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Investor Class Shares | SA Global Fixed Income Fund
SA Global Fixed Income Fund
Goal

The Fund’s goal is to maximize total return available from a universe of higher-quality fixed income investments maturing in five years or less from the date of settlement.

Fees and Expenses

The tables below describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Shareholder Fees
Investor Class Shares
SA Global Fixed Income Fund
SA Global Fixed Income Fund
USD ($)
Sales charge (load) imposed on purchases none
Sales charge (load) imposed on reinvested dividends none
Redemption fee none
Exchange fee none
Annual Class Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
Investor Class Shares
SA Global Fixed Income Fund
SA Global Fixed Income Fund
Management fees 0.28%
Shareholder servicing fee 0.25%
Other expenses 0.20%
Total annual operating expenses 0.73%
Expense Example

This expense example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Investor Class Shares | SA Global Fixed Income Fund | SA Global Fixed Income Fund | USD ($) 75 234 408 910
Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Investor Class operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 75% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund pursues its goal by investing primarily in:

obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. and foreign governments of developed countries or their agencies or instrumentalities;
 
obligations of supranational organizations, such as the World Bank and the European Investment Bank;
 
obligations of other U.S. and foreign issuers including:
 
corporate debt obligations;
 
commercial paper;
 
bank obligations; and
 
repurchase agreements.

The Fund primarily invests in fixed income securities that mature within five years from the date of settlement. The Fund has a non-fundamental investment policy that, under normal circumstances, it will invest at least 80% of its net assets in fixed income securities.

The Fund normally invests in fixed income securities that are rated investment grade. The Fund considers fixed income securities to be investment grade if, at the time of investment, they are rated at least BBB- by S&P, Baa3 by Moody’s, or BBB- by Fitch or, if unrated, have been determined by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (the “Sub-Adviser”) to be of comparable quality.

The Fund may invest in U.S. Treasury bonds, bills and notes and obligations of federal agencies or instrumentalities. Some U.S. government obligations in which the Fund may invest, such as Treasury bills, notes and bonds and securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association, are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States, while others are not, such as those of or guaranteed by the Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and Federal National Mortgage Association.

The Fund may also invest in fixed income securities, such as bills, notes, bonds and other debt securities, issued or guaranteed by foreign governments or their agencies or instrumentalities and may invest in debt securities of supranational organizations. With respect to corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures), the Fund generally invests in investment grade securities that are issued by U.S. and foreign issuers.

The types of bank and bank holding company obligations in which the Fund may invest include, without limitation: certificates of deposit (including marketable variable rate certificates of deposit), bankers’ acceptances, commercial paper, repurchase agreements and other debt obligations that mature within five years of the date of settlement, provided such obligations meet the Fund’s established credit rating or other criteria. Commercial paper and certificates of deposit must, at the time of investment, be rated at least A-3 by S&P, P-3 by Moody’s or F3 by Fitch or, if unrated, issued by a corporation having an outstanding unsecured debt issue rated at least BBB- by S&P or Fitch or Baa3 by Moody’s.

All ratings described above apply at the time of investment.

These securities may be denominated in U.S. dollars as well as other currencies, including the Euro. The Fund invests in foreign issuers in countries with developed markets designated by the Investment Committee of the Sub-Adviser from time to time. The Fund is authorized to invest in foreign issuers in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore,Sweden,Switzerland and the United Kingdom. This list of authorized countries is subject to change. The Sub-Adviser will determine when and whether to invest in countries that have been authorized depending on a number of factors, such as asset availability in the Fund and characteristics of each country’s market. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest (1) at least 40% (and up to 100%) of its total assets in the securities of foreign issuers and (2) in issuers organized or having substantial assets in, or deriving substantial operating income from, at least three different countries, one of which may be the United States. The actual number of countries represented in the Fund’s portfolio may vary over time.

The Fund attempts to maximize its total return by allocating assets among countries depending on prevailing interest rates. For example, the Sub-Adviser may sell a security denominated in one currency and buy a security denominated in a different currency depending on market conditions.

