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Investor Class Prospectus | Tax Free Fund | Tax Free Fund
Tax Free Fund
Investment Objective

The Tax Free Fund seeks to provide a high level of current income that is exempt from federal income taxation and to preserve capital.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold Investor Class shares of the fund. These fees are paid directly from your investment.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Shareholder Fees (USD $)
Investor Class Prospectus
Tax Free Fund
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) none
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
Investor Class Prospectus
Tax Free Fund
Management fee 0.75%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees none
Other expenses 1.09%
Total annual fund operating expenses 1.84%
Expense reimbursement [1] (1.14%)
Total annual fund operating expenses after expense reimbursement 0.70%
[1] The Adviser has contractually limited the total fund operating expenses (exclusive of acquired fund fees and expenses, extraordinary expenses, taxes, brokerage commissions and interest) to not exceed 0.70% for the Tax Free Fund on an annualized basis through April 30, 2014. This arrangement may not be changed or terminated during this period without approval of the fund's Board of Trustees and may be changed or terminated by the Adviser at any time after April 30, 2014.
Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Investor Class of the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% annual return, the fund's operating expenses remain the same and the expense limitation arrangement is not continued after the first year. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your cost would be:

If you redeem your shares:
Expense Example (USD $)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Investor Class Prospectus Tax Free Fund
82 478 899 2,075
If you do not redeem your shares:
Expense Example No Redemption (USD $)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Investor Class Prospectus Tax Free Fund
72 468 889 2,065
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 where fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. The fund had a portfolio turnover rate of 0.42% for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Adviser uses a matrix of "top-down" macro models and "bottom-up" fundamental analysis to determine weightings in geographic regions, sectors and individual securities. The Adviser believes government policies are a precursor to change, and as a result, it monitors and tracks fiscal and monetary policies. The Adviser focuses on historical interest rate cycles and demographic trends.


In selecting investments, the Adviser will consider a bond's credit analysis, structure (maturity, coupon, redemption features), and yield. The Adviser reviews these factors to determine the relative value of the bond in comparison to its market value and the market value of similar bonds.


Under normal market conditions, the Tax Free Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in investment grade municipal securities whose interest is free from federal income tax, including the federal alternative minimum tax. The fund may invest in debt securities of any maturity. Although the fund intends to invest the majority of its assets in tax free securities, it may invest up to 20% of its assets in securities that pay taxable interest.


The fund invests only in debt securities that, at the time of acquisition, have one of the four highest ratings by Moody's Investors Services (Aaa, Aa, A, Baa) or by Standard & Poor's Corporation (AAA, AA, A, BBB) (or, if not rated by Moody's or S&P, are determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality). The fund will not invest more than 10% of its total assets in the fourth rating category. Investments in the fourth category may have speculative characteristics and, therefore, may involve higher risks.


The Adviser uses a matrix of statistical models to monitor market volatility and money flows, and as a result, it may at times maintain higher than normal cash levels.

Principal Risks

  Main Risk. The fund is designed for investors who primarily seek current income that is substantially free from federal income tax. As with all mutual funds, loss of money is a risk of investing in the fund. Although the fund's policy is to invest in securities whose interest is free from federal income tax, the fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in securities that pay taxable interest. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012, 4.40% of the fund's distributions was from ordinary income. From year to year, this number may vary and there is no assurance that these distributions will continue.


  Interest Rate Risk. Because the fund invests primarily in municipal securities, there is a risk that the value of these securities will fall if interest rates rise. Ordinarily, when interest rates go up, municipal security prices fall. The opposite is also true: municipal security prices usually go up when interest rates fall. The longer a fund's weighted-average maturity, the more sensitive it is to changes in interest rates.


  Call Risk. A municipal security may be prepaid (called) before its maturity. An issuer is more likely to call its securities when interest rates are falling, because the issuer can issue new securities with lower interest payments. If a security is called, a fund may have to replace it with a lower-yielding security.


  Credit Risk. There is a possibility that an issuer of a municipal security cannot make timely interest and principal payments on its debt securities. With municipal securities, state, or local law may limit the sources of funds for the payment of principal and interest.


  Income Risk. The fund is subject to income risk, which is the risk that a fund's dividends (income) will decline due to falling interest rates.


  Municipal Bond Risk. There is generally more public information available for corporate equities or bonds than is available for municipal bonds.


  Liquidity Risk. The secondary market for municipal bonds may be less liquid than other securities markets. A less liquid market may make it difficult for the fund to sell the security at an attractive price, and the value of the security may fall, even during periods of declining interest rates.


  Insured Municipal Bonds. The fund may invest in municipal bonds covered by an insurance policy that guarantees timely payment of principal and interest. The insurance policies do not guarantee the value of the bonds. A downgrade of the bond insurer's credit rating or a default by the insurer may result in a downgrade of the bond rating and could have a negative affect on the value of the bond.


  Lower Rated Municipal Bonds. A portion of the fund's investments may be in high risk, lower rated municipal bonds as the result of a downgrade of an investment grade bond subsequent to the fund's purchase of the bond. Investments in lower rated bonds carry greater credit rate risk, market risk and interest rate risk than an investment in a higher rated bond.


  Recent Market Events. Recent unprecedented turbulence in the financial markets and reduced liquidity in the credit and fixed income market could have an adverse effect on the value of the fund.

Performance Information

The following bar chart and table show the volatility of the fund's Investor Class share returns, which is one indicator of the risks of investing in the fund. The bar charts show changes in the fund's returns from year to year during the period indicated. The table compares the fund's average annual returns for the last 1-, 5- and 10-year periods to those of a broad-based securities market index. How the fund performed in the past, before and after taxes, is not an indication of how it will perform in the future. You may obtain performance data current to the most recent month end at www.usfunds.com or by calling 1-800-873-8637.

Annual Total Returns (as of December 31 each year) Tax Free Fund
Bar Chart

Best quarter shown in the bar chart above: 5.26% in the third quarter of 2009.


Worst quarter shown in the bar chart above: (3.49)% in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended December 31, 2012)
Average Annual Returns Investor Class Prospectus
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years
Tax Free Fund
5.60% 4.97% 4.12%
Tax Free Fund After Taxes on Distributions
5.53% 4.89% 4.04%
Tax Free Fund After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
4.72% 4.70% 3.97%
Tax Free Fund Barclays Capital 10-Year Municipal Bond Index (reflect no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
5.70% 6.60% 5.45%

After-tax returns are calculated using highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.