485BPOS 1 rbc144484_485bpos.htm 485BPOS

As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on December 9, 2014

File No. 333-111986
File No. 811-21475

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-1A

 

 

 

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

x

 

 

 

 

Pre-Effective Amendment No. ___

o

 

 

 

 

Post-Effective Amendment No. 80

x

 

 

 

 

and/or

 

 

 

 

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940

x

 

 

 

 

Amendment No. 80

x

RBC FUNDS TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

50 South Sixth Street, Suite 2350
Minneapolis, MN 55402
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (612) 313-1341

Lee Thoresen, Esq.
RBC Plaza
60 South Sixth Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402-4422
(612) 313-1341
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

 

 

 

 

x

immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485

 

o

on [       ] pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485

 

o

60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485

 

o

on [       ] pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485

 

o

75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485

 

o

on [       ] pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485

If appropriate, check the following box:

 

 

 

 

o

This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.




(FRONT COVER)

 

 

RBC BlueBay Funds

Prospectus

 

December 9, 2014

 

RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund

Class I:

RBTRX

 

     

 

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund

Class I:

RUFJX

 

 

As with all mutual funds, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have not approved or disapproved the Fund shares described in this Prospectus or determined whether this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fund Summaries

This Prospectus describes the RBC BlueBay Funds (the “Funds” or each a “Fund”) offered by RBC Funds Trust. Carefully review this important section, which summarizes the Funds’ investment objectives, principal investment strategies and risks, and fees.

 

3

RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund

 

8

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund

 

13

Important Additional Information

 

 

 

 

 

 

More on the Funds’ Investment Objectives, Principal Investment Strategies and Principal Risks

 

 

14

Investment Objectives

 

 

14

Principal Investment Strategies

 

 

15

Principal Risks

 

 

 

 

 

 

Management

The Funds are managed by RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. (“RBC GAM (U.S.)” or the “Advisor”) and are sub-advised by BlueBay Asset Management LLP (“BlueBay” or the “Sub-Advisor”).

 

22

Investment Advisor

 

22

Investment Sub-Advisors

 

23

Portfolio Managers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholder Information

Review this section for details on how shares are valued, how to purchase and sell shares, related charges and payments of dividends and distributions.

 

24

Pricing of Fund Shares

 

25

Investment Minimums

 

26

Purchasing and Adding to Your Shares

 

28

Dividends and Distributions and Directed Dividend Option

 

28

Selling Your Shares

 

29

Additional Information About Purchasing and Selling Shares

 

32

Exchanging Your Shares

 

32

Additional Policies on Exchanges

 

32

Additional Shareholder Services

 

33

Market Timing and Excessive Trading

 

35

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

 

35

Shareholder Servicing Plan

 

35

Dividends, Distributions and Taxes

 

36

Organizational Structure

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investment Practices

 

 

37

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Privacy Policy

 

 

39

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back Cover

 

 

Where to Learn More About the Funds




 

 

 

 

   Fund Summary

RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund   

 

 

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks to achieve a high level of total return consisting of income and capital appreciation.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class I

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

 

 

 

 

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

 

 

None

 

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of offering price)

 

 

None

 

Redemption Fee (as a % of amount redeemed or exchanged within 30 days after the date of purchase)

 

 

2.00

%

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

 

 

None

 

Other Expenses1

 

 

0.48

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

 

 

1.33

%

Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2

 

 

(0.33

)%

 

 

 

 

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

 

 

1.00

%

 

 

1

“Other Expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

 

 

2

The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or pay operating expenses in order to limit the Fund’s total expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses or extraordinary expenses such as litigation) to 1.00 %. This expense limitation agreement will remain in place until January 31, 2016 and may not be terminated by the Advisor prior to that date.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class I

 

One Year

 

$

102

 

Three Years

 

$

389

 

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance.

Principal Investment Strategies

3



 

 

 

 

   Fund Summary

RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund   

 

 

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its assets in credit related instruments and/or investments that provide exposure to credit related instruments that are considered by the Fund to have the potential to provide a high level of total return. Credit related instruments include bonds, debt securities and loans issued by various U.S. and non-U.S. public- or private-sector entities, derivatives and cash equivalents. The Fund will predominately invest in non-investment grade securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) , such as bonds and loans, convertible bonds and emerging market debt from issuers globally. The Fund’s investments will be denominated in both the U.S. Dollar and currencies of other developed countries, and in currencies of the local emerging market countries. Currencies of developed countries include: U.S. Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Euro, GB Pound and Japanese Yen. Local currencies can be defined as the currency of the issuer based in emerging countries worldwide (e.g. Brazil bonds issued in Brazilian Real). The Fund will not be managed relative to an index.

The Sub-Advisor selects securities for purchase or sale through active security selection, asset allocation and capital preservation techniques. The Sub-Advisor uses a blend of top-down asset allocation process with a bottom-up security selection with capital preservation focus based on fundamental credit research. Substantially all of the Fund’s assets may be invested in non-investment grade securities, which are securities rated Ba1 or BB+ or below by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) or Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”), respectively, a similar rating from a recognized agency, or unrated securities deemed comparable by the Fund. The Fund may also invest in investment grade securities and unrated securities.

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in convertible bonds, warrant-linked bonds and similar convertible instruments issued by domestic or international issuers. Convertible securities, which are issued by companies of all sizes and market capitalizations, include, but are not limited to: corporate bonds, debentures, notes or preferred stocks and their hybrids that can be converted into (exchanged for) common stock or other securities, such as warrants or options, which provide an opportunity for equity participation. The Fund may invest in securities of any market capitalization, and may from time to time invest a significant amount of its assets in securities of smaller companies.

The Fund will invest, either directly or indirectly (e.g. via derivatives such as credit linked notes, foreign exchange forwards, non-deliverable forwards, total return swaps, interest rate swaps, currency swaps, options, futures, swaptions and credit default swaps), primarily in credit related instruments that are non-investment grade. Derivatives, which are instruments that have a value based on another instrument, interest rate, exchange rate or index, may be used as substitutes for securities in which the Fund can invest. The Fund may use futures contracts, options, swaps and forwards as tools in the management of portfolio assets. The Fund may use such derivatives through either the creation of long and short positions to hedge various investments, for investment purposes, for risk management and/or to increase income or gain to the Fund. The Fund may also use repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements.

Principal Risks

The value of your investment in the Fund will change daily, which means that you could lose money. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) or any other government agency. By itself, the Fund is not a balanced investment program. There is no guarantee that the Fund will meet its goal. The principal risks of investing in the Fund include:

Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect in part the Sub-Advisor’s ability to make investment decisions that are suited to achieve the Fund’s investment objective.

Issuer/Credit Risk. There is a possibility that issuers of securities in which the Fund may invest may default on the payment of interest or principal on the securities when due, which could cause the Fund to lose money. If an issuer’s financial condition worsens, the credit quality of the issuer may deteriorate making it difficult for the Fund to sell such investments.

Interest Rate Risk. The Fund’s yield and value will fluctuate as the general level of interest rates change. During periods when interest rates are low, the Fund’s yield may also be low. When interest rates increase, securities held by the Fund will generally decline in value.

4



 

 

 

 

   Fund Summary

RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund   

 

 

High Yield Securities Risk. High yield securities, which are non-investment grade fixed income securities and unrated securities of comparable credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) are considered speculative and have a higher risk of an issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest payment obligations. These securities may be subject to greater price volatility due to such factors as specific corporate developments, interest rate sensitivity, negative perceptions of the junk bond markets generally and less secondary market liquidity. Junk bonds have a higher risk of default or are already in default and are considered speculative.

Investment Grade Securities Risk. Investment grade rated securities are assigned credit ratings by ratings agencies on the basis of the creditworthiness or risk of default of a bond issue. Rating agencies review, from time to time, such assigned ratings of the securities and may subsequently downgrade the rating if economic circumstances impact the relevant bond issues. Investments in the Fund are subject to additional risks associated with municipal securities.

Convertible Securities Risk. Market values of convertible securities depend on a number of factors including equity and credit risk, volatility risk, interest rate risk, among others. A convertible security’s market value, however, tends to rise when the market price of the common stock of the issuing company rises. If the value of the underlying common stock or the level of the index involved in the convertible component is below the exercise price of the warrant or option at maturity, the convertible security will maintain its value, while the warrant or option itself will have no value.

Equity Market Risk. Equity securities represent an ownership interest, or the right to acquire an ownership interest, in an issuer. The values of equity securities, such as common stocks and preferred stocks, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally.

Market Risk. One or more markets in which the Fund invests may go down in value, sometimes sharply and unpredictably, and the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fall or fail to rise. Market risk may affect a single issuer, sector of the economy, industry or the market as a whole. The success of the Fund’s investment program may be affected by general economic and market conditions, such as interest rates, availability of credit, inflation rates, economic uncertainty, changes in laws, and national and international political circumstances. Unexpected volatility or illiquidity could impair the Fund’s profitability or result in losses.

Foreign Risk. Foreign securities may be subject to risk of loss because of less foreign government regulation, less public information and less economic, political and social stability in these countries. Loss may also result from the imposition of exchange controls, confiscations and other government restrictions, or from problems in registration, settlement or custody. Foreign risk also involves the risk of negative foreign currency rate fluctuations, which may cause the value of securities denominated in such foreign currency (or other instruments through which the Fund has exposure to foreign currencies) to decline in value. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time.

Emerging Markets Risk. The securities markets of most emerging countries are less liquid, are especially subject to greater price volatility, have smaller market capitalizations, have less government regulation and are not subject to as extensive and frequent accounting, financial and other reporting requirements as the securities markets of more developed countries. These risks are not normally associated with investments in more developed countries.

Sovereign Debt Risk. The Fund may invest in securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governmental entities (known as sovereign debt securities). These investments are subject to the risk of payment delays or defaults, due, for example, to cash flow problems, insufficient foreign currency reserves, political considerations, large debt positions relative to the country’s economy or failure to implement economic reforms. There is no legal or bankruptcy process for collecting sovereign debt.

Smaller Company Risk. The risk that the value of securities issued by a smaller company may go up or down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably as compared to more widely held securities of larger companies, due to narrow markets and limited resources of smaller companies. The Fund’s investments in smaller companies subject it to greater levels of credit, market and issuer risk.

5



 

 

 

 

   Fund Summary

RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund   

 

 

Currency Risk. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of the Fund’s securities and the price of the Fund’s shares. Generally, when the value of the U.S. Dollar rises in value relative to a foreign currency, an investment in that country loses value because that currency is worth fewer U.S. Dollars. Devaluation of a currency by a country’s government or banking authority also may have a significant impact on the value of any investments denominated in that currency. Currency markets generally are not as regulated as securities markets.

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may be riskier than other types of investments and could result in losses that significantly exceed the Fund’s original investment. Many derivatives create leverage thereby causing the Fund to be more volatile than it would have been if it had not used derivatives. Derivatives may also expose the Fund to counterparty risk (the risk that the derivative counterparty will not fulfill its contractual obligations), including the credit risk of the derivative counterparty.

Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of the failure of any markets in which its positions trade, of their clearinghouses, of any counterparty or guarantor to the Fund’s transactions or of any service provider to the Fund. Their inability or unwillingness to honor obligations can subject the Fund to credit losses incurred from late payments, failed payments and default. In times of general market turmoil, even large, well-established financial institutions may fail rapidly with little warning.

Liquidity Risk. The Fund may be subject to the risk that a particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell and that the Fund may be unable to sell illiquid securities (including securities deemed liquid at the time of purchase that subsequently became less liquid) at an advantageous time or price or achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector.

Leverage Risk. Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage. These transactions may include, among others, derivatives, and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage.

Custodial Risk. The Fund may invest in markets where custodian and/or settlement systems are not fully developed. The assets of the Fund which are traded in such markets and which have been entrusted to sub-custodians, in circumstances where the use of such sub-custodians is necessary, may be exposed to risk in circumstances whereby the custodian will have no liability.

Valuation Risk. The Fund’s assets are comprised mainly of quoted investments where a valuation price can be obtained from an exchange or similarly verifiable source. However, there is a risk that where the Fund invests in unquoted and/or illiquid investments the values at which these investments are sold may be significantly different from the estimated fair values of these investments.

Credit Spread Risk. The Fund’s investments may be adversely affected if any of the issuers it is invested in are subject to an actual or perceived deterioration to their credit quality. Any actual or perceived deterioration may lead to an increase in the credit spreads and a decline in price of the issuer’s securities.

Operational Risk. The Fund’s investments may be adversely affected due to the operational process of the Fund’s service providers, including the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor, transfer agent, custodian or administrator. The Fund may be subject to losses arising from inadequate or failed internal controls, processes and systems, or from human or external events.

Loan Risk. The Fund may invest in loans including loans that are rated below investment grade or the unrated equivalent. Like other high yield, corporate debt instruments, such loans are subject to an increased risk of default in the payment of principal and interest as well as the other risks described under “Interest Rate Risk,” “Issuer/Credit Risk,” and “High Yield Securities Risk.”

High Portfolio Turnover Risk . The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities. High portfolio turnover (more than 100%) may result in increased transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and on reinvestment in other securities.

6



 

 

 

 

   Fund Summary

RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund   

 

 

Performance Information

The Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus and therefore, has no reportable performance history. Once the Fund has operated for at least one calendar year, a bar chart and performance table will be included in the prospectus to show the performance of the Fund. An appropriate broad-based index also will be included in the performance table. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Information on the Fund’s performance can be obtained by visiting www.rbcgam.us or by calling 1-800-422-2766.

Investment Advisor

RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc.

Investment Sub-Advisors

BlueBay Asset Management LLP and BlueBay Asset Management USA LLC

Portfolio Managers

The following individuals are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio:

 

 

 

 

Anthony Robertson, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Advisor, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2014.

 

 

 

 

Peter Higgins, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Advisor, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2014.

 

 

 

 

Michael Reed, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Advisor, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2014.

 

 

 

 

David Dowsett, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Advisor, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2014.

 

 

 

 

Nick Shearn, Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Advisor, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2014.

 

 

 

 

Polina Kurdyavko, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Advisor, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2014.

 

 

 

 

Mark Dowding, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Advisor, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2014.

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions generally are taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or a combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account, in which case you may be taxed later upon withdrawal of your investment from such arrangement.

For important information about “Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares” and “Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries,” please turn to “Important Additional Information” on page 13 of this Prospectus.

7



 

 

 

 

 

 

   Fund Summary

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund

 

 

 

 

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks to achieve a total return consistent with preservation of capital.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class I

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

 

 

None

 

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of offering price)

 

 

None

 

Redemption Fee (as a % of amount redeemed or exchanged within 30 days after the date of purchase)

 

 

2.00

%

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

 

 

 

Management Fees

 

 

1.15

%

Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees

 

 

None

 

Other Expenses1

 

 

1.75

%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

 

 

2.90

%

Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement2

 

 

(1.65

)%

 

 

 

 

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement

 

 

1.25

%


 

 

1

“Other Expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

 

 

2

The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or pay operating expenses in order to limit the Fund’s total expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses or extraordinary expenses such as litigation) to 1.25 %. This expense limitation agreement will remain in place until January 31, 2016 and may not be terminated by the Advisor prior to that date.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class I

 

One Year

 

$

127

 

Three Years

 

$

742

 

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance.

8



 

 

 

 

 

 

   Fund Summary

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund

 

 

 

 

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its assets in a portfolio of fixed income securities and/or investments that provide exposure to issuers tied economically to emerging countries. The Fund intends to utilize various investment strategies in a broad array of fixed income sectors to achieve its investment objective. The Fund will not be managed relative to an index. Fixed income securities include bonds, debt securities and loans issued by various U.S. and non-U.S. public- or private-sector entities, derivatives and cash equivalents.

A security is economically tied to an emerging market country if it is issued by a foreign government (or any political subdivision, agency, authority or instrumentality of such government) or corporation and the security is principally traded on the emerging country’s securities markets, or the issuer principally operates in the emerging country, derives a significant percentage of its income from its operation within the emerging country, or has a significant percentage of its assets in the emerging country. The Fund may consider classifications by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation or the United Nations (and its agencies) in determining whether a country is emerging or developed. Currently, emerging countries include, but are not limited to, countries in Asia (excluding Japan), Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.

The Fund’s investments will be denominated in both the U.S. Dollar and currencies of other developed countries, and in currencies of the local emerging market countries. Currencies of developed countries include, but are not limited to: U.S. Dollar, Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Euro, GB Pound and Japanese Yen. Local currencies are defined as the currency of the emerging market countries in which the Fund is permitted to invest.

The Fund will normally invest, either directly or indirectly (e.g. via derivatives such as credit linked notes, currency forwards, interest rate swaps, total return swaps and credit default swaps), primarily in fixed income securities of any rating (i.e. including investment grade and below investment grade), loans, unrated debt securities and distressed debt securities issued by emerging market issuers or non-emerging market issuers with substantial exposure to emerging markets. The Fund will also normally invest, either directly or indirectly (e.g. via derivatives such as credit linked notes, interest rate swaps, total return swaps and credit default swaps) in bonds and/or debt instruments issued by sovereign emerging market issuers as well as currencies and interest rates. Non-investment grade securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) are securities rated Ba1 or BB+ or below by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) or Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”), respectively, a similar rating from a recognized agency, or unrated securities deemed comparable by the Fund. The Fund may also invest in a portfolio of long and short fixed income securities and derivatives.

Derivatives, which are instruments that have a value based on another instrument, interest rate, exchange rate or index, may be used as substitutes for securities in which the Fund can invest. The Fund may use futures contracts, options, swaps and forwards as tools in the management of portfolio assets. The Fund may use such derivatives through either the creation of long and short positions to hedge various investments, for investment purposes, for risk management and/or to increase income or gain to the Fund.

The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it may invest its assets in a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund.

Principal Risks

The value of your investment in the Fund will change daily, which means that you could lose money. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. By itself, the Fund is not a balanced investment program. There is no guarantee that the Fund will meet its goal. The principal risks of investing in the Fund include:

Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect in part the Sub-Advisor’s ability to make investment decisions that are suited to achieve the Fund’s investment objective.

9



 

 

 

 

 

 

   Fund Summary

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund

 

 

 

 

Issuer/Credit Risk. There is a possibility that issuers of securities in which the Fund may invest may default on the payment of interest or principal on the securities when due, which could cause the Fund to lose money. If an issuer’s financial condition worsens, the credit quality of the issuer may deteriorate making it difficult for the Fund to sell such investments.

Interest Rate Risk. The Fund’s yield and value will fluctuate as the general level of interest rates change. During periods when interest rates are low, the Fund’s yield may also be low. When interest rates increase, securities held by the Fund will generally decline in value.

Equity Market Risk. Equity securities represent an ownership interest, or the right to acquire an ownership interest, in an issuer. The values of equity securities, such as common stocks and preferred stocks, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally.

Market Risk. One or more markets in which the Fund invests may go down in value, sometimes sharply and unpredictably, and the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fall or fail to rise. Market risk may affect a single issuer, sector of the economy, industry or the market as a whole. The success of the Fund’s investment program may be affected by general economic and market conditions, such as interest rates, availability of credit, inflation rates, economic uncertainty, changes in laws, and national and international political circumstances. Unexpected volatility or illiquidity could impair the Fund’s profitability or result in losses.

Foreign Risk. Foreign securities may be subject to risk of loss because of less foreign government regulation, less public information and less economic, political and social stability in these countries. Loss may also result from the imposition of exchange controls, confiscations and other government restrictions, or from problems in registration, settlement or custody. Foreign risk also involves the risk of negative foreign currency rate fluctuations, which may cause the value of securities denominated in such foreign currency (or other instruments through which the Fund has exposure to foreign currencies) to decline in value. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time.

Emerging Markets Risk. The Fund primarily invests in emerging markets. The securities markets of most emerging countries are less liquid, are especially subject to greater price volatility, have smaller market capitalizations, have less government regulation and are not subject to as extensive and frequent accounting, financial and other reporting requirements as the securities markets of more developed countries. These risks are not normally associated with investments in more developed countries.

Currency Risk. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of the Fund’s securities and the price of the Fund’s shares. Generally, when the value of the U.S. Dollar rises in value relative to a foreign currency, an investment in that country loses value because that currency is worth fewer U.S. Dollars. Devaluation of a currency by a country’s government or banking authority also may have a significant impact on the value of any investments denominated in that currency. Currency markets generally are not as regulated as securities markets.

Sovereign Debt Risk. The Fund may invest in securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governmental entities (known as sovereign debt securities). These investments are subject to the risk of payment delays or defaults, due, for example, to cash flow problems, insufficient foreign currency reserves, political considerations, large debt positions relative to the country’s economy or failure to implement economic reforms. There is no legal or bankruptcy process for collecting sovereign debt.

High Yield Securities Risk. High yield securities, which are non-investment grade fixed income securities and unrated securities of comparable credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) are considered speculative and have a higher risk of an issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest payment obligations. These securities may be subject to greater price volatility due to such factors as specific corporate developments, negative perceptions of the junk bond markets generally and less secondary market liquidity. Junk bonds have a higher risk of default or are already in default and are considered speculative.

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   Fund Summary

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund

 

 

 

 

Investment Grade Securities Risk. Investment grade rated securities are assigned credit ratings by ratings agencies on the basis of the creditworthiness or risk of default of a bond issue. Rating agencies review, from time to time, such assigned ratings of the securities and may subsequently downgrade the rating if economic circumstances impact the relevant bond issues. Investments in the Fund are subject to additional risks associated with municipal securities.

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may be riskier than other types of investments and could result in losses that significantly exceed the Fund’s original investment. Many derivatives create leverage thereby causing the Fund to be more volatile than it would have been if it had not used derivatives. Derivatives may also expose the Fund to counterparty risk (the risk that the derivative counterparty will not fulfill its contractual obligations), including the credit risk of the derivative counterparty.

Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of the failure of any markets in which its positions trade, of their clearinghouses, of any counterparty or guarantor to the Fund’s transactions or of any service provider to the Fund. Their inability or unwillingness to honor obligations can subject the Fund to credit losses incurred from late payments, failed payments and default. In times of general market turmoil, even large, well-established financial institutions may fail rapidly with little warning.

Liquidity Risk. The Fund may be subject to the risk that a particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell and that the Fund may be unable to sell illiquid securities (including securities deemed liquid at the time of purchase that subsequently became less liquid) at an advantageous time or price or achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector.

Leverage Risk. Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage. These transactions may include, among others, derivatives, and may expose the Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage.

Non-Diversified Fund Risk. Because the Fund is non-diversified, it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer or group of issuers than a diversified fund would. This increased concentration in fewer issuers may result in the Fund’s shares being more sensitive to economic results of those issuing the securities.

Custodial Risk. The Fund may invest in markets where custodian and/or settlement systems are not fully developed. The assets of the Fund which are traded in such markets and which have been entrusted to sub-custodians, in circumstances where the use of such sub-custodians is necessary, may be exposed to risk in circumstances whereby the custodian will have no liability.

Valuation Risk. The Fund’s assets are comprised mainly of quoted investments where a valuation price can be obtained from an exchange or similarly verifiable source. However, there is a risk that where the Fund invests in unquoted and/or illiquid investments the values at which these investments are sold may be significantly different from the estimated fair values of these investments.

Credit Spread Risk. The Fund’s investments may be adversely affected if any of the issuers it is invested in are subject to an actual or perceived deterioration to their credit quality. Any actual or perceived deterioration may lead to an increase in the credit spreads and a decline in price of the issuer’s securities.

Operational Risk. The Fund’s investments may be adversely affected due to the operational process of the Fund’s service providers, including the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor, transfer agent, custodian or administrator. The Fund may be subject to losses arising from inadequate or failed internal controls, processes and systems, or from human or external events.

Loan Risk. The Fund may invest in loans including loans that are rated below investment grade or the unrated equivalent. Like other high yield, corporate debt instruments, such loans are subject to an increased risk of default in the payment of

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   Fund Summary

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund

 

 

 

 

principal and interest as well as the other risks described under “Interest Rate Risk,” “Issuer/Credit Risk,” and “High Yield Securities Risk.”

High Portfolio Turnover Risk . The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities. High portfolio turnover (more than 100%) may result in increased transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and on reinvestment in other securities.

Performance Information

The Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus and therefore, has no reportable performance history. Once the Fund has operated for at least one calendar year, a bar chart and performance table will be included in the prospectus to show the performance of the Fund. An appropriate broad-based index also will be included in the performance table. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate how the Fund will perform in the future. Information on the Fund’s performance can be obtained by visiting www.rbcgam.us or by calling 1-800-422-2766.

Investment Advisor

RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc.

Investment Sub-Advisor

BlueBay Asset Management LLP

Portfolio Managers

The following individuals are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio:

 

 

 

 

David Dowsett, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Advisor, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2014.

 

 

 

 

Rodrigo de Fonseca, Senior Portfolio Manager of the Sub-Advisor, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2014.

Tax Information

The Fund’s distributions generally are taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or a combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account, in which case you may be taxed later upon withdrawal of your investment from such arrangement.

For important information about “Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares” and “Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries,” please turn to “Important Additional Information” on page 13 of this Prospectus.

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   Important Additional Information

 

 

 

 

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem (sell) shares of the Funds by phone (1-800-422-2766), by mail (RBC Funds, c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701) or by wire. The following table provides the Funds’ minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements, which may be reduced or modified in some cases.

 

 

 

     Minimum Initial Investment:

 

 

          Class I

 

          $1,000,000 ($0 for Qualified Retirement Plans)

 

 

 

     Minimum Subsequent Investment:

 

 

          Class I

 

          $10,000

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of a Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and/or the Advisor 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.

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Investment Objectives

Each Fund’s investment objective described in the “Fund Summary” section of this Prospectus is non-fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.

Principal Investment Strategies

The information below describes in greater detail each Fund’s principal investment strategies and risks. The Funds will provide shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior notice of any changes in their 80% investment policy. A further discussion of permissible investments can be found in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund. The Fund invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its assets, measured at the time of purchase, in credit related instruments and/or investments that provide exposure to credit related instruments that are considered by the Fund to have the potential to provide a high level of total return. For the purposes of this policy, the term “assets” means net assets plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes. The 80% investment policy may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval. The Fund will provide notice to its shareholders at least 60 days prior to any change to its 80% investment policy. The Fund will normally invest either directly or indirectly (e.g. via derivatives such as credit linked notes, interest rate swaps, total return swaps and credit default swaps) in credit instruments that are rated below investment grade and denominated in both the U.S. Dollar and currencies of other developed countries, and in currencies of the local emerging market countries. Non-investment grade securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) are securities rated Bal or BB+ or below by Moody’s or S&P, respectively, securities with similar rating from a recognized rating agency, or unrated securities that are deemed comparable by the Fund. The Fund will not be managed relative to an index.

Derivatives are instruments that have a value based on another instrument, interest rate, exchange rate or index. The Fund may use futures contracts, options, swaps and forwards as a substitute for securities in which the Fund can invest. The Fund may use derivatives through either the creation of long and short positions to attempt to hedge various instruments, for investment purposes, for risk management, to improve the performance of the Fund or to gain exposure to certain countries or currencies in the Fund’s investment portfolio in accordance with its investment objective, and the Fund’s investments in these instruments may have a significant impact on the Fund’s portfolio.

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund. The Fund invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its assets, measured at the time of purchase, in a portfolio of fixed income securities and/or investments that provide exposure to issuers tied economically to emerging countries. For the purposes of this policy, the term “assets” means net assets plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes. The 80% investment policy may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval. The Fund will provide notice to its shareholders at least 60 days prior to any change to its 80% investment policy. The Fund will normally invest, either directly or indirectly (e.g. via derivatives such as credit linked notes, currency forwards, interest rate swaps, total return swaps and credit default swaps), primarily in fixed income securities of any rating (i.e. including investment grade and below investment grade), unrated debt securities and distressed debt securities issued by emerging market issuers or non-emerging market issuers with substantial exposure to emerging markets, denominated in the U.S. Dollars and currencies of other developed countries, and in bonds and/or debt instruments issued by sovereign emerging market issuers as well as currencies and interest rates. Currencies of developed countries include, but are not limited to: U.S. Dollar, Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Euro, GB Pound and Japanese Yen. Local currencies are defined as the currency of the emerging market countries in which the Fund is permitted to invest. The Fund will not be managed relative to an index.

The Fund may consider classifications by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation or the United Nations (and its agencies) in determining whether a country is emerging or developed. Currently, emerging countries include, but are not limited to, countries in Asia (excluding Japan), Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.

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Derivatives are instruments that have a value based on another instrument, interest rate, exchange rate or index. The Fund may use futures contracts, options, swaps and forwards as a substitute for securities in which the Fund can invest. The Fund may use derivatives through either the creation of long and short positions to attempt to hedge various instruments, for investment purposes, for risk management, to improve the performance of the Fund or to gain exposure to certain countries or currencies in the Fund’s investment portfolio in accordance with its investment objective, and the Fund’s investments in these instruments may have a significant impact on the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it may invest in assets in a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund.

Temporary Defensive Investing. Each Fund may respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions by investing up to 100% of its assets in temporary defensive instruments, such as cash, short-term debt obligations or other high quality investments. This could prevent losses, but if a Fund is investing defensively, it may not be investing according to its principal investment strategy and may not achieve its investment objective.

Principal Risks

Each of the Funds is affected by changes in the economy, or in securities and other markets. There is also the possibility that investment decisions the Sub-Advisor makes with respect to the investments of a Fund will not accomplish what they were designed to achieve or that the investments will have disappointing performance.

Because each Fund holds securities with fluctuating market prices, the value of the Fund’s shares will vary as its portfolio securities increase or decrease in value. Therefore, the value of your investment in a Fund could go down as well as up and you can lose money by investing in a Fund.

Your investment is not a bank deposit, and it is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency, entity, or person.

The principal risks of investing in each Fund are identified in the “Fund Summary” section of this Prospectus and are further described below:

Active Management Risk. Each Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. The Advisor, Sub-Advisor and each individual portfolio manager will apply investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Funds, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results. Additionally, legislative, regulatory, or tax restrictions, policies or developments may affect the investment techniques available in connection with managing the Funds and may also adversely affect the ability of the Funds to achieve their investment objectives.

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that fixed income securities and other instruments in a Fund’s portfolio will decline in value because of an increase in interest rates. As nominal interest rates rise, the value of certain fixed income securities held by a Fund is likely to decrease. A nominal interest rate can be described as the sum of a real interest rate and an expected inflation rate. Fixed income securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, usually making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. Convertible securities may or may not decline in value in response to higher interest rates. The values of equity and other non-fixed income securities may also decline due to fluctuations in interest rates.

Counterparty Risk. Each Fund is subject to the risk of the failure of any markets in which its positions trade, of their clearinghouses, of any counterparty or guarantor of the Fund’s transactions or of any service provider to the Fund. Their inability or unwillingness to honor obligations can subject the Fund to credit losses incurred from late payments, failed payments and default. In times of general market turmoil, even large, well-established financial institutions may fail rapidly with little warning.

Market Risk. The market price of securities owned by a Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Securities may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally or particular industries represented in the securities markets. The value of a security may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to

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a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. The value of a security may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value simultaneously. Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities. The success of the Funds’ investment programs may be affected by general economic and market conditions, such as interest rates, availability of credit, inflation rates, economic uncertainty, changes in laws, and national and international political circumstances. These factors may affect the level and volatility of securities prices and the liquidity of investments held by a Fund. Unexpected volatility or illiquidity could impair a Fund’s profitability or result in losses.

Issuer/Credit Risk. A Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security (including a security purchased with securities lending collateral), or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement or a loan of portfolio securities, 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 to otherwise honor its obligations. The downgrade of the credit of a security held by the Fund may decrease its value. Securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which are often reflected in credit ratings. Information about a security’s credit quality may be imperfect and a security’s credit rating may be downgraded at any time.

Liquidity Risk. Each Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities are securities that cannot be disposed of within seven days in the ordinary course of business at approximately the value at which the Fund has valued the securities. Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. A Fund’s investments in illiquid securities may reduce the returns of the Fund because it may be unable to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price. Additionally, the market for certain investments deemed liquid at the time of purchase may become illiquid under adverse market or economic conditions independent of any specific adverse changes in the conditions of a particular issuer. In such cases, a Fund, due to limitations on investments in illiquid securities and the difficulty in purchasing and selling such securities or instruments, may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. Because the Funds’ principal investment strategies involve foreign (non-U.S.) securities, derivatives and other securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, the Funds will tend to have a significant exposure to liquidity risk.

Currency Risk. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of a Fund’s securities and the price of a Fund’s shares. Generally, when the value of the U.S. Dollar rises in value relative to a foreign currency, an investment in that country loses value because that currency is worth fewer U.S. Dollars. Devaluation of a currency by a country’s government or banking authority also may have a significant impact on the value of any investments denominated in that currency. Currency markets generally are not as regulated as securities markets.

The Funds may be exposed to currency exchange risk where the assets and income are denominated in foreign currencies. Changes in exchange rates between currencies or the conversion from one currency to another may cause the value of a Fund’s investments to decline or increase. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. They generally are determined by supply and demand in the currency exchange markets and the relative merits of investment in different countries, actual or perceived changes in interest rates and other complex factors. Currency exchange rates can also be affected unpredictably by intervention (or failure to intervene) by governments or central banks, or by currency controls or political developments.

Custodial Risk. The Funds may invest in markets where custodian and/or settlement systems are not fully developed. The assets of the Funds which are traded in such markets and which have been entrusted to sub-custodians, in circumstances where the use of such sub-custodians is necessary, may be exposed to risk in circumstances whereby the custodian will have no liability.

Valuation Risk. The Funds’ assets are comprised mainly of quoted investments where a valuation price can be obtained from an exchange or similarly verifiable source. However, there is a risk that where a Fund invests in unquoted and/or illiquid

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investments the values at which these investments are sold may be significantly different to the estimated fair values of these investments.

Credit Spread Risk. The Funds’ investments may be adversely affected if any of the issuers it is invested in are subject to an actual or perceived deterioration to their credit quality. Any actual or perceived deterioration may lead to an increase in the credit spreads of the issuer’s securities.

Operational Risk. A Fund’s investments may be adversely affected due to the operational process of the Fund’s service providers, including the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor, transfer agent, custodian or administrator. A Fund may be subject to losses arising from inadequate or failed internal controls, processes and systems, or from human or external events.

Foreign Risk. Foreign securities may be subject to risk of loss because of less foreign government regulation, less public information and less economic, political and social stability in these countries. Loss may also result from the imposition of exchange controls, confiscations and other government restrictions, or from problems in registration, settlement or custody. Foreign risk also involves the risk of negative foreign currency rate fluctuations, which may cause the value of securities denominated in such foreign currency (or other instruments through which the Fund has exposure to foreign currencies) to decline in value. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time.

Emerging Markets Risk. The Funds may invest in less developed or emerging markets. These markets may be volatile and illiquid and the investments of a Fund in such markets may be considered speculative and subject to significant delays in settlement. Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because a Fund will need to use brokers and counterparties which are less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. Delays in settlement could result in investment opportunities being missed if a Fund is unable to acquire or dispose of a security.

There may be less government supervision, legal regulation and less well defined tax laws and procedures than in countries with more developed securities markets. Some emerging markets governments exercise substantial influence over the private economic sector and the political and social uncertainties that exist for many developing countries are particularly significant. Another risk common to most such countries is that the economy is heavily export oriented and, accordingly, is dependent upon international trade. The existence of overburdened infrastructures and obsolete financial systems also presents risks in certain countries, as do environmental problems.

High Yield Securities Risk. The Funds may invest in high yield, high risk securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”) which are considered to be speculative. These investments may be issued by companies which are highly leveraged, less creditworthy or financially distressed. Although non-investment grade debt securities tend to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than investment grade debt securities, non-investment grade debt securities can be more sensitive to short-term corporate, economic and market developments. During periods of economic uncertainty and change, the market price of the Fund’s investments and the Fund’s net asset value may be volatile. Furthermore, though these investments generally provide a higher yield than higher-rated debt securities, the high degree of risk involved in these investments can result in substantial or total losses. These securities have a higher risk of loss, valuation difficulties, and a potential lack of a secondary or public market for securities. The market price of these securities can change suddenly and unexpectedly. Junk bonds have a higher risk of default or are already in default and are considered speculative. As a result, the Fund is intended for investors who are able and willing to assume a high degree of risk.

Derivatives Risk. The Funds may use derivatives in connection with their investment strategies. Derivatives may be riskier than other types of investments and could result in losses that significantly exceed a Fund’s original investment. Derivatives are subject to the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. The use of derivatives may not be successful, resulting in losses to a Fund, and the cost of such strategies may reduce the Fund’s returns. Derivatives may also expose a Fund to counterparty risk (the risk that the derivative counterparty will not fulfill its contractual obligations including credit risk of the derivative counterparty. In addition, the Funds may use derivatives for non-hedging purposes, which increases a Fund’s potential for loss.

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Investing in derivatives and engaging in short sales will result in a form of leverage. Leverage involves special risks. A Fund may be more volatile than if the Fund had not been leveraged because leverage tends to exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. The Funds cannot assure you that the use of leverage will result in a higher return on your investment, and using leverage could result in a net loss, which in some cases could be unlimited, on your investment. Registered investment companies such as the Funds are limited in their ability to engage in derivative transactions and are required to identify and earmark assets to provide asset coverage for derivative transactions that obligate the Fund to make future payments to third parties. If losses occur on derivative instruments, a Fund may have to make margin payments. In the event that a Fund does not hold sufficient cash, it may be forced to liquidate assets in order to meet margin calls, and in the event that there is insufficient liquidity in the market this may result in further losses.

The Fund’s transactions in futures contracts, swaps and other derivatives could also affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders which may result in a Fund realizing more short-term capital gain and ordinary income subject to tax at ordinary income tax rates than it would if it did not engage in such transactions, which may adversely impact a Fund’s after-tax returns.

In addition to the risks associated with derivatives in general, the Funds will also be subject to risks related to swap agreements that are traded over-the-counter (“uncleared swaps”). Because uncleared swaps are not exchange-traded, but are private contracts into which the Fund and a swap counterparty enter as principals, a Fund may experience a loss or delay in recovering assets if the counterparty defaults on its obligations. Each Fund will segregate or earmark liquid assets in an amount sufficient to cover its obligations under uncleared swaps.

Under recent financial reforms, certain types of derivatives (i.e., certain swaps) are, and others eventually are expected to be, required to be cleared through a central counterparty. Central clearing is designed to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity compared to OTC swaps, but it does not eliminate those risks completely. With cleared swaps, there is also a risk of loss by the Fund of its initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a futures commission merchant (“FCM”) with which the Fund has an open position in a swap contract. If an FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund’s assets to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer.

The regulation of cleared and uncleared swaps, as well as other derivatives, is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. It is not possible to predict fully the effects of current or future regulation. New requirements, even if not directly applicable to the Fund, may increase the cost of a Fund’s investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.

Sovereign Debt Risk. The Funds may invest in sovereign debt securities. These securities are issued or guaranteed by foreign governmental entities. These investments are subject to the risk that a governmental entity may delay or refuse to pay interest or repay principal on its sovereign debt, due, for example, to cash flow problems, insufficient foreign currency reserves, political considerations, the relative size of the governmental entity’s debt position in relation to the economy or the failure to put in place economic reforms required by the International Monetary Fund or other multilateral agencies. If a governmental entity defaults, it may ask for more time in which to pay or for further loans. There is no legal process for collecting sovereign debts that a government does not pay nor are there bankruptcy proceedings through which all or part of the sovereign debt that a governmental entity has not repaid may be collected.