The Fund may also enter into foreign currency forward contracts to attempt to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency rates, to hedge against fluctuations in currency exchange rates or to transfer balances from one currency to another.

The Fund may lend its portfolio securities to generate additional income.

Principal Investment Risks

The Fund’s share price and yield may change daily because of changes in interest rates and other market conditions and factors. Therefore, you may lose money if you invest in the Fund.

The principal risks that apply to the Fund are:

Market Risk: The value of securities may go up or down in response to the prospects of individual issuers, general economic or market conditions, and/or investor behavior that leads investors’ perceptions of value (as reflected in the price of the security) to diverge from fundamental value. 
   
Interest Rate and Related Risks: Generally, when market interest rates rise, the value of debt securities declines, and vice versa. Investing in such securities means that the Fund’s net asset value will tend to decline if market interest rates rise. Interest rate risk is generally greater for fixed-income securities with longer maturities or durations. Low interest rates in the United States and other countries relative to historic rates may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. In addition, fluctuations in interest rates may adversely affect the liquidity of certain fixed-income securities held by the Fund. 
   
Credit Risk: The risk that the issuer or the guarantor of a fixed income security, or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement, loan of portfolio securities or other transaction, is unable or unwilling, or is perceived (whether by market participants, ratings agencies, pricing services or otherwise) as unable or unwilling, to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or otherwise honor its obligations. Securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which are often reflected in their credit ratings. The downgrade of the credit rating of a security may decrease its value. 
   
Income Risk: Because the Fund can only distribute what it earns, the Fund’s distributions to shareholders may decline when prevailing interest rates fall or if the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds. 
   
Investment Grade Securities Risk: Fixed income securities commonly are rated by national bond ratings agencies. Securities rated in the lower investment grade rating categories (e.g., BBB by S&P or Fitch or Baa by Moody’s) are considered investment grade securities, but are somewhat riskier than higher rated obligations because they are regarded as having only an adequate capacity to pay principal and interest, and are considered to lack outstanding investment characteristics. 
   
Foreign Securities and Currency Risk: Foreign securities involve risks in addition to those associated with comparable U.S. securities. Additional risks may include exposure to less developed or less efficient trading markets; social, political or economic instability; nationalization or expropriation of assets; currency controls or redenomination; changes in tax policy; high transaction costs; settlement, custodial or other operational risks; and less stringent accounting, auditing, financial reporting, and legal standards and practices. As a result, foreign securities can fluctuate more widely in price, and may also be less liquid, than comparable U.S. securities. Values of securities denominated in foreign currencies also may be negatively affected by changes in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. 
   
Foreign Government and Supranational Organization Obligations Risk: Investments in foreign government obligations are exposed to the direct or indirect consequences of political, social, and economic changes in various countries. There is generally limited legal recourse in the event of a default with respect to foreign government and supranational organization obligations. 
   
Sector Risk: Companies with similar characteristics may be grouped together in broad categories called sectors. The Fund may be overweight in certain sectors at various times. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in a particular sector, its performance will be especially sensitive to any economic, business, regulatory or other developments which generally affect that sector. Individual sectors may underperform other sectors or the market as a whole. 
   

Hedging Risk: Foreign currency forward contracts may be used to hedge foreign currency risk. Hedging tends to limit any potential gain that may be realized if the value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings increases because of currency fluctuations. In addition, hedging may increase the Fund’s expenses. There is also a risk that a foreign currency forward contract intended as a hedge may not perform as intended, in which case the Fund may not be able to minimize the effects of foreign currency fluctuations and may suffer a loss. For example, it is generally not possible to precisely match the foreign currency exposure of such foreign currency forward contracts to the value of the securities involved due to fluctuations in the market values of such securities and cash flows into and out of the Fund between the date a foreign currency forward contract is entered into and the date it expires. 

   
Securities Lending Risk: Securities lending involves possible delay in recovery of the securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. As a result, the value of the Fund shares may fall. The value of the Fund shares could also fall if a loan is called and the Fund is required to liquidate reinvested collateral at a loss or if the Fund is unable to reinvest cash collateral at rates which exceed the costs involved. 
   
