485APOS 1 LeaderGlobal-485a.htm 485APOS GemCom, LLC

Securities Act File No. 333-122917

ICA No. 811- 21720


As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 30, 2014


SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.  20549


FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


 

Pre-Effective Amendment No.  _______

 

[    ]

 

 

 

 

 

Post-Effective Amendment No. 620

 

[ X ]


and/or


REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940


 

Amendment No. 622

 

[ X ]


 (Check Appropriate Box or Boxes)

Northern Lights Fund Trust

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)


17605 Wright Street

Omaha, NE 68154-1150

Attention:  Andrew Rogers

 (Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)


(402) 895-1600

 (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)


The Corporation Trust Company

Corporate Trust Center

1209 Orange Street

Wilmington, DE 19801

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)


With a copy to:

 

 

JoAnn M. Strasser, Esq.

Thompson Hine LLP

41 South High Street, Suite 1700

Columbus, Ohio 43215

614-469-3265 (phone)

513-241-4771 (fax)

James P. Ash, Esq.

Gemini Fund Services, LLC

80 Arkay Drive, Suite 110

Hauppauge, New York 11788

(631) 470-2619 (phone)

(631) 813-2884 (fax)


 Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:


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

( )  

immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b).

( )

on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b).

( )

60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1).

( )  

on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1).

(X)  

75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2).

(  )  

on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.


If appropriate, check the following box:

(  ) this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.






[prospectus001.jpg]


Leader Global Bond Fund


Institutional Shares:

[      ]

Investor Shares:

[      ]

Class A Shares:

[      ]

Class C Shares:

[      ]



PROSPECTUS


 [                  ], 2014


Advised by:

Leader Capital Corp.

1750 SW Skyline Blvd.

Suite 204

Portland, OR 97221


1-800-711-9164                                                      www.leadercapital.com


This Prospectus provides important information about the Fund that you should know before investing.  Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference.


The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed.  We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective.  This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.


These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission nor has the Securities and Exchange Commission passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus.  Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.







 

 

 







TABLE OF CONTENTS

LEADER GLOBAL BOND FUND SUMMARY

 

           Investment Objectives

 

           Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

           Principal Investment Strategies

 

           Principal Investment Risks

 

           Performance Information

 

           Investment Advisor

 

           Investment Advisor Portfolio Managers

 

           Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

           Tax Information

 

           Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS

 

            Investment Objectives

 

            Principal Investment Strategies

 

            Principal Investment Risks

 

            Temporary Investments

 

            Portfolio Holdings Disclosure

 

MANAGEMENT

 

            Investment Advisor

 

            Investment Advisor Portfolio Managers

 

HOW SHARES ARE PRICED

 

HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES

 

           Purchasing Shares

 

           Minimum and Additional Investment Amounts

 

           When Order is Processed

 

           Retirement Plans

 

HOW TO REDEEM SHARES

 

           Redeeming Shares

 

           Redemptions in Kind

 

           When Redemptions are Sent

 

Exchanging Shares

 

           When You Need Medallion Signature Guarantees

 

           Retirement Plans

 

Low Balances

 

FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES

 

TAX STATUS, DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

DISTRIBUTION OF SHARES

 

Distributor

 

Distribution (12b-1) and Shareholder Servicing Fees

 

Additional Compensation to Financial Intermediaries

 

Householding

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Privacy Notice

 



 

 

 






LEADER GLOBAL BOND FUND SUMMARY


Investment Objectives: The primary investment objective of the Leader Global Bond Fund (the “Fund”) is current income, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation.


Fees and Expenses of the Fund: The following table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page [  ] of the Fund's Prospectus.

Shareholder Fees

(fees paid directly from your investment)

Institutional Shares

Investor Shares

Class A Shares

Class C Shares

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

None

None

3.50%

None

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the lower of original purchase price or redemption proceeds)

None

None

None

1.00%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed

on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

None

None

None

None

Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed)

None

None

None

None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

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

 

 

 

 

Management Fees

1.00%

1.00%

1.00%

1.00%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

None

0.50%

0.50%

1.00%

Other Expenses(1)

0.40%

0.40%

0.40%

0.40%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1)(2)

0.02%

0.02%

0.02%

0.02%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

1.42%

1.92%

1.92%

2.42%


(1)Based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.


(2)Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund’s financial highlights because the financial highlights include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund.


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.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Class

1 Year

3 Years

Institutional Shares

[$   ]

[$   ]

Investor Shares

[$   ]

[$   ]

Class A Shares

[$   ]

[$   ]

Class C Shares

[$   ]

[$   ]

 


1





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 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:

 

The Fund seeks to achieve its objectives by investing in a portfolio of investment grade and non-investment grade fixed income and floating rate debt securities.  Debt securities in which the Fund may invest include bonds, notes, corporate debt and government securities. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 40% of its net assets in debt securities of non-U.S. issuers, although the Fund may invest up to 100% of its net assets in debt securities of non-U.S. issuers, including those that may be denominated in foreign currencies.


Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invests at least 80% of its assets in debt securities.  The Fund intends to invest at least 60% of its net assets in investment grade debt securities. The Fund may invest up to 40% of its net assets in non-investment grade (commonly referred to as "junk bonds").  The Fund defines junk bonds as those rated lower than Baa3 by Moody's Investors Service or lower than BBB- by Standard and Poor's Rating Group, or, if unrated, determined by the Advisor to be of similar credit quality.  The Fund may use currency forward contracts to hedge its foreign currency exposure.  The Fund may use index and credit default swaps to enhance returns as well as manage investment risk and liquidity.  


The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in cash, cash equivalents and fixed income securities other than as described above.


Leader Capital Corp. (the "Advisor") utilizes a fundamental top-down analysis, meaning the Advisor analyzes the economy, interest rate cycles, the supply and demand for credit and the characteristics of individual securities in making investment selections. The Advisor may sell a security if its value becomes unattractive, such as when its fundamentals deteriorate or when other investment opportunities exist that may have more attractive yields.


