical stock or securities. In such a case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Any loss realized by a shareholder on a disposition of Fund shares held by the shareholder for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions of long-term capital gain received by the shareholder with respect to such shares. 72 TAXES ON PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS If a shareholder exchanges equity securities for Creation Units the shareholder will generally recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the shareholder's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and the Cash Component paid. If a shareholder exchanges Creation Units for equity securities, then the shareholder will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the shareholder's basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate market value of the securities received and the Cash Redemption Amount. The Internal Revenue Service, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units or Creation Units for securities cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing "wash sales," or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. NATURE OF FUND INVESTMENTS Certain of the Fund's investment practices are subject to special and complex federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions; (ii) convert lower taxed long-term capital gain into higher taxed short-term capital gain or ordinary income; (iii) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited); (iv) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash; (v) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur; and (vi) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions. FUTURES CONTRACTS AND OPTIONS The Fund's transactions in Futures Contracts and options will be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital, or short-term or long-term), may accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and may defer Fund losses. These rules could, therefore, affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also (a) will require the Fund to mark-to-market certain types of the positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out), and (b) may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement for qualifying to be taxed as a regulated investment company and the distribution requirements for avoiding excise taxes. INVESTMENTS IN CERTAIN FOREIGN CORPORATIONS If the Fund holds an equity interest in any PFICs, which are generally certain foreign corporations that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties or capital gains) or that hold at least 50% of their assets in investments producing such passive income, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and additional interest charges on gains and certain distributions with respect to those equity interests, even if all the income or gain is timely distributed to its shareholders. The Fund will not be able to 73 pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for such taxes. The Fund may be able to make an election that could ameliorate these adverse tax consequences. In this case, the Fund would recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of such PFIC shares, and as ordinary loss any decrease in such value to the extent it did not exceed prior increases included in income. Under this election, the Fund might be required to recognize in a year income in excess of its distributions from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock during that year, and such income would nevertheless be subject to the distribution requirement and would be taken into account for purposes of the 4% excise tax (described above). Dividends paid by PFICs are not treated as qualified dividend income. BACKUP WITHHOLDING The Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax from all taxable distributions and sale proceeds payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or to make required certifications, or who have been notified by the Internal Revenue Service that they are subject to backup withholding. Corporate shareholders and certain other shareholders specified in the Code generally are exempt from such backup withholding. This withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder's U.S. federal income tax liability. NON-U.S. SHAREHOLDERS U.S. taxation of a shareholder who, as to the United States, is a nonresident alien individual, a foreign trust or estate, a foreign corporation or foreign partnership ("non-U.S. shareholder") depends on whether the income of the Fund is "effectively connected" with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the shareholder. In addition to the rules described above concerning the potential imposition of withholding on distributions to non-U.S. persons, distributions to non-U.S. persons that are "financial institutions" may be subject to a withholding tax of 30% unless an agreement is in place between the financial institution and the U.S. Treasury to collect and disclose information about accounts, equity investments, or debt interests in the financial institution held by one or more U.S. persons or the institution is resident in a jurisdiction that has entered into such an agreement with the U.S. Treasury. For these purposes, a "financial institution" means any entity that (i) accepts deposits in the ordinary course of a banking or similar business, (ii) holds financial assets for the account of others as a substantial portion of its business, or (iii) is engaged (or holds itself out as being engaged) primarily in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities, partnership interests, commodities or any interest (including a Futures Contract or option) in such securities, partnership interests or commodities. Dispositions of shares by such persons may be subject to such withholding after December 31, 2016. Distributions to non-financial non-U.S. entities (other than publicly traded foreign entities, entities owned by residents of U.S. possessions, foreign governments, international organizations, or foreign central banks) will also be subject to a withholding tax of 30% if the entity does not certify that 74 the entity does not have any substantial U.S. owners or provide the name, address and TIN of each substantial U.S. owner. Dispositions of shares by such persons may be subject to such withholding after December 31, 2016. Income Not Effectively Connected. If the income from the Fund is not "effectively connected" with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the non-U.S. shareholder, distributions of investment company taxable income will generally be subject to a U.S. tax of 30% (or lower treaty rate), which tax is generally withheld from such distributions. Distributions of capital gain dividends and any amounts retained by the Fund which are properly reported by the Fund as undistributed capital gains will not be subject to U.S. tax at the rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate) unless the non-U.S. shareholder is a nonresident alien individual and is physically present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year and meets certain other requirements. However, this 30% tax on capital gains of nonresident alien individuals who are physically present in the United States for more than the 182 day period only applies in exceptional cases because any individual present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year is generally treated as a resident for U.S. income tax purposes; in that case, he or she would be subject to U.S. income tax on his or her worldwide income at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens, rather than the 30% U.S. tax. In the case of a non-U.S. shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual, the Fund may be required to withhold U.S. income tax from distributions of net capital gain unless the non-U.S. shareholder certifies his or her non-U.S. status under penalties of perjury or otherwise establishes an exemption. If a non-U.S. shareholder is a nonresident alien individual, any gain such shareholder realizes upon the sale or exchange of such shareholder's shares of the Fund in the United States will ordinarily be exempt from U.S. tax unless the gain is U.S. source income and such shareholder is physically present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year and meets certain other requirements. In addition, capital gains distributions attributable to gains from U.S. real property interests (including certain U.S. real property holding corporations) will generally be subject to United States withholding tax and will give rise to an obligation on the part of the foreign shareholder to file a United States tax return. Income Effectively Connected. If the income from the Fund is "effectively connected" with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a non-U.S. shareholder, then distributions of investment company taxable income and capital gain dividends, any amounts retained by the Fund which are properly reported by the Fund as undistributed capital gains and any gains realized upon the sale or exchange of shares of the Fund will be subject to U.S. income tax at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens, residents and domestic corporations. Non-U.S. corporate shareholders may also be subject to the branch profits tax imposed by the Code. The tax consequences to a non-U.S. shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may differ from those described herein. Non-U.S. shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund. 75 OTHER TAXATION Fund shareholders may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes on their Fund distributions. Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund. DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled "Net Asset Value." The per share net asset value of the Fund is determined by dividing the total value of the securities and other assets, less liabilities, by the total number of shares outstanding. Under normal circumstances, daily calculation of the net asset value will utilize the last closing sale price of each security held by the Fund at the close of the market on which such security is principally listed. In determining net asset value, portfolio securities for the Fund for which accurate market quotations are readily available will be valued by the Fund accounting agent as follows: (1) Common stocks and other equity securities listed on any national or foreign exchange other than NASDAQ(R) and the London Stock Exchange Alternative Investment Market ("AIM") will be valued at the last sale price on the exchange on which they are principally traded, or the official closing price for NASDAQ(R) and AIM securities. Securities listed on NASDAQ(R) or AIM are valued at the official closing price on the business day as of which such value is being determined. Portfolio securities traded on more than one securities exchange are valued at the last sale price or official closing price, as applicable, on the business day as of which such value is being determined at the close of the exchange representing the principal market for such securities. (2) Securities traded in the OTC market are valued at the mean of the bid and asked price, if available, and otherwise at their closing bid price. (3) Exchange traded options and futures contracts are valued at the closing price in the market where such contracts are principally traded. OTC options and Futures Contracts are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and asked price, if available, and otherwise at their closing bid price. In addition, the following types of securities will be valued as follows: (1) Fixed income securities with a remaining maturity of 60 days or more will be valued by the fund accounting agent using a pricing service. When price quotes are not available, fair value is based on prices of comparable securities. (2) Fixed income securities maturing within 60 days are valued by the Fund accounting agent on an amortized cost basis. 76 (3) Repurchase agreements will be valued as follows. Overnight repurchase agreements will be valued at cost. Term repurchase agreements (i.e., those whose maturity exceeds seven days) will be valued by First Trust at the average of the bid quotations obtained daily from at least two recognized dealers. (4) Shares of money market funds will be valued at their net asset values as reported by such funds to Pricing Services. (5) Forward currency contracts and non-deliverable forward currency contracts will be valued at the current day's interpolated foreign exchange rate, as calculated using the current day's spot rate, and the 30, 60, 90, and 180 day forward rates provided by a Pricing Service or by certain independent dealers in such contracts. The value of any portfolio security held by the Fund for which market quotations are not readily available will be determined by First Trust in a manner that most fairly reflects fair market value of the security on the valuation date, based on a consideration of all available information. Certain securities may not be able to be priced by pre-established pricing methods. Such securities may be valued by the Board of Trustees or its delegate at fair value. These securities generally include but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities which may not be publicly sold without registration under the 1933 Act) for which a pricing service is unable to provide a market price; securities whose trading has been formally suspended; a security whose market price is not available from a pre-established pricing source; a security with respect to which an event has occurred that is likely to materially affect the value of the security after the market has closed but before the calculation of Fund net asset value (as may be the case in foreign markets on which the security is primarily traded) or make it difficult or impossible to obtain a reliable market quotation; and a security whose price, as provided by the pricing service, does not reflect the security's "fair value." As a general principle, the current "fair value" of an issue of securities would appear to be the amount that the owner might reasonably expect to receive for them upon their current sale. A variety of factors may be considered in determining the fair value of such securities. Valuing the Fund's investments using fair value pricing will result in using prices for those investments that may differ from current market valuations. Because foreign markets may be open on different days than the days during which a shareholder may purchase the shares of the Fund, the value of the Fund's investments may change on the days when shareholders are not able to purchase the shares of the Fund. The value of assets denominated in foreign currencies is converted into U.S. dollars using exchange rates in effect at the time of valuation. The Fund may suspend the right of redemption for the Fund only under the following unusual circumstances: (i) when the Exchange is closed (other than weekends and holidays) or trading is restricted; (ii) when trading in the markets normally utilized is restricted, or when an emergency exists as 77 determined by the SEC so that disposal of the Fund's investments or determination of its net assets is not reasonably practicable; or (iii) during any period when the SEC may permit. DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes." General Policies. Dividends from net investment income of the Fund, if any, are declared and paid monthly. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Trust may make distributions on a more frequent basis. The Trust reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve the status of the Fund as a regulated investment company or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income. Dividends and other distributions of Fund shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Fund. Dividend Reinvestment Service. No reinvestment service is provided by the Trust. Broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Fund for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Beneficial Owners should contact their brokers in order to determine the availability and costs of the service and the details of participation therein. Brokers may require Beneficial Owners to adhere to specific procedures and timetables. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares of the Fund purchased in the secondary market. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION Counsel. Chapman and Cutler LLP, 111 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603, is counsel to the Trust. Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Deloitte & Touche LLP, 111 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm. The firm audits the Fund's financial statements and performs other related audit services. 78 APPENDIX A - RATINGS OF INVESTMENTS STANDARD & POOR'S RATINGS GROUP--A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE APPLICABLE STANDARD & POOR'S ("S&P") RATING SYMBOLS AND THEIR MEANINGS (AS PUBLISHED BY S&P) FOLLOWS: A Standard & Poor's issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects Standard & Poor's view of the obligor's capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default. Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days--including commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. The result is a dual rating, in which the short-term rating addresses the put feature, in addition to the usual long-term rating. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings. Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on Standard & Poor's analysis of the following considerations: 1. Likelihood of payment--capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation; 2. Nature of and provisions of the obligation; and 3. Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights. Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.) AAA An obligation rated 'AAA' has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong. A-1 AA An obligation rated 'AA' differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong. A An obligation rated 'A' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong. BBB An obligation rated 'BBB' exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Obligations rated 'BB', 'B', 'CCC', 'CC', and 'C' are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. 