Loan Risk. The Funds may invest in loans including loans that are rated below investment grade or the unrated equivalent. Like other high yield, corporate debt instruments, such loans are subject to an increased risk of default in the payment of principal and interest as well as the other risks described under “Interest Rate Risk,” “Issuer/Credit Risk,” and “High Yield Securities Risk.” Although certain loans are secured by collateral, the Fund could experience delays or limitations in realizing on such collateral or have its interest subordinated to other indebtedness of the obligor. Loans are vulnerable to market sentiment such that economic conditions or other events may reduce the demand for loans and cause their value to decline rapidly and unpredictably. Although each Fund limits its investments in illiquid securities to no more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets at the time of purchase, loans that are deemed to be liquid at the time of purchase may become illiquid. No active

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trading market may exist for some of the loans and certain loans may be subject to restrictions on resale. The inability to dispose of loans in a timely fashion could result in losses to the Fund. Because some loans that the Fund invests in may have a more limited secondary market, liquidity risk is more pronounced for the Fund than for funds that invest primarily in other types of fixed income instruments or equity securities. Typically, loans are not registered securities and are not listed on any national securities exchange. Consequently, there may be less public information available about the Funds’ investments and the market for certain loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. As a result, the Funds may be more dependent upon the analytical ability of the Sub-Advisor.

Convertible Securities Risk (RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund Only). Convertible securities are fixed income securities, preferred stocks or other securities that are convertible into or exercisable for common stock of the issuer (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at either a stated price or a stated rate. The market values of convertible securities may decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. A convertible security’s market value, however, tends to rise when the market price of the common stock of the issuing company rises. As the market price of the underlying common stock declines, the price of the convertible security tends to be influenced more by the yield of the convertible security. Thus, it may not decline in price to the same extent as the underlying common stock. In the event of a liquidation of the issuing company, holders of convertible securities may be paid before the company’s common stockholders but after holders of any senior debt obligations of the company. Consequently, the issuer’s convertible securities generally entail less risk than its common stock but more risk than its debt obligations.

Smaller Company Risk ( RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund Only). Stocks of smaller and less seasoned companies involve greater risks than those of larger companies. These companies may not have the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Smaller companies may be more sensitive to changes in the economy overall. Historically, small company stocks have been more volatile than those of larger companies. As a result, the Fund’s net asset value may be subject to rapid and substantial changes. Small company stocks tend to be bought and sold less often and in smaller amounts than larger company stocks. Because of this, if the Fund wants to sell a large quantity of a small company stock, the Fund may have to sell at a lower price than the Advisor might prefer, or it may have to sell in small quantities over a period of time.

Leverage Risk. Some transactions may give rise to a form of economic leverage. These transactions may include, among others, derivatives, and may expose a Fund to greater risk and increase its costs. To mitigate leverage risk, each Fund’s management team will segregate liquid assets on the books of the Fund or otherwise cover the transactions. As an open-end investment company registered with the SEC, each Fund is subject to the federal securities laws, including the Investment Company Act, of 1940, as amended, the rules thereunder, and various SEC and SEC staff interpretive positions. In accordance with these laws, rules and positions, the Funds must “set aside” liquid assets (often referred to as “asset segregation”), or engage in other SEC- or staff-approved measures, to “cover” open positions with respect to certain kinds of instruments. The use of leverage may cause the Funds to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation requirements. Increases and decreases in the value of each Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Funds use leverage.

Equity Market Risk. Equity securities represent an ownership interest, or the right to acquire an ownership interest, in an issuer. Equity securities also include, among other things, preferred stocks, convertible stocks and warrants. The values of equity securities, such as common stocks and preferred stocks, may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities.

Investment Grade Securities Risk. The Funds may invest in investment grade rated securities. Investment grade rated securities are assigned credit ratings by ratings agencies on the basis of the creditworthiness or risk of default of a bond issue.

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and Principal Risks

 

Rating agencies review, from time to time, such assigned ratings of the securities and may subsequently downgrade the rating if economic circumstances impact the relevant bond issues.

High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Funds may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities. High portfolio turnover (more than 100%) may result in increased transaction costs to the Funds, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and on reinvestment in other securities. The sale of portfolio securities may result in the realization and/or distribution to shareholders of higher capital gains or losses as compared to a fund with less active trading policies. These effects of higher than normal portfolio turnover may adversely affect each Fund’s performance.

Non-Diversified Fund Risk (RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund Only). Because the Fund is non-diversified, it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer or group of issuers than a diversified fund would. This increased concentration in fewer issuers may result in the Fund’s shares being more sensitive to economic results of those issuing the securities.

Investing in the European Union Risk. Concerns that the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis could worsen may lead to the reintroduction of national currencies in one or more Eurozone countries or, in particularly dire circumstances, the abandonment of the Euro. The departure or risk of departure from the Eurozone by one or more Eurozone countries and/or the abandonment of the Euro as a currency could have major negative effects on the Fund’s investments as well as the ability of the Fund’s counterparties to fulfill their obligations. In addition, countries may impose capital control which could impact the Fund’s ability to repatriate proceeds. Legal uncertainty may render hedging arrangements ineffectual.

Commodity Pool Operator Exclusions and Regulation

RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund and RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund

The Advisor is registered as a “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) and the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) and is subject to regulation as a commodity pool operator. However , the Advisor has claimed on behalf of each Fund an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under CFTC Regulation 4.5, and the Advisor is exempt from registration as a “commodity trading advisor” with respect to the Funds. Accordingly, the Funds are not subject to registration or regulation as commodity pools or commodity pool operators, and the Advisor is also not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator or commodity trading advisor with respect to these Funds .

The terms of CFTC Regulation 4.5 require each of these Funds, among other things, to adhere to certain limits on its investments in “commodity interests.” Commodity interests include futures, commodity options and swaps, which in turn include non-deliverable currency forwards . The Funds are not intended as vehicles for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved the Funds’ reliance on these exclusions, its investment strategies or this Prospectus or the SAI.

Generally, CFTC Regulation 4.5 requires each Fund to meet one of the following tests for its commodity interest positions, other than positions entered into for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined in the rules of the CFTC): either (1) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the Fund’s positions in commodity interests may not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions); or (2) the aggregate net notional value of the Fund’s commodity interest positions, determined at the time the most recent such position was established, may not exceed the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of these trading limitations, a Fund may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. If, in the future, a Fund can no longer satisfy these requirements, the Fund would be subject to registration and regulation as a commodity pool , and the Advisor would be subject to regulation as a commodity pool operator with respect to the Fund as well as with respect to the other pools for which it acts as commodity pool operator . In that case, the

20



 

 

More on the Funds’ Principal Investment Strategies
and Principal Risks

 

Advisor and the Fund would need to comply with all applicable CFTC disclosure, reporting, operational, and other regulations, which could increase Fund expenses.

21



 

 

 

 

Management

 

 

 

Investment Advisor

The Funds are advised by RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (“RBC”). RBC is one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies and provides personal and commercial banking, wealth management services, insurance, corporate and investment banking, and transaction processing services on a global basis. RBC employs approximately 80,000 people who serve more than 15 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 40 other countries around the world. The Advisor has been registered with the SEC as an investment advisor since 1983, and has been a portfolio manager of publicly-offered mutual funds since 1986. The Advisor maintains its offices at 50 South Sixth Street, Suite 2350, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402. As of September 30, 2014, the Advisor’s investment team managed approximately $ 43.4 billion in assets for corporations, public and private pension plans, Taft-Hartley plans, charitable institutions, foundations, endowments, municipalities, registered mutual funds, private investment funds, trust programs, foreign funds such as UCITS funds, individuals (including high net worth individuals), WRAP sponsors and other U.S. and international institutions .

For these advisory services, each Fund pays a fee (expressed as a percentage of average net assets) as follows:

 

 

RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund

0.85 %

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund

1.15 %

The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive or limit fees through January 31, 2016 in order to maintain net annual fund operating expenses of the Funds as set forth below:

 

 

RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund

1.00 %

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund

1.25 %

The waiver and limitation exclude distribution fees, brokerage and other investment-related costs, interest, taxes, dues, fees and other charges of governments and their agencies, extraordinary expenses such as litigation (including legal and audit fees and other costs in contemplation of or incident thereto) and indemnification, other expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of each Fund’s business and fees and expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund as a result of investment in shares of another investment company. The Fund will carry forward, for a period not to exceed three years from the end of the fiscal year in which the Advisor waives fees or pays expenses, any expenses in excess of the expense limitation and repay the Advisor such amounts, provided the Fund is able to do so and remain in compliance with the expense limitation in place at the time the fees were waived or expenses paid.

The Advisor provides certain administrative services to the Funds.

Additional Payments. The Advisor may make payments out of its own resources and at no additional cost to the Funds or shareholders, to certain broker-dealers, mutual fund supermarkets, or other financial institutions (“Intermediaries”) in connection with the provision of administrative services; the distribution of the Funds’ shares; and reimbursement of ticket or operational charges (fees that an institution charges its representatives for effecting transactions in the Funds’ shares). In addition, certain Intermediaries may receive fees from the Funds for providing recordkeeping and other services for individual shareholders and/or retirement plan participants.

Investment Sub-Advisors

The Funds are sub-advised by BlueBay Asset Management LLP (the “Sub-Advisor” or “BlueBay”) and by BlueBay Asset Management USA LLC (“BlueBay US”). On April 2, 2012, BlueBay Asset Management LLP took over the subadvisory responsibilities of BlueBay Asset Management Ltd. in connection with an internal corporate restructuring. The Sub-Advisor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of RBC, which is the parent company of the Advisor. The Sub-Advisor was established in 2001 as a specialist manager of fixed income products, offering clients a diverse range of investment strategies of different return/risk profiles, in order to cater to a variety of investor-specific return/risk appetites. More specifically, BlueBay manages a wide range of long-only, alternative, specialist fixed income portfolios for both funds and separate accounts that focus on four sub-asset classes of fixed income: convertible bonds, high yield/distressed debt, global emerging market debt and investment grade debt. The Sub-Advisor seeks to provide asset management services characterized by a belief in the

22



 

 

 

 

Management

 

 

 

value of active management, a strong investment process, a focus on capital preservation and the generation of attractive risk-adjusted returns for all its investment strategies. The Sub-Advisor is located at 77 Grosvenor Street, W1K 3JR London, United Kingdom. The Sub-Advisor has been registered with the SEC as an investment advisor since 2002, and is authorized and regulated by the UK Financial Services Authority. The Sub-Advisor employed 416 individuals and had $ 65.8 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2014.

BlueBay US, located at Four Stamford Plaza, 107 Elm Street, Suite 512, Stamford, Connecticut 06902 is also a wholly owned subsidiary of RBC and has been registered with the SEC as an investment advisor since 2012. BlueBay US is an additional sub-advisor for the RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund and provides services under the supervision of BlueBay, in order to permit asset management staff working at the BlueBay US offices to perform investment management activities on behalf of the Fund as part of the ongoing globalization of RBC’s business, to provide enhanced coverage for the Fund across the European Union and U.S. trading platforms and to support BlueBay’s management of the Fund.

BlueBay is paid by the Advisor out of the advisory fee the Advisor is paid by each Fund, and BlueBay US is paid by BlueBay out of the subadvisory fees that BlueBay earns for management of the RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund.

Information regarding the factors considered by the Board of Trustees in connection with the approval of the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Advisor and the Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Sub-Advisor for the Funds will be provided in the Funds’ Semi- Annual Report for the period ended March 31, 2015.

Portfolio Managers

The Sub-Advisor is responsible for the overall management of the Fund’s portfolio, including security analysis, industry recommendations, cash positions, the purchase and sell decision making process and general daily oversight of the Fund’s portfolio. The individuals jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio are set forth below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portfolio Manager
Name

 

Title

 

Role on
Fund Since

 

Total Years of
Financial
Industry
Experience

 

Degrees and
Designations

 

Experience for
Last 5 Years

RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund

Anthony Robertson

 

Senior Portfolio Manager

 

2014

 

18

 

BComm (Hons), H.Dip Tax/Man Acc

 

BlueBay Asset Management LLP (2004 to present)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter Higgins

 

Senior Portfolio Manager

 

2014

 

18

 

BA Economics – Political Science

 

BlueBay Asset Management LLP (2008 to present)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Reed

 

Senior Portfolio Manager

 

2014

 

25

 

BEngineering

 

BlueBay Asset Management LLP (2007 to present)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Dowsett

 

Senior Portfolio Manager

 

2014

 

20

 

BA (Hons) Politics and Economics, IMC

 

BlueBay Asset Management LLP (2002 to present)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nick Shearn

 

Portfolio Manager

 

2014

 

29

 

BSc (Hons) in Economics

 

BlueBay Asset Management LLP (2011 to present); Royal Bank of Scotland (September 2008 to May 2011); Deutsche Bank in London (2002 to 2008)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polina
Kurdyavko

 

Senior Portfolio Manager

 

2014

 

14

 

MSc (Hons) in Finance

 

BlueBay Asset Management LLP (2005 to present)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Dowding

 

Senior Portfolio Manager

 

2014

 

21

 

BA Hons, Economics

 

BlueBay Asset Management LLP (2010 to present); Head of Fixed Income – Europe, Deutsche Asset Management (2007 to 2010)


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Dowsett

 

Senior Portfolio Manager

 

2014

 

20

 

BA (Hons) Politics and Economics, IMC

 

BlueBay Asset Management LLP (2002 to present)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rodrigo de Fonseca

 

Senior Portfolio Manager

 

2014

 

14

 

MSc (Hons) in Economics and Finance, MA in Economics

 

BlueBay Asset Management LLP (2005 to present)

Additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation arrangements, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, as applicable, and the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities of the Funds they manage is available in the Funds’ SAI.

23



 

 

 

 

Investment Practices

 

 

 

Pricing of Fund Shares

How NAV is Calculated. The net asset value (“NAV”) is the value of a single share. A separate NAV is calculated for each class of shares of each Fund. The NAV is calculated by adding the total value of a Fund’s investments and other assets, determining the proportion of that total allocable to the class, subtracting the liabilities allocable to the class and then dividing that figure by the number of outstanding shares of the class.

 

 

1.

The NAV is calculated separately for each class of shares.

 

 

2.

You can find the Funds’ NAVs daily in various newspapers, at www.bloomberg.com, www.rbcgam.us, or by calling 1-800-422-2766.


 

 

 

NAV =

 

Total Assets of Class – Liabilities

 

 

Number of Shares of Class Outstanding

The per share NAV for each class of shares of each Fund generally is determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), or at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, whichever is earlier, on days the NYSE is open or (at the Fund’s option) on days the primary trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio instruments are open.

Your order for purchase, sale or exchange of shares is generally based on the next NAV calculated after your order is received in good order by the Funds’ transfer agent on any day that the NYSE is open for business. For example: If you place a purchase order to buy shares of a Fund it must be received by 4:00 p.m. Eastern time in order to be priced based on the NAV calculated at 4:00 p.m. If your order is received after 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, it will be based on the NAV calculated on the next day at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Also, as further explained in the “Purchasing and Adding to Your Shares” section, if a purchase order in proper form is received by an authorized financial intermediary, the order will be treated as if it had been received by the Funds’ transfer agent at the time it is received by the intermediary.

Generally, the Funds are “open” and you may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of a Fund on any day when the NYSE is open. Purchases, redemptions and exchanges may be restricted in the event of an early or unscheduled close of the NYSE. The Funds reserve the right to close if the primary trading markets of the Funds’ portfolio instruments are closed and Fund management believes that there is not an adequate market to meet purchase, redemption or exchange requests. Even if the NYSE is closed, the Funds may accept purchase, redemption, and exchange orders on those days when the primary trading markets for the Funds’ portfolio instruments are open, and the Funds’ management believes there is an adequate market to meet purchase, redemption, and exchange requests. On such days, the Fund would also price shares, typically at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Because the Funds may own securities that are primarily listed on foreign stock exchanges, which may trade on days when the Funds do not price their shares, the net asset value of the Funds may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem shares.

Valuation of Portfolio Securities. On behalf of each Fund, the Board of Trustees has adopted Pricing and Valuation Procedures for determining the value of Fund shares in accordance with applicable law. The Funds’ securities, other than short-term obligations, are generally valued at current market prices. The Funds’ pricing and valuation procedures generally require fixed income securities to be priced by approved pricing agents. In general, when the market value of a portfolio security is readily available, the Funds will rely on independent pricing services or market quotes from independent broker-dealers to determine the market value of portfolio securities. The market value of an equity security is generally determined on the basis of last reported sales prices, or if no sales are reported, based on quotes obtained from a quotation reporting system, established market makers or pricing services.

Domestic and foreign fixed income securities and non-exchange traded derivatives are generally priced using valuations provided by independent pricing vendors. Prices obtained from pricing vendors utilize both dealer-supplied valuations and electronic data processing techniques that take into account appropriate factors such as institutional-size trading in similar groups of securities, yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity and type of issue. Debt obligations with remaining maturities of 60

24



 

 

 

 

Shareholder Information

 

 

 

days or less from date of purchase are valued at amortized cost. Exchange traded options, futures and options on futures are valued at their most recent sale price on the exchange on which they are primarily traded. Investments in open-end investment companies are valued at the net asset value of those companies, and those companies may use fair value pricing as described in their prospectuses.

The Pricing and Valuation Procedures provide that, in situations where it is determined that market quotations are not readily available from a pricing service or independent broker-dealer, or the valuations are deemed to be unreliable or do not accurately reflect the value of the securities, Board-approved “fair valuation” methodologies will be used. Under the Pricing and Valuation Procedures, fair valuation methodologies may also be used in situations such as the following: a price is determined to be stale (for example, it cannot be valued using the standard pricing method because a recent sale price is not available) on more than five consecutive days on which a Fund calculates its NAV; or a significant valuation event is determined to have occurred pursuant to the Pricing and Valuation Procedures. Significant valuation events may include, but are not limited to, the following: an event affecting the value of a security traded on a foreign market occurs between the close of that market and the close of regular trading on the NYSE; an extraordinary event like a natural disaster or terrorist act occurs; a large market fluctuation occurs; or an adverse development arises with respect to a specific issuer, such as a bankruptcy filing. These methodologies are intended to ensure that each Fund’s NAV accurately reflects the value for the underlying portfolio securities. As a result, effective use of fair valuations may prevent shareholder dilution. In addition, for Funds that invest in foreign securities, fair valuations may diminish opportunities for a short-term trader to take advantage of time zone differences between the foreign markets on which the securities are traded and close of the NYSE, when a Fund’s NAV is typically calculated. “Fair value” is deemed to be the amount that the Fund might reasonably expect to receive for the security upon its current sale. Each such determination shall be based on a consideration of all relevant factors, which are likely to vary from one pricing context to another.

Investments initially valued in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar are converted to the U.S. Dollar using foreign exchange rate quotations received from a pricing vendor as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern time on each day that the NYSE is open for regular trading. The value of securities traded in markets outside the United States may be affected on a day that the NYSE is closed and an investor is not able to purchase, exchange or redeem shares of the Funds.

Investment Minimums

You may purchase shares of a Fund through the Fund’s Distributor or through banks, brokers and other investment representatives, which may charge additional fees and may require higher minimum investments or impose other limitations or requirements on buying and selling shares.1 For qualified retirement benefit plans, there is no minimum requirement for initial investment in a Fund. If you purchase shares through an investment representative, that party is responsible for transmitting orders by close of business and may have an earlier cut-off time for purchase and sale requests. Consult your investment representative or institution for specific information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minimum Initial Investment

 

 

 

 

Amount

 

 

Class I Shares

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regular Institutions or Individuals

 

$

1,000,000

 

 

 

Through qualified retirement benefit plans

 

$

0

 

 

25



 

 

Shareholder Information

 


 

 

 

 

 


Minimum Subsequent Investment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amount

 

Class I Shares

 

$

10,000

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

1

Certain broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries are authorized to accept purchase orders on behalf of a Fund which are processed based on the Fund’s net asset value next determined after your order is received by an organization in proper order before 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, or such earlier time as may be required by an organization. These organizations may be authorized to designate other intermediaries to act in this capacity.

 

 

 

These organizations may vary in terms of how they process your orders, and they may charge you transaction fees on purchases of Fund shares and may impose other charges or restrictions or account options that differ from those applicable to shareholders who purchase shares directly through the Fund or its transfer agent, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC. These organizations may be the shareholders of record of your shares. These intermediaries are responsible for transmitting requests and delivering funds on a timely basis. The Fund is not responsible for ensuring that the organizations carry out their obligations to their customers.

Purchasing and Adding to Your Shares

If opening an account through your financial advisor or brokerage account, simply tell your advisor or broker that you wish to purchase shares of a Fund and he or she will take care of the necessary documentation. Otherwise, follow the instructions below.

You may purchase shares directly from a Fund by completing a new account application. Contact U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, the Fund’s transfer agent at 1-800-422-2766 or go to www.rbcgam.us to obtain an application. Once completed, you may submit your application by following one of the steps below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Mail

 

Complete and sign the account application. If you do not complete the application properly, your purchase may be delayed or rejected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make your check payable to “[Name of Fund].” All checks must be in U.S. Dollars drawn on a domestic bank. The Funds will not accept payment in cash or money orders. The Fund also does not accept cashier’s checks in amounts of less than $10,000. To prevent check fraud, the Fund will not accept third party checks, Treasury checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks, starter checks, postdated checks, postdated on-line bill pay checks, or any conditional order or payment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mail your application and check to: 

 

 

 

 

RBC BlueBay [  ] Fund

 

 

 

 

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

 

 

 

 

P.O. Box 701

 

 

 

 

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By overnight courier, send to:

 

 

 

 

RBC BlueBay [  ] Fund

 

 

 

 

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

 

 

 

 

615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor

 

 

 

 

Milwaukee, WI 53202-5207

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Funds do not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be their agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the transfer agent of the Funds.

 

 

 

 

 

By Wire

 

To purchase shares by wire, the Funds’ transfer agent must have received a completed application and issued an account number to you. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Call 1-800-422-2766 for instructions prior to wiring funds and to advise of your intent to wire. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please use the following wire instructions: 

 

 

 

 

U.S. Bank, N.A.

 

 

 

 

ABA # 075000022

 

 

 

 

Credit: U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

 

 

 

 

Account: 182380369377

 

 

 

 

Further Credit: RBC BlueBay [  ] Fund

 

 

 

 

Shareholder Name and Account Number

26



 

 

Shareholder Information

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wired funds must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time to be eligible for same day pricing. The Funds and U.S. Bank, N.A. are not responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system, or from incomplete wiring instructions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Exchange from Another
RBC Fund

 

1-800-422-2766

If you already have an account with us and your account is authorized for telephone exchanges, you may open an account in all RBC Funds except the following: Prime Money Market Fund (RBC Institutional Class 2, RBC Select Class, RBC Reserve Class, RBC Investor Class), Tax-Free Money Market Fund (RBC Institutional Class 1, RBC Institutional Class 2, RBC Select Class, RBC Reserve Class, RBC Investor Class) and U.S. Government Money Market Fund (RBC Institutional Class 1, RBC Institutional Class 2, RBC Select Class, RBC Reserve Class, RBC Investor Class). The names and registrations on the accounts must be identical. The exchange must meet the applicable minimum exchange amount requirement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lost Accounts/Unclaimed Assets

 

Please note that based upon statutory requirements for returned mail, the Funds and the transfer agent will attempt to locate the investor or rightful owner of the account. If the Funds are unable to locate the investor, then they will determine whether the investor’s account can legally be considered abandoned. The Funds are legally obligated to escheat (or transfer) abandoned property to the appropriate state’s unclaimed property administrator in accordance with statutory requirements. The investor’s last known address of record determines which state has jurisdiction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Add to an Account. To add to an account, you may follow any one of the following steps:

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Telephone

 

1-800-422-2766

You may make additional investments ($10,000 minimum) by telephone. After a Fund receives and accepts your request, the Fund will deduct from your checking account (requires banking information to be on file) the cost of the shares. Availability of this service is subject to approval by the Funds and the participating banks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Mail

 

Make your check payable to “RBC BlueBay [ ] Fund.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mail the stub from your confirmation statement. Or, if unavailable, provide the following information with your payment:

 

 

 

 

Account name and account number 

 

 

 

 

Share class

 

 

Your investment must meet the minimum additional investment requirements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mail your additional investment to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RBC BlueBay [  ] Fund

 

 

 

 

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC 

 

 

 

 

P.O. Box 701 

 

 

 

 

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By overnight courier, send to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RBC BlueBay [  ] Fund

 

 

 

 

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

 

 

 

 

615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor

 

 

 

 

Milwaukee, WI 53202-5207

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Funds do not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be their agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the transfer agent of the Funds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Wire

 

To purchase shares and make additional investments by bank wire, please use the following wire instructions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. Bank, N.A.

 

 

 

 

ABA # 075000022

 

 

 

 

Credit: U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

 

 

 

 

Account: 182380369377

 

 

 

 

Further Credit: RBC BlueBay [  ] Fund

 

 

 

 

Shareholder Name and Account Number

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wired funds must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time to be eligible for same day pricing. Wired funds must be received by the Funds’ deadline in order for shares to be purchased at that day’s price. The Funds and U.S. Bank, N.A. are not responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system, or from incomplete wiring instructions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Call 1-800-422-2766 for instructions prior to wiring funds and to advise of your intent to wire.

 

 

 

 

27



 

 

Shareholder Information

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

By Exchange from Another
RBC Fund

 

Please refer to the information under “Exchanging Your Shares” below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can also add to your account by using the convenient options described below. The Funds reserve the right to change or eliminate these privileges at any time without notice, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Dividends and Distributions and Directed Dividend Option

Dividends and distributions will be automatically reinvested unless you request otherwise. There are no sales charges for reinvested distributions. Dividends will differ among classes of the Funds due to differences in distribution expenses. Capital gains are distributed at least annually. By selecting the appropriate box in the account application, you can elect to have your distributions (capital gains and dividends) in cash (check), have distributions deposited in a pre-authorized bank account via ACH, or have distributions reinvested in the Funds or another eligible RBC Fund (as set forth under the caption “Exchanging Your Shares”) or account without a sales charge. You should maintain the minimum balance in the Fund into which you plan to reinvest distributions. You can change or terminate your participation in the reinvestment option at any time in writing or by telephone .

If you elect to receive distributions and/or capital gains paid in cash, and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver the check, or if a check remains outstanding for six months, the Funds reserve the right to reinvest the distribution check in your account, at the Fund’s current net asset value, and to reinvest all subsequent distributions.

DISTRIBUTIONS ARE MADE ON A PER SHARE BASIS REGARDLESS OF HOW LONG YOU HAVE OWNED YOUR SHARES. THEREFORE, IF YOU INVEST SHORTLY BEFORE THE DISTRIBUTION DATE, SOME OF YOUR INVESTMENT WILL BE RETURNED TO YOU IN THE FORM OF A DISTRIBUTION THAT MAY BE TAXABLE. (SEE “SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION — DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES”).

Selling Your Shares

If selling your shares through your financial advisor or broker, ask him or her for redemption procedures. Your advisor and/or broker may have transaction minimums and/or transaction times that will affect your redemption. For all other sales transactions, follow the instructions below.

To sell shares please contact U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, the Fund’s transfer agent:

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Phone

 

1-800-422-2766

You may withdraw any amount up to $50,000 by telephone, provided that your account is authorized for telephone redemptions. A Fund will send proceeds only to the address or bank of record. You must provide the Fund’s name, your account number, the name of each account owner (exactly as registered), and the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time for the trade to be processed with that day’s closing price.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Mail

 

RBC BlueBay [  ] Fund

 

 

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

 

 

P.O. Box 701

 

 

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.

In a letter, include the genuine signature of each registered owner (exactly as registered), the name of each account owner, the account number and the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed. See “Signature Guarantees” below for information on when a signature guarantee is required.

 

 

2.

Mail or courier the letter to the applicable address above or below.

 

 

3.

The Funds do not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be their agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the transfer agent of the Funds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Overnight Courier

 

RBC BlueBay [ ] Fund

 

 

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

 

 

615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor

 

 

Milwaukee, WI 53202-5207

 

 

 

 

 

 

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By Wire

 

Redemption proceeds may be wired to your pre-identified bank account. A $15 fee may be deducted from your redemption proceeds for complete share redemptions. In the case of a partial redemption, the fee of $15 may be deducted from the remaining account balance. If your written request is received in good order before 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, the Fund will normally wire the money on the following business day. If a Fund receives your request after 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, the Fund will normally wire the money on the second business day. Contact your financial institution about the time of receipt and availability. See “Signature Guarantees” below for information on when a signature guarantee is required.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Information About Purchasing and Selling Shares

The Funds cannot process transaction requests unless they are properly completed as described in this section. The Funds may cancel or change the transaction policies without notice. To avoid delays, please call us if you have any questions about these policies.

All purchases must be in U.S. Dollars. All checks must be in U.S. Dollars drawn on a domestic bank. The Funds will not accept payment in cash or money orders. To prevent check fraud, the Funds will not accept third party checks, Treasury checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks, starter checks, postdated checks, or any conditional order or payment.

The transfer agent will charge a $25 fee against a shareholder’s account, in addition to any loss sustained by a Fund, for any payment that is returned.

The Funds may waive the minimum purchase requirements. Each of the Funds, the Distributor, the Advisor and the transfer agent reserves the right to reject any application for any reason in its sole discretion, including rejection of orders not accompanied by proper payment and orders that are not in the best interests of the Funds and their shareholders. The Funds do not accept applications under certain circumstances or in amounts considered disadvantageous to shareholders.

Class I Eligibility. Class I shares of the Funds are offered solely to individuals and institutions with a $1,000,000 minimum requirement for initial investment, and a $10,000 minimum requirement for additional investments. There is no minimum requirement for initial investment for participants of qualified retirement plans. The minimum requirement may be waived, at Fund management’s discretion, for certain persons who are charged fees for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services by a financial intermediary or other service provider. Neither the minimum requirement for initial investment for the Funds nor the requirements for the minimum account size described in the next paragraph will apply to investments by employees of the Advisor and Sub-Advisor (or their affiliates), officers and trustees of the Funds, partners or employees of law firms that serve as counsel to the Funds or the Funds’ independent trustees, or members of the immediate families of the foregoing (e.g., spouses, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, parents-in-law, sons and daughters-in-law, siblings, a sibling’s spouse, and a spouse’s siblings).

Minimum Account Size. You must maintain a minimum account value equal to the current minimum initial investment, which is $1,000,000 for Class I shareholder accounts. There is no minimum account size requirement for retirement plans. If your account falls below a minimum due to redemptions and not market action, a Fund may ask you to increase the account size back to the minimum. If you do not bring the account up to the minimum amount within 60 days after the Fund contacts you, the Fund may close the account and send your money to you or begin charging you a fee for remaining below the minimum account size. No redemption fees will be imposed on shares redeemed as a result of involuntary account closing.

Timing of Purchases and Sales of Shares. You may purchase or sell shares of a Fund based on the NAV next determined after your request is received in good order. All requests received in good order before 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on a business day will be executed on that same day. Requests received after 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on a business day will be processed the next business day at the next business day’s NAV. A purchase request is in “good order” if it includes a completed account application and the dollar amount of shares to be purchased along with payment for the shares. If you are paying with federal funds (wire), your order will be considered received when the Fund or its transfer agent receives the federal funds.

The Funds, their Advisor and their transfer agent reserve the right to reject any purchase request for any reason. A Fund may accept orders to purchase Fund shares in-kind with securities, rather than with cash, when the offered securities are consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies. Acceptance of such purchases will be at the Advisor’s discretion, and will be valued in the same manner that the Fund uses to calculate its NAV.

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Shareholder Information

 

Each Fund intends to pay redemption proceeds promptly and in any event within seven days after the request for redemption is received in good order. In case of emergencies or other unusual circumstances, each Fund may suspend redemptions or postpone payment for more than seven days, as permitted by law. Redemptions of Fund shares may be suspended when trading on the NYSE is closed or is restricted, in the event of an early or unscheduled close of the primary trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio instruments, or during an emergency which makes it impracticable for the applicable Fund to dispose of its securities or to determine the value of its net assets, or during any other period as permitted by the SEC for the protection of investors. Under these and other unusual circumstances, a Fund may delay redemption payments for more than seven days, as permitted by law.

The Funds cannot accept requests that contain special conditions or effective dates. The Funds may request additional documentation to ensure that a request is genuine. Examples may include a certified copy of a death certificate or divorce decree.

If you request a redemption within 15 days of purchase, the Fund will delay sending your proceeds until it has collected unconditional payment, which may take up to 15 days from the date of purchase. You can avoid this delay by purchasing shares with a federal funds wire. For your protection, if your account address has been changed within the last 30 days, your redemption request must be in writing and signed by each account owner, with signature guarantees. The right to redeem shares may be temporarily suspended in emergency situations only as permitted under federal law.

Large Sale (Redemption) Conditions. Large redemptions can adversely affect a portfolio manager’s ability to implement a Fund’s investment strategy by causing the premature sale of securities that would otherwise be held longer. Accordingly, we request that you give us three business days’ notice for any redemption of $2 million or more.

 

 

 

Signature Guarantees. You may withdraw from your account at any time. Certain redemptions will however require a signature guarantee. Signature guarantees will generally be accepted from domestic banks, brokers, dealers, credit unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies and savings associations, as well as from participants in the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program and the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (“STAMP”). A notary public is not an acceptable signature guarantor.

 

Withdrawing Money from Your Fund Investment

 

 

 

As a mutual fund shareholder, you are technically selling shares when you request a withdrawal in cash. This is also known as redeeming shares or a redemption of shares.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A signature guarantee is required to redeem shares in the following situations:

 

 

 

 

If you are requesting a change in ownership on your account;

 

 

 

 

When redemption proceeds are payable or sent to any person, address or bank account not on record;

 

 

 

 

If a change of address was received by the Transfer Agent within the last 30 days;

 

 

 

 

For all redemptions in excess of $50,000 from any shareholder account.

In addition to the situations described above, the Funds and/or the transfer agent reserve the right to require a signature guarantee or other acceptable signature authentication in other instances based on the circumstances relative to the particular situation.

Signature Validation Program – Non Financial Transactions. You can get a Signature Validation Program Stamp from most banks, credit unions, federal savings and loan associations, or securities dealers, but not a notary public. For your protection, the Funds require a Signature Validation Program Stamp or other acceptable signature authentication if you request:

 

 

 

 

A change in redemption instructions;

 

 

 

 

Maintenance changes of name, address or banking instructions;

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Shareholder Information

 


 

 

 

 

Beneficiaries changes on Transfer on Death (“TOD”) Accounts;

 

 

 

 

Adding Systematic Purchase Plan;

 

 

 

 

Adding banking instructions;

 

 

 

 

Name change;

 

 

 

 

Trustee change; or

 

 

 

 

UTMA/UGMA custodian change.

Redemption Fee. A 2.00% redemption fee is generally imposed on redemptions and exchanges within 30 days of purchase. See “Market Timing and Excessive Trading – Redemption Fee,” below.

Redemption in Kind. The Funds reserve the right to make payment in securities rather than cash, known as “redemption in kind,” for amounts redeemed by a shareholder, in any 90-day period, in excess of $250,000 or 1% of Fund net assets, whichever is less. If a Fund deems it advisable for the benefit of all shareholders, redemption in kind will consist of securities equal in market value to your shares. When you convert these securities to cash, you will pay brokerage charges.

Form of Distributions. By selecting the appropriate box on the account application, you can elect to receive your distributions (capital gains and dividends) in cash (check), have distributions deposited in a pre-authorized bank account via wire transfer, ACH, or have distributions reinvested back into your account with the Fund.

Telephone Purchase, Exchange and Redemption Privileges. Shareholders who open accounts with the Funds can accept telephone purchase, exchange and redemption privileges on the account application. If you call the Funds, the Funds’ representative may request personal identification and may tape record the call.

Corporations, Trusts and Other Entities. Additional documentation is normally required for corporations, fiduciaries and others who hold shares in a representative or nominee capacity. We cannot process your request until we have all documents in the form required. Please call us first to avoid delays.

Sales Limited to U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens. Shares of the Funds may be offered to only United States citizens and United States resident aliens having a social security number or individual tax identification number. This Prospectus should not be considered a solicitation or offering of Fund shares to non-U.S. citizens or non-resident aliens.

Anti-Money Laundering Procedures. Shareholder information is subject to independent identity verification and may be shared, as permitted by law and as permitted by the Funds’ Privacy Policy, for identifying and reporting suspected money laundering and terrorist activity. In compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act, all financial institutions (including mutual funds) are required, among other matters, to obtain, verify and record the following information for all registered owners and, in certain circumstances, others who may be authorized to act on an account: full name, date of birth (for individuals), taxpayer identification number (usually your social security number), and permanent street address. In order to verify your identity, we may cross-reference your identification information with a consumer report or other electronic database, or by requesting a copy of your driver’s license, passport or other identifying document. Corporate, trust and other entity accounts require additional documentation. If we are unable to verify your identity in accordance with the Funds’ policies and procedures, we may reject and return your application, close your account or take such other action as we deem reasonable and as permitted by law. Please review your account application for additional information.

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Shareholder Information

 

Exchanging Your Shares

If exchanging shares through your financial advisor or brokerage account, simply tell your advisor or broker that you wish to exchange shares of the Fund and he or she will take care of the necessary documentation. To open a new account through an exchange from an existing RBC Fund account, please refer to “Purchasing and Adding to Your Shares” above.

An exchange of shares is technically a sale of shares in one fund followed by a purchase of shares in another fund, and therefore may have tax consequences. By following the instructions below, and subject to such limitations as may be imposed by the RBC Funds, you may exchange shares between all RBC Funds except the following: Prime Money Market Fund (RBC Institutional Class 2, RBC Select Class, RBC Reserve Class, RBC Investor Class), Tax-Free Money Market Fund (RBC Institutional Class 1, RBC Institutional Class 2, RBC Select Class, RBC Reserve Class, RBC Investor Class) and U.S. Government Money Market Fund (RBC Institutional Class 1, RBC Institutional Class 2, RBC Select Class, RBC Reserve Class, RBC Investor Class).

 

 

 

 

 

By Telephone

 

1-800-422-2766

If you elected telephone options on your account application, and your account has been open for at least 15 days, telephone orders will be accepted via electronic funds transfer from your bank account through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network. You must have banking information established on your account prior to making a purchase. If your order is received prior to the Funds’ deadline, your shares will be purchased at the net asset value calculated on the day your order is placed.

 

 

 

 

 

By Mail

 

Regular Mail

Registered/Overnight Mail

 

 

RBC BlueBay [  ] Fund

RBC BlueBay [  ] Fund

 

 

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

 

 

P.O. Box 701
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor
Milwaukee, WI 53202-5207

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.

In a letter, include the genuine signature of each registered owner, the account number, the number of shares or dollar amount to be exchanged, the name of the RBC Fund from which the amount is being sold, and the name of the RBC Fund into which the amount is being purchased.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.

Mail or courier the letter to the applicable address above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.

The Funds do not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be their agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the transfer agent of the Funds.

 

 

 

 

 

Monthly Exchanges

 

You may authorize monthly exchanges ($100 minimum) from one eligible RBC Fund into another eligible RBC Fund. Exchanges will be continued until all shares have been exchanged or until you terminate the service.