Principal Investment Risks:  As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.  


·

Currency Risk.  Currency trading risks include market risk, credit risk and country risk.  Market risk results from adverse changes in exchange rates in the currencies the Fund is long or short.  Credit risk results because a currency-trade counterparty may default.  Country risk arises because a government may interfere with transactions in its currency.

 

2




 

·

Interest Rate Risk.  The value of the Fund may fluctuate based on changes in interest rates and market conditions.  As interest rates rise, the value of income producing instruments may decrease.

·

Credit Risk. The issuer of a fixed income security may not be able to make interest or principal payments when due.  Generally, the lower the credit rating of a security, the greater the risk is that the issuer will default on its obligation.  

 

·

High-Yield Bond Risk.  Lower-quality bonds, known as high-yield bonds or “junk bonds,” present a significant risk for loss of principal and interest.  These bonds offer the potential for higher return, but also involve greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased possibility that the bond’s issuer, obligor or guarantor may not be able to make its payments of interest and principal.  If that happens, the value of the bond may decrease, and the Fund’s share price may decrease and its income distribution may be reduced.

 

·

Management Risk.  The strategy used by the Advisor may fail to produce the intended results.  The ability of the Fund to meet its investment objectives is directly related to the Advisor’s investment strategies for the Fund.  Your investment in the Fund varies with the effectiveness of the Advisor’s research, analysis and asset allocation among portfolio securities.  If the Advisor’s investment strategies do not produce the expected results, your investment could be diminished or even lost.

 

·

Foreign Risk.  Foreign investments involve additional risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. Government securities and/or securities of domestic companies, including currency rate fluctuations, political and economic instability, differences in financial reporting standards and less strict regulation of securities markets.  Securities subject to these risks may be less liquid than those that are not subject to these risks.


·

Derivatives Risk.  The Fund may use derivatives (including swaps and currency forwards) to enhance returns or hedge against market declines. The Fund's use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include (i) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index.


·

Portfolio Turnover Risk. The frequency of the Fund’s transactions will vary from year to year. Increased portfolio turnover may result in higher brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs and may result in taxable capital gains. Higher costs associated with increased portfolio turnover may offset gains in the Fund’s performance.  The Fund’s portfolio turnover is expected to be over 100% annually, as the Fund is actively traded.

 

The Fund is not a complete investment program.  As with any mutual fund investment, the Fund’s returns will vary and you could lose money.

 

3




Is the Fund right for you?


The Fund may be suitable for:

•  long-term investors seeking current income;

•  investors willing to accept price and return fluctuations associated with lower-quality investments; and

•  investors seeking to diversify their holdings with a portfolio consisting U.S. and foreign debt securities.



Performance: Because the Fund has less than a full calendar year of investment operations, no performance information is presented for the Fund at this time.  In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of this Prospectus.  Also, shareholder reports containing financial and performance information will be mailed to shareholders semi-annually. Updated performance information will be available at no cost by visiting www.leadercapital.com or by calling (800) 711-9164.


Investment Advisor:  Leader Capital Corp. is the Fund's investment advisor.


Investment Advisor Portfolio Managers: John E. Lekas, founder of Leader Capital Corp., has been the Fund's portfolio manager since it commenced operations in [      ] 2014. Scott Carmack, Co-Portfolio Manager of the Advisor, has been the co-portfolio manager of the Fund since it commenced operations in [               ] 2014.


Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares:  For Institutional Class shares, the minimum initial investment amount for an account is $2,000,000. There is no minimum for subsequent investments.  For Investor Class, Class A, and Class C shares, the minimum initial investment amount for all accounts (including IRAs) is $2,500 and the minimum subsequent investment is $100.  You may purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange is open.  Redemption requests may be made in writing, by telephone, or through a financial intermediary and will be paid by ACH, check or wire transfer.


Tax Information:  Dividends and capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund, whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash, are taxable to you at either ordinary income or capital gains tax rates unless you are investing through a tax-deferred plan such as an IRA or 401(k) plan.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries: If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies 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.

 

4





ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS

Investment Objectives:


The primary investment objective of the Leader Global Bond Fund is to deliver current income, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation. The Fund's investment objective is not fundamental, and may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.  However, the Fund will not change its investment objective or its investment policy of investing at least 80% of its assets in debt securities without changing the name of the Fund and providing shareholders with at least 60 days’ advance written notice.  


Principal Investment Strategies:


The Fund seeks to achieve its objectives by investing in a portfolio of investment grade and non-investment grade fixed income and floating rate debt securities.  Debt securities in which the Fund may invest include bonds, notes, corporate debt and government securities. Under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to invest at least 40% of its net assets in debt securities of non-U.S. issuers, although the Fund may invest up to 100% of its net assets in debt securities of non-U.S. issuers, including those that may be denominated in foreign currencies.


Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in debt securities.  This policy may not be changed without at least 60 days’ advance written notice to shareholders. The Fund intends to invest at least 60% of its net assets in investment grade debt securities. The Fund may invest up to 40% of its net assets in high yield securities (commonly referred to as "junk bonds").  The Fund defines junk bonds as those rated lower than Baa3 by Moody's Investors Service or lower than BBB- by Standard and Poor's Rating Group, or, if unrated, determined by the Advisor to be of similar credit quality.  The Fund will use currency forward contracts to hedge its foreign currency exposure.  A currency forward contract locks in the foreign exchange rate for the future purchase or sale of a foreign currency. The Fund may use index and credit default swaps to enhance returns as well as manage investment risk and liquidity.  in a standard "swap" transaction, the Fund and a counterparty agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rate of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments.


The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in cash, cash equivalents and fixed income securities other than as described above.  By keeping some cash or cash equivalents, the Fund may avoid realizing gains and losses from selling investments when there are shareholder redemptions.  However, the Fund may have difficulty meeting its investment objectives when holding a significant cash position.