'BB' indicates the least degree of speculation and 'C' the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions. BB An obligation rated 'BB' is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. B An obligation rated 'B' is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated 'BB', but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. CCC An obligation rated 'CCC' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. CC An obligation rated 'CC' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. C A 'C' rating is assigned to obligations that are currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, obligations that have payment arrearages allowed by the terms of the documents, or obligations of an issuer that is the subject of a bankruptcy petition or similar action which have not experienced a payment default. Among others, the 'C' rating may be assigned to subordinated debt, preferred stock or other obligations on which cash payments have been suspended in accordance with the instrument's terms or when preferred stock is the subject of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par. D An obligation rated 'D' is in payment default. The 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & A-2 Poor's believes that such payments will be made within five business days, irrespective of any grace period. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized. An obligation's rating is lowered to 'D' upon completion of a distressed exchange offer, whereby some or all of the issue is either repurchased for an amount of cash or replaced by other instruments having a total value that is less than par. NR This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor's does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy. The ratings from 'AA' to 'CCC' may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories. Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings A-1 A short-term obligation rated 'A-1' is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong. A-2 A short-term obligation rated 'A-2' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory. A-3 A short-term obligation rated 'A-3' exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. B A short-term obligion rated 'B' is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments. C A short-term obligation rated 'C' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. D A short-term obligation rated 'D' is in payment default. The 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The 'D' rating also will be used A-3 upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized. MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC.--A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE APPLICABLE MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. ("MOODY'S") RATING SYMBOLS AND THEIR MEANINGS (AS PUBLISHED BY MOODY'S) FOLLOWS: Ratings assigned on Moody's global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. Long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of one year or more and reflect both on the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments. Long Term Obligation Ratings Aaa Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk. Aa Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk. A Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk. Baa Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics. Ba Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk. B Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk. Caa Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk. Ca Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest. C Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest. Note: Moody's appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aaa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the A-4 obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Short-Term Obligation Ratings P-1 Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations. P-2 Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations. P-3 Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations. NP Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories. Medium-Term Note Program Ratings Moody's assigns provisional ratings to medium-term note (MTN) programs and definitive ratings to the individual debt securities issued from them (referred to as drawdowns or notes). MTN program ratings are intended to reflect the ratings likely to be assigned to drawdowns issued from the program with the specified priority of claim (e.g., senior or subordinated). To capture the contingent nature of a program rating, Moody's assigns provisional ratings to MTN programs. A provisional rating is denoted by a (P) in front of the rating. The rating assigned to a drawdown from a rated MTN or bank/deposit note program is definitive in nature, and may differ from the program rating if the drawdown is exposed to additional credit risks besides the issuer's default, such as links to the defaults of other issuers, or has other structural features that warrant a different rating. In some circumstances, no rating may be assigned to a drawdown. Moody's encourages market participants to contact Moody's Ratings Desks or visit www.moodys.com directly if they have questions regarding ratings for specific notes issued under a medium-term note program. Unrated notes issued under an MTN program may be assigned an NR (not rated) symbol. A-5 U.S. Municipal Short-Term Debt and Demand Obligation Ratings Short-Term Obligation Ratings The Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) scale is used to rate US municipal bond anticipation notes of up to three years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuer's long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levels--MIG 1 through MIG 3--while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated SG. MIG 1 This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing. MIG 2 This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group. MIG 3 This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established. SG This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection. Demand Obligation Ratings In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned: a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody's evaluation of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody's evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand ("demand feature"). The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade (VMIG) scale. VMIG 1 This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. VMIG 2 This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. VMIG 3 This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. SG This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not A-6 have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand. FITCH RATINGS--A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE APPLICABLE FITCH RATINGS ("FITCH") RATINGS SYMBOLS AND MEANINGS (AS PUBLISHED BY FITCH) FOLLOWS: Fitch Ratings' credit ratings provide an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested. The agency's credit ratings cover the global spectrum of corporate, sovereign (including supranational and sub-national), financial, bank, insurance, municipal and other public finance entities and the securities or other obligations they issue, as well as structured finance securities backed by receivables or other financial assets. The terms "investment grade" and "speculative grade" have established themselves over time as shorthand to describe the categories 'AAA' to 'BBB' (investment grade) and 'BB' to 'D' (speculative grade). The terms "investment grade" and "speculative grade" are market conventions, and do not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a specific security for investment purposes. "Investment grade" categories indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while ratings in the "speculative" categories either signal a higher level of credit risk or that a default has already occurred. A designation of "Not Rated" or "NR" is used to denote securities not rated by Fitch where Fitch has rated some, but not all, securities comprising an issuance capital structure. Credit ratings express risk in relative rank order, which is to say they are ordinal measures of credit risk and are not predictive of a specific frequency of default or loss. Fitch's credit ratings do not directly address any risk other than credit risk. In particular, ratings do not deal with the risk of a market value loss on a rated security due to changes in interest rates, liquidity and other market considerations. However, in terms of payment obligation on the rated liability, market risk may be considered to the extent that it influences the ability of an issuer to pay upon a commitment. Ratings nonetheless do not reflect market risk to the extent that they influence the size or other conditionality of the obligation to pay upon a commitment (for example, in the case of index-linked bonds). In the default components of ratings assigned to individual obligations or instruments, the agency typically rates to the likelihood of non-payment or default in accordance with the terms of that instrument's documentation. In limited cases, Fitch Ratings may include additional considerations (i.e., rate to a higher or lower standard than that implied in the obligation's documentation). In such cases, the agency will make clear the assumptions underlying the agency's opinion in the accompanying rating commentary. A-7 International Long-Term Ratings Issuer Credit Rating Scales AAA Highest credit quality. 