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Policies on Exchanges

Shares exchanged within 30 days of purchase generally will be subject to a redemption fee of 2.00% of the value of the shares so exchanged. The Funds also reserve the right to limit exchanges. (See “Market Timing and Excessive Trading,” below.)

With the exception of exchanges to or from the Prime Money Market Fund (whose shares are offered through another prospectus), the share class must be the same in the two funds involved in the exchange and no front-end sales charge will be assessed. For complete information on the RBC Fund you are exchanging into, including fees and expenses, read that fund’s prospectus carefully. With the exception of exchanges to Prime Money Market Fund, you must meet the minimum investment requirement of the fund you are exchanging into. Exchanges to Prime Money Market Fund will be into the RBC Institutional Class 1 shares. The names and registrations on the two accounts must be identical. You should review the prospectus of the fund you are exchanging into. Call us for a free copy or contact your investment representative. The exchange privilege (including automatic exchanges) may be changed or eliminated at any time upon 60 days’ notice to shareholders.

Additional Shareholder Services

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Services for the following types of accounts are also available to shareholders. Please call 1-800-422-2766 for more information.

 

 

 

 

Uniform Transfers/Gifts to Minors Accounts

 

 

 

 

TOD Accounts

 

 

 

 

Accounts for corporations, partnerships and retirement plans

 

 

 

 

Coverdell Education Savings Accounts

 

 

 

 

Traditional IRA accounts

 

 

 

 

Roth IRA Accounts

 

 

 

 

Simplified Employee Pensions (“SEPs”)

Telephone Services. Telephone trades must be received by or prior to market close. During periods of increased market activity, you may have difficulty reaching the Funds by telephone or may encounter higher than usual call waits. If this happens, contact the Funds by mail or allow sufficient time to place your telephone transaction. The Funds may refuse a telephone request, including a request to redeem shares of a Fund. The Funds will use reasonable procedures to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine. If such procedures are followed, neither the Funds nor any persons or entity that provides services to the Funds will be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, the Fund will accept telephone instructions from any one owner or authorized person. The Funds reserve the right to limit the frequency or the amount of telephone redemption requests. Once a telephone transaction has been placed, it cannot be cancelled or modified.

Shareholder Mailings. To help lower operating costs, the Funds attempt to eliminate mailing duplicate documents to the same address. When two or more Fund shareholders have the same last name and address, a Fund may send only one prospectus, annual report, semi-annual report, general information statement or proxy statement to that address rather than mailing separate documents to each shareholder. This practice is known as “householding.” Shareholders may opt out of this single mailing at any time by calling the Funds at 1-800-422-2766 and requesting the additional copies of Fund documents.

Market Timing and Excessive Trading

Market timing may interfere with the management of a Fund’s portfolio and result in increased costs. The Funds do not accommodate market timers. On behalf of the Funds, the Board of Trustees has adopted policies and procedures to discourage short-term trading or to compensate the Fund for costs associated with it.

Redemption Fee. A 2.00% fee is imposed on redemptions or exchanges of shares of the Funds in this Prospectus within 30 days of purchase. This redemption fee will not be imposed in certain situations, such as: (1) shares purchased through reinvested distributions (dividends and capital gains), (2) shares purchased through 401(k) and other employer-sponsored retirement plans (excluding IRA and other one person retirement plans), (3) shares redeemed in accordance with the systematic redemption plan or monthly exchange program, (4) redemptions following the death or disability of a shareholder (of which the Fund has been notified), or (5) under other circumstances at the Fund management’s discretion. The redemption fee may also not be imposed, at Fund management’s discretion, on redemptions or exchanges of shares that occur as part of the periodic rebalancing of accounts in an investment advisor’s asset allocation program and not at the direction of the investment advisor’s client. Each Fund will retain any redemption fees to help cover transaction and tax costs that result from selling securities to meet short-term investor redemption requests. For purposes of calculating the holding period, the Funds will employ the “first in, first out” method, which assumes that the shares sold or exchanged are the ones held the longest. The redemption fee will be deducted from the proceeds that result from the order to sell or exchange.

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Shareholder Information

 

Restriction and Rejection of Purchase or Exchange Orders. The Funds reserve the right to restrict or reject, for any reason, without any prior notice, any purchase or exchange order. These include transactions representing excessive trading or suspected excessive trading, transactions that may be disruptive to the management of the Fund’s portfolio, and purchase orders not accompanied by proper payment. The RBC Funds reserve the right to delay for up to one business day the processing of exchange requests in the event that, in a Fund’s judgment, such delay would be in the Fund’s best interest, in which case both the redemption and purchase will be processed at the conclusion of the delay period.

If detected, once an accountholder makes five exchanges between RBC Funds during a calendar year, the ability to make additional exchanges for that account may be suspended. In applying these exchange limits, the Funds may consider trading done in multiple accounts under common ownership, control or influence. These exchange limits do not apply to purchases made through the monthly exchange program. In addition, these limits may be modified at the Funds’ discretion for retirement plans to conform to plan exchange features and applicable law and regulation, and for automated or pre-established exchange, asset allocation or dollar cost averaging programs.

The Funds’ policy limiting the number of exchanges applies uniformly to all investors. However, some financial intermediaries, such as investment advisors, broker-dealers, transfer agents and third-party administrators, maintain omnibus accounts in which they aggregate orders of multiple investors and forward aggregated orders to the Funds. Because the Funds receive these orders on an aggregated basis and because these omnibus accounts may not be identified by the financial intermediaries as omnibus accounts, the Funds may be limited in its ability to detect excessive trading or enforce its market timing policy with respect to those omnibus accounts and investors purchasing and redeeming Fund shares through those accounts.

If a Fund identifies an investor as a potential market timer or an intermediary as a potential facilitator for market timing in the Fund, even if the above limits have not been reached, the Fund may take steps to restrict or prohibit further trading in the Fund by that investor or through that intermediary. As stated above, each Fund reserves the right to restrict or reject a purchase order for any reason without prior notice. Each Fund also reserves the right to terminate an investor’s exchange privilege without prior notice.

Risks Presented by Excessive Trading Practices. Parties engaged in market timing may use many techniques to seek to avoid detection. Despite the efforts of the Funds and their agents to prevent market timing, there is no guarantee that the Funds will be able to prevent all such practices. For example, a Fund may receive purchase and redemption orders through financial intermediaries and cannot always reasonably detect market timing that may be facilitated by these intermediaries or by the use of omnibus account arrangements offered by these intermediaries to investors. Omnibus account arrangements typically aggregate the share ownership positions of multiple shareholders and often result in the Fund being unable to monitor the purchase and redemption activity of a particular shareholder. To the extent that the Funds and their agents are unable to curtail excessive trading practices in the Funds, those practices may interfere with the efficient management of the Fund’s investment portfolio, and may, for example, cause the Fund to maintain a higher cash balance than it otherwise would have maintained or to experience higher portfolio turnover than it otherwise would have experienced. This could hinder performance and lead to increased brokerage and administration costs. Those increased costs would be borne by Fund shareholders.

For a Fund that invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that may close prior to when the Fund determines its NAV, excessive trading by certain shareholders may cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by other shareholders. Each Fund has procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what it determines to be the fair value of those securities at the time when the Fund determines its NAV, which are intended to mitigate this risk.

To the extent that a Fund invests in securities that may trade infrequently, such as private placements, it may be susceptible to market timing by investors who seek to exploit perceived price inefficiencies in the Fund’s investments. This is commonly referred to as price arbitrage. In addition, the market for securities of smaller companies may at times show market momentum, in which positive or negative performance may continue for a period of time for reasons unrelated to the

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fundamentals of the issuer. Because these securities may trade infrequently, the Fund may be unable to purchase or sell investments at favorable prices in response to cash inflows or outflows caused by timing activity.

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

A description of the Funds’ policies and procedures regarding the disclosure of portfolio holdings is available in the Funds’ SAI. Each Fund also makes certain portfolio securities information available on its website which is accessed by using the Fund’s link at www.rbcgam.us. Within 15 days of month-end, each Fund’s top ten holdings and related weightings, the total number of Fund holdings and the Fund’s sector/industry weightings (all as of month-end) are posted until replaced by the next month’s information.

Shareholder Servicing Plan

The Trust has adopted a Shareholder Servicing Plan (the “Servicing Plan”) that allows Class I shares of each Fund to pay service fees to firms that provide shareholder services (“Intermediaries”). Under the Servicing Plan, if an Intermediary provides shareholder services, including responding to shareholder inquiries and assisting shareholders with their accounts, the Fund may pay shareholder servicing fees to the Intermediary at an annual rate not to exceed 0.15%. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than other types of charges.

Dividends, Distributions and Taxes

Dividends and Distributions. Each Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code. As a regulated investment company, a Fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to you. Each Fund expects to declare dividends monthly and distribute all of its net investment income, if any, to shareholders as dividends monthly. Each Fund will distribute net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually. Dividends will also be paid at any time during the month upon total redemption of shares in an account. A Fund may distribute such income dividends and capital gains more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund. The amount of any distribution will vary, and there is no guarantee a Fund will pay either an income dividend or a capital gains distribution.

Annual Statements. Each year, the Funds will send you an annual statement (Form 1099) of your account activity to assist you in completing your federal, state and local tax returns. Distributions declared in October, November, or December to shareholders of record in such month, but paid in January, are taxable as if they were paid in December. Prior to issuing your statement, the Funds make every effort to reduce the number of corrected forms mailed to you. However, if a Fund finds it necessary to reclassify its distributions or adjust the cost basis of any covered shares (defined below) sold or exchanged after you receive your tax statement, the Fund will send you a corrected Form 1099.

Avoid “Buying a Dividend.” At the time you purchase your Fund shares, the Fund’s net asset value may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation in value of portfolio securities held by the Fund. For taxable investors, a subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable. Buying shares in a Fund just before it declares an income dividend or capital gains distribution is sometimes known as “buying a dividend.”

Tax Considerations. Each Fund expects, based on its investment objective and strategies, that its distributions, if any, will be taxable as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both. This is true whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash.

For federal income tax purposes, Fund distributions of short-term capital gains are taxable to you as ordinary income. Fund distributions of long-term capital gains are taxable to you as long-term capital gains no matter how long you have owned your shares. A portion of income dividends reported by a Fund may be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation by individual shareholders at long-term capital gain rates provided certain holding period requirements are met. Because the

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income of each Fund is primarily derived from investments earning interest rather than dividend income, generally none or only a small portion of the income dividends paid to you by a Fund is anticipated to be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation by individuals at long-term capital gain tax rates.

If a Fund qualifies to pass through to you the tax benefits from foreign taxes it pays on its investments, and elects to do so, then any foreign taxes it pays on these investments may be passed through to you as a foreign tax credit.

Sale or Redemption of Fund Shares. You will recognize taxable gain or loss on a sale, exchange or redemption of your shares in a Fund based on the difference between your tax basis in the shares and the amount you receive for them. Generally, you will recognize long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for over one year at the time you sell or exchange them. A Fund is required to report to you and the Internal Revenue Service annually on Form 1099-B not only the gross proceeds of Fund shares you sell or redeem but also their cost basis for shares purchased or acquired on or after January 1, 2012 (“covered shares”). Cost basis will be calculated using the Funds’ default method of average cost, unless you instruct a Fund to use a different calculation method. Shareholders should carefully review the cost basis information provided by a Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns. If your account is held by your investment representative (financial advisor or other broker), please contact that representative with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account. Tax-advantaged retirement accounts will not be affected.

Medicare Tax. An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from a Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds certain threshold amounts. This Medicare tax, if applicable, is reported by you on, and paid with, your federal income tax return.

Backup Withholding. By law, if you do not provide a Fund with your proper taxpayer identification number and certain required certifications, you may be subject to backup withholding on any distributions of income, capital gains, or proceeds from the sale of your shares. A Fund also must withhold if the Internal Revenue Service instructs it to do so. When withholding is required, the amount will be 28% of any distributions or proceeds paid.

State and Local Taxes. Fund distributions and gains from the sale or exchange of your Fund shares also may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes.

This discussion of “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes” is not intended or written to be used as tax advice. Because everyone’s tax situation is unique, you should consult your tax professional about federal, state, local, or foreign tax consequences before making an investment in a Fund.

Organizational Structure

RBC Funds Trust, formerly known as Tamarack Funds Trust, was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on December 16, 2003. Overall responsibility for the management of RBC Funds Trust is vested in its Board of Trustees.

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Investment Practices

 

This section discusses the types of investments which can be held by the Funds. Most of these securities and investment techniques are discretionary, which means that the Sub-Advisor can decide whether to use them or not. This Prospectus does not attempt to disclose all of the various types of securities and investment techniques that may be used by the Funds. As with any mutual fund, investors in the Funds rely on the professional investment judgment and skill of Sub-Advisor and the individual portfolio managers. Please see “Description of Securities and Investment Practices” in the SAI for more detailed information about the securities and investment techniques described in this section and about other strategies and techniques that may be used by the Funds.

Asset-Backed Securities: Securities secured by company receivables, home equity loans, truck and auto loans, leases and credit card receivables or other securities backed by other types of receivables or other assets.

Call and Put Options: A call option gives the buyer the right to buy, and obligates the seller of the option to sell a security at a specified price at a future date. A put option gives the buyer the right to sell, and obligates the seller of the option to buy a security at a specified price at a future date. A Fund will sell only covered call and secured put options.

Commercial Paper: Secured and unsecured short-term promissory notes issued by corporations and other entities. Maturities generally vary from a few days to nine months.

Convertible Securities: Bonds or preferred stock that can convert to common stock.

Corporate Debt Securities: May include bonds and other debt securities of domestic and foreign issuers, including obligations of industrial, utility, banking and other corporate issuers.

Currency Transactions: Strategies used to hedge against currency risks, for other risk management purposes or to increase income or gain to a Fund. These strategies may consist of use of any of the following: options on currencies, financial and currency futures, options on such futures, forward foreign currency transactions, forward rate agreements and currency swaps, caps and floors. The Funds may engage in such transactions in both U.S. and non-U.S. markets.

Credit Default Swaps (CDSs): A swap agreement between two parties pursuant to which one party pays the other a fixed periodic coupon for the specified life of the agreement. The other party makes no payment unless a credit event, relating to a predetermined reference asset, occurs. If such an event occurs, the party will then make a payment to the first party, and the swap will terminate.

Credit Linked Notes: An instrument in which an entity issues a structured note that is intended to replicate a corporate bond or portfolio of corporate bonds.

Emerging Market Securities: Securities issued by issuers or governments in countries with emerging economies or securities markets which may be undergoing significant evolution and rapid developments.

Equity Securities: Shares of ownership of a company.

Foreign Investments: Equity and debt securities (e.g., bonds and commercial paper) of foreign entities and obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks and foreign banks. Foreign securities may also include American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and American Depositary Securities.

Forwards: An agreement to buy or sell a specific amount of currency or rate or interest at a price set at the time of the contract.

High Yield/High Risk Securities/Junk Bonds: Securities that are generally rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies or are unrated but are deemed by a Fund to be of comparable quality.

37



 

 

Investment Practices

 

Investment Company Securities: Shares of other investment companies, including money market funds for which the Advisor, Sub-Advisor and/or their affiliates serve as investment advisor or administrator. The Advisor will waive certain fees when investing in funds for which it serves as investment advisor, to the extent required by law.

Loan Assignments and Participations: Assignments of, or participations in, all or a portion of loans to corporations or to governments, including governments of less developed countries.

Options and Futures Transactions: A Fund may purchase and sell (a) exchange traded and over-the-counter put and call options on securities, indexes of securities and futures contracts on securities, indexes of securities, interest rate futures contracts and interest rate swaps and (b) futures contracts on securities and indexes of securities.

Private Placements, Restricted Securities and Other Unregistered Securities: Securities not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, such as privately placed commercial paper and Rule 144A securities.

Repurchase Agreements: The purchase of a security and the simultaneous commitment to return the security to the seller at an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date. This is treated as a loan.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements: The sale of a security and the simultaneous commitment to buy the security back at an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date. This is treated as a borrowing by a Fund.

Short Selling: A Fund sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of the security. To complete the transaction, a Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. A Fund is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing it subsequently at the market price at the time of replacement.

Sovereign Obligations: Investments in debt obligations issued or guaranteed by a foreign sovereign government or its agencies, authorities or political subdivisions.

Structured Investments: A security having a return tied to an underlying index or other security or asset class. Structured investments generally are individually negotiated agreements and may be traded over-the-counter. Structured investments are organized and operated to restructure the investment characteristics of the underlying security.

Swaps and Related Swap Products: Swaps involve an exchange of obligations by two parties and may include credit default swaps, currency swaps, interest rate swaps and total return swaps. Caps and floors entitle a purchaser to a principal amount from the seller of the cap or floor to the extent that a specified index exceeds or falls below a predetermined interest rate or amount. A Fund may enter into these transactions to manage its exposure to changing interest rates and other factors.

Variable and Floating Rate Instruments: Obligations with interest rates which are reset daily, weekly, quarterly or some other frequency and which may be payable to a Fund on demand or at the expiration of a specified term.

When-Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments: Purchase or contract to purchase securities at a fixed price for delivery at a future date.

38



 

 

Privacy Policy

 

RBC Funds
Notice of Privacy Policy & Practices

The RBC Funds recognize and respect the privacy concerns and expectations of our customers, including individuals who provide their nonpublic personal information to the RBC Funds but do not invest in the Funds’ shares.

We provide this notice to you so that you will know what kinds of information we collect about our customers and the circumstances in which that information may be disclosed to third parties who are not affiliated with the RBC Funds.

 

 

 

 

Collection of Customer
Information

 

We collect nonpublic personal information about our customers from the following sources:

 

 

 

 

Account Applications and Other Forms, which may include a customer’s name, address, social security number, and information about a customer’s investment goals and risk tolerance;

 

 

 

 

 

 

Account History, including information about the transactions and balances in a customer’s accounts; and

 

 

 

 

 

 

Correspondence, written, telephonic or electronic between a customer and the Fund or service providers to the RBC Funds.

 

 

 

 

Disclosure of Customer
Information

 

We may disclose all of the information described above to certain third parties who are not affiliated with the Funds under one or more of these circumstances:

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Authorized — if you request or authorize the disclosure of the information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Permitted by Law — for example, sharing information with companies who maintain or service customer accounts for the RBC Funds is permitted and is essential for us to provide shareholders with necessary or useful services with respect to their accounts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Under Joint Agreements — we may also share information with companies that perform marketing services on our behalf or to other financial institutions with whom we have joint marketing agreements.

 

 

 

 

Security, Safeguarding
and Destruction of
Customer Information and
Reports

 

We require service providers to the RBC Funds:

 

 

 

 

To maintain policies and procedures designed to assure only appropriate access to, and use of information about customers of, the RBC Funds;

 

 

 

 

To maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard nonpublic personal information of customers of the RBC Funds;

 

 

 

 

To maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards for the proper disposal of consumer report information, as defined in Rule 30(b)(1)(ii) of Regulation S-P.

 

 

 

 

Delegation

 

The RBC Funds have delegated the responsibility to implement appropriate written procedures for such safeguarding and disposal of consumer report information and records to the Funds’ transfer agent and/or any other service provider who may come into possession of such information.

We will adhere to the policies and practices described in this notice regardless of whether you are a current or former shareholder of the RBC Funds.


For more information about the Funds, the following documents are available free upon request:

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports (Reports):

The Funds’ Reports to shareholders contain additional information on the Funds’ investments. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds’ performance during their last fiscal year.

Statement of Additional Information (SAI):

The SAI provides more detailed information about the Funds, including their operations and investment policies. It is incorporated by reference and is legally considered a part of this Prospectus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can get free copies of the Reports and the SAI, or request other information and discuss your questions about the Funds by contacting a broker that sells the Funds, or contacting the Funds at:

 

 

 

 

 

RBC Funds

 

 

c/o U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

 

 

P.O. Box 701

 

 

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

 

Telephone: 1-800-422-2766

 

 

 

 

 

You may also visit the Funds’ website at www.rbcgam.us for a free copy of the Funds’ Prospectus, SAI or Reports.

 

 

 

 

Information from the Securities and Exchange Commission:

You can review and obtain copies of Fund documents from the SEC as follows:

In person:

Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. (For their hours of operation, call 1-202-551-8090.)

By mail:

Securities and Exchange Commission
Public Reference Section
Washington, D.C. 20549-1520
(The SEC charges a fee to copy any documents.)

On the EDGAR database via the Internet:

www.sec.gov

By electronic request:

publicinfo@sec.gov

(The SEC charges a fee to copy any documents.)

Investment Company Act File No. 811-21475.

(FSC LOGO)


RBC FUNDS TRUST
50 SOUTH SIXTH STREET, SUITE 2350
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 55402

GENERAL AND ACCOUNT INFORMATION
(800) 422-2766

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

December 9, 2014

 

 

 

 

For each of the following Funds:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund

 

Class I:

RBTRX

 

 

 

 

 

 

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund

 

Class I:

RUFJX

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) describes the RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund and RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund (each a “Fund” and together the “Funds”) of RBC Funds Trust (the “Trust”) advised by RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. (the “Advisor” or “RBC”) and sub-advised by BlueBay Asset Management LLP (the “Sub-Advisor” or “BlueBay”).

Each Fund has a distinct investment objective and policies. Shares of the Funds are sold to the public by Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”) and are sold as investment vehicles for individuals, institutions, corporations and fiduciaries, including customers of the Advisor or its affiliates.

The Trust is offering an indefinite number of shares offered by the particular Fund. See “Additional Purchase and Redemption Information” and “Other Information — Capitalization” below.

This SAI is not a prospectus and is authorized for distribution only when preceded or accompanied by the prospectus for the RBC BlueBay Funds, dated December 9, 2014 (the “Prospectus”). This SAI contains additional and more detailed information than that set forth in the Prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus. A copy of the Prospectus is available without charge, and may be obtained by writing or calling the Funds at the address or telephone number printed above, or on the Funds’ website at www.rbcgam.us. A copy of the annual and semi-annual reports, when available, may be obtained without charge by writing or calling the Funds at the address or telephone number printed above, or on the Funds’ website at www.rbcgam.us.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

PAGE

Investment Policies

 

3

Description of Securities and Investment Practices

 

3

Asset-Backed Securities

 

3

Borrowing

 

3

Cash Management

 

3

Commercial Paper

 

4

Convertible Securities

 

4

Corporate Debt Securities

 

4

Credit Linked Notes

 

4

Derivatives

 

4

Futures

 

5

Options

 

6

Options on Futures Contracts

 

7

Risks of Futures and Related Options Investments

 

7

Foreign Currency Options

 

8

Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts

 

8

Swap Agreements

 

9

Risks of Swap Agreements

 

10

Risks of Potential Regulation of Swaps and Other Derivatives

 

11

Commodity Pool Operator Exclusions and Regulations

 

11

Distressed Debt Securities

 

12

Emerging Markets

 

12

Exchange-Traded Notes

 

13

Equity Securities

 

13

Foreign Securities

 

13

Forward Commitments and When-Issued Securities

 

14

High Yield Securities

 

14

Illiquid and Restricted Securities

 

15

Investment Companies

 

15

Investment Grade Securities

 

16

Loan Assignments and Participations

 

16

Non-Diversified Status (Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund)

 

16

Private Placement Securities

 

16

Repurchase Agreements

 

17

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

 

17

Securities of Smaller Companies

 

17

Sovereign Bonds

 

17

Subordinated Debts

 

18

Temporary Defensive Positions

 

18

Variable and Floating Rate Demand and Master Demand Notes

 

18

Investment Restrictions

 

18

Supplemental (Non-Fundamental) Clarification of Certain Fundamental Investment Policies/Restrictions

 

19

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions

 

19

Additional Purchase and Redemption Information

 

19

Exchange of Fund Shares

 

21

Management

 

21

Trustees and Officers

 

21

Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities

 

27

Investment Advisor

 

28

Investment Sub-Advisors

 

28

Portfolio Managers Holdings

 

30

Proxy Voting Policies

 

31

Shareholder Servicing Plan

 

32

Administrative Services

 

32

Determination of Net Asset Value

 

32

Portfolio Transactions

 

33

Portfolio Turnover

 

36

Taxation

 

36

Other Information

 

44

Capitalization

 

44

Voting Rights

 

44

Other Service Providers

 

45

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

45

Code of Ethics

 

45

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Policies and Procedures

 

45

Registration Statement

 

46

Financial Statements

 

47

Appendix A – Ratings of Debt Instruments

 

A-1

2


INVESTMENT POLICIES

The investment objective and principal investment strategies of each Fund are set forth in the Funds’ Prospectus. This SAI contains supplemental information concerning certain types of securities and other instruments in which the Funds may invest, the investment policies and portfolio strategies that the Funds may utilize, and certain risks attendant to such investments, policies and strategies. The investment objective of each Fund is a non-fundamental policy of the Fund and may be changed without the approval of the Fund’s shareholders. Unless otherwise indicated, each investment policy and practice applies to all Funds.

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES AND INVESTMENT PRACTICES

ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES. Asset-backed securities represent participations in, or are secured by and payable from, pools of assets including company receivables, truck and auto loans, leases and credit card receivables. These securities may be in the form of pass-through instruments or asset-backed bonds. Asset-backed securities are issued by non-governmental entities and carry no direct or indirect government guarantee; the asset pools that back asset-backed securities are securitized through the use of privately-formed trusts or special purpose corporations.

Payments or distributions of principal and interest may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit or a pool insurance policy issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the trust or corporation, or other credit enhancements may be present. Payments on asset-backed securities depend upon assets held by the issuer and collections of the underlying loans. The value of these securities depends on many factors, including changing interest rates, the availability of information about the pool and its structure, the credit quality of the underlying assets, the market’s perception of the servicer of the pool, and any credit enhancement provided.

Like mortgages underlying mortgage-backed securities, automobile sales contracts or credit card receivables underlying asset-backed securities are also subject to prepayment, which may reduce the overall return to certificate holders. Nevertheless, principal prepayment rates tend not to vary much with interest rates, and the short-term nature of the underlying car loans or other receivables tends to dampen the impact of any change in the prepayment level. Certificate holders may also experience delays in prepayment on the certificates if the full amounts due on underlying sales contracts or receivables are not realized because of unanticipated legal or administrative costs of enforcing the contracts or because of depreciation or damage to the collateral (usually automobiles) securing certain contracts, or other factors. In certain market conditions, asset-backed securities may experience volatile fluctuations in value and periods of illiquidity. If consistent with its investment objective and policies, a Fund may invest in other asset-backed securities that may be developed in the future. Certain asset-backed securities may be considered derivative instruments.

BORROWING. Each Fund may borrow money from banks and enter into reverse repurchase agreements to obtain additional funds to make investments, and may also enter into derivative contracts that have a borrowing effect. Typically a Fund borrows to satisfy shareholder redemptions, if necessary, but it also is authorized to borrow to finance additional investments. The Fund will borrow to finance additional investments only when the Sub-Advisor believes that the potential return on such additional investments will exceed the costs incurred in connection with the borrowing. A decision by the Sub-Advisor to cause the Fund to borrow additional funds will increase the amount of the management fee, which creates a potential conflict of interest.

Engaging in borrowings, entering into reverse repurchase agreements or engaging in certain derivative transactions may be deemed to create leverage. The use of leverage increases investment risk. Although leverage can enhance return on invested capital, if the return on the investments purchased with borrowed funds fails to cover the fixed cost of the borrowings, or if the return is negative, the value of the Fund’s net assets will decline more rapidly than would be the case in the absence of leverage. For this reason, leverage increases investment risk and is considered a speculative investment technique. The Fund expects to be required to pledge portfolio assets as collateral for its borrowings. If the Fund is unable to service the borrowings, the Fund may risk the loss of such pledged assets. In addition, if the interest rates on floating or variable rate borrowings increase at a time when the Fund holds fixed-rate securities or the Fund holds variable rate securities whose interest rates do not increase as much as the rate on the Fund’s borrowings, the Fund’s income and yield will be adversely affected. Lenders also may require that the Fund agree to loan covenants that could restrict its investment flexibility in the future (e.g., by limiting the Fund’s ability to incur additional debt), and loan agreements may provide for acceleration of the maturity of the indebtedness if certain financial tests are not met. The Fund may be required to dispose of or seek prepayment of assets at a time it would otherwise not do so to repay indebtedness in a timely fashion.

CASH MANAGEMENT. Cash and cash equivalents may be used for cash management purposes and to maintain liquidity in order to satisfy redemption requests or pay unanticipated expenses, or they may be used while a Fund looks for suitable investment opportunities. There may also be times when a Fund attempts to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions by investing up to 100% of its assets in these types of investments for temporary, defensive purposes. During these times, the Fund may not be able to pursue its primary investment objective and, instead, will focus on preserving its assets.

3


COMMERCIAL PAPER. The term commercial paper generally refers to short-term unsecured promissory notes. Commercial paper may be issued by both foreign and domestic entities, which may include bank holding companies, corporations, special purpose corporations, financial institutions, and at times government agencies and financial instrumentalities. Investments in commercial paper may be in the form of discounted securities, be issued at par, may be variable rate demand notes and variable rate master demand notes, all with stated or anticipated maturities within 397 days. Commercial paper may be issued as taxable or tax exempt securities. All commercial paper purchased by a Fund must meet minimum rating criteria for that Fund.

CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES. Convertible securities give the holder the right to exchange the security for a specific number of shares of common stock, and entitles the holder to receive interest that is generally paid or accrued on debt or a dividend that is paid or accrued on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Convertible securities include convertible preferred stocks, convertible bonds, notes and debentures, and other securities. Convertible securities typically involve less credit risk than common stock of the same issuer because convertible securities are “senior” to common stock — i.e., they have a prior claim against the issuer’s assets. Convertible securities have unique investment characteristics, in that they generally (i) have higher yields than common stocks, but lower yields than comparable non-convertible securities, (ii) are less subject to fluctuation in value than the underlying common stock due to their fixed income characteristics and (iii) provide the potential for capital appreciation if the market price of the underlying common stock increases.

Investments in convertible bonds may, in addition to normal bond risks and fluctuations, be subject to fluctuations in response to numerous factors, including but not limited to, variations in the periodic operating results of the issuer, changes in investor perceptions of the issuer, the depth and liquidity of the market for convertible bonds and changes in actual or forecasted global or regional economic conditions. In addition, the global bond markets have from time to time experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. Any such broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of convertible bonds. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument. If a convertible security held by a Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party. Any of these actions could have an adverse effect on a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective, which, in turn, could result in losses to the Fund.

CORPORATE DEBT SECURITIES. The Funds may invest in corporate debt securities (corporate bonds, debentures, notes and similar corporate debt instruments) which meet the applicable rating criteria established for each Fund. The Funds may also invest in hybrid corporate debt, including Tier I and Tier II bank capital securities and bank trust preferred securities.

Corporate debt securities are taxable debt obligations issued by corporations, are subject to the risk of the issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest payments on the obligations and may also be subject to price volatility due to factors such as market interest rates, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity. The market value of a debt security generally reacts inversely to interest rate changes. When prevailing interest rates decline, the price of the debt obligation usually rises, and when prevailing interest rates rise, the price usually declines.

After purchase by a Fund, a security may cease to be rated or its rating may be reduced below the minimum required for purchase by the Fund. Neither event will require a sale of such security by the Fund. However, the Sub-Advisor will consider such event in its determination of whether the Fund should continue to hold the security. To the extent the ratings given by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”) or another rating agency change as a result of changes in such organizations or their rating systems, the Funds will attempt to use comparable ratings as standards for investments in accordance with the investment policies contained in the Prospectus and in this SAI.

CREDIT LINKED NOTES. Credit linked notes and similar structured notes involve a counterparty structuring a note whose value is intended to move in line with the underlying security specified in the note. Unlike financial derivative instruments, cash is transferred from the buyer to the seller of the note. In the event that the counterparty (the party that structures the note) defaults, the risk to the Fund is to that of the counterparty, irrespective of the value of the underlying security within the note. Additional risks result from the fact that the documentation of such notes tends to be highly customized. The liquidity of a credit linked note or similar notes can be less than that for the underlying security, a regular bond or debt instrument, and this may adversely affect either the ability to sell the position or the price at which such a sale is transacted.

DERIVATIVES. A derivative is a financial instrument which has a value that is based on (“derived from”) the value of one or more other assets, such as securities, interest rates, currencies, commodities or related indexes (“reference assets”). Derivatives include forwards, options, futures, options on futures, and swap agreements (see additional disclosure below). The risks associated with the use of derivatives are different from, and may be greater than, the risks associated with investing in the underlying reference asset on which the derivative is based. Derivatives are highly specialized instruments that require investment and analysis techniques different from those associated with standard bond and equity securities. Using derivatives requires an understanding not only of the underlying reference asset but of the derivative instrument itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the derivative under all

4


potential market conditions. The Funds, as described in more detail below, may invest in various types of derivatives for the purpose of risk management, for investment purposes, seeking to reduce transaction costs, managing a Fund’s cash position or otherwise seeking to add value to an individual portfolio when a derivative instrument is more favorably priced relative to the underlying security. The Funds may create long and short positions through derivatives on currencies, interest rates, equities, bonds, and/or debt instruments issued by corporate issuers globally. However, there is no guarantee that a particular derivative strategy will meet these objectives. Further, the Funds are not obligated to actively engage in hedging. For example, a Fund may not have attempted to hedge its exposure to a particular risk at a time when doing so might have avoided a loss.

In addition to the risks associated with specific types of derivatives as described below, derivatives may be subject to the following risks: 1) Counterparty risk: the risk of loss due to the failure of the other party to the contract to make required payments or otherwise comply with contract terms; 2) Liquidity risk: the risk that a portfolio may not be able to purchase or sell a derivative at the most advantageous time or price due to difficulty in finding a buyer or seller; or 3) Pricing or Valuation risk: the risk that a derivative may not be correctly priced within a portfolio due to the fluctuating nature of the underlying reference asset. There is also the risk that the fluctuations in value of a derivative will not correlate perfectly with that of the underlying reference asset. Finally, the decision to purchase or sell a derivative depends in part upon the ability of the Sub-Advisor to forecast certain economic trends, such as interest rates. If the Sub-Advisor incorrectly forecasts these trends, or in the event of unanticipated market movement, there is a risk of loss to the portfolio upon liquidation of the derivative.

Leverage exists when a Fund purchases or sells a derivative instrument or enters into a transaction without investing cash in an amount equal to the full economic exposure of the instrument or transaction and the Fund could lose more than it invested. Leverage may cause a Fund to be more volatile because it may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. The use of some derivative instruments may result in economic leverage, which does not result in the possibility of a Fund incurring obligations beyond its investment, but that nonetheless permits the Fund to gain exposure that is greater than would be the case in an unlevered instrument.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) takes the position that financial instruments that involve a Fund’s obligation to make future payments to third parties can be viewed as issuances of “senior securities” by a Fund. To prevent such transactions being viewed as “senior securities” subject to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), prohibition, a Fund may (1) maintain an offsetting investment; (2) segregate liquid assets equal to the value of the Fund’s potential exposure under the leveraged transactions; or (3) maintain other “cover” for the transaction as permitted by SEC guidance. In many cases, a Fund is required to cover its open position by maintaining segregated liquid assets equal to the derivative contract’s full, notional value. The Funds reserve the right to modify their asset segregation policies in the future to comply in the positions from time to time articulated by the SEC or its staff regarding asset segregation. However, with respect to certain instruments that are contractually required to “cash-settle,” a Fund is permitted to maintain a “cover” in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market (net) obligation (i.e., the Fund’s daily net liability if any) rather than the notional value. By earmarking assets equal to only its net obligation under cash-settled contracts, a Fund will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund were required to earmark assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts. Fund transactions subject to the “senior security” prohibition are marked-to-market daily to assure that liquid assets equal to the potential exposure created by these transactions are maintained. These “cover” requirements may require that securities be sold or purchased in adverse market conditions. Further, maintaining segregated assets to cover “senior securities” transactions may result in such securities being unavailable for other investment purposes or to satisfy redemptions.

Futures. The Funds may enter into futures contracts, which are contracts between two parties for the sale of an underlying reference asset, such as a security, currency or commodity with delivery deferred until a future date. The buyer agrees to pay a fixed price at the agreed future date and the seller agrees to deliver the reference asset. Futures contracts may be bought and sold on U.S. and non-U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts in the U.S. are traded on exchanges and must be executed through a futures commission merchant (“FCM”), which is a brokerage firm. Futures contracts may also be entered into on certain exempt markets, including exempt boards of trade and electronic trading facilities, available to certain market participants. The purchase of a futures contract allows a Fund to increase or decrease its exposure to the underlying reference asset without having to buy or sell the actual asset. Futures contracts may be based on various securities, securities indexes, interest rates, foreign currencies and other financial instruments and indexes. A Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in premiums and margins on options and futures.

A futures contract on a securities index is an agreement obligating either party to pay, and entitling the other party to receive, while the contract is outstanding, cash payments based on the level of a specified securities index. Each Fund may engage in such futures transactions in an effort to hedge against market risks and to manage its cash position. This investment technique is designed primarily to hedge against anticipated future changes in market conditions which otherwise might adversely affect the value of securities which these Funds hold or intend to purchase. For example, when interest rates are expected to rise or market values of portfolio securities are expected to fall, a Fund can seek through the sale of futures contracts to offset a decline in the value of its portfolio securities. When interest rates are expected to fall or market values are expected to rise, a Fund, through the purchase of such contracts, can

5


attempt to secure better rates or prices than might later be available in the market when it affects anticipated purchases. Each Fund may also engage in futures transactions for investment purposes in order to efficiently or quickly attain exposure to desired securities or markets, and such investments may involve leverage.

While futures contracts generally provide for the delivery of an underlying reference asset, actual delivery usually does not occur. Futures contracts can be terminated by entering into offsetting transactions. In addition, a Fund may invest in futures contracts that are contractually required to be “cash-settled,” rather than requiring the delivery of the reference asset. The Fund will cover its obligations under the futures transactions in which it participates by either (i) holding offsetting positions that appropriately equal the daily market value of the Fund’s position in the futures contract (less the initial margin and any variation margins deposited with a futures commission merchant); or (ii) accruing such amounts on a daily basis and maintaining segregated assets to cover the futures contract. With respect to a futures contract that is not contractually required to “cash-settle,” a Fund must cover its open position by maintaining segregated assets equal to the contract’s full, notional value. However, the Fund may net non-cash settled futures contracts if the futures have the same expiration date and underlying instruments. With respect to a futures contract that is contractually required to “cash-settle” the Fund is permitted to maintain segregated assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market (net) obligation (i.e., the Fund’s daily net liability if any) rather than the notional value. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligation under cash-settled future contracts a Fund will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund were required to segregate assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts.

Options. A Fund may write (or sell) put and call options on the securities that the Fund is authorized to buy or already holds in its portfolio. A Fund may also purchase put and call options. A call option gives the purchaser the right to buy, and the writer the obligation to sell, the underlying security at the agreed-upon exercise (or “strike”) price during the option period. A put option gives the purchaser the right to sell, and the writer the obligation to buy, the underlying security at the strike price during the option period. Purchasers of options pay an amount, known as a premium, to the option writer in exchange for the right under the option contract. A Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in premiums and margins on options and futures.