Leader Captial Corp. (the "Advisor") utilizes a fundamental top-down analysis, meaning the Advisor analyzes the economy, interest rate cycles, the supply and demand for credit and the characteristics of individual securities in making investment selections. The Advisor may sell a security if its value becomes unattractive, such as when its fundamentals

 

 

5



 

deteriorate or when other investment opportunities exist that may have more attractive yields.


Principal Investment Risks:


·

Currency Risk.  Foreign currency investing through non-U.S. dollar denominated investments involves significant risks, including market risk, interest rate risk, country risk, counterparty credit risk and short sale risk.  Market risk results from the price movement of foreign currency values in response to shifting market supply and demand.  Since exchange rate changes can readily move in one direction, a currency position carried overnight or over a number of days may involve greater risk than one carried a few minutes or hours.  Interest rate risk arises whenever a country changes its stated interest rate target associated with its currency.  Country risk arises because virtually every country has interfered with international transactions in its currency. Interference has taken the form of regulation of the local exchange market, restrictions on foreign investment by residents or limits on inflows of investment funds from abroad.  Restrictions on the exchange market or on international transactions are intended to affect the level or movement of the exchange rate. This risk could include the country issuing a new currency, effectively making the "old" currency worthless.

·

Interest Rate Risk.  The value of the Fund may fluctuate based on changes in interest rates and market conditions.  As interest rates rise, the value of income producing instruments may decrease.  This risk increases as the term of the note increases.  Income earned on floating- or variable-rate securities will vary as interest rates decrease or increase.  Variable- and floating-rate securities generally are less susceptible to interest rates than fixed-rate obligations.  However, the interest rates on variable-rate securities, as well as certain floating-rate securities whose interest rates are reset only periodically, can fluctuate in value as a result of interest rate changes when there is an imperfect correlation between the interest rates on the securities and prevailing market interest rates.   

·

Credit Risk.  The issuer of a fixed income security may not be able to make interest or principal payments when due.  Generally, the lower the credit rating of a security, the greater the risk is that the issuer will default on its obligation.  Credit risks associated with Auction Rate Securities (“ARS”) mirror those of other bond issues in terms of default risk associated with the issuers.  Because ARS do not carry a put feature allowing the bondholder to require the purchase of the bonds by the issuer or a third party, they are very sensitive to changes in credit ratings and normally require the highest ratings (e.g., AAA/Aaa) to make them marketable.

 

·

High Yield Bond Risk.  Lower-quality bonds, known as high yield bonds or “junk bonds,” present a significant risk for loss of principal and interest.  These bonds offer the potential for higher return, but also involve greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased possibility that the bond’s issuer, obligor or guarantor may not be able to make its payments of interest and principal (credit quality risk).  If that happens, the value of the bond may decrease, and the Fund’s share price may decrease and its income distribution may be reduced.  An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates (interest rate risk) could adversely affect the market for

 

 

6



 

these bonds and reduce the Fund’s ability to sell its bonds (liquidity risk).  The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Fund’s share price.  The ability of governments to repay their obligations is adversely impacted by default, insolvency, bankruptcy or by political instability, including authoritarian and/or military involvement in governmental decision-making, armed conflict, civil war, social instability and the impact of these events and circumstances on a country’s economy and its government's revenues.  Therefore, government bonds can present a significant risk.  Governments may also repudiate their debts in spite of their ability to pay.  A Fund's ability to recover from a defaulting government is limited because that same government may block access to court-mandated legal remedies or other means of recovery.  


·

Management Risk.  The strategy used by the Advisor may fail to produce the intended results.  The ability of the Fund to meet its investment objectives is directly related to the Advisor’s investment strategies for the Fund.  Your investment in the Fund varies with the effectiveness of the Advisor’s research, analysis and asset allocation among portfolio securities.  If the Advisor’s investment strategies do not produce the expected results, your investment could be diminished or even lost.

 

·

Foreign Risk.  Foreign investments involve additional risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. Government securities and/or securities of domestic companies, including currency rate fluctuations, political and economic instability, differences in financial reporting standards and less strict regulation of securities markets.  Securities subject to these risks may be less liquid than those that are not subject to these risks.

 

·

Derivatives Risk.  Derivatives may be illiquid and the market for derivatives is largely unregulated.  The use of derivatives may not always be a successful strategy and using them could lower the Fund’s return.


Credit default swaps ("CDS") are typically two-party financial contracts that transfer credit exposure between the two parties. Under a typical CDS, one party (the "seller") receives pre-determined periodic payments from the other party (the "buyer"). The seller agrees to make compensating specific payments to the buyer if a negative credit event occurs, such as the bankruptcy or default by the issuer of the underlying debt instrument. The use of CDS involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions, such as potentially heightened counterparty, concentration and exposure risks.


The Fund's investment in foreign currency forward contracts subjects the Fund to risks that include market risk, credit risk and country risk.  Market risk results from adverse changes in exchange rates.  Credit risk results because a currency-trade counterparty may default or may be unwilling or unable to complete a transaction in accordance with its terms and conditions.  However, losses to the Fund would typically be limited to the unrealized gain on each defaulted open contract. Country risk arises because a government may interfere with transactions in its currency, making it difficult or impossible for the Fund to close out a position at a time the Advisor considers optimal.  

 

 

7



 

 

Additionally, even a small investment in a foreign currency forward contract may give rise to leverage risk, and can have a significant impact on the Fund's performance.


·

Portfolio Turnover Risk. The frequency of the Fund’s transactions will vary from year to year. Increased portfolio turnover may result in higher brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs and may result in taxable capital gains. Higher costs associated with increased portfolio turnover may offset gains in the Fund’s performance.  The Fund’s portfolio turnover is expected to be over 100% annually, as the Fund is actively traded.