'AAA' ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events. AA Very high credit quality. 'AA' ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events. A High credit quality. 'A' ratings denote expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings. BBB Good credit quality. 'BBB' ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. BB Speculative. 'BB' ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists which supports the servicing of financial commitments. B Highly speculative. 'B' ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment. CCC Substantial credit risk. Default is a real possibility. CC Very high levels of credit risk. Default of some kind appears probable. C Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. Default is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill. Conditions that are indicative of a 'C' category rating for an issuer include: (i) the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation; (ii) the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or (iii) Fitch Ratings otherwise believes a condition of 'RD' or 'D' to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a distressed debt exchange. RD: Restricted default. 'RD' ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings' opinion has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but which has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, and which has not otherwise ceased operating. This would include: A-8 (i) the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt; (ii) the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation; (iii) the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or (iv) execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations. D: Default. 'D' ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings' opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise ceased business. Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed debt exchange. "Imminent" default typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer, and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment, but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a distressed debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future. In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agency's opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings, and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuer's financial obligations or local commercial practice. Note. The modifiers "+" or "-" may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the 'AAA', or to categories below 'B'. International Short-Term Ratings A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity or security stream and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as "short term" based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations, and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets. A-9 F1 Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature. F2 Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. F3 Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate. B Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions. C High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility. RD Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Applicable to entity ratings only. D Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation. Notes to Long-term and Short-term ratings: 'WD' indicates that the rating has been withdrawn and the issue or issuer is no longer rated by Fitch Ratings Rating Watch: Rating Watches indicate that there is a heightened probability of a rating change and the likely direction of such a change. These are designated as "Positive", indicating a potential upgrade, "Negative", for a potential downgrade, or "Evolving", if ratings may be raised, lowered or affirmed. However, ratings that are not on Rating Watch can be raised or lowered without being placed on Rating Watch first, if circumstances warrant such an action. A Rating Watch is typically event-driven and, as such, it is generally resolved over a relatively short period. A-10 APPENDIX B - PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES ISS ------------- An MSCI Brand ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Transparency. Inclusiveness. Global Expertise. 2014 U.S. Proxy Voting Concise Guidelines January 13, 2014 Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. Copyright (C) 2013 by ISS B-1 ISS' 2014 U.S. Proxy Voting Concise Guidelines Updated: Jan 13, 2014 The policies contained herein are a sampling of select, key proxy voting guidelines and are not exhaustive. A full listing of ISS' 2014 proxy voting guidelines can be found at: http://www.issgovernance.com/policy/2014/policy_information ROUTINE/MISCELLANEOUS Auditor Ratification Vote for proposals to ratify auditors unless any of the following apply: o An auditor has a financial interest in or association with the company, and is therefore not independent; o There is reason to believe that the independent auditor has rendered an opinion that is neither accurate nor indicative of the company's financial position; o Poor accounting practices are identified that rise to a serious level of concern, such as: fraud; misapplication of GAAP, or material weaknesses identified in Section 404 disclosures; or o Fees for non-audit services ("Other" fees) are excessive. Non-audit fees are excessive if: o Non-audit ("other") fees > audit fees + audit-related fees + tax compliance/preparation fees o o o o o BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Voting on Director Nominees in Uncontested Elections Four fundamental principles apply when determining votes on director nominees: 1. Accountability 2. Responsiveness 3. Composition 4. Independence Generally vote for director nominees, except under the following circumstances: 1. Accountability B-2 Vote against(1) or withhold from the entire board of directors (except new nominees(2), who should be considered case-by-case) for the following: Problematic Takeover Defenses Classified Board Structure: 1.1. The board is classified, and a continuing director responsible for a problematic governance issue at the board/committee level that would warrant a withhold/against vote recommendation is not up for election. All appropriate nominees (except new) may be held accountable. Director Performance Evaluation: 1.2. The board lacks accountability and oversight, coupled with sustained poor performance relative to peers. Sustained poor performance is measured by one- and three-year total shareholder returns in the bottom half of a company's four-digit GICS industry group (Russell 3000 companies only). Take into consideration the company's five-year total shareholder return and operational metrics. Problematic provisions include but are not limited to: o A classified board structure; o A supermajority vote requirement; o Either a plurality vote standard in uncontested director elections or a majority vote standard with no plurality carve-out for contested elections; o The inability of shareholders to call special meetings; o The inability of shareholders to act by written consent; o A dual-class capital structure; and/or o A non-shareholder-approved poison pill. Poison Pills: 1.3. The company's poison pill has a "dead-hand" or "modified dead-hand" feature. Vote against or withhold from nominees every year until this feature is removed; 1.4. The board adopts a poison pill with a term of more than 12 months ("long-term pill"), or renews any existing pill, including any "short-term" pill (12 months or less), without shareholder approval. A commitment or policy that puts a newly adopted pill to a binding shareholder vote may potentially offset an adverse vote -------- 1 In general, companies with a plurality vote standard use "Withhold" as the contrary vote option in director elections; companies with a majority vote standard use "Against". However, it will vary by company and the proxy must be checked to determine the valid contrary vote option for the particular company. 