A Fund may sell “covered” put and call options as a means of hedging the price risk of securities in the Fund’s portfolio. The sale of a call option against an amount of cash equal to the potential liability of a put constitutes a “covered put.” When a Fund sells an option, if the underlying securities do not increase (in the case of a call option) or decrease (in the case of a put option) to a price level that would make the exercise of the option profitable to the holder of the option, the option will generally expire without being exercised and the Fund will realize as profit the premium paid for such option. When a call option of which a Fund is the writer is exercised, the option holder purchases the underlying security at the strike price and the Fund does not participate in any increase in the price of such securities above the strike price. When a put option of which a Fund is the writer is exercised, the Fund will be required to purchase the underlying securities at the strike price, which may be in excess of the market value of such securities. At the time a Fund writes a put option or a call option on a security it does not hold in its portfolio in the amount required under the option, it will establish and maintain a segregated or earmarked account consisting solely of liquid assets equal to its liability under the option, in accordance with procedures approved by the Trust that are intended to address potential leveraging issues.

Over-the-counter (“OTC”) options differ from exchange-traded options in several respects. They are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation, and there is a risk of non-performance by the dealer. OTC options are available for a greater variety of securities and for a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices than exchange-traded options. Because OTC options are not traded on an exchange, pricing is normally done by reference to information from a market maker. This information is carefully monitored by the Sub-Advisor and verified in appropriate cases. All OTC derivative counterparties will be approved consistent with the Advisor’s and Sub-Advisor’s policies and procedures. OTC options are subject to the Funds’ 15% limit on investments in securities which are illiquid or not readily marketable (see “Investment Restrictions”), provided that OTC option transactions by a Fund with a primary U.S. Government securities dealer which has given the Fund an absolute right to repurchase according to a “repurchase formula” will not be subject to such 15% limit.

It may be a Fund’s policy, in order to avoid the exercise of an option sold by it, to cancel its obligation under the option by entering into a closing purchase transaction, if available, unless it is determined to be in the Fund’s interest to sell (in the case of a call option) or to purchase (in the case of a put option) the underlying securities. A closing purchase transaction consists of a Fund purchasing an option having the same terms as the option sold by the Fund and has the effect of canceling the Fund’s position as a seller. The premium which a Fund will pay in executing a closing purchase transaction may be higher than the premium received when the option was sold, depending in large part upon the relative price of the underlying security at the time of each transaction. To the extent options sold by a Fund are exercised and the Fund either delivers portfolio securities to the holder of a call option or liquidates securities in its portfolio as a source of funds to purchase securities put to the Fund, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may increase, resulting in a possible increase in short-term capital gains and a possible decrease in long-term capital gains.

Purchasing and writing options involves certain risks. During the option period, the covered call writer has, in return for the premium on the option, given up the opportunity to profit from a price increase in the underlying securities above the exercise price, but, as long

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as its obligation as a writer continues, has retained the risk of loss should the price of the underlying security decline. 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 securities at the exercise price. If a put or call option purchased by a Fund is not sold when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying security, in the case of a put, remains equal to or greater than the exercise price, or in the case of a call, remains less than or equal to the exercise price, the Fund will lose its entire investment in the option. Also, where a put or call option on a particular security is purchased to hedge against price movements in a related security, the price of the put or call option may move more or less than the price of the related security. There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist when a Fund seeks to close out an option position. Furthermore, if trading restrictions or suspensions are imposed on the options market, a Fund may be unable to close out a position. If a Fund cannot affect a closing transaction, it will not be able to sell the underlying security while the previously written option remains outstanding, even if it might otherwise be advantageous to do so.

Options on Futures Contracts. The Funds may purchase and write put and call options on futures contracts that are traded on a U.S. exchange or board of trade and enter into related closing transactions to attempt to gain additional protection against the effects of interest rate, currency or equity market fluctuations. There can be no assurance that such closing transactions will be available at all times. In return for the premium paid, such an option gives the purchaser the right to assume a position in a futures contract at any time during the option period for a specified exercise price.

A Fund may purchase put options on futures contracts in lieu of, and for the same purpose as, the sale of a futures contract. It also may purchase such put options in order to hedge a long position in the underlying futures contract.

The purchase of call options on futures contracts is intended to serve the same purpose as the actual purchase of the futures contracts. A Fund may purchase call options on futures contracts in anticipation of a market advance when it is not fully invested. A Fund may write a call option on a futures contract in order to hedge against a decline in the prices of the index or debt securities underlying the futures contracts. If the price of the futures contract at expiration is below the exercise price, the Fund would retain the option premium, which would offset, in part, any decline in the value of its portfolio securities.

The writing of a put option on a futures contract is similar to the purchase of the futures contracts, except that, if market price declines, a Fund would pay more than the market price for the underlying securities or index units. The net cost to that Fund would be reduced, however, by the premium received on the sale of the put, less any transaction costs.

Risks of Futures and Related Options Investments. There are several risks associated with the use of futures contracts and options on futures contracts. While a Fund’s use of futures contracts and related options for hedging may protect the Fund against adverse movements in the general level of interest rates or securities prices, such transactions could also preclude the opportunity to benefit from favorable movement in the level of interest rates or securities prices. There can be no guarantee that the Sub-Advisor’s forecasts about market value, interest rates and other applicable factors will be correct or that there will be a correlation between price movements in the hedging vehicle and in the securities being hedged. The skills required to invest successfully in futures and options may differ from the skills required to manage other assets in a Fund’s portfolio. An incorrect forecast or imperfect correlation could result in a loss on both the hedged securities in a Fund and the hedging vehicle so that the Fund’s return might have been better had hedging not been attempted.

There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist at a time when a Fund seeks to close out a futures contract or futures option position. Most futures exchanges and boards of trade limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single day; once the daily limit has been reached on a particular contract, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond that limit. In addition, certain of these instruments are relatively new and without a significant trading history. As a result, there is no assurance that an active secondary market will develop or continue to exist. Lack of a liquid market for any reason may prevent a Fund from liquidating an unfavorable position and the Fund would remain obligated to meet margin requirements until the position is closed. The potential risk of loss to a Fund from a futures transaction is unlimited.

A Fund will enter into only those futures contracts or futures options which are standardized and traded on a U.S. or foreign exchange or board of trade, or similar entity, or are quoted on an automated quotation system. Foreign markets may offer advantages such as trading in indices that are not currently traded in the United States. Foreign markets, however, may have greater risk potential than domestic markets. Unlike domestic commodity exchanges, foreign commodity exchanges are not regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and, as such, trading on foreign exchanges may be subject to greater risk than trading on domestic exchanges. In addition, some foreign exchanges are principal markets so that no common clearing facility exists and a trader may look only to the broker for performance of the contract. Finally, any profits that a Fund might realize in trading in foreign markets could be eliminated by adverse changes in the exchange rate of the currency in which the transaction is denominated, or a Fund could incur losses as a result of changes in the exchange rate.

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A Fund will incur brokerage fees in connection with its futures and options on futures transactions, and it will be required to segregate funds for the benefit of brokers as margin to guarantee performance of these contracts. In addition, while such contracts will be entered into to reduce certain risks, trading in these contracts entails certain other risks. Thus, while a Fund may benefit from the use of futures contracts and related options, unanticipated changes in interest rates may result in a poorer overall performance for that Fund than if it had not entered into any such contracts. Moreover, in the event of an imperfect correlation between the futures position and the portfolio position which is intended to be protected, the desired protection may not be obtained and the Fund may be exposed to risk of loss. A Fund may be required to segregate certain of its assets in respect of derivative transactions entered into by a Fund.

There is a risk of loss by a Fund of the initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of an FCM with which the Fund has an open position in a futures contract. The assets of the Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of an FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of an FCM’s customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund’s assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM’s other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer.

As open-end investment companies, registered with the SEC, the Funds are subject to federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, related rules and various SEC and SEC Staff positions. In accordance with these positions, with respect to certain kinds of derivatives, each Fund must “set aside” (referred to sometimes as “asset segregation”) liquid assets, or engage in other SEC or Staff-approved measures while the derivatives contracts are open. For example, with respect to futures contracts and forward foreign currency exchange contracts (discussed below) that are not contractually required to “cash-settle,” a Fund must cover its open positions by setting aside liquid assets equal to the contracts’ full, notional value. With respect to futures and forward foreign currency exchange contracts that are contractually required to “cash-settle,” a Fund is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market (net) obligation (i.e., the Fund’s daily net liability, if any) rather than the notional value. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligation under cash-settled futures or forward foreign currency exchange contracts a Fund will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund was required to segregate assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts. The Funds reserve the right to modify their asset segregation policies in the future to comply with any changes in the positions articulated from time to time by the SEC and its Staff.

The regulation of futures, options on futures and other derivatives is a rapidly changing area of law. For more information, see “Risks of Potential Regulation of Swaps and Other Derivatives” below.

Foreign Currency Options. Each Fund may purchase and write put and call options on foreign currencies and enter into related closing transactions to attempt to gain additional protection against adverse movements of currency exchange rates. A foreign currency option is a contract that gives the purchaser of the option, in return for the premium paid, the right to buy the underlying foreign currency from the writer of the option (in the case of a call option), or to sell the underlying foreign currency to the writer of the option (in the case of a put option), at a designated price during the term of the option. Foreign currency options are traded on U.S. and other exchanges as well as in the OTC market.

Risks of Foreign Currency Options. Foreign currency options traded on U.S. or other exchanges may be subject to position limits which may limit the ability of a Fund to reduce foreign currency risk using such options. OTC options differ from exchange-traded options in that they are two-party contracts with price and other terms negotiated between buyer and seller and generally do not have as much market liquidity as exchange-traded options. Employing hedging strategies with options on currencies does not eliminate fluctuations in the prices of portfolio securities or prevent losses if the prices of such securities decline. Furthermore, such hedging transactions reduce or preclude the opportunity for gain if the value of the hedged currency should change relative to the U.S. dollar. The Funds will not speculate in options on foreign currencies.

There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular foreign currency option or at any particular time. In the event no liquid secondary market exists, it might not be possible to effect closing transactions, in particular options. If a Fund cannot close out an option which it holds, it would have to exercise its option in order to realize any profit and would incur transactional costs on the sale of underlying assets.

Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts. Each Fund may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in order to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign exchange rates. A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. These contracts are entered into in the interbank market conducted between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. At the maturity of a forward foreign currency exchange contract, a Fund may either exchange the reference asset and fixed price specified in the contract or, prior to maturity, enter into a closing transaction involving the purchase or sale of an offsetting contract. Closing transactions with respect to forward foreign currency exchange contracts are usually effected with the counterparty to the original contract. A Fund may also enter into forward

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foreign currency exchange contracts that do not provide for physical settlement of the reference asset but instead are settled by a single cash payment (“non-deliverable forwards”). Under definitions adopted by the CFTC and SEC, non-deliverable forwards are considered swaps. Although non-deliverable forwards have historically been traded in the OTC market, as swaps they may in the future be required to be centrally cleared and traded on public facilities. For more information on central clearing and trading of cleared swaps, see “Swap Agreements,” “Risks of Swap Agreements” and “Risks of Potential Regulation of Swaps and Other Derivatives” below.

Risks of Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts may be bought or sold to protect the Funds against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar, or between foreign currencies. Although such contracts are intended to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, at the same time, they tend to limit any potential gain which might result should the value of such currency increase.

The precise matching of the value of forward contracts and the value of the securities involved will not generally be possible since the future value of the securities in currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures. The successful use of these transactions will usually depend on the Advisor’s ability to accurately forecast currency exchange rate movements. Should exchange rates move in an unexpected manner, a Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the transaction, or it may realize losses. Projection of short-term currency exchange rate movements is extremely difficult, and the successful execution of a short-term hedging strategy is uncertain. There can be no assurance that new forward contracts or offsets will always be available to the Funds.

Investors should bear in mind that the Funds are not obligated to actively engage in hedging or other currency transactions. For example, a Fund may not have attempted to hedge its exposure to a particular foreign currency at a time when doing so might have avoided a loss.

Swap Agreements. The Fund may engage in swap transactions, including, but not limited to, interest rate swaps and options thereon, swaps on specific securities or security indexes, total return swaps, credit default swaps (“CDS”) and credit default index swaps (“CDX”). A swap agreement is an agreement between two parties (generally referred to as the counterparties) to exchange payments at specified dates calculated on a specific asset, interest rate, or index. The payments under a swap agreement are based on the specified dollar amount (generally referred to as the notional amount). Generally swap agreements are structured so that the specified payments due from each counterparty with respect to a particular swap are netted, with net payment being made only to the counterparty entitled to receive such payment. Where a swap contract provides for the netting of payments, the net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to the swap contract will be accrued on a daily basis and an amount of segregated assets having an aggregate market value at least equal to the accrued excess will be maintained to cover the transaction.

The purchaser of an option on an interest rate swap, also known as a “swaption,” upon payment of a fee (either at the time of purchase or in the form of higher payments or lower receipts within an interest rate swap transaction) has the right, but not the obligation, to initiate a new swap transaction of a pre-specified notional amount with pre-specified terms with the seller of the swaption as the counterparty.

The purchaser of a CDS has the right to recoup the economic value of a decline in the value of obligations of the reference issuer if a credit event ( e.g., a downgrade or default) occurs with respect to such debt obligations. CDS are contracts on individual debt obligations, while CDX transactions are contracts on indexes of debt obligations. CDS and CDX may require initial premium (discount) payments as well as periodic payments (receipts) related to the interest leg of the swap or to the default of a reference obligation. A Fund will earmark and reserve assets, in cash or liquid securities, with a value at least equal to the Fund’s exposure (any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed by the Fund to any counterparty), on a marked-to-market basis. In cases where a Fund is a seller of a CDS or CDX contract, the Fund will earmark and reserve assets, in cash or liquid securities, equal to the full notional value of the CDS or CDX.

A total return swap is an agreement between two parties under which the parties agree to make payments to each other so as to replicate the economic consequences that would apply had a purchase or short sale of the underlying reference instrument taken place. For example, one party agrees to pay the other party the total return earned or realized on the notional amount of an underlying equity security and any dividends declared with respect to that equity security. In return the other party makes payments, typically at a floating rate, calculated based on the notional amount.

A swap agreement may be negotiated bilaterally and traded OTC between the two parties (for an uncleared swap) or, in some instances, must be transacted through an FCM and cleared through a clearinghouse that serves as a central counterparty (for a cleared swap). In an uncleared swap, the swap counterparty is typically a brokerage firm, bank or other financial institution. During the term

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of an uncleared swap, a Fund is usually required to pledge to the swap counterparty, from time to time, an amount of cash and/or other assets equal to the total net amount (if any) that would be payable by the Fund to the counterparty if the swap were terminated on the date in question, including any early termination payments. Periodically, changes in the amount pledged are made to recognize changes in value of the contract resulting from, among other things, interest on the notional value of the contract, market value changes in the underlying investment, and/or dividends paid by the issuer of the underlying instrument. Likewise, the counterparty may be required to pledge cash or other assets to cover its obligations to the Fund.

As a result of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) and related regulatory developments, which have imposed comprehensive new regulatory requirements on swaps and swap market participants, certain standardized swaps are subject to mandatory central clearing and trade execution requirements. . In a cleared swap, a Fund’s ultimate counterparty is a central clearinghouse rather than a brokerage firm, bank or other financial institution. A Fund initially will enter into cleared swaps through an executing broker. Such transactions will then be submitted for clearing and, if cleared, will be held at regulated FCMs that are members of the clearinghouse that serves as the central counterparty. Mandatory clearing and exchange-trading of swaps will occur on a phased-in basis based on the type of market participation, CFTC mandating certain types of swaps for central clearing and public trading facilities making such cleared swaps available to trade. To date, the CFTC has designated only certain of the most common types of CDX and interest rate swaps as subject to mandatory clearing and certain public trading facilities have made certain those swaps are available to trade , but it is expected that additional categories of swaps will in the future be designated as subject to mandatory clearing and trade execution requirements . Central clearing is intended to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity, but central clearing does not eliminate these risks and may involve additional risks not involved with uncleared swaps. For more information, see “Risks of Swap Agreements” and “Risks of Potential Regulation of Swaps and Other Derivatives” below.

When a Fund enters into a cleared swap, it must deliver to the central counterparty (via an FCM) an amount referred to as “initial margin.” Initial margin requirements are determined by the central counterparty, but an FCM may require additional initial margin above the amount required by the central counterparty. During the term of the swap agreement, a “variation margin” amount may also be required to be paid by the Fund or may be received by the Fund in accordance with margin controls set for such accounts, depending upon changes in the price of the underlying reference asset subject to the swap agreement. At the conclusion of the term of the swap agreement, if the Fund has a loss equal to or greater than the margin amount, the margin amount is paid to the FCM along with any loss in excess of the margin amount. If the Fund has a loss of less than the margin amount, the excess margin is returned to the Fund. If the Fund has a gain, the full margin amount and the amount of the gain is paid to the Fund.

Risks of Swap Agreements. As is the case with most investments, swap agreements are subject to market risk, and there can be no guarantee that the Sub-Advisor will correctly forecast the future movements of interest rates, indexes or other economic factors. The use of swaps requires an understanding of investment techniques, risk analysis and tax treatment different than those of the Fund’s underlying portfolio investments. Swap agreements may be subject to liquidity risk, when a particular contract is difficult to purchase or sell at the most advantageous time. However, in recent years the swaps market has become increasingly liquid, and central clearing and the trading of cleared swaps on public facilities are intended to further increase liquidity. Nevertheless, certain swap agreements may be subject to the Fund’s limitations on illiquid securities.

Swap agreements are also subject to pricing risk which can result in significant fluctuations in value relative to historical prices. Significant fluctuations in value may mean that it is not possible to initiate or liquidate a swap position in time to avoid a loss or take advantage of a specific market opportunity.

Rules adopted under the Dodd-Frank Act require centralized reporting of detailed information about many swaps, whether cleared or uncleared. This information is available to regulators and also, to a more limited extent and on an anonymous basis, to the public. Reporting of swap data is intended to result in greater market transparency. This may be beneficial to Funds that use swaps in their trading strategies. However, public reporting imposes additional recordkeeping burdens on these Funds, and the safeguards established to protect anonymity are not yet tested and may not provide protection of trader identities as intended.

Uncleared swaps are typically executed bilaterally with a swap dealer rather than traded on exchanges. As a result, swap participants may not be as protected as participants on organized exchanges. Performance of a swap agreement is the responsibility only of the swap counterparty and not of any exchange or clearinghouse. As a result, the Funds are subject to counterparty risk (i.e. the risk that a counterparty will be unable or will refuse to perform under such agreement, including because of the counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency). The Fund risks the loss of the accrued but unpaid amounts under a swap agreement, which could be substantial, in the event of a default, insolvency or bankruptcy by a swap counterparty. In such an event, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the swap agreements, but bankruptcy and insolvency laws could affect the Fund’s rights as a creditor. If the counterparty’s creditworthiness declines, the value of a swap agreement would likely decline, potentially resulting in losses.

As noted above, under recent financial reforms, certain types of swaps are, and others eventually are expected to be, required to be

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cleared through a central counterparty, which may affect counterparty risk and other risks faced by the Fund. Central clearing is designed to reduce counterparty credit risk and increase liquidity compared to bilateral swaps because central clearing interposes the central clearinghouse as the counterparty to each participant’s swap, but it does not eliminate those risks completely. There is also a risk of loss by a Fund of the initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Fund has an open position in a swap contract. The assets of the Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of an FCM’s customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund’s assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM’s other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer to the central counterparty. Transactions executed on a swap execution facility may increase market transparency and liquidity but may require the Fund to incur increased expenses to access the same types of swaps that it has used in the past.

With cleared swaps, a Fund may not be able to obtain as favorable terms as it would be able to negotiate for a bilateral, uncleared swap. In addition, an FCM may unilaterally amend the terms of its agreement with the Fund, which may include the imposition of position limits or additional margin requirements with respect to the Fund’s investment in certain types of swaps. Central counterparties and FCMs can require termination of existing cleared swap transactions upon the occurrence of certain events , and can also require increases in margin above the margin that is required at the initiation of the swap agreement. Additionally, depending on a number of factors, the margin required under the rules of the clearinghouse and FCM may be in excess of the collateral required to be posted by the Fund to support its obligations under a similar uncleared swap. However, regulators are expected to adopt rules imposing certain margin requirements, including minimums, on uncleared swaps in the near future, which could change this comparison.

The Funds are also subject to the risk that, after entering into a cleared swap with an executing broker, no FCM or central counterparty is willing or able to clear the transaction. In such an event, a Fund may be required to break the trade and make an early termination payment to the executing broker.

Risks of Potential Regulation of Swaps and Other Derivatives. The regulation of cleared and uncleared swaps, as well as other derivatives, is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. In addition, the SEC, CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the implementation of higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the suspension of trading.

It is not possible to predict fully the effects of current or future regulation. However, it is possible that developments in government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, such as speculative position limits on certain types of derivatives, or limits or restrictions on the counterparties with which the Funds engage in derivative transactions, may limit or prevent a Fund from using or limit a Fund’s use of these instruments effectively as a part of its investment strategy, and could adversely affect a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. The Advisor will continue to monitor developments in the area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect the Fund’s ability to enter into desired swap agreements. New requirements, even if not directly applicable to the Fund, may increase the cost of a Fund’s investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.

Commodity Pool Operator Exclusions and Regulation

RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund and RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund

The Advisor is registered as a “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) and the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) and is subject to regulation as a commodity pool operator. However , the Advisor has claimed on behalf of each Fund an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under CFTC Regulation 4.5, and the Advisor is exempt from registration as a “commodity trading advisor” with respect to the Funds. Accordingly, the Funds are not subject to registration or regulation as commodity pools or commodity pool operators, and the Advisor is also not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator or commodity trading advisor with respect to these Funds .

The terms of CFTC Regulation 4.5 require each of these Funds, among other things, to adhere to certain limits on its investments in “commodity interests.” Commodity interests include futures, commodity options and swaps, which in turn include non-deliverable currency forwards. The Funds are not intended as vehicles for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved the Funds’ reliance on these exclusions, its investment strategies or the Prospectus or this SAI.

Generally, CFTC Regulation 4.5 requires each Fund to meet one of the following tests for its commodity interest positions, other than

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positions entered into for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined in the rules of the CFTC): either (1) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the Fund’s positions in commodity interests may not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions); or (2) the aggregate net notional value of the Fund’s commodity interest positions, determined at the time the most recent such position was established, may not exceed the liquidation value of the Fund’s portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of these trading limitations, a Fund may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. If, in the future, a Fund can no longer satisfy these requirements, the Fund would be subject to registration and regulation as a commodity pool , and the Advisor would be subject to regulation as a commodity pool operator with respect to the Fund as well as with respect to the other pools for which it acts as commodity pool operator . In that case, the Advisor and the Fund would need to comply with all applicable CFTC disclosure, reporting, operational, and other regulations, which could increase Fund expenses.

DISTRESSED DEBT SECURITIES. A Fund may invest in distressed debt securities. Investment in such distressed debt securities involves purchases of obligations of companies that are experiencing significant financial or business distress, including companies involved in bankruptcy or other reorganization and liquidation proceedings. Acquired investments may include senior or subordinated debt securities, bank loans, promissory notes and other evidences of indebtedness, as well as payables to trade creditors. Although such purchases may result in significant investor returns, they involve a substantial degree of risk and may not show any return for a considerable period of time. In fact, many of these investments ordinarily remain unpaid unless and until the company reorganizes and/or emerges from bankruptcy proceedings, and as a result may have to be held for an extended period of time. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful investment in companies experiencing significant business and financial distress is unusually high. There is no assurance that the Sub-Advisor will correctly evaluate the nature and magnitude of the various factors that could affect the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a company in which a Fund invests, an investor may lose its entire investment or may be required to accept cash or securities with a value less than the original investment. Under such circumstances, the returns generated from the investment may not compensate a Fund adequately for the risks assumed.

Investing in distressed debt can also impose duties on the Sub-Advisor which may conflict with duties which it owes to a Fund. A specific example of where the Sub-Advisor may have a conflict of interest is where it invests the assets of a Fund company in serious financial distress and where that investment leads to the Sub-Advisor investing further amounts of the Fund in the company or taking an active role in managing or advising the company or one of the Sub-Advisor’s employees becomes a director or other officer of the company. In such cases, the Sub-Advisor or its employee may have duties to the company and/or its members and creditors which may conflict with, or not correlate with, the interests of the shareholders of that Fund. In such cases, the Sub-Advisor may also have discretion to exercise any rights attaching to the Fund’s investments in such a company. The Sub-Advisor will take such steps as it considers necessary to resolve such potential conflicts of interest fairly.

EMERGING MARKETS. A Fund may invest in less developed or emerging markets. These markets may be volatile and illiquid and the investments of the Fund in such markets may be considered speculative and subject to significant delays in settlement. Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because the Fund will need to use brokers and counterparties which are less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. Delays in settlement could result in investment opportunities being missed if a Fund is unable to acquire or dispose of a security.

The risk of significant fluctuations in the net asset value and of the suspension of redemptions in those Funds may be higher than for Funds investing in major world markets. In addition, there may be a higher than usual risk of political, economic, social and religious instability and adverse changes in government regulations and laws in emerging markets, assets could be compulsorily acquired without adequate compensation. The assets of a Fund investing in such markets, as well as the income derived from the Fund, may also be affected unfavorably by fluctuations in currency rates and exchange control and tax regulations and consequently the net asset value of shares of these Funds may be subject to significant volatility. Some of these markets may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those of more developed countries and the securities markets of such countries may be subject to unexpected closure.

Due to political, military or regional conflicts or due to terrorism or war, it is possible that the United States, other nations or other governmental entities (including supranational entities ) could impose sanctions on certain issuers that limit or restrict foreign investment, the movement of assets or other economic activity in a county that is involved in such conflicts. Such sanctions or other intergovernmental actions could result in the devaluation of a country’s currency, a downgrade in the credit ratings of issuers in such country, or a decline in the value and liquidity of securities of issuers in that country. In addition, an imposition of sanctions upon certain issuers in a country could result in an immediate freeze of that issuer’s securities, impairing the ability of the Fund to buy, sell, receive or deliver those securities. Counter measures could be taken by the country’s government, which could involve the seizure of

12


the Fund’s assets. In addition, such actions could adversely affect a country’s economy, possibly forcing the economy into a recession.

There may be less government supervision, legal regulation and less well defined tax laws and procedures than in countries with more developed securities markets. Some emerging markets governments exercise substantial influence over the private economic sector and the political and social uncertainties that exist for many developing countries are particularly significant. Another risk common to most such countries is that the economy is heavily export oriented and, accordingly, is dependent upon international trade. The existence of overburdened infrastructures and obsolete financial systems also presents risks in certain countries, as do environmental problems.

Although the Funds value their assets daily in terms of U.S. dollars, the Funds do not intend to convert their holdings of foreign currencies into U.S. dollars on a daily basis. The Funds will do so from time to time, and investors should be aware of the costs of currency conversion. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (“spread”) between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency to a Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the Fund desire to sell that currency to the dealer.

EXCHANGE-TRADED NOTES. Exchange-Traded Notes or “ETNs” are a type of debt security that trade on exchanges and promise a return linked to a market index or other benchmark. ETNs are unsecured debt obligations of the issuer—typically a bank or another financial institution. They differ from traditional bonds in certain ways. For example, unlike traditional bonds, ETNs typically do not pay any interest payments to investors. Instead, the issuer promises to pay the holder of the ETN an amount determined by the performance of the underlying index or benchmark on the ETN’s maturity date (typically 10, 30 or in some cases even 40 years from issuance), minus any specified fees. The performance of an ETN over long periods can differ significantly from the performance of the underlying index or benchmark. Some ETNs are callable at the issuer’s discretion. In addition, unlike traditional bonds, ETNs trade on exchanges throughout the day at prices determined by the market, similar to stocks or exchange-traded funds. But unlike exchange-traded funds, ETNs do not buy or hold assets to replicate or approximate the performance of the underlying index. The secondary market price of an ETN may differ significantly from its indicative value as calculated by the issuer.

The issuer of an ETN may engage in trading activity that is at odds with the interests of investors who hold the ETNs.

ETNs carry various risks, including credit risk, market risk and liquidity risk. The absence of an active secondary market for ETNs could make it difficult to dispose of the ETNs. Although ETNs are traded on an exchange, an active trading market may not develop. A Fund could suffer a loss if the issuer defaults on an ETN.

EQUITY SECURITIES. A Fund may invest in equity or equity-related investments. The values of equity securities may decline due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. They may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. Equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities.

FOREIGN SECURITIES. Investing in the securities of issuers in any foreign country, including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) involves special risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in securities of U.S. issuers. ADRs represent the right to receive securities of foreign issuers deposited in a domestic bank or a correspondent bank. ADRs are traded on domestic exchanges or in the U.S. over-the-counter market and, generally, are in registered form. These special risks include differences in accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards; generally higher commission rates on foreign portfolio transactions; the possibility of nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation; adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations (which may include suspension of the ability to transfer currency from a country); political instability which could affect U.S. investments in foreign countries; and diplomatic developments imposed by other countries or governmental entities . Additionally, foreign securities and dividends and interest payable on those securities may be subject to foreign taxes, including taxes withheld from payments on those securities. Foreign securities often trade with less frequency and volume than domestic securities and, therefore, may exhibit greater price volatility. Additional costs associated with an investment in foreign securities may include higher custodial fees than apply to domestic custodial arrangements and transaction costs of foreign currency conversions. Changes in foreign exchange rates also will affect the value of securities denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. A Fund’s objective may be affected either unfavorably or favorably by fluctuations in the relative rates of exchange between the currencies of different nations, by exchange control regulations and by indigenous economic and political developments. A decline in the value of any particular currency against the U.S. dollar will cause a decline in the U.S. dollar value of a Fund’s holdings of securities denominated in such currency and, therefore, will cause an overall decline in the Fund’s net asset value and any net investment income and capital gains to be distributed in U.S. dollars to shareholders of the Fund. The rate of exchange between the U.S. dollar and other currencies is determined by several factors including the supply and demand for particular currencies, central bank efforts to

13


support particular currencies, the movement of interest rates, the pace of business activity in certain other countries and the United States, and other economic and financial conditions affecting the world economy. Although a Fund may engage in forward foreign currency transactions and foreign currency options to protect its portfolio against fluctuations in currency exchange rates in relation to the U.S. dollar, there is no assurance that these techniques will be successful.

Although the Funds value their assets daily in terms of U.S. dollars, the Funds do not intend to convert their holdings of foreign currencies into U.S. dollars on a daily basis. The Funds will do so from time to time, and investors should be aware of the costs of currency conversion. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (“spread”) between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency to a Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the Fund desire to sell that currency to the dealer.

FORWARD COMMITMENTS AND WHEN-ISSUED SECURITIES. A Fund may purchase when-issued securities and enter into agreements to purchase securities for a fixed price at a future date beyond customary settlement time if the Fund maintains a segregated or earmarked account, in accordance with procedures approved by the Trust that are intended to address potential leveraging issues, or if the Fund enters into offsetting contracts for the forward sale of other securities it owns. Purchasing forward commitments and securities on a when-issued basis involves 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 decline in value of a Fund’s other assets. No income accrues on securities purchased on a when-issued basis prior to the time delivery of the securities is made, although a Fund may earn interest on securities it has deposited in the segregated account because it does not pay for the when-issued securities until they are delivered. Investing in when-issued securities has the effect of (but is not the same as) leveraging the Fund’s assets.

Although a Fund would generally purchase securities on a when-issued basis or enter into forward commitments with the intention of actually acquiring securities, the Fund may dispose of a when-issued security or forward commitment prior to settlement if the Advisor deems it appropriate to do so. A Fund may realize short-term profits or losses upon such sales. Obligations purchased on a when-issued basis or held in the Funds’ portfolios are subject to changes in market value based not only upon the public’s perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer but also upon changes in the level of interest rates. In the absence of a change in credit characteristics, which, of course, will cause changes in value, the value of portfolio investments can be expected to decline in periods of rising interest rates and to increase in periods of declining interest rates.

When payment is made for when-issued securities, a Fund will meet its obligations from its then available cash flow, sale of securities held in the separate account, sale of other securities or, although it would normally not expect to do so, from sale of the when-issued securities themselves (which may have a market value greater or less than the Fund’s obligation).

“To Be Announced” contracts or “TBA contracts” are forward contracts for the future purchase of “to be announced” debt obligations of the three U.S. government-sponsored agencies that issue or guarantee mortgage-backed securities. These bilateral contracts have two distinguishing features. First, the mortgaged-backed securities to be bought or sold are not specified when the parties enter into the agreement. The parties agree on six general parameters of the debt obligations to be transferred: date, issuing agency, interest rate, maturity date, total face amount of the obligation and price. Then, immediately prior to the time of performance, the seller will specify how many and which securities will be used to satisfy the contract. Second, these contracts contemplate delayed delivery.

Forward contracts, including TBA contracts, and delayed-delivery transactions are subject to the risk that a counterparty may become bankrupt or otherwise fail to perform its obligations due to financial difficulties, including making payments to the Fund. The Fund may obtain no or only limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other organizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.

HIGH YIELD SECURITIES. High yield fixed income securities (i.e., securities rated BB+ or below by S&P, Ba1 or below by Moody’s or comparable rated and unrated securities (also known as junk bonds)) typically are subject to greater market fluctuations and to greater risk of loss of income and principal, due to default by the issuer, than are higher-rated fixed income securities. Lower-rated fixed income securities’ values tend to reflect short term corporate, economic and market developments and investor perceptions of the issuer’s credit quality to a greater extent than lower yielding higher-rated fixed income securities’ values. In addition, it may be more difficult to dispose of, or to determine the value of, high yield fixed income securities. There are fewer investors in lower-rated securities, and it may be harder to buy and sell securities at an optimum time. Fixed income securities rated BB or Ba or lower are described by the ratings agencies as having speculative characteristics.

Credit ratings issued by credit rating agencies are designed to evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments of rated securities. They do not, however, evaluate the market value risk of high yield securities and, therefore, may not fully reflect the true risks of an investment. In addition, credit rating agencies may or may not make timely changes in a rating to reflect changes in the economy or in the conditions of the issuer that affect the market value of the security. Consequently, credit ratings are used only as a preliminary

14


indicator of investment quality. Investments in non-investment grade and comparable unrated obligations will be more dependent on the Sub-Advisor’s credit analysis than would be the case with investments in investment-grade debt obligations.

The risk of loss from default for the holders of high yield securities is significantly greater than is the case for holders of other debt securities because such high yield securities are generally unsecured and are often subordinated to the rights of other creditors of the issuers of such securities. Investment by the Funds in already defaulted securities poses an additional risk of loss should nonpayment of principal and interest continue in respect of such securities. Even if such securities are held to maturity, recovery by the Funds of their initial investment and any anticipated income or appreciation is uncertain. In addition, the Funds may incur additional expenses to the extent that they are required to seek recovery relating to the default in the payment of principal or interest on such securities or otherwise protect their interests. The Funds may be required to liquidate other portfolio securities to satisfy annual distribution obligations of the Funds in respect of accrued interest income on securities which are subsequently written off, even though the Funds have not received any cash payments of such interest.

ILLIQUID AND RESTRICTED SECURITIES. Each Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, defined as securities that it cannot sell or dispose of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the price at which the Fund has valued the investment. Illiquid securities include repurchase agreements and time deposits with notice/termination dates of more than seven days, certain variable-amount master demand notes that cannot be called within seven days, certain insurance funding agreements, certain unlisted over-the-counter options and other securities that are traded in the U.S. but are subject to trading restrictions because they are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). Because illiquid and restricted securities may be difficult to sell at an acceptable price, they may be subject to greater volatility and may result in a loss to the Funds. The continued viability of a market is dependent upon the willingness of market participants to purchase such securities. Securities that are liquid may become illiquid.

Restricted securities are subject to legal restrictions on resale. Each Fund may also, when consistent with its investment objective and policies, purchase commercial paper issued pursuant to Section 4(2) of the 1933 Act and domestically traded securities that are not registered under the 1933 Act but can be sold to “qualified institutional buyers” in accordance with Rule 144A under the 1933 Act (“Rule 144A Securities”). These securities will not be considered illiquid so long as a Fund determines, under guidelines approved by the Board of Trustees, that an adequate trading market exists. The practice of investing in Rule 144A Securities could increase the level of a Fund’s illiquidity during any period that qualified buyers become uninterested in purchasing these securities.

INVESTMENT COMPANIES. Each Fund may purchase securities issued by other investment companies. Each Fund will limit its investments in accordance with restrictions imposed by the 1940 Act so that, as determined immediately after a securities purchase is made: (a) not more than 5% of the value of its total assets will be invested in the securities of any one investment company; (b) not more than 10% of the value of its total assets will be invested in the aggregate in securities of investment companies as a group; and (c) not more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company will be owned by any of the Funds. These limitations do not apply to investments in securities of companies that are excluded from the definition of an investment company under the 1940 Act.

These restrictions do not apply to investments by the Funds in investment companies that are money market mutual funds to the extent that those investments are made in accordance with applicable exemptive rules or other authority.

As a shareholder of another investment company, a Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of that company’s expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory and other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations. Investment companies in which a Fund may invest may also impose a sales or distribution charge in connection with the purchase or redemption of their shares and other types of commissions or charges. Such charges will be payable by the Funds and, therefore, will be borne indirectly by shareholders.

A Fund’s investments in investment companies may include various exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), subject to the Fund’s investment objective, policies, and strategies as described in the Prospectus. ETFs are baskets of securities that, like stocks, trade on exchanges such as the American Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. ETFs are priced continuously and trade throughout the day. ETFs may track a securities index, a particular market sector, or a particular segment of a securities index or market sector.

ETFs can experience many of the same risks associated with individual stocks. ETFs are subject to market risk where the market as a whole, or that specific sector, may decline. ETFs that invest in volatile stock sectors, such as foreign issuers, smaller companies, or technology, are subject to the additional risks to which those sectors are subject. ETFs may trade at a discount to the aggregate value of the underlying securities. The underlying securities in an ETF may not follow the price movements of an entire industry or sector. Trading in an ETF may be halted if the trading in one or more of the ETF’s underlying securities is halted. Although expense ratios for ETFs are generally low, frequent trading of ETFs by a Fund can generate brokerage expenses.

15


INVESTMENT GRADE SECURITIES. Each Fund may invest in investment grade securities. Investment grade rated securities are assigned credit ratings by ratings agencies on the basis of the creditworthiness or risk of default of a bond issue. Rating agencies review, from time to time, such assigned ratings of the securities and may subsequently downgrade the rating if economic circumstances impact the relevant bond issues.

LOAN ASSIGNMENTS AND PARTICIPATIONS. A Fund may invest in fixed and floating rate loans from one or more financial institutions (“lender(s)”) to a borrower (“borrower”) by way of: (i) assignment/transfer of; or (ii) participation in the whole or part of the loan amount outstanding. In both instances, assignments or participations of such loans must be capable of being freely traded and transferred between investors in the loans. Participations typically will result in a Fund having a contractual relationship only with a lender as grantor of the participation but not with the borrower. A Fund acquires a participation interest only if the lender(s) positioned between the Fund and the borrower is determined by the Sub-Advisor to be creditworthy. When purchasing loan participations, a Fund assumes the economic risk associated with the corporate borrower and the credit risk associated with an interposed bank or other financial intermediary. Loan assignments typically involve a transfer of debt from a lender to a third party. When purchasing loan assignments, a Fund assumes the credit risk associated with the corporate borrower only.

Such loans may be secured or unsecured. Loans that are fully secured offer a Fund more protection than an unsecured loan in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the corporate borrower’s obligation. In addition, investments in loans through a direct assignment include the risk that if a loan is terminated, a Fund could become part owner of any collateral, and would bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral.