 

The Fund is not a complete investment program.  As with any mutual fund investment, the Fund’s returns will vary and you could lose money.


Non-Principal Investment Strategies and Risks:


Leveraged Exchange-Traded Equity Funds. The Advisor may also seek to invest in the equity market through equity index-based exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") when it believes that the potential returns are favorable, based on factors such as valuation and the economic growth in the economy.  An equity index-based ETF seeks to track the performance of a particular index by holding in its portfolio either the contents of the index or a representative sample of the securities in the index.  Leveraged equity ETFs are designed to increase or decrease in value by a multiple of their reference equity index (e.g. S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ 100 or Russell 2000) when it increases or decreases in value.  Leverage may be up to 3 times.  An ETF with 3 times leverage is designed to produce daily returns, before fees and expenses, of 3 times that of the underlying equity index.  For, example, if the S&P 500 returned 1% on a specific day, an S&P 500-linked 3 times leveraged ETF would be expected to return 3% that day, less fees and expense of the ETF.  Unlike typical open-end mutual funds, ETFs do not sell or redeem their individual shares at net asset value.  Instead, ETFs sell and redeem their shares at NAV only in large blocks (such as 50,000 shares).  In addition, ETF shares are listed for trading on national exchanges, which allows investors to purchase and sell individual ETF shares among themselves at market prices throughout the day.  


Leveraged equity ETFs may cause the Funds to suffer significant losses because of the return-magnifying effect of leverage.  ETFs are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Funds.  Additionally, investments in ETFs are subject to brokerage and other trading costs, which will result in greater expenses to the Funds.  As a result, your cost of investing in the Funds will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest exclusively in stocks and bonds.  Because ETFs are listed on national stock exchanges and are traded like stocks listed on an exchange, ETF shares may trade at a discount to or a premium above net asset value if there is a limited market in such shares.  Also, because the value of ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, the Advisor may not be able to liquidate the Fund’s holdings at the most optimal time, adversely affecting the Fund’s performance.

 

8



 


Temporary Investments:  To respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Fund may invest 100% of its total assets, without limitation, in high-quality short-term debt securities and money market instruments.  These short-term debt securities and money market instruments include: shares of money market mutual funds, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, U.S. Government securities and repurchase agreements.  While the Fund is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective will be limited.  Furthermore, to the extent that the Fund invests in money market mutual funds for cash positions, there will be some duplication of expenses because the Fund pays its pro-rata portion of such money market funds' advisory fees and operational fees.  The Fund may also invest a substantial portion of its assets in such instruments at any time to maintain liquidity or pending selection of investments in accordance with its policies.


Portfolio Holdings Disclosure:  A description of the Fund’s policies regarding the release of portfolio holdings information is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.  The Fund will post a complete list of its portfolio holdings as of the last day of each fiscal quarter or semi-annual period within 60 days following the end of such period on its website at www.leadercapital.com.  The Fund's portfolio holdings will remain available on its website at least until the next quarterly update.  Shareholders may request portfolio holdings schedules at no charge by calling 1-800-711-9164.  


MANAGEMENT

Investment Advisor: Leader Capital Corp., 1750 SW Skyline Blvd., Suite 204, Portland, OR  97221, serves as investment advisor to the Fund.  John E. Lekas is the President of the Advisor, which he founded in 1997.  The Advisor implements the Fund's overall investment strategies, identifies securities for investment, determines when securities should be purchased or sold, selects brokers or dealers to execute transactions for the Fund's portfolio and votes any proxies solicited by portfolio companies.

Pursuant to an advisory agreement between the Fund and Leader Capital Corp., the Advisor is entitled to receive, on a monthly basis, an annual advisory fee equal to 1.00% of the Fund’s daily average net assets. The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive its fee and reimburse the Fund’s expenses so that total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding any front-end or contingent deferred loads, brokerage fees and commissions, 12b-1 fees, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short), taxes or extraordinary expenses, such as litigation) do not exceed [    %] of its average daily net assets, through [                  2015].

 

The Advisor (not the Fund) may pay certain financial institutions (which may include banks, credit unions, brokers, securities dealers and other industry professionals) a fee for providing distribution-related services and/or for performing certain administrative servicing functions for Fund shareholders, to the extent these institutions are allowed to do so by applicable statute, rule or regulation. A discussion regarding the basis for

 

9



 

 

the Board of Trustees’ approval of the advisory agreement will be available in the Fund’s  first annual or semi-annual shareholder report.


Investment Advisor Portfolio Managers:

John E. Lekas serves as the portfolio manager and is, together with Scott Carmack, responsible for the investment decisions of the Fund.  He has 20 years’ experience as an investment professional.  Prior to founding the Advisor in 1997, Mr. Lekas served as a portfolio manager at Smith Barney where he focused on discretionary management of bond portfolios worth over $200 million.  He received a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Oregon.

Scott Carmack joined the Advisor in February 2011 and has been  Co-Portfolio Manager for the Advisor since January 2012.  Prior to joining Leader Capital Corp, he was a proprietary trader at the following firms:  Chimera Securities from May 2010 to January 2011, Assent LLC from September 2006 to May 2010 and Evolution LLC from September 2003 to September 2006.  Mr. Carmack also served as Analyst, Private Bank for JP Morgan Chase from July 2001 to September 2003. Mr. Carmack graduated with honors from Harvard University in 2001, where he was a member of the Varsity Baseball Team and concentrated in Economics. The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information provides information about Mr. Lekas' and Mr. Carmack’s compensation structure, other accounts managed by them and their ownership interests in shares of the Fund.

HOW SHARES ARE PRICED

The net asset value (“NAV”) of each class of the Fund shares is determined at 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") is open for business.  NAV is computed by determining the aggregate market value of all assets of the Fund less its liabilities divided by the total number of the Fund's shares outstanding ((asset-liabilities)/number of shares=NAV) attributable to each share class.  The NYSE is closed on weekends and New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.  The NAV takes into account the expenses and fees of the Fund, including investment advisory, administration, and any distribution fees, which are accrued daily.  The determination of NAV of the Fund for a particular day is applicable to all applications for the purchase of shares, as well as all requests for the redemption of shares, received by the Fund (or an authorized broker or agent, or its authorized designee) before the close of trading on the NYSE on that day.  