2 A "new nominee" is any current nominee who has not already been elected by shareholders and who joined the board after the problematic action in question transpired. If ISS cannot determine whether the nominee joined the board before or after the problematic action transpired, the nominee will be considered a "new nominee" if he or she joined the board within the 12 months prior to the upcoming shareholder meeting. B-3 recommendation. Review such companies with classified boards every year, and such companies with annually elected boards at least once every three years, and vote against or withhold votes from all nominees if the company still maintains a non-shareholder-approved poison pill; or 1.5. The board makes a material adverse change to an existing poison pill without shareholder approval. Vote case-by-case on all nominees if: 1.6. The board adopts a poison pill with a term of 12 months or less ("short-term pill") without shareholder approval, taking into account the following factors: o The date of the pill's adoption relative to the date of the next meeting of shareholders--i.e., whether the company had time to put the pill on ballot for shareholder ratification given the circumstances; o The issuer's rationale; o The issuer's governance structure and practices; and o The issuer's track record of accountability to shareholders. Problematic Audit-Related Practices Generally vote against or withhold from the members of the Audit Committee if: 1.7. The non-audit fees paid to the auditor are excessive (see discussion under "Auditor Ratification"); 1.8. The company receives an adverse opinion on the company's financial statements from its auditor; or 1.9. There is persuasive evidence that the Audit Committee entered into an inappropriate indemnification agreement with its auditor that limits the ability of the company, or its shareholders, to pursue legitimate legal recourse against the audit firm. Vote case-by-case on members of the Audit Committee, and potentially the full board, if: 1.10. Poor accounting practices are identified that rise to a level of serious concern, such as: fraud, misapplication of GAA; and material weaknesses identified in Section 404 disclosures. Examine the severity, breadth, chronological sequence, and duration, as well as the company's efforts at remediation or corrective actions, in determining whether withhold/against votes are warranted. Problematic Compensation Practices/Pay for Performance Misalignment B-4 In the absence of an Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation ballot item or in egregious situations, vote against or withhold from the members of the Compensation Committee, and potentially the full board, if: 1.11. There is a significant misalignment between CEO pay and company performance (pay for performance); 1.12. The company maintains significant problematic pay practices; 1.13. The board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders; 1.14. The company fails to submit one-time transfers of stock options to a shareholder vote; or 1.15. The company fails to fulfill the terms of a burn rate commitment made to shareholders. Vote case-by-case on Compensation Committee members (or, in exceptional cases, the full board) and the Management Say-on-Pay proposal if: 1.16. The company's previous say-on-pay proposal received the support of less than 70 percent of votes cast, taking into account: o The company's response, including: - Disclosure of engagement efforts with major institutional investors regarding the issues that contributed to the low level of support; - Specific actions taken to address the issues that contributed to the low level of support; - Other recent compensation actions taken by the company; o Whether the issues raised are recurring or isolated; o The company's ownership structure; and o Whether the support level was less than 50 percent, which would warrant the highest degree of responsiveness. Governance Failures Under extraordinary circumstances, vote against or withhold from directors individually, committee members, or the entire board, due to: 1.17. Material failures of governance, stewardship, risk oversight(3), or fiduciary responsibilities at the company; 1.18. Failure to replace management as appropriate; or 1.19. Egregious actions related to a director's service on other boards that raise substantial doubt about his or her ability to effectively oversee management and serve the best interests of shareholders at any company. -------- 3 Examples of failure of risk oversight include, but are not limited to: bribery; large or serial fines or sanctions from regulatory bodies; significant adverse legal judgments or settlements; hedging of company stock; or significant pledging of company stock. B-5 2. Responsiveness Vote case-by-case on individual directors, committee members, or the entire board of directors, as appropriate, if: 2.1. The board failed to act on a shareholder proposal that received the support of a majority of the shares cast in the previous year. Factors that will be considered are: o Disclosed outreach efforts by the board to shareholders in the wake of the vote; o Rationale provided in the proxy statement for the level of implementation; o The subject matter of the proposal; o The level of support for and opposition to the resolution in past meetings; o Actions taken by the board in response to the majority vote and its engagement with shareholders; o The continuation of the underlying issue as a voting item on the ballot (as either shareholder or management proposals); and o Other factors as appropriate. 2.2. The board failed to act on takeover offers where the majority of shares are tendered; 2.3. At the previous board election, any director received more than 50 percent withhold/against votes of the shares cast and the company has failed to address the issue(s) that caused the high withhold/against vote; 2.4. The board implements an advisory vote on executive compensation on a less frequent basis than the frequency that received the majority of votes cast at the most recent shareholder meeting at which shareholders voted on the say-on-pay frequency; or 2.5. The board implements an advisory vote on executive compensation on a less frequent basis than the frequency that received a plurality, but not a majority, of the votes cast at the most recent shareholder meeting at which shareholders voted on the say-on-pay frequency, taking into account: o The board's rationale for selecting a frequency that is different from the frequency that received a plurality; o The company's ownership structure and vote results; o ISS' analysis of whether there are compensation concerns or a history of problematic compensation practices; and o The previous year's support level on the company's say-on-pay proposal. B-6 3. Composition Attendance at Board and Committee Meetings: 3.1. Generally vote against or withhold from directors (except new nominees, who should be considered case-by-case(4)) who attend less than 75 percent of the aggregate of their board and committee meetings for the period for which they served, unless an acceptable reason for absences is disclosed in the proxy or another SEC filing. Acceptable reasons for director absences are generally limited to the following: o Medical issues/illness; o Family emergencies; and o Missing only one meeting (when the total of all meetings is three or fewer). 3.2. If the proxy disclosure is unclear and insufficient to determine whether a director attended at least 75 percent of the aggregate of his/her board and committee meetings during his/her period of service, vote against or withhold from the director(s) in question. Overboarded Directors: Vote against or withhold from individual directors who: 3.3. Sit on more than six public company boards; or 3.4. Are CEOs of public companies who sit on the boards of more than two public companies besides their own--withhold only at their outside boards(5). 4. Independence Vote against or withhold from Inside Directors and Affiliated Outside Directors when: 4.1. The inside or affiliated outside director serves on any of the three key committees: audit, compensation, or nominating; 4.2. The company lacks an audit, compensation, or nominating committee so that the full board functions as that committee; 4.3. The company lacks a formal nominating committee, even if the board attests that the independent directors fulfill the functions of such a committee; or 4.4. Independent directors make up less than a majority of the directors. o o o o o -------- 4 For new nominees only, schedule conflicts due to commitments made prior to their appointment to the board are considered if disclosed in the proxy or another SEC filing. 5 Although all of a CEO's subsidiary boards will be counted as separate boards, ISS will not recommend a withhold vote from the CEO of a parent company board or any of the controlled (>50 percent ownership) subsidiaries of that parent, but will do so at subsidiaries that are less than 50 percent controlled and boards outside the parent/subsidiary relationships. B-7 Proxy Access ISS supports proxy access as an important shareholder right, one that is complementary to other best-practice corporate governance features. However, in the absence of a uniform standard, proposals to enact proxy access may vary widely; as such, ISS is not setting forth specific parameters at this time and will take a case-by-case approach in evaluating these proposals. Vote case-by-case on proposals to enact proxy access, taking into account, among other factors: o Company-specific factors; and o Proposal-specific factors, including: - The ownership thresholds proposed in the resolution (i.e., percentage and duration); - The maximum proportion of directors that shareholders may nominate each year; and - The method of determining which nominations should appear on the ballot if multiple shareholders submit nominations. o o o o o Proxy Contests--Voting for Director Nominees in Contested Elections Vote case-by-case on the election of directors in contested elections, considering the following factors: o Long-term financial performance of the target company relative to its industry; o Management's track record; o Background to the proxy contest; o Nominee qualifications and any compensatory arrangements; o