Loan participations typically represent direct participation in a loan to a corporate borrower, and generally are offered by banks or other financial institutions or lending syndicates.

A loan is often administered by an agent bank acting as agent for all holders. Unless, under the terms of the loan or other indebtedness, a Fund has direct recourse against the corporate borrower, the Fund may have to rely on the agent bank or other financial intermediary to apply appropriate credit remedies against a corporate borrower.

The loan participations or assignments in which a Fund invests may not be rated by any internationally recognized rating service.

NON-DIVERSIFIED STATUS (EMERGING MARKET UNCONSTRAINED FIXED INCOME FUND). The Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund is classified as “non-diversified” investment company under the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, a “diversified” investment company is a management company that, with respect to at least 75% of the value of its total assets, is invested in cash and cash items, Government securities, securities of other investment companies, and securities of other issuers so long as the management company does not own an amount greater in value than 5% of the value of its total assets and not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer. As a “non-diversified” investment company, the Fund is not required to meet these requirements. However, the Fund is qualified as regulated investment companies (“RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and are, therefore, subject to the diversification standards of Subchapter M of the Code. Nevertheless, the Fund’s net asset value will be subject to a greater risk of loss than if the Fund was more widely diversified.

The Fund must meet a number of diversification requirements to qualify as a RIC and, if qualified, to continue to qualify. If the Fund experiences difficulty in meeting those requirements for any fiscal quarter, it might accelerate borrowings in order to increase the portion of the Fund’s total assets represented by cash, cash items, and U.S. government securities shortly thereafter and as of the close of the following fiscal quarter to attempt to meet the requirements. However, the Fund would incur additional interest and other expenses in connection with any such accelerated borrowings, and increased investments by the Fund in cash, cash items, and U.S. government securities (whether the funds to make such investments are derived from accelerated borrowings) are likely to reduce the Fund’s return to investors. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that the Fund would be able to meet those requirements through such actions.

PRIVATE PLACEMENT SECURITIES. Fund investments may include private placement debt securities. A Fund may often be the sole buyer of such securities designed for purchase by the Fund. There is no limit as to the percentage of a Fund’s portfolio that may be invested in such securities; however, the securities purchased by a Fund may be, by definition, illiquid investments for which there is currently no secondary market. A Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. When making portfolio purchases, a Fund may pay a premium for the community benefits embedded in each transaction. When making sales of portfolio investments, a Fund will seek to obtain a premium from the purchaser; however, there can be no assurances as to the exact amount of premium that will be received, if any.

The Funds may invest in commercial paper issued in reliance on the exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(2) of the 1933 Act and other restricted securities (i.e., other securities subject to restrictions on resale). Section 4(2) commercial paper (“4(2) paper”)

16


is restricted as to disposition under federal securities law and is generally sold to institutional investors, such as the Funds, that agree that they are purchasing the paper for investment purposes and not with a view to public distribution. Any resale by the purchaser must be in an exempt transaction. 4(2) paper is normally resold to other institutional investors through or with the assistance of the issuer or investment dealers who make a market in 4(2) paper, thus providing liquidity. The Funds believe that 4(2) paper and possibly certain other restricted securities which meet the criteria for liquidity established by the Trustees are quite liquid. The Funds intend, therefore, to treat restricted securities that meet the liquidity criteria established by the Board of Trustees, including 4(2) paper and Rule 144A Securities, as determined by the Fund’s Sub-Advisor, as liquid and not subject to the investment limitation applicable to illiquid securities.

The ability of the Trustees to determine the liquidity of certain restricted securities is permitted under an SEC Staff position set forth in the adopting release for Rule 144A under the 1933 Act (“Rule 144A”). Rule 144A is a nonexclusive safe-harbor for certain secondary market transactions involving securities subject to restrictions on resale under federal securities laws. Rule 144A provides an exemption from registration for resales of otherwise restricted securities to qualified institutional buyers. Rule 144A was expected to further enhance the liquidity of the secondary market for securities eligible for resale.

REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Funds may invest in securities subject to repurchase agreements with certain banks or broker-dealers. A repurchase agreement is a transaction in which the seller of a security commits itself at the time of the sale to repurchase that security from the buyer at a mutually agreed-upon time and price. The repurchase price exceeds the sale price, reflecting an agreed-upon interest rate effective for the period the buyer owns the security subject to repurchase. The agreed-upon rate is unrelated to the interest rate on that security. These agreements permit the Funds to earn income for periods as short as overnight. For purposes of the 1940 Act, repurchase agreements may be considered to be loans by the purchaser collateralized by the underlying securities. These agreements will be fully collateralized at all times and the collateral will be marked-to-market daily. The Funds will enter into repurchase agreements only with dealers, domestic banks or recognized financial institutions which, in the opinion of the Sub-Advisor, present minimal credit risks in accordance with guidelines adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Sub-Advisor will monitor the value of the underlying security at the time the transaction is entered into and at all times during the term of the repurchase agreement to insure that the value of the security always equals or exceeds the repurchase price. In the event of default by the seller under the repurchase agreement, the Funds may have problems in exercising their rights to the underlying securities and may incur costs and experience time delays in connection with the disposition of such securities. A Fund will not invest in repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days if such investments, together with the Fund’s other illiquid investments, would exceed 15%.

REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Funds may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. In a reverse repurchase agreement, a Fund sells a security to another party, such as a bank or a broker-dealer, in exchange for cash, and agrees to repurchase the security at an agreed-upon time and price. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the possible risk that the value of portfolio securities a Fund relinquishes may decline below the price a Fund must pay when the transaction closes. All reverse repurchase agreement counterparties will be approved consistent with the Advisor’s and Sub-Advisor’s policies and procedures. Engaging in reverse repurchase transactions may increase fluctuations in the market value of a Fund’s assets or yield. These transactions may be treated as borrowing by a Fund and may be deemed to create leverage, in that the Fund may reinvest the cash it receives in additional securities. Borrowings may magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested resulting in an increase in the speculative character of a Fund’s outstanding shares. In addition, reverse repurchase agreements expose the Fund to credit risk (that is, the risk that the counterparty will fail to resell the security to the Fund).

SECURITIES OF SMALLER COMPANIES. The Funds may invest in securities of smaller companies. Investing in securities of smaller companies involves additional risks compared to investing in larger companies. Compared to larger companies, smaller companies may have more limited product lines and capital resources, less established markets for their products or services, have earnings that are more sensitive to changes in the broader economy and be more dependent on key members of management. The risk that the value of securities issued by a smaller company may go up or down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, is greater than compared to more widely held securities of larger companies, due to narrow markets and limited resources of smaller companies. Furthermore, securities of smaller companies have less active trading markets and may be harder to sell at the time and prices that the Sub-Advisor considers appropriate. A Fund’s investments in smaller companies subject it to greater levels of credit, market and issuer risk.

SOVEREIGN BONDS. A Fund may invest in debt obligations issued or guaranteed by governments or their agencies (sovereign bonds). The governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign bonds may not be able or willing to repay the principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such debt. A governmental entity’s willingness or ability to repay principal and interest due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the governmental entity’s policy towards the International Monetary Fund and the political constraints to which a governmental entity may be subject. Governmental entities may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign

17


governments, multilateral agencies and others abroad to reduce principal and interest arrearage on their debt. The commitment on the part of these governments, agencies and others to make such disbursements may be conditioned on a governmental entity’s implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtor’s obligations. Failure to implement such reforms, achieve such levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of such third parties’ commitments to lend funds to the governmental entity, which may further impair such debtor’s ability or willingness to service its debt on a timely basis. Consequently, governmental entities may default on their sovereign bonds.

Holders of sovereign bonds may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of such debt and to extend further loans to governmental entities. There is no bankruptcy proceeding by which sovereign bonds, on which a governmental entity has defaulted, may be collected in whole or in part.

SUBORDINATED DEBTS. A Fund may invest in subordinated debt. Subordinated debt is debt which, in the case of insolvency of the issuer, ranks after other debts in relation to repayment. Because subordinated debt is repayable after senior debts have been re-paid the chance of receiving any repayment on insolvency are reduced and therefore subordinated debt represents a greater risk to the investor.

TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE POSITIONS. In an attempt to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Funds may temporarily invest without limit in a variety of short-term instruments. These instruments may include U.S. Government securities; certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and other short-term debt obligations of banks with total assets of at least $1 billion; debt obligations of corporations, corporate debt instruments; variable rate demand notes, commercial paper; and repurchase agreements with respect to securities in which a Fund is authorized to invest. These instruments may have speculative characteristics. The Funds may also, to a limited extent and consistent with its objective, invest in these types of securities or hold cash while looking for suitable investment opportunities or to maintain liquidity. During such periods when a Fund is not investing according to its principal investment strategies, it is possible the Fund may not achieve its investment objective .

VARIABLE AND FLOATING RATE DEMAND AND MASTER DEMAND NOTES. The Funds may, from time to time, buy variable rate demand notes issued by corporations, bank holding companies and financial institutions and similar taxable and tax-exempt instruments issued by government agencies and instrumentalities. These securities will typically have a maturity longer than five years, but carry with them the right of the holder to put the securities to a remarketing agent or other entity on short notice, typically seven days or less. The obligation of the issuer of the put to repurchase the securities is backed by a letter of credit or other obligation issued by a financial institution. The purchase price is ordinarily par plus accrued and unpaid interest. Ordinarily, the remarketing agent will adjust the interest rate every seven days (or at other intervals corresponding to the notice period for the put), in order to maintain the interest rate at the prevailing rate for securities with a seven-day or other designated maturity.

The absence of an active secondary market for certain variable and floating rate notes could make it difficult to dispose of the instruments, and a Fund could suffer a loss if the issuer defaults during periods in which a Fund is not entitled to exercise its demand rights.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

The following restrictions are fundamental policies of each Fund and, except as otherwise indicated, may not be changed with respect to a Fund without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of that Fund which, as defined in the 1940 Act, means the lesser of (1) 67% of the shares of such Fund present at a meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of such Fund are present in person or by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting shares of such Fund.

 

 

 

 

(1)

Each Fund is an open-end management investment company and the Total Return Credit Fund has elected to be classified as a diversified series and will invest its assets only in a manner consistent with this classification under applicable law.

 

 

 

Additionally, the Funds have the following investment restrictions:

 

 

 

 

(2)

Each Fund will not borrow money, except to the extent that the 1940 Act, any rule or order thereunder, or SEC staff interpretation thereof, may permit. Current regulation permits a Fund to borrow money in an amount not exceeding 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings).

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(3)

Each Fund will not issue any class of senior securities, except to the extent that the 1940 Act, any rule or order thereunder, or SEC staff interpretation thereof, may permit.

 

 

 

 

(4)

Each Fund will not engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by others, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter under applicable laws in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities.

 

 

 

 

(5)

Each Fund will not purchase or sell real estate, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, although it may purchase securities secured by real estate or interests therein, or securities issued by companies which invest, deal or otherwise engage in transactions in real estate or interests therein.

 

 

 

 

(6)

Each Fund will not make loans, except as permitted under, or to the extent not prohibited by, the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, or as may otherwise be permitted from time to time by a regulatory authority having jurisdiction.

 

 

 

 

(7)

Each Fund will not concentrate its investments in the securities of issuers primarily engaged in the same industry, as that term is used in the 1940 Act and as interpreted or modified from time to time by a regulatory authority having jurisdiction.

 

 

 

 

(8)

Each Fund will not purchase or sell physical commodities or contracts relating to physical commodities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, or as may otherwise be permitted from time to time by a regulatory authority having jurisdiction.

Supplemental (Non-Fundamental) Clarification of Certain Fundamental Investment Policies/Restrictions

For purposes of investment restriction number 8, with respect to its futures transactions and writing of options (other than fully covered call options), a Fund will maintain liquid assets in a segregated account or earmarked for the period of its obligation under such contract or option in an amount equal to its obligations under such contracts or options, in accordance with procedures approved by the Trust that are intended to address potential leveraging issues.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions

The Funds are subject to restrictions and policies that are not fundamental and may, therefore, be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. These non-fundamental policies/restrictions are described below.

Each Fund may not invest more than 15% of the value of its net assets in investments which are illiquid or not readily marketable (including repurchase agreements having maturities of more than seven calendar days and variable and floating rate demand and master demand notes not requiring receipt of the principal note amount within seven days’ notice).

Each Fund has adopted a non-fundamental policy as required by Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its assets in securities that are consistent with its name, measured as of the time of purchase. These policies are set forth in the Prospectus. Each Fund has also adopted a policy to provide its shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior written notice of any change in such investment policy. If, subsequent to an investment, the 80% requirement is no longer met, the Fund’s future investments will be made in a manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with this 80% policy. For purposes of these 80% policies, pursuant to Rule 35d-1, “assets” is defined as net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes. In addition, for purposes of these policies, investments may be represented by forwards or derivatives such as options, futures contracts, or swap agreements. Further, for purposes of these policies, a Fund may “look through” a repurchase agreement to the collateral underlying the agreement, and apply the repurchase agreement toward the 80% investment requirement based on the type of securities comprising its collateral.

ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION

Purchases

Neither the Funds nor the entities that provide services to them (the “Fund Complex”) will be responsible for the consequences of delays, including delays in the banking or Federal Reserve wire systems. The Fund Complex cannot process transaction requests that are not completed properly. Examples of improper transaction requests may include lack of a signature guarantee when required, lack of proper signatures on a redemption request or a missing social security or tax ID number. If you use the services of any other broker to purchase or redeem shares of the Funds, that broker may charge you a fee. Shares of the Funds may be purchased directly from the Funds without this brokerage fee. Each order accepted will be fully invested in whole and fractional shares, unless the purchase of a certain number of whole shares is specified, at the net asset value per share next effective after the order is accepted by the Funds.

19


Each investment is confirmed by a year-to-date statement that provides the details of the immediate transaction, plus all prior transactions in your account during the current year. This includes the dollar amount invested, the number of shares purchased or redeemed, the price per share, and the aggregate shares owned. A transcript of all activity in your account during the previous year will be furnished each January. By retaining each annual summary and the last year-to-date statement, you have a complete detailed history of your account, which provides necessary tax information. A duplicate copy of a past annual statement is available from the Funds’ transfer agent or your financial consultant at its cost, subject to a minimum charge of $5 per account, per year requested.

The shares you purchase are held by the Funds in an open account, thereby relieving you of the responsibility of providing for the safekeeping of a negotiable share certificate. The Funds reserve the right in their sole discretion to redeem shares involuntarily or to reject purchase orders when, in the judgment of Fund management, such withdrawal or rejection is in the best interest of a Fund and its shareholders. The Funds also reserve the right at any time to waive or increase the minimum requirements applicable to initial or subsequent investments with respect to any person or class of persons, which includes Fund shareholders who hold shares through other financial intermediaries.

The Funds reserve the right to refuse to accept orders for shares of a Fund unless accompanied by payment, but may choose not to refuse the order if indemnified against losses resulting from the failure of investors to make payment. If an order to purchase shares must be canceled due to non-payment, the purchaser will be responsible for any loss incurred by the Funds arising out of such cancellation. To recover any such loss, the Funds reserve the right to redeem shares by any purchaser whose order is canceled, and such purchaser may be prohibited or restricted from placing further orders.

Sales (Redemptions)

The Fund Complex will not be responsible for the consequences of delays, including delays in the banking or Federal Reserve wire systems. The Fund Complex cannot process transaction requests that are not completed properly.

Each Fund intends to pay redemption proceeds promptly and in any event within seven days after the request for redemption is received in good order. In case of emergencies or other unusual circumstances, each Fund may suspend redemptions or postpone payment for more than seven days, as permitted by law. The Funds must receive an endorsed share certificate with a signature guarantee, where a certificate has been issued. Transmissions are made by mail unless an expedited method has been authorized and properly specified in the redemption request. In the case of redemption requests made within 15 days of the date of purchase, the Funds may delay transmission of proceeds until such time as it is certain that unconditional payment has been collected for the purchase of shares being redeemed or 15 days from the date of purchase, whichever occurs first. You can avoid this delay by purchasing shares with a federal fund wire. The Telephone/Fund Web Site Redemption Service may only be used for non-certificated shares held in an open account. The Funds may pay such redemption by wire or check at the Funds’ option, and reserve the right to refuse a telephone or fund website redemption request. The Funds may reduce or waive the charge for wiring redemption proceeds in connection with certain accounts. This fee is currently $15, but is subject to change without prior notice.

Due to the high cost of maintaining smaller accounts, the Funds have retained the authority to close shareholder accounts whose value falls below the current minimum initial investment requirement at the time of initial purchase as a result of redemptions but not as the result of market action. An account may be closed if the account value remains below this level for 60 days after each such shareholder account is mailed a notice of: (1) the Fund’s intention to close the account, (2) the minimum account size requirement, and (3) the date on which the account will be closed if the minimum requirement is not met. Since the minimum investment amount and the minimum account size are the same, any redemption from an account containing only the minimum investment amount may result in redemption of that account.

As disclosed in the Prospectus for the Funds, a 2% fee is imposed on redemptions or exchanges of shares of the Funds within 30 days of purchase. This redemption fee will not be imposed in certain situations, such as: (i) shares purchased through reinvested distributions (dividends and capital gains); (ii) shares purchased through 401(k) and other employer-sponsored retirement plans (excluding IRA and other one-person retirement plans); (iii) shares redeemed in accordance with the systematic monthly redemption plan or monthly exchange program; (iv) redemptions following the death or disability of a shareholder; or (v) under other circumstances at Fund management’s discretion. The redemption fee may also not be imposed, at Fund management’s discretion, on redemptions or exchanges of shares that occur as part of the periodic rebalancing of accounts in an investment advisor’s asset allocation program (not at the direction of the investment advisor’s client). Each Fund will retain any redemption fees to help cover transaction and tax costs that result from selling securities to meet short-term investor redemption requests. For purposes of calculating the holding period, the Funds will employ the “first in, first out” method, which assumes that the shares sold or exchanged are the ones held the longest. The redemption fee will be deducted from the proceeds that result from the order to sell or exchange. In other words, shares of the Funds that are held for 30 days or less generally are redeemable at a price equal to 98% of the then current net asset value per share and this 2% reduction in redemption proceeds, which is referred to in the Funds’ Prospectus and this SAI as a redemption fee, directly affects the amount a shareholder who is subject to the reduction receives upon exchange or redemption.

20


Each Fund may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date of payment for shares during any period when: (a) trading on the primary markets are restricted by applicable rules and regulations of the SEC; (b) the primary markets are closed for other than customary weekend and holiday closings; (c) the SEC has by order permitted such suspension; or (d) an emergency exists as a result of which: (i) disposal by the Fund of securities owned by it is not reasonably practicable, or (ii) it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to determine the value of its net assets. Each Fund may redeem shares involuntarily if redemption appears appropriate in light of the Trust’s responsibilities under the 1940 Act.

Large Sale (Redemption) Conditions. Large redemptions can adversely affect a portfolio manager’s ability to implement a Fund’s investment strategy by causing the premature sale of securities that would otherwise be held longer. Accordingly, we request that you give us three business days’ notice for any redemption of $2 million or more.

Shares

The Funds’ shares are sold on a continuous basis by the Funds’ Distributor, and the Distributor has agreed to use appropriate efforts to solicit all purchase orders. The Funds offer Class I Shares to institutions or individuals. There is a $1,000,000 minimum requirement for initial investment. There is no minimum requirement for initial investment for participants of qualified retirement plans .

EXCHANGE OF FUND SHARES

As described in the Prospectus, each Fund offers convenient ways to exchange shares of a Fund for shares of another Fund. With the exception of exchanges to or from the Prime Money Market Fund, the share class must be the same in the two Funds involved in the exchange. Exchanges to the Prime Money Market Fund will be into the RBC Institutional Class 1 Shares. Shares of the Funds and shares of the RBC SMID Cap Growth Fund, RBC Enterprise Fund, RBC Small Cap Core Fund, RBC Microcap Value Fund and RBC Mid Cap Value Fund exchanged within 30 days of purchase generally will be subject to a redemption fee of 2% of the value of the shares exchanged. The Funds also reserve the right to limit exchanges.

The Funds reserve the right to reject any exchange for any reason. With the exception of exchanges to the Prime Money Market Fund, you must meet the minimum investment requirement of the Fund you are exchanging into and the names and registrations on the two accounts must be identical. Your shares must have been held in an open account for 15 days or more and we must have received good payment before we will exchange shares. Before engaging in an exchange transaction, a shareholder should obtain and read carefully the prospectus describing the Fund into which the exchange will occur.

The Trust may terminate or amend the terms of the exchange privilege as to any Fund at any time upon 60 days’ notice to shareholders.

MANAGEMENT

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

The Board of Trustees governs the Trust and is responsible for protecting the interests of shareholders. The Board of Trustees is composed of experienced business persons who meet throughout the year to establish the Funds’ policies and oversee the management of the Funds. In addition, the Trustees review contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the Trust and review the Funds’ performance.

The Role of the Board

Overall responsibility for overseeing and managing the business and affairs of the Trust rests with its Board of Trustees. Like most mutual funds, the day-to-day management and operation of the Trust is performed by various service providers to the Trust, such as the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor, the Distributor, the Administrator, the custodian and the transfer agent. The Board of Trustees has appointed senior employees of certain of these service providers as officers of the Trust, with responsibility for supervising actively the day-to-day operations of the Trust and reporting back to the Board. The Board of Trustees has also appointed a Chief Compliance Officer who administers the Trust’s compliance program and regularly reports to the Board on compliance matters. From time to time, one or more members of the Board of Trustees may meet with management in less formal settings, between scheduled Board meetings, to discuss various topics. In all cases, however, the role of the Board of Trustees and any individual Trustee is one of oversight and not of active management of the day-to-day operations or affairs of the Trust.

Board Structure and Leadership

The Board of Trustees has five standing committees: an Audit Committee, a Nominating Committee, a Corporate Governance Committee, a Valuation, Portfolio Management and Performance Committee, and a Compliance Committee. The committee structure

21


enables the Board to manage efficiently and effectively the large volume of information relevant to the Board’s oversight of the Funds. The Board is composed of nine trustees, and eight of the nine Trustees are not “interested persons” of the Trust as that term is defined by the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”). The Board believes that the number of Trustees is adequate for the number of Funds overseen by the Board and the current size of the Board is conducive to Board interaction, debate and dialogue which results in an effective decision making body. The Independent Trustees have engaged their own independent legal counsel to advise them on matters relating to their responsibilities in connection with the Trust. The Chairman of the Board is an Independent Trustee. The Chairman participates in the preparation of the agenda for meetings of the Board and the preparation of information to be presented to the Board with respect to matters to be acted upon by the Board. The Chairman also presides at all meetings of the Board and is involved in discussions regarding matters pertaining to the oversight of the management of the Funds between meetings. In developing its current structure, the Board of Trustees recognized the importance of having a significant majority of Independent Trustees. The Board of Trustees believes that its current leadership structure, including the composition of the Board and its Committees, is an appropriate means to provide effective oversight on behalf of shareholders.

As needed between regular meetings, the Board of Trustees or a specific committee receives and reviews reports relating to the Trust and engages in discussions with appropriate parties relating to the Funds’ operations and related risks.

The Audit Committee of the Trust is currently composed of the following Independent Trustees: Messrs. Garner, Rybolt, Seward and Taylor. The Audit Committee acts as a liaison between the Funds’ independent auditors and the Board of Trustees. As set forth in its charter, the Audit Committee has the responsibility, among other things, to (1) approve the appointment of the independent auditors and recommend the selection of the independent auditors to the Board of Trustees for ratification by the Independent Trustees; (2) review and approve the scope of the independent auditors’ audit activity; (3) review the financial statements which are the subject of the independent auditors’ certifications; and (4) review with such independent auditors the adequacy of the Funds’ accounting system and the effectiveness of the internal accounting controls of the Funds and their service providers. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014, the Audit Committee met three times.

The Nominating Committee of the Trust is currently composed of the following Independent Trustees: Ms. Bode and Messrs. James and Rybolt. In the event of vacancies on, or increases in the size of, the Board, the Nominating Committee is responsible for evaluating the qualifications of and nominating all persons for appointment or election as Trustees of the Trust. Candidates may be identified by the Nominating Committee, management of the Trust or Trust shareholders. The Nominating Committee may utilize third-party services to help identify and evaluate candidates. In addition, the Nominating Committee identifies individuals qualified to serve as Independent Trustees of the Trust and recommends its nominees for consideration by the full Board. For non-Independent Trustees (management candidates), the Nominating Committee will look to the President of the Trust to produce background and other reference materials necessary for the Nominating Committee to consider non-Independent Trustee candidates. The Nominating Committee does consider Independent Trustee candidates recommended by shareholders of the Trust. Recommendations, along with appropriate background material concerning the candidate that demonstrates his or her ability to serve as an Independent Trustee of the Trust, should be submitted to the Secretary of the Trust or any member of the Committee in writing at the address of the Trust. The Nominating Committee will evaluate shareholder candidates using the same criteria applied to other Independent Trustee candidates along with additional requirements as listed in the Nominating Committee charter. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014, the Nominating Committee did not meet.

The Corporate Governance Committee of the Trust is currently composed of the following Independent Trustees: Ms. Bode and Messrs. James and Rybolt. The Board of Trustees has developed a set of Principles of Corporate Governance (“Governance Principles”) to guide the Board and the Corporate Governance Committee in considering governance issues. The Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for reviewing the Governance Principles periodically and, if deemed appropriate, recommending changes to the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees will then consider whether to approve the changes. The Corporate Governance Committee is also responsible for evaluating the performance of the Board of Trustees and the Trust in light of the Governance Principles, considering whether improvements or changes are warranted, and making recommendations for any necessary or appropriate changes. The Committee also coordinates the annual Board Self-Assessment required by the SEC governance rules, the annual review of Trustee independence, and an annual review of independent legal counsel for the Independent Trustees relating to independence and general performance. The Governance Principles include a commitment to ongoing Trustee education, and the Corporate Governance Committee oversees the process of identifying educational topics, and facilitating quarterly Board education sessions covering industry, regulatory and governance issues relevant to the Funds. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014, the Corporate Governance Committee met three times.

The Valuation, Portfolio Management and Performance Committee (the “Valuation Committee”) of the Trust is currently composed of Ms. Bode and Messrs. Bell, MacDonald and Seward. As set forth in its charter, the primary duties of the Trust’s Valuation Committee are: (1) to review the actions of the Trust’s Pricing Committee and to ratify or revise such actions; (2) to review and recommend for Board approval pricing agents to be used to price Fund portfolio securities; (3) to recommend changes to the Trust’s Pricing and Valuation Procedures, as necessary or appropriate; (4) to obtain from the Funds’ portfolio managers information sufficient

22


to permit the Valuation Committee to evaluate the Funds’ performance, use or proposed use of benchmarks and any additional indexes, and compliance with their investment objectives and policies; (5) to obtain from the Funds’ investment advisor information sufficient to permit the Committee to evaluate the quality of the advisor’s exercise of brokerage discretion when buying and selling portfolio securities for the Funds; (6) to investigate matters brought to its attention within the scope of its duties; (7) to assure that all its actions are recorded in minutes of its meetings and maintained with the Funds’ records; and (8) to report its activities to the full Board on a regular basis and to make such recommendations with respect to the above and other matters as the Valuation Committee may deem necessary or appropriate. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014, the Valuation Committee met four times.

The Compliance Committee of the Trust is currently composed of the following Independent Trustees: Messrs. Bell, Garner, and James. As set forth in its charter, the Compliance Committee’s primary duties and responsibilities include: developing and maintaining a strong compliance program by providing a forum for the Independent Trustees to consider compliance matters; assisting the Board in its oversight pursuant to Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act; formulating action to be taken with respect to the Trust’s compliance program or the Trust’s key service providers’ programs, or related matters; and participating in industry forums and/or reviews on regulatory issues as appropriate. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014, the Compliance Committee met three times.

Risk Oversight

As part of its oversight of the management and operations of the Trust, the Board of Trustees also has a risk oversight role, which includes (without limitation) the following: (i) requesting and reviewing reports on the operations of the Funds; (ii) reviewing compliance reports and approving certain compliance policies and procedures of the Funds and their service providers; (iii) working with management to consider key risk areas and to seek assurances that adequate resources are available and appropriate plans are in place to address risks; (iv) meeting with service providers, including Fund auditors, to review Fund activities; (v) meeting with the Chief Compliance Officer and other officers of the Trust and its service providers to receive information about compliance, and risk assessment and management matters; and (vi) meeting regularly with independent legal counsel. The Board of Trustees has emphasized to the Advisor and the Sub-Advisor the importance of maintaining rigorous risk management programs at the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor and other service providers. The Board of Trustees recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Funds can be identified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary for the Funds to bear certain risks (such as disclosed investment-related risks) to achieve the Funds’ goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the oversight of risk management by the Board of Trustees is subject to practical limitations. Nonetheless, the Board of Trustees expects Trust service providers to implement rigorous risk management programs.

Trustee Attributes

The Board of Trustees believes that each of the Trustees has the qualifications, experiences, attributes and skills (“Trustee Attributes”) appropriate to continued service as a Trustee of the Trust in light of the Trust’s business and structure. The Board of Trustees has established a Nominating Committee, which evaluates potential candidates based on a variety of factors. Among those factors are the particular skill sets of a potential Trustee that complement skills and expertise of existing Board members. In addition to a demonstrated record of academic, business and/or professional accomplishment, all of the Trustees have served on the Board of Trustees for a number of years. In their service to the Trust, the Trustees have gained substantial insight into the operation of the Trust and have demonstrated a commitment to discharging oversight duties as Trustees in the interests of shareholders. The Corporate Governance Committee annually directs a Board “self-assessment” process wherein the effectiveness of the Board, the Board’s Committees, and individual Trustees is reviewed. In its most recent self-assessment, the Board concluded that the Board has a favorable mix of skills and experience; balanced and meaningful contributions by Board members, and good chemistry, working relationships and mutual respect among Board members.

In addition to the general Trustee Attributes described above, Mr. Seward has extensive board, executive and institutional investor experience from roles with public and private companies and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder; Mr. Taylor has financial, accounting and audit experience within the financial services industry as a result of his career as a partner of a major accounting firm; Mr. Bell has board, executive, finance and operations experience as a result of serving as a senior executive during his career in professional baseball; Ms. Bode has business experience as a healthcare industry consultant, real estate developer and as a political consultant; Mr. Garner has executive and public sector experience gained in connection with his role as president and CEO of a metropolitan community foundation and as a college president; Mr. James, as the president of a non-profit organization focused on corporate governance and ethical business cultures, is a national expert and college professor focused on business ethics and has experience as a senior corporate executive as well as public company board experience; Mr. MacDonald has over 35 years of experience in investment management and asset manager evaluation earned during his career with a major charitable foundation, and also serves in a variety of not-for profit board and advisory capacities (including board investment committees); Mr. Rybolt has financial and accounting experience, as well as experience as a consultant and executive recruiter; and Ms. Gorman is a seasoned

23


financial services executive with experience overseeing compliance for investment management businesses. The foregoing discussion and the Trustees and officers tables below are included in this SAI pursuant to requirements of the SEC, do not constitute holding out the Board or any Trustee as having special expertise or experience and shall not be deemed to impose any greater responsibility or liability on any Trustee by reason thereof. Additional information about Trustee Attributes is contained in the table below.

The age, address, and principal occupations for the past five years and additional information relevant to his or her professional background of each Trustee and executive officer of the Trust are listed below. No Trustee serves as a director or trustee of another mutual fund.

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name, Age and Address (1)

 

Position,
Term of
Office(2) and
Length of
Time Served
with the Trust

 

Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years

 

Number of
Portfolios in
Fund Complex
Overseen by
Trustee

 

Other
Director/Trustee
Positions Held by
Trustee During Past 5 Years

 

 

T. Geron Bell ( 73 )

 

Trustee since
January 2004

 

Chairman of the Executive Board of the Minnesota Twins (2011 to present); prior thereto President of Twins Sports, Inc. (parent company of the Minnesota Twins) (2002 to 2011) and President of the Minnesota Twins Baseball Club Incorporated (1987 to 2002)

 

23

 

None

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucy Hancock Bode (62)

 

Trustee since
January 2004

 

Healthcare consultant (self-employed) (1986 to present)

 

23

 

BioSignia ; Franklin Street Partners

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leslie H. Garner Jr. (63)

 

Trustee since
January 2004

 

President and Chief Executive Officer, The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation (2010 to present); previously, President, Cornell College (1994 to 2010)

 

23

 

None

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ronald James (63)

 

Trustee since
January 2004

 

President and Chief Executive Officer, Center for Ethical Business Cultures (2000 to present)

 

23

 

Best Buy Co. Inc.; Bremer Financial Corporation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John A. MacDonald (65)

 

Trustee since
January 2004

 

Vice President and Treasurer, Hall Family Foundation (1988 to present)

 

23

 

None

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

H. David Rybolt ( 72 )

 

Trustee since
January 2004

 

Consultant, HDR Associates (management consulting) (1985 to present)

 

23

 

None

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

James R. Seward (61)

 

Chairman of the Board
and Trustee since
January 2004

 

Private investor (2000 to present); CFA (1987 to present)

 

23

 

Sooner Holdings (formerly Syntroleum Corp. ) ; Brookdale Senior Living Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

William B. Taylor ( 69 )

 

Trustee since
September 2005

 

Consultant (2003 to present); previously Partner, Ernst & Young LLP (1982 to 2003)

 

23

 

William Henry Insurance, LLC; Kansas City Symphony; Balance Innovations LLC

 

INTERESTED TRUSTEE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kathleen A. Gorman(3) (50)

 

Trustee since
September 2012

 

President and Chief Executive Officer, RBC Funds (2012 to present); Chief Compliance Officer, RBC Funds (2006 to 2012); Director of Regulatory Administration, RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. (2007 to 2012); Chief Compliance Officer, RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. (2006 to 2009).

 

23

 

None

 


 

 

(1)

The mailing address for each Trustee is 50 South Sixth Street, Suite 2350, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402.

(2)

All Trustees must retire on or before December 31 of the year in which they reach the age of 75. The Board may temporarily

24



 

 

 

waive this requirement when necessary to avoid depriving the Board of a Trustee with critical skills.

 

 

(3)

Kathleen A. Gorman has been determined to be an interested Trustee by virtue of her position with the Advisor.

Executive Officers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name, Age and Address (1)

 

Position, Term of
Office(2) and Length of
Time Served
With the Trust

 

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kathleen A. Gorman (50)

 

President and Chief Executive Officer since September 2012

 

President and Chief Executive Officer, RBC Funds (2012 to present); Chief Compliance Officer, RBC Funds (2006 to 2012); Director of Regulatory Administration, RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. (2007 to 2012); Chief Compliance Officer, RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. (2006 to 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christina M. Moore (45)

 

Chief Compliance Officer since December 2012 and Assistant Secretary since March 2013

 

Chief Compliance Officer, RBC Funds (2012 to present); Senior Compliance Officer, RBC Funds (March 2012 to December 2012); Compliance Manager, Minnesota Life Insurance Company (2006 to 2012).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kathleen A. Hegna (47)

 

Chief Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer since May 2009 and Treasurer since March 2014

 

Associate Vice President and Director, Mutual Fund Accounting and Administration, RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. (2009 to present); Senior Compliance Officer, RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. (2006 to 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lee Thoresen ( 43 )

 

Chief Legal Officer and Secretary since March 2008

 

Senior Associate General Counsel, RBC Capital Markets, LLC (2006 to present).

 


 

 

(1)

Except as otherwise noted, the address of each officer is 50 South Sixth Street, Suite 2350, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402.

(2)

Each officer serves in such capacity for an indefinite period of time until his or her removal, resignation or retirement.

25


The table below shows the aggregate dollar range of each Trustee’s holdings in the BlueBay Funds and the RBC Funds as of December 31, 2013. Information regarding the Trustees’ holdings in the Funds as of December 31, 2013 is not provided because the Funds had not commenced operations prior to that date.

 

 

 

 

Independent Trustees

Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Funds 

Aggregate Dollar Range of
Shares in All
Registered Investment
Companies Overseen by
Trustee in Family of
Investment Companies

 

 

 

 

T. Geron Bell

N/A

$50,001 - $100,000

 

 

 

 

Lucy Hancock Bode

N/A

$50,001 - $100,000

 

 

 

 

Leslie H. Garner Jr.

N/A

Over $100,000

 

 

 

 

Ronald James

N/A

$50,001 - $100,000

 

 

 

 

John A. MacDonald

N/A

$50,001 - $100,000

 

 

 

 

H. David Rybolt

N/A

Over $100,000

 

 

 

 

James R. Seward

N/A

Over $ 100,000

 

 

 

 

William B. Taylor

N/A

Over $100,000

 

 

 

 

Interested Trustee

 Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Funds 

Aggregate Dollar Range of
Shares in All
Registered Investment
Companies Overseen by
Trustee in Family of
Investment Companies

 

 

 

 

Kathleen A. Gorman

N/A

$10,001 - $50,000

Prior to the date of this SAI , the Funds had not yet commenced operations and, therefore, as of December 9, 2014, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each of the Funds.

Independent Trustees (Trustees of the Trust who are not directors, officers or employees of the Advisor, either Co-Administrator or Distributor) receive from the Trust an annual retainer of $ 41,500 . The annual retainer was previously $ 35,000 and was increased to $ 41,500 effective October 1, 2014. The Board Chairperson and Audit Committee Chairperson each receive an additional retainer of $2,500 annually, and all other Trustees serving as Chair of a Board committee each receive an additional retainer of $1,000 annually. In addition, Independent Trustees receive a quarterly meeting fee of $5,500 for each in-person Board of Trustees meeting attended, a meeting fee of $ 1,500 for each telephonic or Special Board meeting attended, and a $1,500 fee for each Board committee meeting attended and are reimbursed for all out-of-pocket expenses relating to attendance at such meetings. Trustees who are directors, officers or employees of the Advisor, either Co-Administrator or Distributor do not receive compensation from the Trust. The table below sets forth the compensation received by each Trustee from the Trust during the Funds’ fiscal year ended September 30, 2014.

26



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aggregate
Compensation from
Trust

 

Pension or
Retirement
Benefits Accrued
as Part of Fund
Expenses

 

Estimated Annual
Benefits Upon
Retirement

 

Total Compensation
for Fund Complex
Paid to Trustee†

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Independent Trustees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T. Geron Bell

 

$ 70,500

 

 

None

 

None

 

$ 70,500

 

Lucy Hancock Bode

 

71,500

 

 

None

 

None

 

71,500

 

Leslie H. Garner, Jr.

 

71,000

 

 

None

 

None

 

71,000

 

Ronald James

 

71,000

 

 

None

 

None

 

71,000

 

John A. MacDonald

 

68,000

 

 

None

 

None

 

68,000

 

H. David Rybolt

 

70,000

 

 

None

 

None

 

70,000

 

James R. Seward

 

74,000

 

 

None

 

None

 

74,000

 

William B. Taylor

 

68,000

 

 

None

 

None

 

68,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interested Trustee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kathleen A. Gorman

 

None

 

None

 

None

 

None


 

 

The Fund Complex consists of the Trust, which currently offers 23 portfolios.

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

A shareholder who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, more than 25% of a Fund’s voting securities may be deemed a “control person” (as defined under applicable securities laws) of the Fund. Control is defined by the 1940 Act as the beneficial ownership, either directly or through one or more controlled companies, of more than 25% of the voting securities of a fund. Any person owning more than 25% of the voting securities of a Fund may be deemed to have effective voting control over the operation of that Fund, which would diminish the voting rights of other shareholders.