Generally, securities are valued each day at the last quoted sales price on each security's principal exchange.  Securities traded or dealt in upon one or more securities exchanges (whether domestic or foreign) for which market quotations are readily available and not subject to restrictions against resale shall be valued at the last quoted sales price on the primary exchange or, in the absence of a sale on the primary exchange, at the last bid on the primary exchange. Securities primarily traded in the National Association of Securities Dealers' Automated Quotation System ("NASDAQ") National Market System

 

 

10



 

 

for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. If market quotations are not readily available, securities will be valued at their fair market value as determined using the “fair value” procedures approved by the Board.  In these cases, the Fund's NAV will reflect certain portfolio securities' fair value rather than their market price.  Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security may be materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security.  The fair value prices can differ from market prices when they become available or when a price becomes available. The Board has delegated execution of these procedures to a fair value team composed of one or more representatives from each of the (i) Trust, (ii) administrator, and (iii) Advisor.  The team may also enlist third party consultants such as an audit firm or financial officer of a security issuer on an as-needed basis to assist in determining a security-specific fair value.  The Board reviews and ratifies the execution of this process and the resultant fair value prices at least quarterly to assure the process produces reliable results.


The Fund may use independent pricing services to assist in calculating the value of the Fund's securities.  Although not part of the Advisor's principal investment strategy, since the Fund may invest in foreign securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges that may trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not price its shares, the value of the Fund's portfolio may change on days when you may not be able to buy or sell Fund shares.  In computing the NAV of the Fund, the Advisor values foreign securities held by the Fund at the latest closing price on the exchange in which they are traded immediately prior to closing of the NYSE.  Prices of foreign securities quoted in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at current rates.  If events materially affecting the value of a security in the Fund's portfolio occur before the Fund prices its shares, the security will be valued at fair value.  For example, if trading in a portfolio security is halted and does not resume before the Fund calculates its NAV, the Advisor may need to price the security using the Fund's fair value pricing guidelines.  Without a fair value price, short-term traders could take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity and dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Fair valuation of the Fund's portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of the Fund's NAV by short-term traders.


With respect to any portion of the Fund's assets that are invested in one or more open-end management investment companies that are registered under the 1940 Act, the Fund's NAV is calculated based upon the net asset values of the registered open-end management investment companies in which the Fund invests, and the prospectuses for these companies explain the circumstances under which those companies will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing.


HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES

The Fund offers four classes of shares: Class A, Class C, Institutional Class and Investor Class.  The main difference between the share classes are the minimum investment, ongoing fees and sales charges.  Class A, Class C and Investor Class shares pay an annual fee of 0.50%, 1.00% and 0.50%, respectively, for distribution

 

 

11



 

expenses pursuant to a plan under Rule 12b-1, and Institutional Class shares do not pay such fees.

Class A Shares


Class A shares of the Fund are offered at their public offering price, which is net asset value per share plus the applicable sales charge. The sales charge varies, depending on how much you invest. There are no sales charges on reinvested distributions.  The Fund reserves the right to waive sales charges.  The following sales charges apply to your purchases of Class A shares of the Fund:


Amount Invested

Sales Charge

as a %

Sales Charge

as a %

Dealer Reallowance

 

of Offering

Price(1)

of Amount Invested

 

Less than $50,000

3.50%

3.63%

3.50%

$50,000 but less than $250,000

2.50%

2.56%

2.50%

$250,000 but less than $500,000

1.50%

1.52%

1.50%

$500,000 or more

None

None

None

(1) Offering price includes the front-end sales load. The sales charge you pay may differ slightly from the amount set forth above because of rounding that occurs in the calculations used to determine your sales charge.


You may be able to buy Class A Shares without a sales charge (i.e. "load-waived") when you are:

·

reinvesting dividends or distributions;

·

participating in an investment advisory or agency commission program under which you pay a fee to an investment advisor or other firm for portfolio management or brokerage services;

·

exchanging an investment in Class A Shares of another fund for an investment in the Fund;

·

a current or former director or trustee of the Fund;

·

an employee (including the employee's spouse, domestic partner, children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, siblings, and any independent of the employee, as defined in Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code) of the Fund's advisor or its affiliates or of a broker-dealer authorized to sell shares of the fund;

·

Participants in certain "wrap-fee" or asset allocation programs or other fee-based arrangements sponsored by broker-dealers and other financial institutions that have entered into agreements with the Distributor.

·

purchasing shares through the Fund's advisor; or

·

purchasing shares through a financial services firm (such as a broker-dealer, investment advisor or financial institution) that has a special arrangement with the Fund.

 

12



 


Right of Accumulation


For the purposes of determining the applicable reduced sales charge, the right of accumulation allows you to include prior purchases of Class A shares of the Fund as part of your current investment as well as reinvested dividends. To qualify for this option, you must be either:

·

an individual;

·

an individual and spouse purchasing shares for your own account or trust or custodial accounts for your minor children; or

·

a fiduciary purchasing for any one trust, estate or fiduciary account, including employee benefit plans created under Sections 401, 403 or 457 of the Internal Revenue Code, including related plans of the same employer.


If you plan to rely on this right of accumulation, you must notify your financial advisor or the Fund’s transfer agent, at the time of your purchase. You will need to give your financial advisor or the Fund’s transfer agent your account numbers. Existing holdings of family members or other related accounts of a shareholder may be combined for purposes of determining eligibility. If applicable, you will need to provide the account numbers of your spouse and your minor children as well as the ages of your minor children.