Strategic plan of dissident slate and quality of critique against management; o Likelihood that the proposed goals and objectives can be achieved (both slates); and o Stock ownership positions. When the addition of shareholder nominees to the management card ("proxy access nominees") results in a number of nominees on the management card which exceeds the number of seats available for election, vote case-by-case considering the same factors listed above. o o o o o B-8 SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS & DEFENSES Poison Pills- Management Proposals to Ratify Poison Pill Vote case-by-case on management proposals on poison pill ratification, focusing on the features of the shareholder rights plan. Rights plans should contain the following attributes: o No lower than a 20% trigger, flip-in or flip-over; o A term of no more than three years; o No dead-hand, slow-hand, no-hand or similar feature that limits the ability of a future board to redeem the pill; o Shareholder redemption feature (qualifying offer clause); if the board refuses to redeem the pill 90 days after a qualifying offer is announced, 10 percent of the shares may call a special meeting or seek a written consent to vote on rescinding the pill. In addition, the rationale for adopting the pill should be thoroughly explained by the company. In examining the request for the pill, take into consideration the company's existing governance structure, including: board independence, existing takeover defenses, and any problematic governance concerns. o o o o o Poison Pills- Management Proposals to Ratify a Pill to Preserve Net Operating Losses (NOLs) Vote against proposals to adopt a poison pill for the stated purpose of protecting a company's net operating losses (NOL) if the term of the pill would exceed the shorter of three years and the exhaustion of the NOL. Vote case-by-case on management proposals for poison pill ratification, considering the following factors, if the term of the pill would be the shorter of three years (or less) and the exhaustion of the NOL: o The ownership threshold to transfer (NOL pills generally have a trigger slightly below 5 percent); o The value of the NOLs; o Shareholder protection mechanisms (sunset provision, or commitment to cause expiration of the pill upon exhaustion or expiration of NOLs); o The company's existing governance structure including: board independence, existing takeover defenses, track record of responsiveness to shareholders, and any other problematic governance concerns; and o Any other factors that may be applicable. o o o o o B-9 Shareholder Ability to Act by Written Consent Generally vote against management and shareholder proposals to restrict or prohibit shareholders' ability to act by written consent. Generally vote for management and shareholder proposals that provide shareholders with the ability to act by written consent, taking into account the following factors: o Shareholders' current right to act by written consent; o The consent threshold; o The inclusion of exclusionary or prohibitive language; o Investor ownership structure; and o Shareholder support of, and management's response to, previous shareholder proposals. Vote case-by-case on shareholder proposals if, in addition to the considerations above, the company has the following governance and antitakeover provisions: o An unfettered(6) right for shareholders to call special meetings at a 10 percent threshold; o A majority vote standard in uncontested director elections; o No non-shareholder-approved pill; and o An annually elected board. o o o o o CAPITAL/RESTRUCTURING Common Stock Authorization Vote for proposals to increase the number of authorized common shares where the primary purpose of the increase is to issue shares in connection with a transaction on the same ballot that warrants support. Vote against proposals at companies with more than one class of common stock to increase the number of authorized shares of the class of common stock that has superior voting rights. Vote against proposals to increase the number of authorized common shares if a vote for a reverse stock split on the same ballot is warranted despite the fact that the authorized shares would not be reduced proportionally. -------- 6 "Unfettered" means no restrictions on agenda items, no restrictions on the number of shareholders who can group together to reach the 10 percent threshold, and only reasonable limits on when a meeting can be called: no greater than 30 days after the last annual meeting and no greater than 90 prior to the next annual meeting. B-10 Vote case-by-case on all other proposals to increase the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance. Take into account company-specific factors that include, at a minimum, the following: o Past Board Performance: - The company's use of authorized shares during the last three years o The Current Request: - Disclosure in the proxy statement of the specific purposes of the proposed increase; - Disclosure in the proxy statement of specific and severe risks to shareholders of not approving the request; and - The dilutive impact of the request as determined by an allowable increase calculated by ISS (typically 100 percent of existing authorized shares) that reflects the company's need for shares and total shareholder returns. o o o o o Dual Class Structure Generally vote against proposals to create a new class of common stock, unless: o The company discloses a compelling rationale for the dual-class capital structure, such as: o The company's auditor has concluded that there is substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern; or o The new class of shares will be transitory; o The new class is intended for financing purposes with minimal or no dilution to current shareholders in both the short term and long term; and o The new class is not designed to preserve or increase the voting power of an insider or significant shareholder. o o o o o Preferred Stock Authorization Vote for proposals to increase the number of authorized preferred shares where the primary purpose of the increase is to issue shares in connection with a transaction on the same ballot that warrants support. Vote against proposals at companies with more than one class or series of preferred stock to increase the number of authorized shares of the class or series of preferred stock that has superior voting rights. Vote case-by-case on all other proposals to increase the number of shares of preferred stock authorized for issuance. Take into account company-specific factors that include, at a minimum, the following: B-11 o Past Board Performance: - The company's use of authorized preferred shares during the last three years; o The Current Request: - Disclosure in the proxy statement of the specific purposes for the proposed increase; - Disclosure in the proxy statement of specific and severe risks to shareholders of not approving the request; - In cases where the company has existing authorized preferred stock, the dilutive impact of the request as determined by an allowable increase calculated by ISS (typically 100 percent of existing authorized shares) that reflects the company's need for shares and total shareholder returns; and - Whether the shares requested are blank check preferred shares that can be used for antitakeover purposes. o o o o o Mergers and Acquisitions Vote case-by-case on mergers and acquisitions. Review and evaluate the merits and drawbacks of the proposed transaction, balancing various and sometimes countervailing factors including: o Valuation - Is the value to be received by the target shareholders (or paid by the acquirer) reasonable? While the fairness opinion may provide an initial starting point for assessing valuation reasonableness, emphasis is placed on the offer premium, market reaction and strategic rationale. o Market reaction - How has the market responded to the proposed deal? A negative market reaction should cause closer scrutiny of a deal. o Strategic rationale - Does the deal make sense strategically? From where is the value derived? Cost and revenue synergies should not be overly aggressive or optimistic, but reasonably achievable. Management should also have a favorable track record of successful integration of historical acquisitions. o Negotiations and process - Were the terms of the transaction negotiated at arm's-length? Was the process fair and equitable? A fair process helps to ensure the best price for shareholders. Significant negotiation "wins" can also signify the deal makers' competency. The comprehensiveness of the sales process (e.g., full auction, partial auction, no auction) can also affect shareholder value. o Conflicts of interest - Are insiders benefiting from the transaction disproportionately and inappropriately as compared to non-insider shareholders? As the result of potential conflicts, the directors and officers of the company may be more likely to vote to approve a merger than if they did not hold these interests. Consider whether these interests may have influenced these directors and officers to support or recommend the merger. The CIC figure presented in the "ISS Transaction Summary" section of this report is an aggregate figure that can in certain cases be a misleading indicator