Prior to the date of this SAI , the Funds had not yet commenced operations and, therefore, no person owned of record or beneficially 25% or greater of any of the Funds’ outstanding voting securities or 5% or greater of any Funds’ outstanding shares.

27


INVESTMENT ADVISOR

The Advisor, located at 50 South Sixth Street, Suite 2350, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, serves as investment advisor to the Funds. The Advisor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (“RBC”). RBC is one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies and provides personal and commercial banking, wealth management services, insurance, corporate and investment banking, and transaction processing services on a global basis. RBC employs approximately 79,000 people who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 40 other countries around the world. The Advisor has been registered with the SEC as an investment advisor since 1983, and has been a portfolio manager of publicly offered mutual funds since 1986. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Advisor manages the day-to-day investment of assets of the Funds in accordance with the policies and procedures established by the Trust. As of September 30, 2014, the Advisor’s investment team managed approximately $ 43.4 billion in assets for corporations, public and private pension plans, Taft-Hartley plans, charitable institutions , foundations, endowments , municipalities, registered mutual funds, private investment funds, trust programs, foreign funds such as UCITS funds, individuals (including high net worth individuals), WRAP sponsors and other U.S. and international institutions.

For its services to the Funds, the Advisor receives from each Fund a fee, paid monthly, at an annual rate based on each Fund’s average daily net assets. The rates for each Fund are as follows:

 

 

 

Fund

 

Annual Advisory Fee Rate

 

 

 

RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund

 

0.85 % of average daily net assets

 

 

 

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund

 

1.15 % of average daily net assets

Under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreements for the Funds between the Trust and the Advisor, the investment advisory services of the Advisor to the Funds are not exclusive. The Advisor is free to, and does, render investment advisory services to others.

The Investment Advisory Agreement for each Fund will remain in effect after its initial term only as long as such continuance is approved for that Fund at least annually (i) by vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or by the Board of Trustees and (ii) by a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Investment Advisory Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party.

Each Investment Advisory Agreement may be terminated with respect to a Fund at any time without payment of any penalty, by a vote of a majority of the outstanding securities of that Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) or by a vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees on 60 days’ written notice to the Advisor, or by the Advisor on 60 days’ written notice to the Trust. An Investment Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

For each Fund, the Advisor has contractually agreed to waive and/or limit fees of a Fund pursuant to an Expense Limitation Agreement in order to maintain the Fund’s net annual operating expense at the levels and on the terms shown in the Prospectus through January 31, 2016.

Advisory Fees Paid By Funds. Because the Funds have not commenced operations as of the date of this SAI, the Funds have not paid any investment advisory fees.

INVESTMENT SUB-ADVISORS

The Sub-Advisor (BlueBay), located at 77 Grosvenor Street, W1K 3JR London, United Kingdom, serves as investment sub-advisor to the Funds. The Sub-Advisor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of RBC, which is the parent company of the Advisor. The Sub-Advisor was established in 2001 as a specialist manager of fixed income products, offering clients a diverse range of investment strategies of different return/risk profiles, in order to cater to a variety of investor-specific return/risk appetites. More specifically, BlueBay manages a wide range of long-only, alternative specialist fixed income portfolios for both funds and separate accounts that focus on four sub-asset classes of fixed income: convertible bonds, high yield/distressed debt, global emerging market debt and investment grade debt. The Sub-Advisor seeks to provide asset management services characterized by a belief in the value of active management, a strong investment process, a focus on capital preservation and the generation of attractive risk-adjusted returns for all its investment strategies. The Sub-Advisor has been registered with the SEC as investment advisor since 2002, and is authorized and regulated by the UK Financial Services Authority. The Sub-Advisor employed 416 individuals and had $ 65.8 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2014.

BlueBay Asset Management USA LLC (“BlueBay US”), located at Four Stamford Plaza, 107 Elm Street, Suite 512, Stamford,

28


Connecticut 06902 is also a wholly owned subsidiary of RBC and has been registered with the SEC as an investment advisor since 2012. BlueBay US is an additional sub-advisor for the RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund and provides services under the supervision of BlueBay, in order to permit asset management staff working at the BlueBay US offices to perform investment management activities on behalf of the Fund as part of the ongoing globalization of RBC’s business, to provide enhanced coverage for the Fund across the European Union and U.S. trading platforms and to support BlueBay’s management of the Fund.

For its services to the Funds, the Sub-Advisor will be paid by the Advisor a fee, calculated by (1) deducting the amounts of any fees waived or Fund expenses paid by the Advisor for the Fund pursuant to an Expense Limitation Agreement with respect to such Fund from the total advisory fee paid to the Advisor pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement and (2) multiplying such amount by 0.875, or formulaically:

(Advisory Fee – Expense Limitation Subsidy) x .875 = Sub-Advisory Fee

Potential Conflicts of Interests

A portfolio manager’s compensation package may give rise to potential conflicts of interest. The management of multiple funds and accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest, for example, if the funds and accounts have different objectives, benchmarks, investment horizons and fees, or if they have overlapping objectives, benchmarks and time horizons. A portfolio manager may be required to allocate time and investment ideas across multiple funds and accounts. The Advisor has adopted policies and procedures designed to address these potential conflicts, including trade allocation policies and a code of ethics.

Other Accounts Managed

The following table provides information regarding other mutual funds and accounts for which each Fund’s portfolio managers are primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management as of September 30, 2014.

29



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portfolio Manager

 

RBC BlueBay Funds Managed

 

Account Type

 

 

Number of
Accounts

 

Value of Accounts
(000s)

 

 

Number of
Performance
Fee Accounts

 

 

Value of All
Performance Fee
Accounts (000s)

 

David Dowsett

 

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Select Bond Fund

RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund

 

Separate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts

 

 

21

 

$

6,792,591

 

 

1

 

 

$

363,223

 

 

Pooled

 

 

19

 

 

10,706,509

 

 

4

 

 

 

447,557

 

 

Registered

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

 

0

 

Nick Shearn

 

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Select Bond Fund


RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund

 

Separate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts

 

 

17

 

 

4,974,561

 

 

1

 

 

 

363,223

 

 

 

Pooled

 

 

7

 

 

6,336,785

 

 

0

 

 

 

0

 

 

 

Registered

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

 

0

 

Polina Kurdyavko

 

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Corporate Bond Fund


RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund

 

Separate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts

 

 

6

 

 

1,811,924

 

 

1

 

 

 

75,274

 

 

Pooled

 

 

9

 

 

4,113,178

 

 

1

 

 

 

21,917

 

 

Registered

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

 

0

 

Anthony Robertson

 

RBC BlueBay Global High Yield Bond Fund


RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund

 

Separate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts

 

 

3

 

 

411,015

 

 

3

 

 

 

4,111,015

 

 

Pooled

 

 

5

 

 

2,639,691

 

 

3

 

 

 

1,225,822

 

 

Registered

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

 

0

 

Peter Higgins

 

RBC BlueBay Global High Yield Bond Fund


RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund 

 

Separate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts

 

 

7

 

 

1,176,514

 

 

3

 

 

 

698,711

 

 

Pooled

 

 

7

 

 

3,986,625

 

 

0

 

 

 

0

 

 

Registered

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

 

0

 

Michael Reed

 

RBC BlueBay Global Convertible Bond Fund


RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund 

 

Separate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts

 

 

4

 

 

1,617,962

 

 

1

 

 

 

99,744

 

 

Pooled

 

 

3

 

 

1,842,990

 

 

0

 

 

 

0

 

 

Registered

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

 

0

 

Mark Dowding

 

RBC BlueBay Absolute Return Fund


RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund 

 

Separate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts

 

 

5

 

 

2,451,929

 

 

0

 

 

 

0

 

 

Pooled

 

 

13

 

 

12,875,416

 

 

1

 

 

 

234,839

 

 

Registered

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

 

0

 

Rodrigo de Fonseca

 

RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund

 

Separate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts

 

 

9

 

 

2,290,603

 

 

1

 

 

 

363,223

 

 

 

Pooled

 

 

9

 

 

5,061,523

 

 

4

 

 

 

447,557

 

 

 

Registered

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

0

 

 

 

0

 

Portfolio Manager Compensation

The following portfolio manager compensation information is presented as of the Funds’ most recent fiscal year.

The Sub-Advisor’s Overall Compensation Philosophy

Portfolio manager compensation consists of three components: a base salary, a discretionary bonus, and a retention award plan.

30


All portfolio managers are evaluated and rewarded annually during the yearly compensation review process. BlueBay has a Remuneration Committee which reviews the compensation arrangements annually. Compensation for any given individual is paid according to both quantitative and qualitative considerations. BlueBay operates a discretionary bonus scheme. Remuneration of all investment professionals is geared to fund performance and takes into account the profitable growth of each investment team’s business.

BlueBay has established a deferral ratio for all partners and employees who are awarded discretionary profit allocations (partners) or discretionary bonuses (employees) over a certain threshold. Partners and employees may also be given additional discretionary awards which are all deferred. All senior portfolio managers are partners. Deferrals will track BlueBay Funds and/or a combination of BlueBay Funds and the reference index, a shadow equity vehicle aligned to the performance of BlueBay and RBC Global Asset Management. Deferrals will vest on a cliff basis after a period of three years.

Management Team’s Beneficial Ownership of the Funds

A portfolio manager’s beneficial ownership of a Fund is defined as the portfolio manager having the opportunity to share in any profit from transactions in the Fund, either directly or indirectly, as the result of any contract, understanding, arrangement, relationship or otherwise. Therefore, ownership of Fund shares by members of the portfolio manager’s immediate family or by a trust of which the portfolio manager is a trustee could be considered ownership by the portfolio manager. The reporting of Fund share ownership in this SAI shall not be construed as an admission that the portfolio manager has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the Fund listed. Prior to the date of this SAI, the Funds had not commenced operations and, therefore, the portfolio managers did not hold shares of the Funds prior to that date.

PROXY VOTING POLICIES

The Funds are the beneficial owners of their portfolio securities, and therefore, the Board of Trustees, acting on the Funds’ behalf, is responsible for voting proxies. The Advisor has been delegated the authority by the Board of Trustees to vote proxies with respect to the investments held by the Funds.

The Trust seeks to assure that proxies received by the Trust or its delegate are voted in the best interests of the Trust’s shareholders, and has accordingly adopted proxy voting policies and procedures on behalf of each Fund.

A Proxy Voting Oversight Committee (“PVOC”), comprised of Fund officers and the Advisor representative(s), has been established for the purpose of resolving any issues associated with the proxy solicitation process, conflicts of interest, or other matters that may require further review by the Trust.

The Board fulfills its oversight responsibilities in a number of ways, including, but not limited to, review and approval of the Funds’ Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures, annual review of the adequacy and effectiveness of implementation of the Funds’ Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures in connection with the Rule 38a-1 annual report and annual review and adoption of the Guidelines.

The Board, after reviewing and concluding that such policies are reasonably designed to vote proxies in the best interests of each Fund’s shareholders, has approved and adopted the proxy voting policies of Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”), a leading national provider of proxy voting administrative and research services. These guidelines are reviewed periodically by ISS, and therefore are subject to change.

The Advisor has confirmed that ISS has the experience, capacity and competence to vote proxies. ISS has in place policies and procedures to reasonably guard against and to resolve any conflicts of interest which may arise in connection with its provision of research analyses, vote recommendations and voting agency services. The Advisor has no affiliation or material business, professional or other relationship with ISS. ISS must disclose or make available to its clients information about any material interest ISS, its supervised persons or its affiliates might have in any matter with regard to which it renders proxy voting advice or other advisory research.

ISS is responsible for making sure proxies are voted in a timely manner. ISS determines how to vote proxies on behalf of Clients pursuant to its pre-determined guidelines. Because the Trust generally votes proxies in accordance with ISS guidelines, the Funds are not expected to encounter any material conflict of interest issues regarding proxy voting. However, if a portfolio manager or other personnel of the Advisor or Sub-Advisor recommends that a particular proxy be voted in a manner that is different from the proposed vote of ISS, the PVOC will consider whether the individual or the Trust’s Advisor or Sub-Advisor has a material conflict of interest with the Fund with regard to voting the proxy and will determine how to vote the proxy. Employees with a question or concern as to whether a material conflict of interest exists and how to resolve the conflict in the best interest of the Fund are be directed to the Trust’s Proxy Voting Oversight Committee.

31


Each year the Trust files its proxy voting record for the twelve-month period ended June 30 with the SEC on Form N-PX no later than August 31. The records can be obtained on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and without charge by calling the Funds at 1-800-422-2766.

SHAREHOLDER SERVICING PLAN

The Trust has adopted a Shareholder Servicing Plan (the “Servicing Plan”) that allows the Funds to pay service fees to firms that provide shareholder services (“Intermediaries”). Under the Servicing Plan, if an Intermediary provides shareholder services, including responding to shareholder inquiries and assisting shareholders with their accounts, the Fund may pay shareholder servicing fees to the Intermediary at an annual rate not to exceed 0.15% of the average daily value of net assets . Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than other types of charges.

Prior to the date of this SAI, the Funds had not commenced operations and, therefore, no payments were made pursuant to the Servicing Plan.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

The Advisor serves as Co-Administrator to the Funds. The Advisor provides certain administrative services necessary for the operation of the Funds, including among other things, (i) providing office space, equipment and facilities for maintaining the Funds’ organization , (ii) preparing the Trust’s registration statement, proxy statements and all annual and semi-annual reports to Fund shareholders, and (iii) general supervision of the operation of the Funds, including coordination of the services performed by the Funds’ Advisor, Distributor, custodian, independent accountants, legal counsel and others. In addition, the Advisor furnishes office space and facilities required for conducting the business of the Funds and pays the compensation of the Funds’ officers, employees and Trustees affiliated with the Advisor. The Advisor does not receive a fee for administrative services provided to the Funds.

BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (“BNY Mellon”) serves as Co-Administrator to the Funds and provides facilities, equipment and personnel to carry out certain administrative services related to the Funds. BNY Mellon also serves as the fund accounting agent for each of the Funds and provides certain accounting services such as computation of the Funds’ net asset value and maintenance of the Funds’ books and financial records. Under the Administration and Accounting Services Agreement, BNY Mellon receives a fee for its services payable by the Funds based on the Funds’ average net assets. Because the Funds have not commenced operations as of the date of this SAI, the Funds have not paid any administrative service fees to the Advisor.

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

Orders for purchases and redemptions of shares are effected at the net asset value (“NAV”) per share next calculated after receipt of the order by the Fund, its agent, or certain other authorized persons. Selling dealers are responsible for transmitting orders promptly.

Offering price or NAV per share of each Fund normally is determined, and its shares normally are priced, at the close of each business day for the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), or 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, whichever is earlier (“Value Time”), on days that the NYSE is open or (at the Fund’s option) on days the primary trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio instruments are open (“Value Date”). The NAV per share of the Funds is computed by dividing the value of net assets (i.e., the value of the assets less the liabilities) by the total number of outstanding shares. All expenses, including fees paid to the Advisor and Co-Administrators, are accrued daily and taken into account for the purpose of determining the NAV.

Portfolio Security Valuation. The value of an equity security traded on one or more U.S. exchanges (and not subject to restrictions against sale by the Fund on such exchanges) will be valued at the last available quoted sale price on the primary trading exchange for the security as of the Value Time on the Value Date. If there was no sale on the primary exchange on the Value Date, the most recent bid shall be used. Securities for which the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. (“NASDAQ”) provides a NASDAQ Official Closing Price (“NOCP”) will be valued at the NOCP. Over-the-counter common and preferred stocks quoted on NASDAQ or in another medium for which no NOCP is calculated by NASDAQ and securities traded on an exchange for which no sales are reported on the Value Date are valued at the most recent bid quotation on the Value Date on the relevant exchange or market as of the Value Time. An equity security not traded in the United States but listed on a foreign exchange shall be valued at the closing price on the principal foreign exchange where the security is traded, and if a closing price is not available the last bid price shall be used. Investment company securities are valued at the net asset value per share calculated for such securities on the Value Date. Exchange-traded options, futures and options on futures are valued at their most recent sale price on the exchange on which they are primarily traded. Equity securities for which market quotations (i) are not readily available or (ii) do not accurately reflect the value of the securities, as determined by the Advisor, are valued at fair value using the Trust’s pricing and valuation procedures. Significant bid-ask spreads, or infrequent trading may indicate a lack of readily available market quotations.

32


Debt securities will generally be priced at the value determined by an approved pricing agent using methods such as matrix pricing, its proprietary calculation model or dealer-supplied valuations. When a market value is not readily available from a pricing service or independent broker-dealer, the value obtained is deemed to be unreliable, or there is a significant valuation event affecting the value of a security, the “fair value” of a security shall be determined by the Valuation Committee in accordance with Fund procedures. Fixed income securities with 60 days or less to maturity at the time of purchase will be valued at amortized cost, unless such method is determined by the pricing committee to be inappropriate due to credit or other impairments of the issuer.

Generally, foreign securities denominated in foreign currencies are valued in the foreign currency and then converted into its U.S. dollar equivalent using the foreign exchange quotation in effect at the close of the NYSE on the day the security’s value is determined.

Other types of securities and assets owned by a Fund are valued using procedures contained in the Trust’s pricing and valuation procedures.

In situations where it is determined that market quotations are not readily available from a pricing service or independent broker-dealer, or if the valuations are deemed to be unreliable or do not accurately reflect the value of the securities, Board-approved “fair valuation” methodologies will be used. “Fair value” shall be deemed to be the amount that the Fund might reasonably expect to receive for the security (or asset) upon its current sale. Each such determination will be based on a consideration of all relevant factors, which are likely to vary from one pricing context to another. Under the Trust’s pricing and valuation procedures, fair valuation methodologies may also be used in situations such as (i) a price is determined to be stale (for example, it cannot be valued using the standard pricing method because a recent sale price is not available) on more than five consecutive days on which a Fund calculates its NAV; or (ii) a significant valuation event is determined to have occurred pursuant to the Trust’s pricing and valuation procedures. A significant valuation event may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: (i) a significant event affecting the value of a security or other asset of the Fund that is traded on a foreign exchange or market has occurred between the time when the foreign exchange or market closes and the Value Time; (ii) one or more markets in which a security or other asset of the Fund trades is closed for a holiday on a Fund Value Date or, has closed or is disrupted as a result of unusual or extraordinary events (e.g., natural disasters, civil unrest, imposition of capital controls, etc.); (iii) there is an unusually large movement, between the Value Time on the previous day and today’s Value Time, in the value of one or more securities indexes that the Fund uses as a “benchmark” or that are determined by the Pricing Committee to be relevant to the Fund’s portfolio investments; or (iv) some other market or economic event (e.g., a bankruptcy filing) would cause a security or other asset of the Fund to experience a significant change in value. If it has been determined that a significant valuation event has occurred, the Board may value each security pursuant to the Trust’s fair value pricing procedures.

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS

Pursuant to the Investment Advisory and Sub-Advisory Agreements, the Sub-Advisor places orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio investments for the Funds’ accounts with brokers or dealers it selects in its discretion.

Purchases and sales of securities will often be principal transactions in the case of debt securities and equity securities traded other than on an exchange. The purchase or sale of equity securities will frequently involve the payment of a commission to a broker-dealer who effects the transaction on behalf of a Fund. Debt securities normally will be purchased or sold from or to issuers directly or to dealers serving as market makers for the securities at a net price. Generally, money market securities are traded on a net basis and do not involve brokerage commissions. Under the 1940 Act, persons affiliated with the Funds, the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor or the Distributor are prohibited from dealing with the Funds as a principal in the purchase and sale of securities unless a permissive order allowing such transactions is obtained from the SEC or the transaction complies with requirements of certain SEC rules applicable to affiliated transactions.

Trade Allocation and Aggregation

Investment decisions for the Funds, and for the other investment advisory clients of the Sub-Advisor, are made with a view to achieving their respective investment objectives. Investment decisions are the product of many factors in addition to basic suitability for the particular client involved. Thus, a particular security may be bought or sold for certain clients even though it could have been bought or sold for other clients at the same time. Likewise, a particular security may be bought for one or more clients when one or more other clients are selling the security. In some instances, one client may sell a particular security to another client. At times, two or more clients may also simultaneously purchase or sell the same security, in which event each day’s transactions in such security are, insofar as possible, averaged as to price and allocated between such clients in a manner which in the opinion of the Sub-Advisor is equitable to each and in accordance with the amount being purchased or sold by each. There may be circumstances when purchases or sales of portfolio securities for one or more clients will have an adverse effect on other clients.

The Sub-Advisor has established and implemented an Order Allocation policy, setting out the most important and/or relevant aspects

33


of the order allocation arrangements to ensure fair allocation. Generally the portfolio managers will allocate trades across portfolios with similar mandates to bring the holding in each account to a similar percentage of the value of the portfolio. The portfolio manager will take into account factors impacting the allocation, including:

 

 

 

 

Each portfolio’s investment guidelines that exclude a particular security or type of security;

 

 

 

 

Each portfolio’s guidelines that restrict the amount (usually as a percentage of the portfolio value) of a particular security or security type;

 

 

 

 

Minimum tradable lot sizes applicable to a security; and round lot sizes.

The trader aggregates orders and places a block order with one or more brokers. Block trades are entered into for efficient trading purposes, to limit market impact and to achieve the best price at execution. If the block trade is filled in its entirety, all participating clients receive the order amount. If the trade is partially filled or executed with more than one broker, each tranche of the trade is allocated among the participating accounts pro rata according to the order size specified by the portfolio manager at the time of order placement. Tranches are executed and allocated on this pro rata basis until the order has been filled or the outstanding order has been cancelled by the portfolio manager.

Trading Costs

Trading involves transaction costs. Transactions with dealers serving as primary market makers reflect the spread between the bid and asked prices. The Funds may purchase securities during an underwriting, which will include an underwriting fee paid to the underwriter. Purchases and sales of common stocks are generally placed by the Sub-Advisor with broker-dealers which, in the judgment of the Sub-Advisor provide prompt and reliable execution at favorable security prices and reasonable commission rates.

In effecting purchases and sales of portfolio securities for the account of a Fund, the Sub-Advisor will seek the best execution of the Fund’s orders.

The Funds have no obligation to deal with any dealer or group of dealers in the execution of transactions in portfolio securities. Subject to policies established by the Board of Trustees, the Sub-Advisor is primarily responsible for portfolio decisions and the placing of portfolio transactions. In placing orders, it is the policy of the Sub-Advisor to obtain the best results taking into account the broker-dealer’s general execution and operational facilities, the type of transaction involved and other factors such as the dealer’s risk in positioning the securities. While the Sub-Advisor generally seeks reasonably competitive spreads or commissions, the Funds will not necessarily be paying the lowest spread or commission available.

Broker-Dealer Selection

Many factors affect the selection of a broker, including the overall reasonableness of commissions or spreads paid to a broker, the firm’s general execution and operational capabilities, its reliability and financial condition. Additionally, some of the brokers with whom the Sub-Advisor effects transactions may have also referred investment advisory clients to the Sub-Advisor. However, any transactions with such brokers will be subject to best execution obligations. The Sub-Advisor may not consider sales of BlueBay fund shares as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute portfolio transactions for the RBC BlueBay Funds.

Consistent with achieving best execution, a Fund may participate in “commission recapture” programs, under which brokers or dealers used by the Fund remit a portion of brokerage commissions to the particular Fund from which they were generated. Subject to oversight by the Funds’ Board of Trustees and the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor is responsible for the selection of brokers or dealers with whom a Fund executes trades and for ensuring that a Fund receives best execution in connection with its portfolio brokerage transactions. Participation in a commission recapture program is not expected to have a material impact on either expenses or returns of those Funds utilizing the program.

The Sub-Advisor may cause a Fund to pay commissions higher than another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting the same transaction if the Sub-Advisor believes the commission paid is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by the broker. In other words, the Sub-Advisor may use client commissions or “soft dollars” to obtain proprietary research (research prepared by the broker-dealer executing the client transactions), third-party research or brokerage services that benefit the Sub-Advisor and its client accounts. The Sub-Advisor’s use of soft dollars will be consistent with Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

The Sub-Advisor may, in circumstances in which two or more broker-dealers are in a position to offer comparable results, give preference to a dealer that has provided statistical or other research services to the Sub-Advisor. By allocating transactions in this manner, the Sub-Advisor can supplement its own research and analysis with the views and information of securities firms and other

34


research providers. These items, which in some cases may also be purchased for cash, include such matters as general economic and securities market reviews, industry and company reviews, evaluations of securities and recommendations as to the purchase and sale of securities. Some of these services are of value to the Sub-Advisor in advising various of its clients (including the Funds), although not all of these services are necessarily useful and of value in managing the Funds. The advisory fees paid by the Funds are not reduced because the Sub-Advisor and their affiliates receive such services.

Execution factors and criteria

When giving effect to decisions to deal on behalf of its clients, the exact nature of the best possible result will be determined by the Sub-Advisor by reference to a wide variety of factors including: price, costs, speed, likelihood of execution and settlement, size, nature of the order, or any other consideration relevant to the execution of the order.

Price will ordinarily merit a high relative importance in obtaining the best possible result. However, in some circumstances the Sub-Advisor may appropriately determine that other factors are more important than price. The Sub-Advisor determines the relative importance of the various factors by using its commercial judgment and experience in light of market information and taking into account the following criteria: the characteristics of the portfolio, the characteristics of the order, the characteristics of the instrument or product and the characteristics of the Brokers or Execution Venues to which that order can be directed.

Choosing between order placement and direct execution

Once the Sub-Advisor has made a decision to deal, the trader decides whether to place the order with a Broker or to execute the transaction directly on an Execution Venue. This decision is made having regard to the relative importance of the execution factors for the instrument or product in question. For some instruments or products, there is no choice. So, for example, when trading “over the counter” derivatives, the transaction will always be effected by way of direct execution with a Counterparty.

Order placement with Brokers

Each portfolio manager and trader specializes in one of the four main mandate types managed by the Sub-Advisor: emerging market, high yield/distressed, convertibles and investment grade. The core senior portfolio managers for each of the four mandate types have focused on their asset class for more than 10 years, gaining insight and experience under a variety of market conditions. The Sub-Advisor has dedicated an execution team of traders to each of the three asset classes, providing them with in-depth knowledge of the instruments and products traded and the Brokers/Counterparties with which to trade.

Where the Sub-Advisor places an order with a Broker for execution, the Sub-Advisor is not responsible for controlling or influencing the arrangements made by the Broker relating to the execution of that order (for example, the Sub-Advisor does not control the Broker’s choice of Execution Venues) and is not required to duplicate the efforts of the Broker in ensuring the best possible result. The Sub-Advisor’s obligation is therefore to ensure that the Brokers included in the Approved Broker/Counterparty List are those which will enable it to comply with the Best Execution Obligation and that orders are passed only to those Brokers.

RBC group as a global financial services company may act in variety of roles including those of a broker, underwriter, agent or lender in connection with transactions in which the Sub-Advisor’s clients have an interest and will receive remuneration or other benefits in connections with these trades. The Sub-Advisor’s traders will choose to execute a transaction with RBC group entities only if the transaction is executed at arm’s length basis and achieves previously stated threshold for best execution. The Sub-Advisor’s policies address conflicts of interest that may arise from such transactions and furthermore create information barriers between the Sub-Advisor and RBC designed to ensure that information is not improperly shared among these companies and their employees; and prohibit the portfolio managers from investing in RBC shares on behalf of its clients.

Direct execution with Execution Venues

BlueBay traders will use their professional judgment, skill and experience to decide the most appropriate Execution Venue when seeking to comply with the Best Execution Obligation. BlueBay executes the majority of its trades with the Counterparties listed in the BlueBay Approved Broker/Counterparty List rather than on an exchange or other trading system.

The traders have built relationships with the Counterparties with which BlueBay trades, enabling them to ascertain which organization is likely to provide the product or instrument required in a way that allows BlueBay to satisfy the Best Execution Obligation owed to its clients. Typically the traders approach a range of Counterparties to obtain the best price available for a security. However, it may not be advantageous for BlueBay to seek multiple quotes if a security has limited liquidity and a small number of market makers, in which case placing an order may lead to a price movement that is unfavorable to BlueBay’s clients as a result of informing the market of BlueBay’s trading intentions. At all times the traders use their professional judgment to obtain the best possible result in the circumstances.

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“Over the counter” trading in derivatives is effected by BlueBay with Counterparties that act as principal under ISDA and related master documentation. Owing to factors beyond BlueBay’s reasonable control, relationships with some of these Counterparties may have been established only for particular clients and so may not be available for all clients. Any decision to execute a transaction with a particular Counterparty on behalf of a client is made from the available pool of Counterparties for that client.

Counterparty Approval Process

Before undertaking business with a Counterparty for the first time, an approval process is followed to ensure that BlueBay only trades with appropriate counterparties. BlueBay maintains an Approved Broker/Counterparty List which formally records the parties with which a trader may do business. All approved counterparties are programmed into Charles River, BlueBay’s Investment Management System.

The Market Risk Committee has authority to approve new counterparties. On the basis of the completed initial approval form, financial statements, credit rating, and clearing arrangements, the Market Risk Committee considers whether the trading risk of the Counterparty is acceptable in light of the type of trading for which approval is sought.

Ongoing Review of Counterparties

BlueBay performs daily, quarterly and annual review process of all approved counterparties. On a daily basis, the Risk team monitors market indicators such as credit default swap spreads for OTC and depositor counterparties. If these indicators raise concern about the credit quality of any Counterparty, the Market Risk Committee may prohibit further trading or remove the Counterparty from the Approved Broker/Counterparty List. On a quarterly basis, Compliance Department reviews the trading turnover with each Counterparty against the gifts and entertainment received by staff from counterparties, to determine whether there is any link between trading and gift and entertainment levels. On an annual basis all the approved counterparties are reviewed by Market Risk Committee on the basis of legal/regulatory actions, trading volumes, financial standing and most recent ratings. Based on the reviews of these factors, the Head of Trade Execution or the Market Risk Committee may determine to prohibit trading with certain counterparties that no longer meet the requirements set forth by BlueBay.

Because the Funds have not commenced operations as of the date of this SAI, the Funds have not paid any brokerage commissions nor did they hold any investments in securities of their regular broker-dealers.

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

Changes may be made in the Funds’ portfolios consistent with the investment objectives and policies of the Funds whenever such changes are believed to be in the best interests of the Funds and their shareholders. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing the lesser of total purchases or sales of portfolio securities by the average monthly value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Higher portfolio turnover rates may result in higher brokerage expenses.

TAXATION

The following is a summary of certain additional tax considerations generally affecting a Fund and its shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of a Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning.

This “Taxation” section is based on the Code and applicable regulations in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative, regulatory or administrative changes, including provisions of current law that sunset and thereafter no longer apply, or court decisions may significantly change the tax rules applicable to the Fund and its shareholders. Any of these changes or court decisions may have a retroactive effect.

This is for general information only and not tax advice. All investors should consult their own tax advisors as to the federal, state, local and foreign tax provisions applicable to them.

TAXATION OF THE FUNDS. Each Fund has elected and intends to qualify each year as a RIC (sometimes referred to as a “regulated investment company” or “fund”) under Subchapter M of the Code. If a Fund so qualifies, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its investment company taxable income (that is, generally, taxable interest, dividends, net short-term capital gains, and other taxable ordinary income, net of expenses, without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (that is, the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that it distributes to shareholders.

In order to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, each Fund must satisfy the following requirements:

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Distribution Requirement—A Fund must distribute an amount equal to the sum of at least 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its net tax-exempt income, if any, for the tax year (including, for purposes of satisfying this distribution requirement, certain distributions made by the Fund after the close of its taxable year that are treated as made during such taxable year).

 

 

 

 

Income Requirement—A Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived from its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from qualified publicly traded partnerships (“QPTPs”).

 

 

 

 

Asset Diversification Test—A Fund must satisfy the following asset diversification test at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s tax year: (1) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers (as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets in securities of an issuer and as to which the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer); and (2) no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. Government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies) or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or, in the securities of one or more QPTPs.

In some circumstances, the character and timing of income realized by a Fund for purposes of the Income Requirement or the identification of the issuer for purposes of the Asset Diversification Test is uncertain under current law with respect to a particular investment, and an adverse determination or future guidance by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) with respect to such type of investment may adversely affect a Fund’s ability to satisfy these requirements. See, “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions” below with respect to the application of these requirements to certain types of investments. In other circumstances, a Fund may be required to sell portfolio holdings in order to meet the Income Requirement, Distribution Requirement, or Asset Diversification Test which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s income and performance. In lieu of potential disqualification, a Fund may be permitted to pay a tax for certain failures to satisfy the Asset Diversification Test or Income Requirement, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect.

Each Fund may use “equalization accounting” (in lieu of making some cash distributions) in determining the portion of its income and gains that has been distributed. If a Fund uses equalization accounting, it will allocate a portion of its undistributed investment company taxable income and net capital gain to redemptions of Fund shares and will correspondingly reduce the amount of such income and gains that it distributes in cash. If the IRS determines that a Fund’s allocation is improper and that the Fund has under-distributed its income and gain for any taxable year, the Fund may be liable for federal income and/or excise tax. If, as a result of such adjustment, the Fund fails to satisfy the Distribution Requirement, the Fund will not qualify that year as a regulated investment company the effect of which is described in the following paragraph.

If for any taxable year a Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders, and the dividends would be taxable to the shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would thus have a negative impact on a Fund’s income and performance. Subject to savings provisions for certain failures to satisfy the Income Requirement or Asset Diversification Test which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, it is possible that a Fund will not qualify as a regulated investment company in any given tax year. Even if such savings provisions apply, a Fund may be subject to a monetary sanction of $50,000 or more. Moreover, the Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of a Fund as a regulated investment company if it determines such a course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.

Portfolio Turnover. For investors that hold their Fund shares in a taxable account, a high portfolio turnover rate may result in higher taxes. This is because a fund with a high turnover rate is likely to accelerate the recognition of capital gains and more of such gains are likely to be taxable as short-term rather than long-term capital gains in contrast to a comparable fund with a low turnover rate. Any such higher taxes would reduce the Fund’s after-tax performance. See, “Taxation of Fund Distributions—Distributions of Capital Gains” below.

Capital Loss Carryovers. The capital losses of a Fund, if any, do not flow through to shareholders. Rather, a Fund may use its capital losses, subject to applicable limitations, to offset its capital gains without being required to pay taxes on or distribute to shareholders such gains that are offset by the losses. Rules similar to those that apply to capital loss carryovers of individuals are made applicable to RICs. Thus, if a Fund has a “net capital loss” (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains) , the excess (if any) of the Fund’s net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s

37


next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund’s net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund’s next taxable year. Any such net capital losses of a Fund that are not used to offset capital gains may be carried forward indefinitely to reduce any future capital gains realized by the Fund in succeeding taxable years. The amount of capital losses that can be carried forward and used in any single year is subject to an annual limitation if there is a more than 50% “change in ownership” of a Fund. An ownership change generally results when shareholders owning 5% or more of a Fund increase their aggregate holdings by more than 50% over a three-year look-back period. An ownership change could result in capital loss carryovers being used at a slower rate, thereby reducing a Fund’s ability to offset capital gains with those losses. An increase in the amount of taxable gains distributed to a Fund’s shareholders could result from an ownership change. The Funds undertake no obligation to avoid or prevent an ownership change, which can occur in the normal course of shareholder purchases and redemptions or as a result of engaging in a tax-free reorganization with another fund. Moreover, because of circumstances beyond a Fund’s control, there can be no assurance that a Fund will not experience, or has not already experienced, an ownership change. Additionally, if a Fund engages in a tax-free reorganization with another fund , the effect of these and other rules not discussed herein may be to disallow or postpone the use by a Fund of its capital loss carryovers (including any current year losses and built-in losses when realized) to offset its own gains or those of the other fund , or vice versa, thereby reducing the tax benefits Fund shareholders would otherwise have enjoyed from use of such capital loss carryovers.

Deferral of Late Year Losses. A Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year (see, “Taxation of Fund Distributions - Distributions of capital gains” below). A “qualified late year loss” includes:

 

 

(i)

any net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (“post-October losses”), and

 

 

(ii)

the excess, if any, of (1) the sum of (a) specified losses incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, and (b) other ordinary losses incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year, over (2) the sum of (a) specified gains incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, and (b) other ordinary gains incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year.

The terms “specified losses” and “specified gains” mean ordinary losses and gains from the sale, exchange, or other disposition of property (including the termination of a position with respect to such property), foreign currency losses and gains, and losses and gains resulting from holding stock in a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) for which a mark-to-market election is in effect. The terms “ordinary losses” and “ordinary gains” mean other ordinary losses and gains that are not described in the preceding sentence.

Undistributed Capital Gains. A Fund may retain or distribute to shareholders its net capital gain for each taxable year. The Funds currently intend to distribute net capital gains. If a Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the highest corporate tax rate. If a Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain, and will increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.

Federal Excise Tax. To avoid a 4% non-deductible excise tax, a Fund must distribute by December 31 of each year an amount equal to at least: (1) 98% of its ordinary income (taking into account certain deferrals and elections) for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of capital gain net income (that is, the excess of the gains from sales or exchanges of capital assets over the losses from such sales or exchanges , adjusted for certain ordinary losses ) for the one-year period ended on October 31 of such calendar year, and (3) any prior year undistributed ordinary income and capital gain net income. A Fund may elect to defer to the following year any net ordinary loss incurred for the portion of the calendar year which is after the beginning of the Fund’s taxable year. Also, a Fund will defer any “specified gain” or “specified loss” which would be properly taken into account for the portion of the calendar year after October 31. Any net ordinary loss, specified gain, or specified loss deferred shall be treated as arising on January 1 of the following calendar year. Generally, each Fund intends to make sufficient distributions prior to the end of each calendar year to avoid any material liability for federal income and excise tax, but can give no assurances that all or a portion of such liability will be avoided. In addition, under certain circumstances, temporary timing or permanent differences in the realization of income and expense for book and tax purposes can result in the Fund having to pay an excise tax.

Foreign Income Tax. Investment income received by a Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income tax withheld at the source and the amount of tax withheld generally will be treated as an expense of the Fund. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries which entitle a Fund to a reduced rate of, or exemption from, tax on such income. It is impossible to determine the effective rate of foreign tax in advance since the amount of a Fund’s assets to be invested in various

38


countries is not known. Under certain circumstances described below , a Fund may elect to pass-through foreign tax credits to shareholders, although it reserves the right not to do so.

TAXATION OF FUND DISTRIBUTIONS. Each Fund anticipates distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain for each taxable year. Distributions by a Fund will be treated in the manner described below regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund (or of another fund). The Funds will send you information annually as to the federal income tax consequences of distributions made (or deemed made) during the year.

Distributions of Net Investment Income. Each Fund receives ordinary income generally in the form of dividends and/or interest on its investments. The Fund may also recognize ordinary income from other sources, including, but not limited to, certain gains on foreign currency-related transactions. This income, less expenses incurred in the operation of a Fund, constitutes a Fund’s net investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. If you are a taxable investor, distributions of net investment income generally are taxable as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits. In the case of a Fund whose strategy includes investing in stocks of corporations, a portion of the income dividends paid to you may be qualified dividends eligible to be taxed at reduced rates. See the discussion below under the headings, “Qualified Dividend Income for Individuals” and “Dividends-Received Deduction for Corporations.”