European Economic Risk: The European Union’s (“EU”) Economic and Monetary Union requires member countries to comply with restrictions on interest rates, deficits, debt levels, inflation rates and other factors, each of which may significantly impact every European country. The economies of EU member countries and their trading partners may be adversely affected by changes in the Euro’s exchange rate, changes in EU or governmental regulations on trade, and the threat of default or default by an EU member country on its sovereign debt, which could negatively impact the Fund’s investments and cause it to lose money. In June 2016, citizens of the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU in a popular referendum (commonly referred to as “Brexit”). In addition, the United Kingdom subsequently invoked Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which triggered a two-year period of negotiations on the terms of Brexit. The initial two-year period has been extended and it is possible that the negotiation period may be further extended; however, it remains unclear whether negotiations will be successful and what form the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the EU will take. Brexit may have a significant impact on the economies of the United Kingdom and Europe as well as the broader global economy, which may cause increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in these markets. In addition, other member states may contemplate departing the EU, which would likely perpetuate political and economic instability in the region and cause additional market disruption in global financial markets. 
   
U.S. Government Securities Risk: U.S. government guarantees on fixed income securities do not extend to shares of the Fund itself and do not guarantee the market price of the securities. Furthermore, not all securities issued by the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. There is no guarantee that the U.S. government will support securities not backed by its full faith and credit. 
   
Liquidity Risk: Liquidity risk exists when particular portfolio investments are difficult to purchase or sell. To the extent that the Fund holds illiquid investments, the Fund’s performance may be reduced due to an inability to sell the investments at opportune prices or times. Liquid portfolio investments may become illiquid or less liquid after purchase by the Fund due to low trading volume, adverse investor perceptions and/or other market developments. Liquidity risk includes the risk that the Fund will experience significant net redemptions at a time when it cannot find willing buyers for its portfolio securities or can only sell its portfolio securities at a material loss. Liquidity risk can be more pronounced during periods of market turmoil or economic uncertainty. 
   
Cybersecurity Risk: Cybersecurity breaches may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund and/or its service providers to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. Cyber-attacks affecting the Fund, any of its service providers or any issuer in which the Fund invests may adversely impact the Fund. 
   
Management Risk: The investment techniques and risk analyses applied by the Sub-Adviser may not produce the desired results. Furthermore, legislative, regulatory, or tax restrictions, policies, or developments may affect the investment techniques available to the Sub-Adviser in connection with managing the Fund. There is no guarantee that the investment objective of the Fund will be achieved.
   
Large Investor Risk. Ownership of shares of the Fund may be concentrated in one or a few large investors. Such investors may redeem shares in large quantities or on a frequent basis. Redemptions by a large investor may: affect the performance of the Fund; increase realized capital gains; accelerate the realization of taxable income to shareholders; and increase transaction costs and/or other expenses for the Fund.
Performance

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s performance has varied from year to year. The table shows how the Fund’s average annual total returns for certain time periods compare to those of a broad-based securities market index. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated Fund performance information can be obtained by visiting http://www.sa-funds.com.

Annual Total Returns – Investor Class Shares (per calendar year)
Bar Chart

The year-to-date return through the calendar quarter ended September 30, 2019 was 3.59%.

Highest/lowest quarterly return during the periods shown:

    Quarter Ended   Total Return
Best Quarter     9/30/2009     2.22%
Worst Quarter     12/31/2016     (1.23)%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2018)
Average Annual Total Returns - Investor Class Shares - SA Global Fixed Income Fund
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
SA Global Fixed Income Fund 1.17% 1.00% 1.60%
SA Global Fixed Income Fund | After Taxes on Distributions 0.31% 0.49% 0.84%
SA Global Fixed Income Fund | After Taxes on Distributions and Sales 0.69% 0.54% 0.93%
FTSE World Government Bond 1-5 Year Currency Hedged U.S. Dollar Index 2.12% 1.53% 1.69%

After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. In certain situations, the “Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares” may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. A higher after-tax return can occur when a capital loss occurs upon redemption and translates into an assumed tax deduction that benefits the shareholder. 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-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.