of the true value transfer from shareholders to insiders. Where such figure appears to be excessive, analyze the underlying assumptions to determine whether a potential conflict exists. o Governance - Will the combined company have a better or worse governance profile than the current governance profiles of the B-12 respective parties to the transaction? If the governance profile is to change for the worse, the burden is on the company to prove that other issues (such as valuation) outweigh any deterioration in governance. o o o o o COMPENSATION Executive Pay Evaluation Underlying all evaluations are five global principles that most investors expect corporations to adhere to in designing and administering executive and director compensation programs: 1. Maintain appropriate pay-for-performance alignment, with emphasis on long-term shareholder value: This principle encompasses overall executive pay practices, which must be designed to attract, retain, and appropriately motivate the key employees who drive shareholder value creation over the long term. It will take into consideration, among other factors, the link between pay and performance; the mix between fixed and variable pay; performance goals; and equity-based plan costs; 2. Avoid arrangements that risk "pay for failure": This principle addresses the appropriateness of long or indefinite contracts, excessive severance packages, and guaranteed compensation; 3. Maintain an independent and effective compensation committee: This principle promotes oversight of executive pay programs by directors with appropriate skills, knowledge, experience, and a sound process for compensation decision-making (e.g., including access to independent expertise and advice when needed); 4. Provide shareholders with clear, comprehensive compensation disclosures: This principle underscores the importance of informative and timely disclosures that enable shareholders to evaluate executive pay practices fully and fairly; 5. Avoid inappropriate pay to non-executive directors: This principle recognizes the interests of shareholders in ensuring that compensation to outside directors does not compromise their independence and ability to make appropriate judgments in overseeing managers' pay and performance. At the market level, it may incorporate a variety of generally accepted best practices. Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation--Management Proposals (Management Say-on-Pay) Vote case-by-case on ballot items related to executive pay and practices, as well as certain aspects of outside director compensation. B-13 Vote against Advisory Votes on Executive Compensation (Management Say-on-Pay--MSOP) if: o There is a significant misalignment between CEO pay and company performance (pay for performance); o The company maintains significant problematic pay practices; o The board exhibits a significant level of poor communication and responsiveness to shareholders. Vote against or withhold from the members of the Compensation Committee and potentially the full board if: o There is no MSOP on the ballot, and an against vote on an MSOP is warranted due to a pay for performance misalignment, problematic pay practices, or the lack of adequate responsiveness on compensation issues raised previously, or a combination thereof; o The board fails to respond adequately to a previous MSOP proposal that received less than 70 percent support of votes cast; o The company has recently practiced or approved problematic pay practices, including option repricing or option backdating; or o The situation is egregious. Vote against an equity plan on the ballot if: o A pay for performance misalignment is found, and a significant portion of the CEO's misaligned pay is attributed to non-performance-based equity awards, taking into consideration: - Magnitude of pay misalignment; - Contribution of non-performance-based equity grants to overall pay; and - the proportion of equity awards granted in the last three fiscal years concentrated at the named executive officer (NEO) level. Primary Evaluation Factors for Executive Pay Pay-for-Performance Evaluation ISS annually conducts a pay-for-performance analysis to identify strong or satisfactory alignment between pay and performance over a sustained period. With respect to companies in the Russell 3000 index, this analysis considers the following: B-14 1. Peer Group(7) Alignment: o The degree of alignment between the company's annualized TSR rank and the CEO's annualized total pay rank within a peer group, each measured over a three-year period. o The multiple of the CEO's total pay relative to the peer group median. 2. Absolute Alignment - the absolute alignment between the trend in CEO pay and company TSR over the prior five fiscal years - i.e., the difference between the trend in annual pay changes and the trend in annualized TSR during the period. If the above analysis demonstrates significant unsatisfactory long-term pay-for-performance alignment or, in the case of non-Russell 3000 index companies, misaligned pay and performance are otherwise suggested, our analysis may include any of the following qualitative factors, if they are relevant to the analysis to determine how various pay elements may work to encourage or to undermine long-term value creation and alignment with shareholder interests: o The ratio of performance- to time-based equity awards; o The overall ratio of performance-based compensation; o The completeness of disclosure and rigor of performance goals; o The company's peer group benchmarking practices; o Actual results of financial/operational metrics, such as growth in revenue, profit, cash flow, etc., both absolute and relative to peers; o Special circumstances related to, for example, a new CEO in the prior FY or anomalous equity grant practices (e.g., bi-annual awards); o Realizable pay(8) compared to grant pay; and o Any other factors deemed relevant. Problematic Pay Practices The focus is on executive compensation practices that contravene the global pay principles, including: o Problematic practices related to non-performance-based compensation elements; o Incentives that may motivate excessive risk-taking; and o Options Backdating. -------- 7 The revised peer group is generally comprised of 14-24 companies that are selected using market cap, revenue (or assets for certain financial firms), GICS industry group and company's selected peers' GICS industry group with size constraints, via a process designed to select peers that are closest to the subject company in terms of revenue/assets and industry and also within a market cap bucket that is reflective of the company's. 8 ISS research reports will include realizable pay for S&P 1500 companies. B-15 Problematic Pay Practices related to Non-Performance-Based Compensation Elements Pay elements that are not directly based on performance are generally evaluated case-by-case considering the context of a company's overall pay program and demonstrated pay-for-performance philosophy. Please refer to ISS' Compensation FAQ document for detail on specific pay practices that have been identified as potentially problematic and may lead to negative recommendations if they are deemed to be inappropriate or unjustified relative to executive pay best practices. The list below highlights the problematic practices that carry significant weight in this overall consideration and may result in adverse vote recommendations: o Repricing or replacing of underwater stock options/SARS without prior shareholder approval (including cash buyouts and voluntary surrender of underwater options); o Excessive perquisites or tax gross-ups, including any gross-up related to a secular trust or restricted stock vesting; o New or extended agreements that provide for: - CIC payments exceeding 3 times base salary and average/target/most recent bonus; - CIC severance payments without involuntary job loss or substantial diminution of duties ("single" or "modified single" triggers); - CIC payments with excise tax gross-ups (including "modified" gross-ups). Incentives that may Motivate Excessive Risk-Taking o Multi-year guaranteed bonuses; o A single or common performance metric used for short- and long-term plans; o Lucrative severance packages; o High pay opportunities relative to industry peers; o Disproportionate supplemental pensions; or o Mega annual equity grants that provide unlimited upside with no downside risk. Factors that potentially mitigate the impact of risky incentives include rigorous claw-back provisions and robust stock ownership/holding guidelines. Options Backdating The following factors should be examined case-by-case to allow for distinctions to be made between "sloppy" plan administration versus deliberate action or fraud: o Reason and motive for the options backdating issue, such as inadvertent vs. deliberate grant date changes; o Duration of options backdating; o Size of restatement due to options backdating; o Corrective actions taken by the board or compensation committee, such as canceling or re-pricing backdated options, the recouping of option gains on backdated grants; and o Adoption of a grant policy that prohibits backdating, and creates a fixed grant schedule or window period for equity grants in the future. B-16 Board Communications