Distributions of Capital Gains. Each Fund may derive capital gain and loss in connection with sales or other dispositions of its portfolio securities. Distributions derived from the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss will be taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions paid from the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long you have held your shares in a Fund. Any net short-term or long-term capital gain realized by a Fund (net of any capital loss carryovers) generally will be distributed once each year and may be distributed more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund.

Returns of Capital. Distributions by a Fund that are not paid from earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of (and in reduction of) the shareholder’s tax basis in his shares; any excess will be treated as gain from the sale of his shares. Thus, the portion of a distribution that constitutes a return of capital will decrease the shareholder’s tax basis in his Fund shares (but not below zero), and will result in an increase in the amount of gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the shareholder for tax purposes on the later sale of such Fund shares. Return of capital distributions can occur for a number of reasons including, among others, a Fund over-estimates the income to be received from certain investments.

Qualified Dividend Income for Individuals. Ordinary income dividends reported by the Fund to shareholders as derived from qualified dividend income will be taxed in the hands of individuals and other noncorporate shareholders at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. “Qualified dividend income” means dividends paid to a Fund (a) by domestic corporations, (b) by foreign corporations that are either (i) incorporated in a possession of the United States, or (ii) are eligible for benefits under certain income tax treaties with the United States that include an exchange of information program, or (c) with respect to stock of a foreign corporation that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Both a Fund and the investor must meet certain holding period requirements to qualify Fund dividends for this treatment. Specifically, a Fund must hold the stock for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the stock becomes ex-dividend. Similarly, investors must hold their Fund shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before a Fund distribution goes ex-dividend. Income derived from investments in derivatives, fixed-income securities, U.S. REITs, PFICs, and income received “in lieu of” dividends in a securities lending transaction generally is not eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income. If the qualifying dividend income received by a Fund is equal to or greater than 95% of the Fund’s gross income (exclusive of net capital gain) in any taxable year, all of the ordinary income dividends paid by the Fund will be qualifying dividend income.

Dividends-Received Deduction for Corporations. For corporate shareholders, a portion of the dividends paid by a Fund may qualify for the 70% corporate dividends-received deduction. The portion of dividends paid by a Fund that so qualifies will be reported by the Fund to shareholders each year and cannot exceed the gross amount of dividends received by the Fund from domestic (U.S.) corporations. The availability of the dividends-received deduction is subject to certain holding period and debt financing restrictions that apply to both a Fund and the investor. Specifically, the amount that a Fund may report as eligible for the dividends-received deduction will be reduced or eliminated if the shares on which the dividends earned by the Fund were debt-financed or held by the Fund for less than a minimum period of time, generally 46 days during a 91-day period beginning 45 days before the stock becomes ex-dividend. Similarly, if your Fund shares are debt-financed or held by you for less than a 46-day period then the dividends-received deduction for Fund dividends on your shares may also be reduced or eliminated. Even if reported as dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction, all dividends (including any deducted portion) must be included in your alternative minimum taxable income calculation. Income derived by a Fund from investments in derivatives, fixed-income and foreign securities generally is not eligible for this treatment.

Impact of Realized but Undistributed Income and Gains, and Net Unrealized Appreciation of Portfolio Securities. At the time

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of your purchase of shares, a Fund’s net asset value may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation of portfolio securities held by the Fund. A subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable, and would be taxed as ordinary income (some portion of which may be taxed as qualified dividend income), capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. A Fund may be able to reduce the amount of such distributions from capital gains by utilizing its capital loss carryovers, if any.

Pass-Through of Foreign Tax Credits. If more than 50% of a Fund’s total assets at the end of a fiscal year is invested in foreign securities, the Fund may elect to pass through to you your pro rata share of foreign taxes paid by the Fund. If this election is made, the Fund may report more taxable income to you than it actually distributes. You will then be entitled either to deduct your share of these taxes in computing your taxable income, or to claim a foreign tax credit for these taxes against your U.S. federal income tax (subject to limitations for certain shareholders). A Fund will provide you with the information necessary to claim this deduction or credit on your personal income tax return if it makes this election. No deduction for foreign tax may be claimed by a noncorporate shareholder who does not itemize deductions or who is subject to the alternative minimum tax. Shareholders may be unable to claim a credit for the full amount of their proportionate shares of the foreign income tax paid by a Fund due to certain limitations that may apply. The Fund reserves the right not to pass through to its shareholders the amount of foreign income taxes paid by the Fund. Additionally, any foreign tax withheld on payments made “in lieu of” dividends or interest will not qualify for the pass-through of foreign tax credits to shareholders. See “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Securities – Securities Lending” below.

U.S. Government Securities. Income earned on certain U.S. government obligations is exempt from state and local personal income taxes if earned directly by you. States also grant tax-free status to dividends paid to you from interest earned on direct obligations of the U.S. government, subject in some states to minimum investment or reporting requirements that must be met by a Fund. Income on investments by a Fund in certain other obligations, such as repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government obligations, commercial paper and federal agency-backed obligations (e.g., Ginnie Mae or Fannie Mae securities), generally does not qualify for tax-free treatment. The rules on exclusion of this income are different for corporations.

Dividends Declared in December and Paid in January. Ordinarily, shareholders are required to take distributions by the Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, dividends declared in October, November or December of any year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month will be deemed to have been received by the shareholders (and made by the Fund) on December 31 of such calendar year if such dividends are actually paid in January of the following year. Shareholders will be advised annually as to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of distributions made (or deemed made) during the year in accordance with the guidance that has been provided by the IRS.

Medicare Tax. An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from a Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds certain threshold amounts. This Medicare tax, if applicable, is reported by you on, and paid with, your federal income tax return.

SALES, EXCHANGES, AND REDEMPTIONS. Sales, exchanges and redemptions (including redemptions in-kind) of Fund shares are taxable transactions for federal and state income tax purposes. If you redeem your Fund shares, the IRS requires you to report any gain or loss on your redemption. If you held your shares as a capital asset, the gain or loss that you realize will be a capital gain or loss and will be long-term or short-term, generally depending on how long you have held your shares. Any redemption fees you incur on shares redeemed will decrease the amount of any capital gain (or increase any capital loss) you realize on the sale. Capital losses in any year are deductible only to the extent of capital gains plus, in the case of a noncorporate taxpayer, $3,000 of ordinary income.

Tax Basis Information. The Funds are required to report to you and the IRS annually on Form 1099-B the cost basis of shares where the cost basis of the shares is known by the Funs (referred to as “covered shares”). However, cost basis reporting is not required for certain shareholders, including shareholders investing in a Fund through a tax-advantaged retirement account, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, or shareholders investing in a money market fund that maintains a stable net asset value. When required to report cost basis, the Funds will calculate it using the Funds’ default method of average cost, unless you instruct a Fund in writing to use a different calculation method. In general, average cost is the total cost basis of all your shares in an account divided by the total number of shares in the account. To determine whether short-term or long-term capital gains taxes apply, the IRS presumes you redeem your oldest shares first.

The IRS permits the use of several methods to determine the cost basis of mutual fund shares. The method used will determine which specific shares are deemed to be sold when there are multiple purchases on different dates at differing share prices, and the entire position is not sold at one time. The Funds do not recommend any particular method of determining cost basis, and the use of other methods may result in more favorable tax consequences for some shareholders. It is important that you consult with your tax advisor

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to determine which method is best for you and then notify a Fund in writing if you intend to utilize a method other than average cost for covered shares.

In addition to the Funds’ default method of average cost, other cost basis methods offered by the Trust, which you may elect to apply to covered shares, include:

 

 

 

 

Single Account Average Cost (SAAC) — the total cost basis of both covered shares and “noncovered shares” (as defined below) in an account are averaged to determine the basis of shares. By electing the single account average cost method, your noncovered shares will be redesignated as covered shares. This election is only available for current shareholders of the Funds.

 

 

 

 

First-In First-Out (FIFO) — depletes shares in the order of the acquisition date; the oldest shares are redeemed first.

 

 

 

 

Last-In First-Out (LIFO) — depletes shares in the order of the acquisition date; the newest shares are redeemed first.

 

 

 

 

High Cost (HIFO) — depletes shares in the order of highest cost per share; the most expensive shares are redeemed first.

 

 

 

 

Low Cost (LOFO) — depletes shares in the order of lowest cost per share; the least expensive shares are redeemed first.

 

 

 

 

Loss/Gain Utilization (LGUT) — depletes shares with losses prior to shares with gains and short-term shares prior to long-term shares.

 

 

 

 

Specific Lot Identification — depletes shares according to the lots chosen by the shareholder. If insufficient shares are identified at the time of disposition, then a secondary default method of first-in first-out will be applied.

You may elect any of the available methods detailed above for your covered shares. If you do not notify a Fund in writing of your elected cost basis method upon the initial purchase into your account, the default method of average cost will be applied to your covered shares. The cost basis for covered shares will be calculated separately from any shares for which cost basis information is not known by the Fund (“noncovered shares”) you may own, unless you elect single account average cost. You may change from average cost to another cost basis method for covered shares at any time by notifying a Fund in writing, but only for shares acquired after the date of the change (the change is prospective). The basis of the shares that were averaged before the change will remain averaged after the date of the change.

With the exception of the specific lot identification method, the Trust first depletes noncovered shares in first in, first out order before applying your elected method to your remaining covered shares. If you want to deplete your shares in a different order then you must elect specific lot identification and choose the lots you wish to deplete first.

A Fund will compute and report the cost basis of your Fund shares sold or exchanged by taking into account all of the applicable adjustments to cost basis and holding periods as required by the Code and Treasury regulations for purposes of reporting these amounts to you and the IRS. However a Fund is not required to, and in many cases a Fund does not possess the information to, take all possible basis, holding period or other adjustments into account in reporting cost basis information to you. Therefore shareholders should carefully review the cost basis information provided by a Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required by the Code and Treasury regulations when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns. Shareholders remain solely responsible for complying with all federal income tax laws when filing their federal income tax returns.

If you hold your Fund shares through a broker (or other nominee), please contact that broker (nominee) with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account.

Wash Sales. All or a portion of any loss that you realize on a redemption of your Fund shares will be disallowed to the extent that you buy other shares in the Fund (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within 30 days before or after your share redemption. Any loss disallowed under these rules will be added to your tax basis in the new shares.

Redemptions at a Loss Within Six Months of Purchase. Any loss incurred on a redemption or exchange of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributed to you by the Fund on those shares.

Reportable Transactions. Under Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to a Fund’s shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

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TAX TREATMENT OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES. Set forth below is a general description of the tax treatment of certain types of securities, investment techniques and transactions that may apply to a fund and, in turn, affect the amount, character and timing of dividends and distributions payable by the fund to its shareholders. This section should be read in conjunction with the discussion above under “Description of Securities and Investment Practices” for a detailed description of the various types of securities and investment techniques that apply to a Fund.

In General. In general, gain or loss recognized by a fund on the sale or other disposition of portfolio investments will be a capital gain or loss. Such capital gain and loss may be long-term or short-term depending, in general, upon the length of time a particular investment position is maintained and, in some cases, upon the nature of the transaction. Property held for more than one year generally will be eligible for long-term capital gain or loss treatment. The application of certain rules described below may serve to alter the manner in which the holding period for a security is determined or may otherwise affect the characterization as long-term or short-term, and also the timing of the realization and/or character, of certain gains or losses.

Certain Fixed-Income Investments. Gain recognized on the disposition of a debt obligation purchased by a fund at a market discount (generally, at a price less than its principal amount) will be treated as ordinary income to the extent of the portion of the market discount which accrued during the period of time the fund held the debt obligation unless the fund made a current inclusion election to accrue market discount into income as it accrues. If a fund purchases a debt obligation (such as a zero coupon security or pay-in-kind security) that was originally issued at a discount, the fund generally is required to include in gross income each year the portion of the original issue discount which accrues during such year. Therefore, a fund’s investment in such securities may cause the fund to recognize income and make distributions to shareholders before it receives any cash payments on the securities. To generate cash to satisfy those distribution requirements, a fund may have to sell portfolio securities that it otherwise might have continued to hold or to use cash flows from other sources such as the sale of fund shares.

Investments in Debt Obligations that are at Risk of or in Default Present Tax Issues for a Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as whether and to what extent a fund should recognize market discount on a debt obligation, when a fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent a fund may take deductions for bad debts or worthless securities and how a fund should allocate payments received on obligations in default between principal and income. These and other related issues will be addressed by a fund in order to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated investment company.

Options, Futures, Forward Contracts, Swap Agreements and Hedging Transactions. In general, option premiums received by a fund are not immediately included in the income of the fund. Instead, the premiums are recognized when the option contract expires, the option is exercised by the holder, or the fund transfers or otherwise terminates the option (e.g., through a closing transaction). If an option written by a fund is exercised and the fund sells or delivers the underlying stock, the fund generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to (a) the sum of the strike price and the option premium received by the fund minus (b) the fund’s basis in the stock. Such gain or loss generally will be short-term or long-term depending upon the holding period of the underlying stock. If securities are purchased by a fund pursuant to the exercise of a put option written by it, the fund generally will subtract the premium received from its cost basis in the securities purchased. The gain or loss with respect to any termination of a fund’s obligation under an option other than through the exercise of the option and related sale or delivery of the underlying stock generally will be short-term gain or loss depending on whether the premium income received by the fund is greater or less than the amount paid by the fund (if any) in terminating the transaction. Thus, for example, if an option written by a fund expires unexercised, the fund generally will recognize short-term gain equal to the premium received.

The tax treatment of certain futures contracts entered into by a fund as well as listed non-equity options written or purchased by the fund on U.S. exchanges (including options on futures contracts, broad-based equity indices and debt securities) may be governed by section 1256 of the Code (“section 1256 contracts”). Gains or losses on section 1256 contracts generally are considered 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses (“60/40”), although certain foreign currency gains and losses from such contracts may be treated as ordinary in character. Also, any section 1256 contracts held by a fund at the end of each taxable year (and, for purposes of the 4% excise tax, on certain other dates as prescribed under the Code) are “marked to market” with the result that unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they were realized and the resulting gain or loss is treated as ordinary or 60/40 gain or loss, as applicable. Section 1256 contracts do not include any interest rate swap, currency swap, basis swap, interest rate cap, interest rate floor, commodity swap, equity swap, equity index swap, credit default swap, or similar agreement.

In addition to the special rules described above in respect of options and futures transactions, a fund’s transactions in other derivative instruments (including options, forward contracts and swap agreements) as well as its other hedging, short sale, or similar transactions, may be subject to one or more special tax rules (including the constructive sale, notional principal contract, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules). These rules may affect whether gains and losses recognized by a fund are treated as ordinary or capital or as short-term or long-term, accelerate the recognition of income or gains to the fund, defer losses to the fund, and cause adjustments in the holding periods of the fund’s securities. These rules, therefore, could affect the amount, timing and/or character of distributions to

42


shareholders. Moreover, because the tax rules applicable to derivative financial instruments are in some cases uncertain under current law, an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether a fund has made sufficient distributions, and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements, to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid a fund-level tax.

Certain of a fund’s investments in derivatives and foreign currency-denominated instruments, and the fund’s transactions in foreign currencies and hedging activities, may produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If a fund’s book income is less than the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company. If a fund’s book income exceeds the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the distribution of any such excess will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the fund’s remaining earnings and profits (including current earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income, reduced by related deductions), (ii) thereafter, as a return of capital to the extent of the recipient’s basis in the shares, and (iii) thereafter, as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset.

Foreign Currency Transactions. A fund’s transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt obligations and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. This treatment could increase or decrease a fund’s ordinary income distributions to you, and may cause some or all of the fund’s previously distributed income to be classified as a return of capital. In certain cases, a fund may make an election to treat such gain or loss as capital.

PFIC Investments. A fund may invest in securities of foreign companies that may be classified under the Code as PFICs. In general, a foreign company is classified as a PFIC if at least one-half of its assets constitute investment-type assets or 75% or more of its gross income is investment-type income. When investing in PFIC securities, a fund intends to mark-to-market these securities under certain provisions of the Code and recognize any unrealized gains as ordinary income at the end of the fund’s fiscal and excise tax years. Deductions for losses are allowable only to the extent of any current or previously recognized gains. These gains (reduced by allowable losses) are treated as ordinary income that a fund is required to distribute, even though it has not sold or received dividends from these securities. You should also be aware that the designation of a foreign security as a PFIC security will cause its income dividends to fall outside of the definition of qualified foreign corporation dividends. These dividends generally will not qualify for the reduced rate of taxation on qualified dividends when distributed to you by a fund. Foreign companies are not required to identify themselves as PFICs. Due to various complexities in identifying PFICs, a fund can give no assurances that it will be able to identify portfolio securities in foreign corporations that are PFICs in time for the fund to make a mark-to-market election. If a fund is unable to identify an investment as a PFIC and thus does not make a mark-to-market election, the fund may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on a fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains.

Securities Lending. While securities are loaned out by a fund, the fund generally will receive from the borrower amounts equal to any dividends or interest paid on the borrowed securities. For federal income tax purposes, payments made “in lieu of” dividends are not considered dividend income. These distributions will neither qualify for the reduced rate of taxation for individuals on qualified dividends nor the 70% dividends received deduction for corporations. Also, any foreign tax withheld on payments made “in lieu of” dividends or interest will not qualify for the pass-through of foreign tax credits to shareholders.

Investments in Convertible Securities. Convertible debt is ordinarily treated as a “single property” consisting of a pure debt interest until conversion, after which the investment becomes an equity interest. If the security is issued at a premium (i.e., for cash in excess of the face amount payable on retirement), the creditor-holder may amortize the premium over the life of the bond. If the security is issued for cash at a price below its face amount, the creditor-holder must accrue original issue discount in income over the life of the debt. The creditor-holder’s exercise of the conversion privilege is treated as a nontaxable event. Mandatorily convertible debt (e.g., an exchange-traded note or ETN issued in the form of an unsecured obligation that pays a return based on the performance of a specified market index, exchange currency, or commodity) is often, but not always, treated as a contract to buy or sell the reference property rather than debt. Similarly, convertible preferred stock with a mandatory conversion feature is ordinarily, but not always, treated as equity rather than debt. Dividends received generally are qualified dividend income and eligible for the corporate dividends received deduction. In general, conversion of preferred stock for common stock of the same corporation is tax-free. Conversion of preferred stock for cash is a taxable redemption. Any redemption premium for preferred stock that is redeemable by the issuing company might be required to be amortized under original issue discount principles.

Investments in Securities of Uncertain Tax Character. A fund may invest in securities the U.S. federal income tax treatment of which may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the IRS. To the extent the tax treatment of such securities or the income from such securities differs from the tax treatment expected by a fund, it could affect the timing or character of income recognized by the fund, requiring the fund to purchase or sell securities, or otherwise change its portfolio, in order to comply with the

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tax rules applicable to regulated investment companies under the Code.

BACKUP WITHHOLDING. By law, a Fund may be required to withhold a portion of your taxable dividends and sales proceeds unless you:

 

 

 

 

provide your correct social security or taxpayer identification number,

 

 

 

 

certify that this number is correct,

 

 

 

 

certify that you are not subject to backup withholding, and

 

 

 

 

certify that you are a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).

A Fund also must withhold if the IRS instructs it to do so. When withholding is required, the amount will be 28% of any distributions or proceeds paid. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS. Certain payees and payments are exempt from backup withholding and information reporting.

EFFECT OF FUTURE TAX LEGISLATION; LOCAL TAX CONSIDERATIONS. The foregoing general discussion of U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. Future legislative or administrative changes, including provisions of current law that sunset and thereafter no longer apply, or court decisions may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and any such changes or decisions may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein. Rules of state and local taxation of ordinary income, qualified dividend income and capital gain dividends may differ from the rules for U.S. federal income taxation described above. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholder’s particular situation.

NON-U.S. SHAREHOLDERS. The foregoing discussion relates only to Federal income tax law as applicable to U.S. persons (i.e., U.S. citizens and residents and U.S. corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates). Payments to a shareholder that is either a foreign financial institution (“FFI”) or a non-financial foreign entity (“NFFE”) within the meaning of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) may be subject to a 30% withholding tax on: (a) income dividends paid by the Fund after June 30, 2014, and (b) certain capital gain distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares paid by the Fund after December 31, 2016. FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, subject to any applicable intergovernmental agreement or other exemption, if it enters into a valid agreement with the IRS to, among other requirements, report required information about certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (b) by an NFFE, if it: (i) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) if it does have such owners, reports information relating to them. A Fund may disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of a Fund fails to provide the Fund with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.

Shareholders who are not U.S. persons should consult their tax advisors regarding U.S. and foreign tax consequences of ownership of shares of the Funds including the likelihood that distributions to them would be subject to withholding of U.S. tax at a rate of 30% (or at a lower rate under a tax treaty) and application of U.S. estate tax.

OTHER INFORMATION

CAPITALIZATION

The Trust is a Delaware statutory trust established under a Certificate of Trust dated December 16, 2003 and currently consists of 23 separately managed portfolios, each of which offers one or more classes of shares. The capitalization of the Trust consists solely of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with no par value per share. The Board of Trustees may establish additional portfolios (with different investment objectives and fundamental policies), or additional classes of shares, at any time in the future. Establishment and offering of additional portfolios or classes will not alter the rights of the Trust’s shareholders. When issued, shares are fully paid, non-assessable, redeemable and freely transferable. Shares do not have preemptive rights or subscription rights. In any liquidation of a Fund, each shareholder is entitled to receive his pro rata share of the net assets of that Fund.

VOTING RIGHTS

The Trust is an open-end investment management company and under its Agreement and Declaration of Trust, it is not required to hold annual meetings of each Fund’s shareholders to elect Trustees or for other purposes. It is not anticipated that the Trust will hold shareholders’ meetings unless required by law or the Agreement and Declaration of Trust. In this regard, the Trust will be required to

44


hold a meeting to elect Trustees to fill any existing vacancies on the Board if, at any time, fewer than a majority of the Trustees have been elected by the shareholders of the Trust. In addition, under applicable law, the Trustees are required to call a meeting for the purpose of considering the removal of a person serving as Trustee if requested in writing to do so by the holders of not less than 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust.

Each Fund may vote separately on matters affecting only that Fund.

The Trust’s shares do not have cumulative voting rights, so that the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares may elect the entire Board of Trustees, in which case the holders of the remaining shares would not be able to elect any Trustees.

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

The Bank of New York Mellon, One Wall Street, New York, New York 10286, acts as custodian of the Funds’ assets. The Bank of New York Mellon is responsible for the safekeeping of the Funds’ assets and for providing related services.

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the transfer agent for the Trust.

BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc., 760 Moore Road, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406, provides certain administrative and fund accounting services to the Funds pursuant to an Administration and Accounting Services Agreement.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Deloitte & Touche LLP , located at 111 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois, 60606, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds and provides audit services and assistance and consultation in connection with review of certain SEC filings.

CODE OF ETHICS

The Trust, the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor and the Distributor have each adopted a code of ethics, as required by applicable law, designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative, or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Funds (which may also be held by persons subject to a code). There can be no assurance that the codes will be effective in preventing such activities.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

It is the policy of the Trust to disclose nonpublic Fund portfolio holdings information only when there is a legitimate business purpose for doing so and the recipient is subject to a duty of confidentiality, including a duty not to trade on the nonpublic information. It is also the Trust’s policy that no compensation or other consideration may be received by the Trust, the Advisor, its sub-advisor, or any other party in connection with such disclosures. The related procedures are reasonably designed to prevent the use of portfolio holdings information to trade against a Fund, or otherwise use the information in a way that would harm a Fund, and to prevent selected investors from having and using nonpublic information that will allow them to make advantageous decisions with respect to purchasing and selling Fund shares.

The Trust makes portfolio holdings information publicly available in three different ways. With respect to all Funds, complete portfolio holdings information as of the second and fourth fiscal quarter-ends is available in the Funds’ semi-annual and annual reports, which are sent to shareholders and are contained in the Funds’ Form N-CSR filings. The filings are available at www.sec.gov. All Funds also file Form N-Q which contains complete portfolio holdings as of the first and third fiscal quarter-ends and is similarly available on the SEC’s website. In addition, as further described below, all Funds make certain portfolio securities information available on their website which is accessed by using the Funds’ link at www.rbcgam.us. Within 15 days of month-end, each Fund’s top ten holdings are posted on the Funds’ website.

Once portfolio holdings information has been made public, the Advisor and Sub-Advisor may provide portfolio holdings information to any third party as of the next business day, including actual and prospective individual and institutional shareholders, intermediaries, and affiliates of the Advisor.

The Trust also provides Fund portfolio holdings information outside of the public disclosure described above. Such information is provided only where there is a legitimate business purpose for doing so and the recipient has a duty of confidentiality, including the duty to not trade on such information. Such duty may be based on the recipient’s status (e.g., a fiduciary), or on an agreement between the Trust (or its authorized representative) and the recipient.

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Nonpublic holdings information may not be provided without the approval of the Trust’s President or her designate (the Funds’ CFO or CCO). The President or her designate will approve such disclosure only after (1) concluding that disclosure is in the best interests of a Fund and its shareholders, including considering any conflicts of interest presented by such disclosure and (2) ensuring that the recipient has a duty by virtue of a confidentiality agreement, status, contract, or agreement to maintain the confidentiality of the information and not to trade on it.

The Trust has certain ongoing arrangements to provide nonpublic holdings information. No compensation or other consideration is received by the Trust, the Advisor or any other party in connection with such arrangements. The following list identifies the recipients of such information as of the date of this SAI. Unless otherwise stated, there may be no lag between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed pursuant to these arrangements.

Advisor: Nonpublic holdings information and information derived therefrom is provided on a continuous basis to Advisor employees who have a need to know the information in connection with their job responsibilities, such as investment, compliance, and operations personnel. Such individuals are prohibited from trading on the basis of nonpublic holdings information and are subject to the reporting and monitoring obligations of the Advisor’s Code of Ethics and the Trust’s Code of Ethics.

Sub-Advisor: Nonpublic holdings information and information derived therefrom is provided on a continuous basis to Sub-Advisor employees who have a need to know the information in connection with their job responsibilities, such as investment, compliance, and operations personnel, without prior specific approval. Such individuals are prohibited from trading on the basis of nonpublic holdings information and are subject to the reporting and monitoring obligations of the Sub-Advisor’s Code of Ethics and the Trust’s Code of Ethics.

Advisor Affiliate RBC Global Asset Management Inc. “RBC GAM”: Nonpublic holdings information is made available to certain employees of RBC GAM. Such individuals are prohibited from trading on the basis of nonpublic holdings information and are subject to reporting and monitoring obligations of the RBC GAM Personal Trading Policy.

Trust Board of Trustees: Nonpublic holdings information and information derived therefrom may be provided on a quarterly or more frequent basis to the Board of Trustees, particularly in connection with quarterly Board meetings. Such individuals are prohibited from trading on the basis of Nonpublic Holdings Information and are subject to the reporting and monitoring obligations of the Trust’s Code of Ethics.

Trust Service Providers: The Bank of New York Mellon (the custodian), U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (the transfer agent), RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. and BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (the co-administrators), Quasar Distributors, LLC (the distributor), the Trust’s financial printer, website provider and the like may receive nonpublic holdings information on a continuous or other periodic basis, provided that such organization has a duty to maintain the information in confidence, and not to trade on the basis of such information. For example, the Trust’s website provider receives complete Fund holdings on a monthly basis with a four-day delay.

The Trust’s outside counsel, independent trustees’ counsel and independent registered public accounting firm may receive nonpublic holdings information in connection with their services to the Trust, particularly with respect to quarterly Board meetings and the annual fund audits. Each of these is subject to pre-existing fiduciary duties or duties of confidentiality arising from established rules of professional responsibility and ethical conduct.

Fund Ranking and Ratings Organizations: Nonpublic holdings information may be provided to organizations that provide mutual fund rankings, ratings and/or analysis.

When Required by Applicable Law: Nonpublic holdings information may be disclosed to any person as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. For example, such information may be disclosed in response to regulatory requests for information or in response to legal process in litigation matters.

On an annual basis, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer will report to the Board of Trustees on the operation of these policies and procedures, including a list of all parties receiving material nonpublic portfolio holdings information. On a quarterly basis, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer will report to the Board of Trustees regarding all approvals for disclosure of material nonpublic information during the previous period.

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

This SAI and the Prospectus do not contain all the information included in the Trust’s Registration Statement filed with the SEC under the 1933 Act with respect to the securities offered hereby, certain portions of which have been omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. The Registration Statement, including the exhibits filed therewith, may be examined at the office of the SEC

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in Washington, D.C.

Statements contained herein and in the Prospectus as to the contents of any contract or other documents referred to are not necessarily complete, and, in each instance, reference is made to the copy of such contract or other documents filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such reference.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

You may obtain a Prospectus, and copies of the Annual Report or Semi-Annual Report, once available, at no charge upon request by writing to RBC Funds Trust, 50 South Sixth Street, Suite 2350, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, or telephoning (800) 422-2766 or on the Funds’ website at www.rbcgam.us.

NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS NOT CONTAINED IN THE PROSPECTUS OR THIS SAI OR INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE, IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING MADE BY THIS SAI OR THE PROSPECTUS AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH INFORMATION OR REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE FUNDS. THIS SAI DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFERING BY THE FUNDS IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH AN OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.

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APPENDIX A

RATINGS OF DEBT INSTRUMENTS

CORPORATE AND MUNICIPAL BOND RATINGS.

MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. (“MOODY’S”) GLOBAL LONG-TERM RATING SCALE:

 

 

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 Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the 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. Additionally, a ‘(hyb)’ indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, issuers, finance companies, and securities firms.

STANDARD & POOR’S FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC (“S&P”) LONG-TERM ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS:

Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on S&P’s analysis of the following considerations:

- 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;

- Nature of and provisions of the obligation and the promise we impute;

- 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 S&P. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.

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.

BB, B, CCC, CC, and C – 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. The ‘CC’ rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but S&P expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

C – An obligation rated ‘C’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher.

D – An obligation rated ‘ D ’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘ D ’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The ‘ D ’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation ’ s rating is lowered to ‘ D ’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

NR – This indicates that no rating has been requested or, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P 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.

STATE, MUNICIPAL NOTES AND TAX-EXEMPT DEMAND NOTES

MOODY’S 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 quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

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MOODY’S 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 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.

S&P MUNICIPAL SHORT-TERM NOTE RATINGS:

An S&P U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P’s opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P’s analysis will review the following considerations:

– Amortization schedule- the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

– Source of payment- the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

Note rating symbols are as follows:

SP-1 – Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

SP-2 – Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

SP-3 – Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

COMMERCIAL PAPER RATINGS

MOODY’S GLOBAL SHORT-TERM RATINGS:

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.

Prime-1 (P-1) – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

Prime-2 (P-2) – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

Prime-3 (P-3) – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

Not Prime - (NP) – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

S&P SHORT-TERM ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS:

A-1 – A short-term obligation rated ‘A-1’ is rated in the highest category by S&P. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial

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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 obligation 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 default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘ D ’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P 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 upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation ’ s rating is lowered to ‘ D ’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

INTERNATIONAL LONG-TERM CREDIT RATINGS

FITCH RATINGS LTD. (“FITCH”):

International credit ratings relate to either foreign currency or local currency commitments and, in both cases, assess the capacity to meet those commitments using a globally applicable scale. As such, both foreign and local currency international ratings are internationally comparable assessments.

The local currency international rating measures the likelihood of repayment in the currency of the jurisdiction in which the issuer is domiciled and hence does not take account of the possibility that it will not be possible to convert local currency into foreign currency, or make transfers between sovereign jurisdictions (transfer and convertibility (T&C) risk).

Foreign currency ratings additionally consider the profile of the issuer or note after taking into account transfer and convertibility risk. The risk is usually communicated for different countries by the Country Ceiling, which “caps” the foreign currency ratings of most, though not all, issuers within a given country.

Where the rating is not explicitly described in the relevant rating action commentary as local or foreign currency, the reader should assume that the rating is a “foreign currency” rating (i.e. the rating is applicable for all convertible currencies of obligation).

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

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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:

 

 

 

 

-

the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation;

 

 

 

 

-

the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or

 

 

 

 

-

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:

 

 

 

 

-

the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt;

 

 

 

 

-

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;

 

 

 

 

-

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

 

 

 

 

-

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’ Long-Term IDR category, or to Long-Term IDR categories below ‘B’.

NATIONAL LONG-TERM CREDIT RATINGS

FITCH:

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For those countries in which foreign and local currency sovereign ratings are below ‘AAA’, and where there is demand for such ratings, Fitch Ratings will provide National Ratings. It is important to note that each National Rating scale is unique and is defined to serve the needs of the local market in question.

The National Rating scale provides a relative measure of creditworthiness for rated entities only within the country concerned. Under this rating scale, a ‘AAA’ Long-Term National Rating will be assigned to the lowest relative risk within that country, which, in most but not all cases, will be the sovereign state.

The National Rating scale merely ranks the degree of perceived risk relative to the lowest default risk in that same country. Like local currency ratings, National Ratings exclude the effects of sovereign and transfer risk and exclude the possibility that investors may be unable to repatriate any due interest and principal repayments. It is not related to the rating scale of any other national market. Comparisons between different national scales or between an individual national scale and the international rating scale are therefore inappropriate and potentially misleading. Consequently they are identified by the addition of a special identifier for the country concerned, such as ‘AAA(arg)’ for National Ratings in Argentina.

In certain countries, regulators have established credit rating scales, to be used within their domestic markets, using specific nomenclature. In these countries, the agency’s National Rating definitions may be substituted by the regulatory scales. For instance, Fitch’s National Short-Term Ratings of ‘F1+(xxx)’, ‘F1(xxx)’, ‘F2(xxx)’ and ‘F3(xxx)’ may be substituted by the regulatory scales, e.g., ‘A1+’, ‘A1’, ‘A2’ and ‘A3’. The below definitions thus serve as a template, but users should consult the individual scales for each country listed on Fitch’s regional websites to determine if any additional or alternative category definitions apply.

AAA(xxx) – ‘AAA’ National Ratings denote the highest rating assigned by the agency in its National Rating scale for that country. This rating is assigned to issuers or obligations with the lowest expectation of default risk relative to all other issuers or obligations in the same country.

AA(xxx) – ‘AA’ National Ratings denote expectations of very low default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. The default risk inherent differs only slightly from that of the country’s highest rated issuers or obligations.

A(xxx) – ‘A’ National Ratings denote expectations of low default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. However, changes in circumstances or economic conditions may affect the capacity for timely repayment to a greater degree than is the case for financial commitments denoted by a higher rated category.

BBB(xxx) – ‘BBB’ National Ratings denote a moderate default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. However, changes in circumstances or economic conditions are more likely to affect the capacity for timely repayment than is the case for financial commitments denoted by a higher rated category.

BB(xxx) – ‘BB’ National Ratings denote an elevated default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Within the context of the country, payment is uncertain to some degree and capacity for timely repayment remains more vulnerable to adverse economic change over time.

B(xxx) – ‘B’ National Ratings denote a significantly elevated default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Financial commitments are currently being met but a limited margin of safety remains and capacity for continued timely payments is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment. For individual obligations, this rating may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for extremely high recoveries.

CCC(xxx) – ‘CCC’ National Ratings denote that default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic conditions.

CC(xxx) – ‘CC’ National Ratings denote that default of some kind appears probable.

C(xxx) – ‘C’ National Ratings denote that default is imminent.

RD(xxx) – 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 business. This would include:

 

 

 

 

-

the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt;

 

-

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;

A-6



 

 

 

 

-

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

 

-

execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations.

D(xxx) – ‘D’ National Ratings denote an issuer or instrument that is currently in default.

INTERNATIONAL SHORT-TERM CREDIT RATINGS

FITCH:

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.

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. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.

D – Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

NATIONAL SHORT-TERM CREDIT RATINGS

FITCH:

F1(xxx) – Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Under the agency’s National Rating scale, this rating is assigned to the lowest default risk relative to others in the same country. Where the liquidity profile is particularly strong, a “+” is added to the assigned rating.

F2(xxx) – Indicates a good capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. However, the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings.

F3(xxx) – Indicates an adequate capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. However, such capacity is more susceptible to near-term adverse changes than for financial commitments in higher rated categories.

B(xxx) – Indicates an uncertain capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Such capacity is highly susceptible to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

C(xxx) – Indicates a highly uncertain capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.

RD(xxx): 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(xxx) – Indicates actual or imminent payment default.

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Notes to Long-Term and Short-Term National Ratings:

The ISO International Country Code is placed in parentheses immediately following the rating letters to indicate the identity of the National market within which the rating applies. For illustrative purposes, (xxx) has been used.

“+” or “-” may be appended to a National Rating to denote relative status within a major rating category. Such suffixes are not added to the ‘AAA(xxx)’ Long-Term National Rating category, to categories below ‘CCC(xxx)’, or to Short-Term National Ratings other than ‘F1(xxx)’.

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PART C

OTHER INFORMATION

Item 28. Exhibits

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)

(1)

Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated December 16, 2003. (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2)

Instrument Memorializing Resolutions of the Board of Trustees. (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3)

Instrument Memorializing Resolutions of the Board of Trustees. (15)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4)

Instrument Memorializing Resolutions of the Board of Trustees. (20)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(5)

Instrument Memorializing Resolution of the Board of Trustees. (24)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(6)

Instrument Memorializing Resolution of the Board of Trustees. (26)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7)

Instrument Memorializing Resolution of the Board of Trustees. (29)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(8)

Instrument Memorializing Resolution of the Board of Trustees. (33)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(9)

Instrument Memorializing Resolution of the Board of Trustees. (34)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(b)

By-Laws, effective as of January 13, 2004. (2)

 

 

 

 

 

(c)

See Article III, “Shares,” and Article V, “Shareholders’ Voting Powers and Meetings,” of the Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated December 16, 2003. See Article II, “Meetings of Shareholders,” of the Registrant’s By-Laws, effective January 13, 2004.