Letter of Intent


The letter of intent allows you to count all investments within a 13-month period in Class A shares of the Fund as if you were making them all at once for the purposes of calculating the applicable reduced sales charges.  The minimum initial investment under a letter of intent is 5% of the total letter of intent amount.  The letter of intent does not preclude the Fund from discontinuing sales of its shares.  You may include a purchase not originally made pursuant to a letter of intent under a letter of intent entered into within 90 days of the original purchase.  To determine the applicable sales charge reduction, you may also include (1) the cost of shares of the Fund which were previously purchased at a price including a front end sales charge during the 90-day period prior to the Fund’s transfer agent receiving the letter of intent, and (2) the historical cost of shares of other Funds you currently own acquired in exchange for shares the Fund purchased during that period at a price including a front-end sales charge.  You may combine purchases and exchanges by family members (limited to spouse and children, under the age of 21, living in the same household). You should retain any records necessary to substantiate historical costs because the Fund, the transfer agent and any financial intermediaries may not maintain this information. Shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends are not aggregated to achieve the stated investment goal.


Class C Shares:  Class C shares of the Fund are sold at NAV without an initial sales charge.  This means that 100% of your initial investment is placed into shares of the Fund.  Class C shares pay up to 1.00% on an annualized basis of the average daily net assets as reimbursement or compensation for service and distribution-related activities

 

 

13



 

 

with respect to the Fund and/or shareholder services.  Over time, fees paid under this distribution and service plan will increase the cost of a Class C shareholder’s investment and may cost more than other types of sales charges.


The Advisor will advance to, or reimburse, the Fund up to 1.00% in connection with 12b-1 fees advanced to authorized broker-dealers on purchases of Class C shares.  However, when the Advisor makes such a payment, the respective Class C shares are subject to a CDSC on shares redeemed prior to the first 12 months after their purchase in the amount advanced to recover commissions paid to your broker-dealer.   


Purchasing Shares:  You may purchase shares of the Fund by sending a completed application form to the following address:


             via Regular Mail:

             or Overnight Mail:

Leader Global Bond Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

P.O. Box 541150

Omaha, Nebraska 68154

Leader Global Bond Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17605 Wright Street, Suite 2

Omaha, Nebraska 68130


The USA PATRIOT Act requires financial institutions, including the Fund, to adopt certain policies and programs to prevent money-laundering activities, including procedures to verify the identity of customers opening new accounts.  As requested on the Application, you should supply your full name, date of birth, social security number and permanent street address.  Mailing addresses containing a P.O. Box will not be accepted.  This information will assist the Fund in verifying your identity.  Until such verification is made, the Fund may temporarily limit additional share purchases.  In addition, the Fund may limit additional share purchases or close an account if it is unable to verify a shareholder's identity.  As required by law, the Fund may employ various procedures, such as comparing the information to fraud databases or requesting additional information or documentation from you, to ensure that the information supplied by you is correct.


Purchase through Brokers:  You may invest in the Fund through brokers or agents who have entered into selling agreements with the Fund’s distributor.  The brokers and agents are authorized to receive purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund.  The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or its designee receives the order.  The broker or agent may set their own initial and subsequent investment minimums.  You may be charged a fee if you use a broker or agent to buy or redeem shares of the Fund.  Finally, various servicing agents use procedures and impose restrictions that may be in addition to, or different from those applicable to investors purchasing shares directly from the Fund.   You should carefully read the program materials provided to you by your servicing agent.


Purchase by Wire:  If you wish to wire money to make an investment in the Fund, please call the Fund at 1-800-711-9164 for wiring instructions and to notify the Fund that a wire transfer is coming.  Any commercial bank can transfer same-day funds via

 

 

14



 

 

wire.  The Fund will normally accept wired funds for investment on the day received if they are received by the Fund’s designated bank before the close of regular trading on the NYSE.  Your bank may charge you a fee for wiring same-day funds.


Automatic Investment Plan:  You may participate in the Fund’s Automatic Investment Plan, an investment plan that automatically moves money from your bank account and invests it in the Fund through the use of electronic funds transfers or automatic bank drafts.  You may elect to make subsequent investments by transfers of a minimum of [$100] on specified days of each month into your established Fund account.   Please contact the Fund at 1-800-711-9164 for more information about the Fund’s Automatic Investment Plan.


Institutional Shares


Institutional Shares are sold without any initial sales charge to the following:


1)

Accounts for which the Advisor or any of its affiliates act as fiduciary, agent, investment Advisor or custodian and clients of the Advisor’s affiliates.


2)

Institutional investors (such as qualified retirement plans, wrap fee plans and other programs charging asset-based fees) with a minimum initial investment of $2,000,000 that have received authorization from the Advisor.


3)

Advisory clients of a registered investment advisor with a fee-based asset management account.


4)

Any accounts established on behalf of registered investment advisors or their clients by broker-dealers that charge a transaction fee and that have entered into agreements with the Advisor.


For these purposes, ‘‘immediate family’’ is defined to include a person’s spouse, parents and children. The initial investment minimum may be waived for persons affiliated with the Advisor and its affiliated entities.


All share classes may not be available for purchase in every state.


Minimum and Additional Investment Amounts:  For Institutional Class shares, the minimum initial investment amount for an account is $2,000,000. There is no minimum for subsequent investments.  For Investor Class, Class A and Class C shares, the minimum initial investment amount for all accounts is $2,500 and the minimum subsequent investment is $100.  The minimum initial investment for each share class may be waived for clients of the Fund’s Advisor and accounts related to such Advisor clients. Lower minimum initial and additional investments may also be applicable if the shares are purchased through a financial intermediary or retirement account. There is no minimum investment requirement when you are buying shares by reinvesting dividends and distributions from the Fund.   