and Responsiveness Consider the following factors case-by-case when evaluating ballot items related to executive pay on the board's responsiveness to investor input and engagement on compensation issues: o Failure to respond to majority-supported shareholder proposals on executive pay topics; or o Failure to adequately respond to the company's previous say-on-pay proposal that received the support of less than 70 percent of votes cast, taking into account: - The company's response, including: o Disclosure of engagement efforts with major institutional investors regarding the issues that contributed to the low level of support; o Specific actions taken to address the issues that contributed to the low level of support; o Other recent compensation actions taken by the company; - Whether the issues raised are recurring or isolated; - The company's ownership structure; and - Whether the support level was less than 50 percent, which would warrant the highest degree of responsiveness. o o o o o Frequency of Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation ("Say When on Pay") Vote for annual advisory votes on compensation, which provide the most consistent and clear communication channel for shareholder concerns about companies' executive pay programs. o o o o o Voting on Golden Parachutes in an Acquisition, Merger, Consolidation, or Proposed Sale Vote case-by-case on say on Golden Parachute proposals, including consideration of existing change-in-control arrangements maintained with named executive officers rather than focusing primarily on new or extended arrangements. Features that may result in an against recommendation include one or more of the following, depending on the number, magnitude, and/or timing of issue(s): o Single- or modified-single-trigger cash severance; o Single-trigger acceleration of unvested equity awards; o Excessive cash severance (>3x base salary and bonus); o Excise tax gross-ups triggered and payable (as opposed to a provision to provide excise tax gross-ups); o Excessive golden parachute payments (on an absolute basis or as a percentage of transaction equity value); or o Recent amendments that incorporate any problematic features (such as those above) or recent actions (such as extraordinary equity grants) B-17 that may make packages so attractive as to influence merger agreements that may not be in the best interests of shareholders; or o The company's assertion that a proposed transaction is conditioned on shareholder approval of the golden parachute advisory vote. Recent amendment(s) that incorporate problematic features will tend to carry more weight on the overall analysis. However, the presence of multiple legacy problematic features will also be closely scrutinized. In cases where the golden parachute vote is incorporated into a company's advisory vote on compensation (management say-on-pay), ISS will evaluate the say-on-pay proposal in accordance with these guidelines, which may give higher weight to that component of the overall evaluation. o o o o o Equity-Based and Other Incentive Plans Vote case-by-case on equity-based compensation plans. Vote against the equity plan if any of the following factors apply: o The total cost of the company's equity plans is unreasonable; o The plan expressly permits repricing; o A pay-for-performance misalignment is found; o The company's three year burn rate exceeds the burn rate cap of its industry group; o The plan has a liberal change-of-control definition; or o The plan is a vehicle for problematic pay practices. SOCIAL/ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES Global Approach Issues covered under the policy include a wide range of topics, including consumer and product safety, environment and energy, labor standards and human rights, workplace and board diversity, and corporate political issues. While a variety of factors goes into each analysis, the overall principle guiding all vote recommendations focuses on how the proposal may enhance or protect shareholder value in either the short or long term. Generally vote case-by-case, taking into consideration whether implementation of the proposal is likely to enhance or protect shareholder value, and, in addition, the following will also be considered: o If the issues presented in the proposal are more appropriately or effectively dealt with through legislation or government regulation; o If the company has already responded in an appropriate and sufficient manner to the issue(s) raised in the proposal; B-18 o Whether the proposal's request is unduly burdensome (scope or timeframe) or overly prescriptive; o The company's approach compared with any industry standard practices for addressing the issue(s) raised by the proposal; o If the proposal requests increased disclosure or greater transparency, whether or not reasonable and sufficient information is currently available to shareholders from the company or from other publicly available sources; and o If the proposal requests increased disclosure or greater transparency, whether or not implementation would reveal proprietary or confidential information that could place the company at a competitive disadvantage. o o o o o Political Activities Lobbying Vote case-by-case on proposals requesting information on a company's lobbying (including direct, indirect, and grassroots lobbying) activities, policies, or procedures, considering: o The company's current disclosure of relevant lobbying policies, and management and board oversight; o The company's disclosure regarding trade associations or other groups that it supports, or is a member of, that engage in lobbying activities; and o Recent significant controversies, fines, or litigation regarding the company's lobbying-related activities. o o o o o Political Contributions Generally vote for proposals requesting greater disclosure of a company's political contributions and trade association spending policies and activities, considering: o The company's current disclosure of policies and oversight mechanisms related to its direct political contributions and payments to trade associations or other groups that may be used for political purposes, including information on the types of organizations supported and the business rationale for supporting these organizations; and o Recent significant controversies, fines, or litigation related to the company's political contributions or political activities. Vote against proposals barring a company from making political contributions. Businesses are affected by legislation at the federal, state, and local level; barring political contributions can put the company at a competitive disadvantage. B-19 Vote against proposals to publish in newspapers and other media a company's political contributions. Such publications could present significant cost to the company without providing commensurate value to shareholders. o o o o o Political Ties Generally vote against proposals asking a company to affirm political nonpartisanship in the workplace, so long as: o There are no recent, significant controversies, fines, or litigation regarding the company's political contributions or trade association spending; and o The company has procedures in place to ensure that employee contributions to company-sponsored political action committees (PACs) are strictly voluntary and prohibit coercion. Vote against proposals asking for a list of company executives, directors, consultants, legal counsels, lobbyists, or investment bankers that have prior government service and whether such service had a bearing on the business of the company. Such a list would be burdensome to prepare without providing any meaningful information to shareholders. o o o o o 8. Foreign Private Issuers Listed on U.S. Exchanges Vote against (or withhold from) non-independent director nominees at companies which fail to meet the following criteria: a majority-independent board, and the presence of an audit, a compensation, and a nomination committee, each of which is entirely composed of independent directors. Where the design and disclosure levels of equity compensation plans are comparable to those seen at U.S. companies, U.S. compensation policy will be used to evaluate the compensation plan proposals. Otherwise, they, and all other voting items, will be evaluated using the relevant ISS regional or market proxy voting guidelines. o o o o o DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER This document and all of the information contained in it, including without limitation all text, data, graphs, and charts (collectively, the "Information") is the property of Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS), its subsidiaries, or, in some cases third party suppliers. The Information has not been submitted to, nor received approval from, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory body. None of the Information constitutes an offer to sell (or a solicitation of an offer to buy), or a promotion or recommendation of, any security, financial B-20 product or other investment vehicle or any trading strategy, and ISS does not endorse, approve, or otherwise express any opinion regarding any issuer, securities, financial products or instruments or trading strategies. 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