 

 

 

 

 

(d)

(1)

Master Investment Advisory Contract dated April 16, 2004, Amended as of December 7, 2006, between the Registrant and Voyageur Asset Management Inc. with respect to Tamarack Large Cap Growth Fund, Tamarack Mid Cap Growth Fund, Tamarack Small Cap Growth Fund and Tamarack Quality Fixed Income Fund and Investment Advisory Contract Supplements dated April 16, 2004, Amended as of December 7, 2006, on behalf of each of Tamarack Large Cap Growth Fund, Tamarack Mid Cap Growth Fund, Tamarack Small Cap Growth Fund and Tamarack Quality Fixed Income Fund, Amended as of July 28, 2008, on behalf of the Access Capital Community Investment Fund. (12)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2)

Master Investment Advisory Contract dated April 16, 2004, Amended and Restated as of August 18, 2009 on behalf of the Tamarack Mid Cap Growth Fund, Tamarack Quality Fixed Income Fund and Access Capital Community Investment Fund. (14)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3)

Master Investment Advisory Contract dated April 16, 2004, Amended and Restated as of December 31, 2009 on behalf of the RBC Mid Cap Growth Fund, RBC Mid Cap Value Fund and Access Capital Community Investment Fund. (18)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Amendment to Investment Advisory Agreement dated September 9, 2013 between Registrant and RBC Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. with respect to the Access Capital Community Investment Fund. (25)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4)

Investment Advisory Agreement dated April 16, 2004 between the Registrant and Voyageur Asset Management Inc. with respect to Tamarack Enterprise Fund. (6)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Investment Advisory Agreement amended as of November 22, 2010 between Registrant and RBC Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. with respect to the RBC Enterprise Fund. (18)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(5)

Investment Advisory Agreement dated April 16, 2004 between the Registrant and Voyageur Asset Management Inc. with respect to Tamarack Microcap Value Fund. (6)




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(6)

Investment Advisory Agreement dated April 16, 2004, Amended and Restated as of November 14, 2011, between the Registrant and RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. with respect to Prime Money Market Fund, U.S. Government Money Market Fund, and Tax-Free Money Market Fund. (21)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7)

Investment Advisory Agreement amended as of November 22, 2010 between Registrant and RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. with respect to the RBC Small Cap Core Fund. (18)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Amendment to Investment Advisory Agreement dated November 27, 2012 between Registrant and RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. with respect to the RBC Small Cap Core Fund. (23)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(8)

Master Investment Advisory Agreement dated September 1, 2011 between the Registrant and RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. with respect to RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Select Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Corporate Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Global High Yield Bond Fund and RBC BlueBay Global Convertible Bond Fund. (20)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Amendment to Investment Advisory Agreement dated October 31, 2012 between the Registrant and RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. with respect to RBC BlueBay Absolute Return Fund. (23)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

Amendment to Investment Advisory Agreement dated December 20, 2013 between the Registrant and RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. with respect to RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity Fund, RBC Short Duration Fixed Income Fund and RBC Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund. (26)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(iii)

Amendment dated October 1, 2014 to Master Investment Advisory Agreement dated September 1, 2011, as supplemented by Amendments dated October 31, 2012 and December 20, 2013 between the Registrant and RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. with respect to RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Select Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Corporate Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Global High Yield Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Global Convertible Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Absolute Return Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity Fund, RBC Short Duration Fixed Income Fund, RBC Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund, RBC Small Cap Value Fund, RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund, RBC Global Opportunities Fund and RBC International Opportunities Fund. (32)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(9)

Not applicable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(10)

Not applicable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(11)

Sub-Advisory Agreement dated December 20, 2013 between RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. and RBC Global Asset Management (UK) Limited with respect to RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund and RBC Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity Fund. (26)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Amendment dated October 23, 2014 to the Amended and Restated Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement dated November 27, 2013 among RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. and RBC Global Asset Management (UK) Limited with respect to RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity Fund, RBC Global Opportunities Fund and RBC International Opportunities Fund. (33)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(12)

Not applicable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(13)

Amended and Restated Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement dated November 27, 2013 among RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc., BlueBay Asset Management LLP and BlueBay Asset Management USA LLC with respect to RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Select Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Corporate Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Global Convertible Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Absolute Return Fund and RBC BlueBay Global High Yield Bond Fund. (25)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Amendment dated October 1, 2014 to the Amended and Restated Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement dated November 27, 2013 among RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc., BlueBay Asset Management LLP and BlueBay Asset Management USA LLC with respect to RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Select Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Corporate Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Global Convertible Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Absolute Return Fund. RBC BlueBay Global High Yield Bond Fund, RBC




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund and RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund. (32)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(e)

(1)

Distribution Agreement dated December 28, 2009 between the Trust and Quasar Distributors, LLC with respect to RBC Mid Cap Value Fund, RBC U.S. Long Government/Credit Fund, RBC U.S. Long Corporate Fund, RBC U.S. Investment Grade Corporate Fund, RBC U.S. High Yield Corporate Fund, RBC U.S. PRisM 1 Fund, RBC U.S. PRisM 2 Fund, RBC U.S. PRisM 3 Fund, RBC U.S. Inflation-Linked Fund, RBC U.S. Securitized Asset Fund, Access Capital Community Investment Fund, Prime Money Market Fund, Tax-Free Money Market Fund, U.S. Government Money Market Fund, RBC Enterprise Fund, RBC Small Cap Core Fund, RBC Mid Cap Growth Fund and RBC Microcap Value Fund. (16)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

First Amendment dated July 1, 2011 to the Distribution Agreement dated December 28, 2009 between the Trust and Quasar Distributors, LLC. (20)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

Second Amendment dated November 27, 2012 to the Distribution Agreement dated December 28, 2009 between the Trust and Quasar Distributors, LLC. (23)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(iii)

Third Amendment dated December 20, 2013 to the Distribution Agreement dated December 28, 2009 between the Trust and Quasar Distributors, LLC. (26)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(iv)

Fourth Amendment dated September 24, 2014 to the Distribution Agreement dated December 28, 2009 between the Trust and Quasar Distributors, LLC. (33)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(f)

Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not applicable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(g)

(1)

Form of Custody Agreement dated January 1, 2010 between the Trust and U.S. Bank, N.A. (15)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

First Amendment dated December 20, 2013 to the Custody Agreement dated December 28, 2009. (26)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

Second Amendment dated September 28, 2014 to the Custody Agreement dated December 28, 2009. (33)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2)

Custody Agreement dated August 1, 2011 between the Trust and The Bank of New York Mellon. (20)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Amended and Restated Schedule II dated December 20, 2013 to the Custody Agreement dated August 1, 2011 between the Trust and The Bank of New York Mellon. (26)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

Amended and Restated Schedule II dated October 28, 2014 to the Custody Agreement dated August 1, 2011 between the Trust and The Bank of New York Mellon. (33)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3)

Foreign Custody Manager Agreement dated August 1, 2011 between the Trust and The Bank of New York Mellon. (20)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Amended and Restated Annex I dated December 20, 2013 to the Foreign Custody Manager Agreement dated August 1, 2011 between the Trust and The Bank of New York Mellon. (26)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

Amended and Restated Annex I dated October 28, 2014 to the Foreign Custody Manager Agreement dated August 1, 2011 between the Trust and The Bank of New York Mellon. (33)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(h)

Other Material Contracts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement dated as of September 1, 2011 with respect to Tax-Free Money Market Fund, U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Prime Money Market Fund, Access Capital Community Investment Fund, RBC U.S. Long Government/Credit Fund, RBC U.S. Long Corporate Fund, RBC U.S. Investment Grade Corporate Fund, RBC U.S. High Yield Corporate Fund, RBC U.S. PRisM 1 Fund, RBC U.S. PRisM 2 Fund, RBC U.S. PRisM 3 Fund, RBC U.S. Inflation-Linked Fund, RBC U.S. Securitized Asset Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Corporate Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Select Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Global High Yield Fund and RBC BlueBay Global Convertible Bond Fund. (23)




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Amendment dated November 27, 2012 to the Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement dated September 1, 2011 for the Tax-Free Money Market Fund, U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Prime Money Market Fund, Access Capital Community Investment Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Corporate Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Select Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Global High Yield Fund, RBC BlueBay Global Convertible Bond Fund and RBC BlueBay Absolute Return Fund. (23)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

Amendment dated December 20, 2013 to the Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement dated September 1, 2011 for the Tax-Free Money Market Fund, U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Prime Money Market Fund, Access Capital Community Investment Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Corporate Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Select Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Global High Yield Fund, RBC BlueBay Global Convertible Bond Fund and RBC BlueBay Absolute Return Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity Fund, RBC Short Duration Fixed Income Fund and RBC Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund. (26)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(iii)

Amendment dated October 23, 2014 to the Amended and Restated Administrative Services Agreement dated September 1, 2011 for the Tax-Free Money Market Fund, U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Prime Money Market Fund, Access Capital Community Investment Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Corporate Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Select Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Global High Yield Fund, RBC BlueBay Global Convertible Bond Fund and RBC BlueBay Absolute Return Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity Fund, RBC Short Duration Fixed Income Fund and RBC Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund, RBC Small Cap Value Fund, RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund, RBC Global Opportunities Fund and RBC International Opportunities Fund. (33)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2)

Administrative Services Agreement dated April 16, 2004, Amended and Restated As of January 25, 2008, between the Trust and Voyageur Asset Management Inc. with respect to Tamarack Tax-Free Income Fund, Tamarack Enterprise Fund, Tamarack Small Cap Core Fund, Tamarack Value Fund, Tamarack Microcap Value Fund, Tamarack Large Cap Growth Fund, Tamarack Mid Cap Growth Fund, Tamarack Quality Fixed Income Fund and Tamarack SMID Cap Growth Fund. (12)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Amendment dated August 18, 2009 to the Administrative Services Agreement dated as of April 16, 2004, as amended and supplemented. (14)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

Form of Second Amendment dated December 31, 2009 to the Administrative Services Agreement dated as of April 16, 2004, as amended and supplemented. (15)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(iii)

Amendment dated September 27, 2010 to the Administrative Services Agreement dated April 16, 2004, as amended and supplemented. (18)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3)

Administration and Accounting Services Agreement between PFPC Inc. and Tamarack Funds Trust dated October 5, 2007. (11)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Amended and Restated Exhibit A dated December 20, 2013 to the Administration and Accounting Services Agreement between BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (formerly PNC Global Investment Servicing (U.S.) Inc.) and RBC Funds Trust dated October 5, 2007. (26)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

Amended and Restated Exhibit A dated October 28, 2014 to the Administration and Accounting Services Agreement between BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (formerly PNC Global Investment Servicing (U.S.) Inc.) and RBC Funds Trust dated October 5, 2007. (33)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4)

Shareholder Account Services Agreement dated April 7, 2005 between the Trust and RBC Dain Rauscher Inc. (6)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Amendment to Shareholder Account Services Agreement dated November 21, 2008. (12)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(5)

Form of Shareholder Servicing Agreement effective November 21, 2008 between the Trust and servicing agent with respect to Institutional Class 1 shares of Tamarack Prime Money Market Fund, Tamarack U.S. Government Money Market Fund and Tamarack Tax-Free Money Market Fund. (10)




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(6)

Shareholder Servicing Plan effective November 21, 2008 on behalf of RBC Institutional Class 1 shares of Tamarack Prime Money Market Fund, Tamarack U.S. Government Money Market Fund and Tamarack Tax-Free Money Market Fund. (10)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7)

Amended and Restated Shareholder Servicing Plan dated September 23, 2014 on behalf of the RBC Enterprise Fund, RBC Small Cap Core Fund, RBC SMID Cap Growth Fund, RBC Microcap Value Fund, RBC Mid Cap Value Fund, Access Capital Community Investment Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Corporate Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Select Bond Fund, RBC Blue Global High Yield Fund, RBC BlueBay Global Convertible Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Absolute Return Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity Fund, RBC Short Duration Fixed Income Fund and RBC Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund, RBC Small Cap Value Fund, RBC Global Opportunities Fund and RBC International Opportunities Fund. (32)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(8)

Amended and Restated Shareholder Account and Distribution Services Plan dated February 1, 2010 on behalf of RBC Institutional Class 2, RBC Select Class, RBC Reserve Class and RBC Investor Class shares of Tamarack Prime Money Market Fund, Tamarack U.S. Government Money Market Fund and Tamarack Tax-Free Money Market Fund. (24)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(9)

Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement dated December 6, 2012 for RBC Mid Cap Value Fund, RBC SMID Cap Growth Fund, RBC Enterprise Fund, RBC Small Cap Core Fund, and RBC Microcap Value Fund. (24)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Amendment dated November 27, 2013 to the Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement for RBC Mid Cap Value Fund, RBC SMID Cap Growth Fund, RBC Enterprise Fund, RBC Small Cap Core Fund, and RBC Microcap Value Fund. (25)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(10)

Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement dated December 6, 2012 for Prime Money Market Fund, U.S. Government Money Market Fund, and Tax-Free Money Market Fund with respect to RBC Institutional Class 2, RBC Select Class, RBC Reserve Class, and RBC Investor Class. (24)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(11)

Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement dated December 6, 2012 for Prime Money Market Fund, U.S. Government Money Market Fund, and Tax-Free Money Market Fund with respect to RBC Institutional Class 1. (24)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(12)

Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement dated December 6, 2012 for Access Capital Community Investment Fund. (24)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(13)

Expense Limitation Agreement dated October 1, 2014 for RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Select Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Corporate Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Global High Yield Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Global Convertible Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Absolute Return Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity Fund, RBC Short Duration Fixed Income Fund, RBC Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund, RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund, RBC International Opportunities Fund, RBC Global Opportunities Fund and RBC Small Cap Value Fund. (32)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(14)

Transfer Agency Services Agreement dated December 28, 2009 between the Trust and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC. (21)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

First Amendment dated July 1, 2011 to the Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement dated December 28, 2009 between the Trust and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC. (20)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

Second Amendment dated November 27, 2012 to the Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement dated December 28, 2009 between the Trust and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC. (23)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(iii)

Third Amendment dated December 20, 2013 to the Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement dated December 28, 2009 between the Trust and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC. (26)




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(iv)

Fourth Amendment dated September 24, 2014 to the Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement dated December 28, 2009 between the Trust and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC. (33)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

(1)

Legal opinion with respect to all Funds except RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity Fund, RBC Short Duration Fixed Income Fund, and RBC Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund. (25)

 

 

(2)

Legal opinion with respect to RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund and RBC Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity Fund. (26)

 

 

(3)

Legal opinion with respect to RBC Short Duration Fixed Income Fund and RBC Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund. (28)

 

 

(4)

Legal opinion with respect to RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity Fund, RBC Short Duration Fixed Income Fund, and RBC Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund. (31)

 

 

(5)

Legal opinion with respect to RBC Small Cap Value Fund, RBC Global Opportunities Fund and RBC International Opportunities Fund. (33)

 

 

(6)

Legal opinion with respect to RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund and RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund. (34)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(j)

Other Opinions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

Power of Attorney for T. Geron Bell, Lucy Hancock Bode, Leslie H. Garner, Jr., Ronald James, John A. MacDonald, H. David Rybolt, James R. Seward, William B. Taylor, and Kathleen A. Gorman dated September 25, 2012. (22)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2)

Consent of independent registered public accounting firm with respect to RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity Fund, RBC Short Duration Fixed Income Fund, and RBC Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund. (31)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(k)

Omitted Financial Statements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not applicable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(l)

Initial Capital Agreements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not applicable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(m)

(1)

Amended and Restated Master Distribution Plan and Distribution Plan supplements dated December 6, 2012, as supplemented September 24, 2013 and December 20, 2013, for RBC SMID Cap Growth Fund, RBC Small Cap Core Fund, RBC Enterprise Fund, RBC Microcap Value Fund, Access Capital Community Investment Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Select Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Corporate Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Global High Yield Bond Fund, and RBC BlueBay Absolute Return Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund and RBC Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity Fund. (26)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2)

Class F Shares Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Plan dated December 5, 2013 for RBC Short Duration Fixed Income Fund and RBC Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund. (28)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3)

Class C Shares Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Plan dated June 18, 2014 for RBC BlueBay Absolute Return Fund. (29)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4)

Form of Dealer and Selling Group Agreement. (4)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(5)

Shareholder Account and Distribution Services Agreement effective November 21, 2008 between Tamarack Distributors Inc. and RBC Capital Markets Corporation for Institutional Class 2, Select Class, Reserve Class and Investor Class shares of Tamarack Prime Money Market Fund, Tamarack U.S. Government Money Market Fund and Tamarack Tax-Free Money Market Fund. (10)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

Amendment dated August 19, 2009 to the Shareholder Account and Distribution Services Agreement effective November 21, 2008, between Tamarack Distributors Inc. and RBC Capital Markets Corporation for Institutional Class 2, Select Class, Reserve Class and Investor Class shares of Tamarack Prime Money Market Fund, Tamarack U.S. Government Money Market Fund and Tamarack Tax-Free Money Market




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fund. (13)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

Amendment dated January 1, 2010 to the Shareholder Account and Distribution Services Agreement dated November 21, 2008, as amended. (18)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(6)

Amended and Restated RBC Funds Trust Money Market Funds (Institutional Class 2, Select Class, Reserve Class, Investor Class) Shareholder Account and Distribution Services Plan dated February 1, 2010. (18)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(7)

Form of Dealer Selling Agreement with Quasar Distributors, LLC. (15)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(8)

Shareholder Servicing Agreement between the Trust and RBC Capital Markets Corporation for the Institutional Class 1 Shares of the RBC Money Market Funds. (18)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(n)

(1)

Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 dated March 10, 2004. (2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2)

Amended and Restated Multi-Class Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 dated November 21, 2008 for Tamarack Prime Money Market Fund, Tamarack U.S. Government Money Market Fund and Tamarack Tax-Free Money Market Fund. (10)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3)

Amended and Restated Multi-Class Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 dated April 23, 2014, for RBC SMID Cap Growth Fund, RBC Enterprise Fund, RBC Small Cap Core Fund, RBC Microcap Value Fund, Access Capital Community Investment Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Select Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Corporate Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Global Convertible Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Global High Yield Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Absolute Return Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity Fund, RBC Short Duration Fixed Income Fund and RBC Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund. (29)

 

 

 

 

 

 

(o)

Reserved.

 

 

 

 

 

(p)

Codes of Ethics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

Amended Code of Ethics of RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. (23)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2)

Code of Ethics of BlueBay Asset Management LLP (23)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3)

Amended Code of Ethics of the Trust. (20)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4)

Code of Ethics of RBC Global Asset Management (UK) Limited (26)


 

 


 

 

 

 

 

(1)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on January 16, 2004.

 

 

 

 

 

(2)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on April 13, 2004.

 

 

 

 

 

(3)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on September 30, 2004.

 

 

 

 

 

(4)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on January 27, 2006.

 

 

 

 

 

(5)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on August 31, 2006.

 

 

 

 

 

(6)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 10 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on January 26, 2007.




 

 

 

 

 

(7)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on January 28, 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

(8)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 23 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on July 31, 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

(9)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 25 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on September 22, 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

(10)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on November 19, 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

(11)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on November 26, 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

(12)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 28 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on January 28, 2009.

 

 

 

 

 

(13)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 29 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on October 16, 2009.

 

 

 

 

 

(14)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 31 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on November 24, 2009.

 

 

 

 

 

(15)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 32 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on December 29, 2009.

 

 

 

 

 

(16)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 33 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on February 1, 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

(17)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 34 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on June 30, 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

(18)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 37 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on November 23, 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

(19)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 38 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on May 10, 2011.

 

 

 

 

 

(20)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on September 1, 2011.

 

 

 

 

 

(21)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on November 23, 2011.

 

 

 

 

 

(22)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on September 28, 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

(23)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on November 27, 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

(24)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 51 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on September 26, 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

(25)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 54 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on November 27, 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

(26)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 57 to the Registration Statement on Form




 

 

 

 

 

 

N-1A filed with the Commission on December 20, 2013.

 

 

(27)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 58 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on December 20, 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

(28)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on February 28, 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

(29)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on April 25, 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

(30)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on June 24, 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

(31)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 69 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on July 29, 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

(32)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 77 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on November 26, 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

(33)

Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant’s Post-Effective Amendment No. 79 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed with the Commission on December 3, 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

(34)

Filed herewith.

 

Item 29. Persons Controlled By or Under Common Control with the Registrant

None.

Item 30. Indemnification

The Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Registrant, Article VII, Section 2, provides the following:

          (a) To the fullest extent that limitations on the liability of Trustees and officers are permitted by the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (12 Del. C.ss.ss. 3801 et seq.), as amended from time to time (“DSTA”), the officers and Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any act or omission of: any agent or employee of the Trust; any investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust; or with respect to each Trustee and officer, the act or omission of any other Trustee or officer, respectively. The Trust, out of the trust property, shall indemnify and hold harmless each and every officer and Trustee from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever arising out of or related to such officer’s or Trustee’s performance of his or her duties as an officer or Trustee of the Trust. This limitation on liability applies to events occurring at the time a person serves as a Trustee or officer of the Trust whether or not such person is a Trustee or officer at the time of any proceeding in which liability is asserted. Nothing herein contained shall indemnify, hold harmless or protect any officer or Trustee from or against any liability to the Trust or any Shareholder to which such Person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Person’s office.

The By-Laws of the Registrant, Article VI, Section 6.02, provides the following:

Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in Section 6.04 of this Article VI, the Trust shall indemnify its Trustees and officers to the fullest extent permitted by state law and the 1940 Act. Without limitation of the foregoing, the Trust shall indemnify each person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceedings, by reason of alleged acts or omissions within the scope of his or her service as a Trustee or officer of the Trust, against judgments, fines, penalties, settlements and reasonable expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually incurred by him or her in connection with such proceeding to the maximum extent consistent with state law and the 1940 Act. The Trust may, to the fullest extent consistent with law, indemnify each person who is serving or has served at the request of the Trust as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, agent or fiduciary of another domestic or foreign corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, other enterprise or employee benefit plan (“Other Position”) and who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding by reason of alleged acts or omissions while acting within the scope of his or her service in such Other Position, against judgments, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses (including attorneys’ fees)


actually incurred by him or her in connection with such proceeding to the maximum extent consistent with state law and the 1940 Act. The indemnification and other rights provided by this Article VI shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a Trustee or officer of the Trust.

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to trustees, officers, and controlling persons or Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer, or controlling person of Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit, or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Advisor

RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc., the investment advisor to each series of the Trust, is a registered investment advisor. Information as to the directors and officers of RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc., together with information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by the directors and officers of RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc. in the last two years, is included in its application for registration as an investment advisor on Form ADV (IARD/CRD No. 104717; SEC File No. 801-42) filed with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and is incorporated herein by reference thereto.

Item 32. Principal Underwriters

 

 

 

 

(a)

Quasar Distributors, LLC, (“Quasar”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of US Bancorp., is principal underwriter for each of the RBC Funds. Quasar is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). To the best of the Registrant’s knowledge, Quasar also acts as principal underwriter for the following investment companies:


 

 

 

 

 

AC One China Fund

 

Fund X Tactical Total Return Fund

 

Monetta Young Investor Fund

Access Capital Community Investment

 

Fund X Tactical Upgrader Fund

 

Morgan Dempsey Small/Micro Cap Value Fund

Advantus Strategic Dividend Income Fund

 

Fund X Upgrader Fund

 

Muhlenkamp Fund

Aegis High Yield Fund

 

Generation Wave Growth Fund

 

Muzinich Credit Opportunities Fund

Aegis Value Fund

 

Geneva Advisors All Cap Growth Fund

 

New Path Tactical Allocation Fund

Akre Focus Fund

 

Geneva Advisors Equity Income Fund

 

Nicholas Equity Income Fund

AllianceBernstein/TWM Global Equity & Covered Call Strategy Fund

 

Gerstein Fisher Multi-Factor Global Real Estate Securities Fund

 

Nicholas Fund

Alpha Defensive Growth Fund

 

Gerstein Fisher Multi-Factor Growth Equity Fund

 

Nicholas High Income Fund

Alpha Opportunistic Growth Fund

 

Gerstein Fisher Multi-Factor International Growth Equity Fund

 

Nicholas II Fund

AlphaClone Alternative Alpha ETF Fund

 

Glenmede Core Fixed Income Portfolio

 

Nicholas Limited Edition Fund

Alpine Accelerating Dividend Fund

 

Glenmede Government Cash Portfolio

 

Nicholas Money Market Fund

Alpine Cyclical Advantage Property Fund

 

Glenmede International Portfolio

 

Nuance Concentrated Value Fund

Alpine Dynamic Dividend Fund

 

Glenmede International Secured Options Portfolio

 

Odyssey Aggressive Growth Fund

Alpine Emerging Markets Real Estate Fund

 

Glenmede Large Cap 100

 

Odyssey Growth Fund

Alpine Financial Services Fund

 

Glenmede Large Cap Growth

 

Odyssey Stock Fund

Alpine Foundation Fund

 

Glenmede Large Cap Value Portfolio

 

Orinda SkyView Macro Opportunities

Alpine Global Consumer Growth Fund

 

Glenmede Long/Short Fund

 

Orinda Skyview Multi-Manager Hedged Equity Fund

Alpine Global Infrastructure Fund

 

Glenmede Municipal Intermediate Portfolio

 

Orion/Monetta Intermediate Bond Fund

Alpine Innovators Fund

 

Glenmede NJ Municipal Portfolio

 

O’Shaughnessy All Cap Core Fund

Alpine International Real Estate Equity Fund

 

Glenmede Secured Options Portfolio

 

O’Shaughnessy Enhanced Dividend Fund

Alpine Municipal Money Market Fd

 

Glenmede Small Cap Equity Portfolio

 

O’Shaughnessy Small/Mid Cap Growth Fund

Alpine Realty Income & Growth Fd

 

Glenmede Strategic Equity Portfolio

 

Osterweis Fund

Alpine Transformations Fund

 

Glenmede Tax Exempt Cash Portfolio

 

Osterweis Institutional Equity Fund

Alpine Ultra Short Tax Optimized Income Fund

 

Glenmede Total Market Portfolio

 

Osterweis Strategic Income Fund

American Opportunities Fund

 

Glenmede U.S. Emerging Growth

 

Osterweis Strategic Investment Fund

Aquinas Growth Fund

 

GoodHaven Fund

 

Permanent Portfolio

Aquinas Small Cap Fund

 

Government Obligations

 

Permanent Portfolio Agg Growth

Aquinas Value Fund

 

Great Lakes Bond Fund

 

Permanent Portfolio Short-Term Treasury Bill

Artio Global High Income Fund

 

Great Lakes Disciplined Equity Fund

 

Permanent Portfolio Versatile Bond




 

 

 

 

 

Artio International Equity Fund

 

Great Lakes Large Cap Value Fund

 

Perritt MicroCap Opportunities Fund

 

 

 

 

 

Artio International Equity Fund II

Great Lakes Small Cap Opportunity Fund

Perritt Ultra Micro Cap Fund

Artio Select Opportunities Fund

Greenspring Fund

Philadelphia International Emerging Markets Fund

Artio Total Return Bond Fund

Guinness Atkinson Alternative Energy Fund

Philadelphia International Fund

ATAC Inflation Rotation Fund

Guinness Atkinson Asia Focus Fund

Philadelphia International Small Cap Fund

Barrett Growth Fund

Guinness Atkinson Asia Pacific Dividend Fund

Phocas Real Estate Fund

Barrett Opportunity Fund

Guinness Atkinson China & Hong Kong Fund

PIA BBB Bond Fund

Becker Value Equity Fund

Guinness Atkinson Global Energy Fund

PIA High Yield Fund

Boston Common International Fund

Guinness Atkinson Global Innovators Fund

PIA MBS Bond Fund

Boston Common U.S. Equity Fund

Guinness Atkinson Inflation Managed Dividend Fund

PIA Moderate Duration Bond Fund

Brandes Core Plus Fixed Income Fund

Guinness Atkinson Renminbi Yuan & Bond Fund

PIA Short-Term Securities Fund

Brandes Credit Focus Yield Fund

Harding Loevner Emerging Markets Portfolio

Plumb Balanced Fund

Brandes Emerging Markets Fund

Harding Loevner Frontier Emerging Markets Portfolio

Plumb Equity Fund

Brandes Global Equity Fund

Harding Loevner Global Equity Portfolio

Poplar Forest Partners Fund

Brandes International Equity Fund

Harding Loevner Institutional Emerging Markets Portfolio

Portfolio 21 Global Equity Fund

Brandes International Small Cap Equity Fund

Harding Loevner International Equity Portfolio

Prime Obligations

Brandes Separately Managed Account Reserve Trust

Harding Loevner International Small Companies Portfolio

Prospector Capital Appreciation Fund

Brandywine Advisors MidCap Growth Fd

Hennessy Balanced Fund

Prospector Opportunity Fund

Brandywine Blue Fund

Hennessy Core Bond Fund

Provident Trust Strategy Fund

Brandywine Fund

Hennessy Cornerstone Growth Fund

PureFunds ISE Diamond/Gemstone ETF

Bridges Investment Fund, Inc.

Hennessy Cornerstone Large Growth Fund

PureFunds ISE Junior Silver ETF

Bright Rock Mid Cap Growth Fund

Hennessy Cornerstone Mid Cap 30 Fund

PureFunds ISE Mining Service ETF

Bright Rock Quality Large Cap Fund

Hennessy Cornerstone Value Fund

Purisima All-Purpose Fund

Brookfield Global Listed Infrastructure Fund

Hennessy Equity and Income Fund

Purisima Total Return Fund

Brookfield Global Listed Real Estate Fund

Hennessy Focus Fund

Rainier Balanced Fund

Brookfield High Yield Fund

Hennessy Gas Utility Index Fund

Rainier High Yield Fund

Brown Advisory Emerging Markets Fund

Hennessy Japan Fund

Rainier Intermediate Fixed Income Fund

Brown Advisory Equity Income Fund

Hennessy Japan Small Cap Fund

Rainier International Discovery Fund

Brown Advisory Flexible Value

Hennessy Large Cap Financial Fund

Rainier Large Cap Equity Fund

Brown Advisory Growth Equity

Hennessy Large Value Fund

Rainier Mid Cap Equity Fund

Brown Advisory Intermediate Income

Hennessy Small Cap Financial Fund

Rainier Small/Mid Cap Equity Fund

Brown Advisory Maryland Bond Fund

Hennessy Technology Fund

RBC Blue Bay Absolute Return Fund

Brown Advisory Opportunity Fund

Hennessy Total Return Fund

RBC Blue Bay Emerging Market Corporate Bond Fund

Brown Advisory Small-Cap Fundamental Value

Hodges Blue Chip 25 Fund

RBC Blue Bay Emerging Market Select Bond Fund

Brown Advisory Small-Cap Growth

Hodges Equity Income Fund

RBC Blue Bay Global Convertible Bond Fund

Brown Advisory Tactical Bond Fund

Hodges Fund

RBC Blue Bay Global High Yield Bond Fund

Brown Advisory Tax Exempt Bond Fund

Hodges Pure Contrarian Fund

RBC Enterprise Fund

Brown Advisory Value Equity

Hodges Small Cap Fund

RBC MicroCap Value Fund

Brown Advisory Winslow Sustainability Fund

Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Income Fund

RBC Mid Cap Value Fund

Buffalo Discovery Fund

Hotchkis & Wiley Diversified Value

RBC Prime Money Market Fund

Buffalo Dividend Focus Fund

Hotchkis & Wiley Global Value Fund

RBC Small Cap Core Fund

 

 

 

 

 

Buffalo Flexible Income Fund

Hotchkis & Wiley High Yield Fund

RBC SMID Cap Growth Fund

Buffalo Growth Fund

Hotchkis & Wiley Large Cap Value

RBC Tax Free Money Market Fund

Buffalo High Yield Fund

Hotchkis & Wiley Mid Cap Value

RBC U.S. Government Money Market Fund

Buffalo International Fund

Hotchkis & Wiley Small Cap Value

Reinhart Midcap Private Market Value Fund

Buffalo Large Cap Fund

Hotchkis & Wiley Value Opportunities

Roosevelt Strategic Income Fund

 

 

 

 

 

Buffalo Mid Cap Fund

Huber Capital Diversified Large Cap Value Fund

Samson Strong Nations Currency Fund

Buffalo Small Cap Fund

Huber Capital Equity Income Fund

Scharf Balanced Opportunity Fund

Bushido Capital Long/Short Fund

Huber Capital Small Cap Value Fund

Scharf Fund

CAN SLIM Select Growth Fund

Iman Fund

Schooner Fund

Capital Advisor Growth Fund

Innovator Matrix Income Fund

SCS Hedged Opportunities Fund, LLC

Capital Advisors TacticalShares Dynamic Allocation Fund

International Fund

Shenkman Short Duration High Income Fund

Chase Growth Fund

Intrepid Capital Fund

SiM Dynamic Allocation Diversified Income Fund

Chase Mid Cap Growth Fund

Intrepid Disciplined Value Fund

SiM Dynamic Allocation Equity Income Fund

Coldstream Dividend Growth Fund

Intrepid Income Fund

Smead Value Fund

Collins Alternative Solutions Fund

Intrepid Small Cap Fund

Snow Capital Opportunity Fund

Congress All Cap Opportunity Fund

IronBridge Global Fund

Snow Capital Small Cap Value Fund

Congress Large Cap Growth

IronBridge Large Cap Fund

Stone Ridge High Yield Reinsurance Risk Premium Fund

Congress Mid Cap Growth Fund

IronBridge Small Cap Fund

Stone Ridge Reinusrance Risk Premimum Fund

Contravisory Strategic Equity Fund

IronBridge SMID Cap Fund

Stone Ridge U.S. Small Cap Variance Risk Premium Fund

 

 

 

 

 

Convergence Core Plus Fund

Jacob Internet Fund

Stone Ridge U.S. Variance Risk Premium Risk Fund

Corporate America CU Short Duration Fund

Jacob Micro Cap Growth Fund

Tax Free Obligations

Country Bond Fund

Jacob Small Cap Growth Fund

TCM Small Cap Growth Fund

Country Growth Fund, Inc

Jacob Wisdom Fund

TCM Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund

CSC Small Cap Value Fund

Jensen Portfolio

The American Trust Allegiance Fd




 

 

 

 

 

Cushing MLP Premier Fund

Jensen Quality Value Fund

The Appleton Group Plus Fund

Cushing Renaissance Advantage Fund

Jordan Opportunity Fund

The Core Fund

Cushing Royalty Energy Income Fund

Kellner Merger Fund

The Merger Fund

Davidson Multi Cap Equity Fund

Kirr Marbach Partners Value Fd

The Teberg Fund

Davidson Small/Mid Equity Fund

Litman Gregory Masters Alternative Strategies Fund

Thompson Bond Fund

Dearborn Partners Rising Dividend Fund

Litman Gregory Masters Equity Fund

Thompson LargeCap Fund

DoubleLine Equities Growth Fund

Litman Gregory Masters Focused Opportunities Fund

Thompson MidCap Fund

DoubleLine Equities Small Cap Growth Fund

Litman Gregory Masters International Fund

TIFF Multi-Asset Fund

DoubleLine Core Fixed Income Fund

Litman Gregory Masters Small Companies Fund

TIFF Short Term Fund

DoubleLine Emerging Markets Fixed Income Fund

Litman Gregory Masters Value Fund

Tortoise MLP & Pipeline Fund

DoubleLine Floating Rate Fund

LK Balanced Fund

Tortoise North American Energy Independence Fund

DoubleLine Low Duration Bond Fund

LKCM Balanced Fund

Treasury Obligations

DoubleLine Multi-Asset Growth Fund

LKCM Equity Fund

U.S. Treasury Money Market

DoubleLine Total Return Bond Fund

LKCM Fixed Income Fund

USFS Funds Limited Duration Fund

DSM Global Growth Fund

LKCM Small Cap Fund

USFS Funds Tactical Allocation Fund

DSM Large Cap Growth Fund

LKCM Small-Mid Cap Equity Fund

Vice Fund

DSM Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund

LoCorr Long/Short Commodities Strategy Fund

Villere Balanced Fund

Edgar Lomax Value Fund

LoCorr Managed Futures Strategy Fund

Wall Street Fund

Emerging Markets Fund

Logan Capital Large Cap Growth Fund

WBI Absolute Return Balanced Fund

 

 

 

 

 

Evermore Global Value Fund

Logan Capital Long/Short Fund

WBI Absolute Return Dividend Growth

Fort Pitt Capital Total Return Fund

M.D. Sass 1-3 Year Duration U.S. Agency Bond Fund

YCG Enhanced Fund

Fund X Aggressive Upgrader Fund

MainGate MLP Fund

Fund X Conservative Upgrader Fd

Matrix Advisors Value Fd Inc.

Fund X ETF Aggressive Upgrader Fund

McKinley Diversified Income Fund

Fund X ETF Upgrader Fund

Monetta Fund

Fund X Flexible Income Fund

Monetta Mid-Cap


 

 

 

 

(b)

Quasar is located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202. The following is a list of the executive officers, directors and partners of Quasar. The business address for each of the executive officers and directors of Quasar, except Mr. Kern and Mr. Falkeis, is US Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202. The business address for Mr. Kern and Mr. Falkeis is US Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53202.


 

 

 

 

 

Name

 

Positions and Offices with
Quasar Distributors, LLC

 

Positions and Offices
with the Registrant

 

 

 

 

 

James Robert Schoenike

 

President and Board Member

 

None

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew M. Strnad

 

Vice President and Secretary

 

None

 

 

 

 

 

Teresa Cowan

 

Senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary

 

None

 

 

 

 

 

Susan LaFond

 

Vice President and Treasurer

 

None

 

 

 

 

 

John Kinsella

 

Assistant Treasurer

 

None

 

 

 

 

 

Brett Scribner

 

Assistant Treasurer

 

None

 

 

 

 

 

Joe Redwine

 

Board Member

 

None

 

 

 

 

 

Joseph Bree

 

Chief Financial Officer

 

None

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Kern

 

Board Member

 

None

 

 

 

 

 

Joe Redwine

 

Board Member

 

None


 

 

(c)

Not applicable.



Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

All accounts, books, and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder are maintained at the offices of: (a) the Registrant; (b) the Investment Advisor and Co-Administrator; (c) the Principal Underwriter; (d) the Sub-Adviser; (e) the Sub-Adviser in the U.S.; (f) the Transfer Agent; and (g) the Fund Accounting Agent and Co-Administrator; (h) the Custodian – RBC Mid Cap Growth Fund, RBC Micro Cap Value Fund, RBC Enterprise Fund, RBC Small Cap Core Fund, RBC Mid Cap Value Fund, Prime Money Market Fund, U.S. Government Money Market Fund, Tax-Free Money Market Fund, Access Capital Community Investment Fund, RBC Short Duration Fixed Income Fund, and RBC Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund; and (i) the Custodian – RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund, RBC Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Select Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Corporate Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Global High Yield Bond Fund, RBC BlueBay Global Convertible Bond Fund and RBC BlueBay Absolute Return Fund. The address of each is as follows:

 

 

(a)

RBC Funds Trust

 

50 South Sixth Street, Suite 2350

 

Minneapolis, MN 55402

 

 

(b)

RBC Global Asset Management (U.S.) Inc.

 

50 South Sixth Street, Suite 2350

 

Minneapolis, MN 55402

 

 

(c)

BlueBay Asset Management LLP

 

77 Grosvenor Street, W1K 3JR

 

London, United Kingdom

 

 

(d)

BlueBay Asset Management USA LLC

 

Four Stamford Plaza

 

107 Elm Street, Suite 512

 

Stamford, CT 06902

 

 

(e)

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC

 

615 E. Michigan Street

 

Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

 

(f)

BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc.

 

760 Moore Road

 

Valley Forge, PA 19406

 

 

(g)

U.S. Bank, N.A.

 

1555 N. RiverCrest Drive, Suite 302

 

Milwaukee, WI 53212

 

 

(h)

The Bank of New York Mellon

 

One Wall Street

 

New York, NY 10286

Item 34. Management Services

Not applicable.

Item 35. Undertakings

None.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”) and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Post-Effective Amendment No. 80 under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 80 to this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Minneapolis, and State of Minnesota, on the 9th day of December, 2014.

 

 

 

 

RBC FUNDS TRUST

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Kathleen A. Gorman

 

 

Kathleen A. Gorman

 

 

President and Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date(s) indicated.

 

 

 

/s/ Kathleen A. Gorman

 

Date: December 9, 2014

Kathleen A. Gorman

 

 

Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Kathleen A. Hegna

 

Date: December 9, 2014

Kathleen A. Hegna

 

 

Chief Financial Officer

 

 


 

 

 

Trustees

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

*

T. Geron Bell

 

Lucy Hancock Bode

 

 

 

*

 

*

Leslie H. Garner, Jr.

 

Ronald James

 

 

 

*

 

*

H. David Rybolt

 

John A. MacDonald

 

 

 

*

 

*

William B. Taylor

 

James R. Seward


 

 

 

 

*By: 

/s/ Kathleen A. Gorman

 

Date: December 9, 2014

 

Kathleen A. Gorman, attorney-in-fact

 

 



Exhibit Index

 

 

(a)(9)

Instrument Memorializing Resolution of the Board of Trustees.

(i)(6)

Legal opinion with respect to RBC BlueBay Total Return Credit Fund and RBC BlueBay Emerging Market Unconstrained Fixed Income Fund.