 

15



 


The Fund, however, reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject any application to purchase shares.  Applications will not be accepted unless they are accompanied by a check drawn on a U.S. bank, savings and loan, or credit union in U.S. funds for the full amount of the shares to be purchased.  After you open an account, you may purchase additional shares by sending a check together with written instructions stating the name(s) on the account and the account number, to the above address.  Make all checks payable to the Fund.  The Fund will not accept payment in cash, including cashier's checks or money orders.  Also, to prevent check fraud, the Fund will not accept third party checks, U.S. Treasury checks, credit card checks or starter checks for the purchase of shares. 


Note:  Gemini Fund Services, LLC, the Fund’s transfer agent, (the “Transfer Agent”) will charge a $25 fee against a shareholder's account, in addition to any loss sustained by the Fund, for any check returned to the transfer agent for insufficient funds.


When Order is Processed:  All shares will be purchased at the NAV per share next determined after the Fund receives your application or request in good order.  All requests received in good order by the Fund before 4:00 p.m. (Eastern time) will be processed on that same day.  Requests received after 4:00 p.m. will be processed on the next business day.


Good Order:  When making a purchase request, make sure your request is
in good order.  "Good order" means your purchase request includes:

·

the name of the Fund and share class

·

the dollar amount of shares to be purchased

·

a completed purchase application or investment stub

·

check payable to the "Leader Global Bond Fund"


Retirement Plans:  You may purchase shares of the Fund for your individual retirement plans.  Please call the Funds at 1-800-711-9164 for the most current listing and appropriate disclosure documentation on how to open a retirement account.




 

16



 


HOW TO REDEEM SHARES

Redeeming Shares: You may redeem all or any portion of the shares credited to your account by submitting a written request for redemption to:  


             via Regular Mail:

             or Overnight Mail:

Leader Global Bond Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

P.O. Box 541150

Omaha, Nebraska 68154

Leader Global Bond Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17605 Wright Street, Suite 2

Omaha, Nebraska 68130



Redemptions by Telephone:  The telephone redemption privilege is automatically available to all new accounts except retirement accounts.  If you do not want the telephone redemption privilege, you must indicate this in the appropriate area on your account application or you must write to the Fund and instruct it to remove this privilege from your account.


The proceeds will be sent by mail to the address designated on your account or wired directly to your existing account in a bank or brokerage firm in the United States as designated on your application.  To redeem by telephone, call 1-800-711-9164.  The redemption proceeds normally will be sent by mail or by wire within three business days after receipt of your telephone instructions.  IRA accounts are not redeemable by telephone.  You may redeem shares telephonically up to $100,000.


The Fund reserves the right to suspend the telephone redemption privileges with respect to your account if the name(s) or the address on the account has been changed within the previous 30 days.  Neither the Fund, the Transfer Agent, nor their respective affiliates will be liable for complying with telephone instructions they reasonably believe to be genuine or for any loss, damage, cost or expenses in acting on such telephone instructions and you will be required to bear the risk of any such loss.  The Fund or the transfer agent, or both, will employ reasonable procedures to determine that telephone instructions are genuine.  If the Fund and/or the transfer agent do not employ these procedures, they may be liable to you for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions.  These procedures may include, among others, requiring forms of personal identification prior to acting upon telephone instructions, providing written confirmation of the transactions and/or tape recording telephone instructions.


Redemptions through Broker:  If shares of the Fund are held by a broker-dealer, financial institution or other servicing agent, you must contact that servicing agent to redeem shares of the Fund.  The servicing agent may charge a fee for this service.


Redemptions by Wire:  You may request that your redemption proceeds be wired directly to your bank account. The Fund’s transfer agent imposes a $15 fee for each wire redemption and deducts the fee directly from your account. Your bank may also impose a fee for the incoming wire.

 

17



 


Automatic Withdrawal Plan:  If your individual account, IRA or other qualified plan account has a current account value of at least $10,000 for Investor Class shares or $3 million for Institutional Class shares, you may participate in the Fund’s Automatic Withdrawal Plan, an investment plan that automatically moves money to your bank account from the Fund through the use of electronic funds transfers.  You may elect to make subsequent withdrawals by transfers of a minimum of $100 on specified days of each month into your established bank account.  Please contact the Fund at 1-800-711-9164 for more information about the Fund’s Automatic Withdrawal Plan.


Redemptions in Kind:  The Fund reserves the right to honor requests for redemption or repurchase orders made by a shareholder during any 90-day period by making payment in whole or in part in portfolio securities (“redemption in kind”) if the amount of such a request is large enough to affect operations (if the request is greater than the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s net assets at the beginning of the 90-day period).  The securities will be chosen by the Fund and valued using the same procedures as used in calculating the Fund’s NAV.  A shareholder will be exposed to market risk until these securities are converted to cash and may incur transaction expenses in converting these securities to cash.


When Redemptions are Sent:  Once the Fund receives your redemption request in "good order" as described below, it will issue a check based on the next determined NAV following your redemption request. The redemption proceeds normally will be sent by mail or by wire within three business days after receipt of a request in "good order."  If you purchase shares using a check and soon after request a redemption, your redemption proceeds will not be sent until the check used for your purchase has cleared your bank (usually within 10 days).


Good Order:  Your redemption request will be processed if it is in "good order."  To be in good order, the following conditions must be satisfied:  

·

The request should be in writing, unless redeeming by telephone, indicating the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed;

·

The request must identify your account number;

·

The request should be signed by you and any other person listed on the account, exactly as the shares are registered; and

·

If you request that the redemption proceeds be sent to a person, bank or an address other than that of record or paid to someone other than the record owner(s), or if the address was changed within the last 30 days, or if the proceeds of a requested redemption exceed $100,000, the signature(s) on the request must be medallion signature guaranteed by an eligible signature guarantor.

Exchanging Shares:  Shares of the Fund may be exchanged without payment of any exchange fee for shares of the another Leader Fund of the same class at their respective net asset values.

 

18



 


An exchange of shares is treated for federal income tax purposes as a redemption (sale) of shares given in exchange by the shareholder, and an exchanging shareholder may, therefore, realize a taxable gain or loss in connection with the exchange.


With regard to redemptions and exchanges made by telephone, the Fund’s Transfer Agent will request personal or other identifying information to confirm that the instructions received from shareholders or their account representatives are genuine. Calls may be recorded.  For your protection, we may delay a transaction or not implement one if we are not reasonably satisfied that the instructions are genuine.  If this occurs, we will not be liable for any loss.  The Fund and the transfer agent also will not be liable for any losses if they follow instruction by phone that they reasonably believe are genuine or if an investor is unable to execute a transaction by phone.


Limitations on Exchanges.  The Fund believes that use of the exchange privilege by investors utilizing market-timing strategies adversely affects the Funds and their shareholders.  Therefore, the Fund generally will not honor requests for exchanges by shareholders who identify themselves or are identified as “market timers”.  Market timers are investors who repeatedly make exchanges within a short period of time.  The Fund reserves the right to suspend, limit or terminate the exchange privilege of an investor who uses the exchange privilege more than six times during any twelve month period, or in the Fund’s opinion, engages in excessive trading that would be disadvantageous to the Fund or its shareholders.  In those emergency circumstances wherein the SEC authorizes funds to do so, the Fund reserves the right to change or temporarily suspend the exchange privilege.


When You Need Medallion Signature Guarantees:  If you wish to change the bank or brokerage account that you have designated on your account, you may do so at any time by writing to the Fund with your signature guaranteed.  A medallion signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine and protects you from unauthorized account transfers.  You will need your signature guaranteed if:

·

you request a redemption to be made payable to a person not on record with the Fund;

·

you request that a redemption be mailed to an address other than that on record with the Fund;

·

the proceeds of a requested redemption exceed $100,000;

·

any redemption is transmitted by federal wire transfer to a bank other than the bank of record; or

·

your address was changed within 30 days of your redemption request.


Signatures may be guaranteed by any eligible guarantor institution (including banks, brokers and dealers, credit unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies and savings associations).  Further documentation will be required to change the designated account if shares are held by a corporation, fiduciary or other organization.  A notary public cannot guarantee signatures.


Retirement Plans:  If you own an IRA or other retirement plan, you must indicate on your redemption request whether the Fund should withhold federal income tax. Unless  

 

19



 

 

you elect in your redemption request that you do not want to have federal tax withheld, the redemption will be subject to withholding.


Low Balances:  If at any time your account balance in the Fund falls below $2,500 for Investor Class shares or $2 million for Institutional Class shares, the Fund may notify you that, unless the account is brought up to the applicable minimum within 60 days of the notice, your account could be closed.  After the notice period, the Fund may redeem all of your shares and close your account by sending you a check to the address of record.  Your account will not be closed if the account balance drops below the applicable minimum due to a decline in NAV.  


FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES


The Fund discourages and does not accommodate market timing. Frequent trading into and out of the Fund can harm all Fund shareholders by disrupting the Fund's investment strategies, increasing Fund expenses, decreasing tax efficiency and diluting the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. The Fund is designed for long-term investors and is not intended for market timing or other disruptive trading activities. Accordingly, the Fund’s Board has approved policies that seek to curb these disruptive activities while recognizing that shareholders may have a legitimate need to adjust their Fund investments as their financial needs or circumstances change. The Fund currently uses several methods to reduce the risk of market timing. These methods include:

·

Committing staff to review, on a continuing basis, recent trading activity in order to identify trading activity that may be contrary to the Fund’s "Market Timing Trading Policy;"

·

Reject or limit specific purchase requests; and

·

Reject purchase requests from certain investors.

·

[Charging a redemption fee.]

Though these methods involve judgments that are inherently subjective and involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to make judgments and applications that are consistent with the interests of the Fund’s shareholders.


The Fund reserves the right to reject or restrict purchase or exchange requests for any reason, particularly when the shareholder's trading activity suggests that the shareholder may be engaged in market timing or other disruptive trading activities. Neither the Fund nor the Advisor will be liable for any losses resulting from rejected purchase or exchange orders. The Advisor may also bar an investor who has violated these policies (and the investor's financial advisor) from opening new accounts with the Fund.


Although the Fund attempts to limit disruptive trading activities, some investors use a variety of strategies to hide their identities and their trading practices. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be able to identify or limit these activities. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of the Fund.  While the Fund will encourage financial intermediaries to apply the Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy to

 

20



 

 

their customers who invest indirectly in the Fund, the Fund is limited in its ability to monitor the trading activity or enforce the Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy with respect to customers of financial intermediaries. For example, should it occur, the Fund may not be able to detect market timing that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or made difficult to identify in the omnibus accounts used by those intermediaries for aggregated purchases, exchanges and redemptions on behalf of all their customers. More specifically, unless the financial intermediaries have the ability to apply the Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy to their customers through such methods as implementing short-term trading limitations or restrictions and monitoring trading activity for what might be market timing, the Fund may not be able to determine whether trading by customers of financial intermediaries is contrary to the Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy. Brokers maintaining omnibus accounts with the Fund have agreed to provide shareholder transaction information to the extent known to the broker to the Fund upon request. If the Fund or its transfer agent or shareholder servicing agent suspects there is market timing activity in the account, the Fund will seek full cooperation from the service provider maintaining the account to identify the underlying participant. At the request of the Advisor, the service providers may take immediate action to stop any further short-term trading by such participants.


TAX STATUS, DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS


Any sale or exchange of the Fund's shares may generate tax liability (unless you are a tax-exempt investor or your investment is in a qualified retirement account).  When you redeem your shares you may realize a taxable gain or loss.  This is measured by the difference between the proceeds of the sale and the tax basis for the shares you sold.  (To aid in computing your tax basis, you generally should retain your account statements for the period that you hold shares in the Fund.)


The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income monthly and net capital gains annually.  Both distributions will be reinvested in shares of the Fund unless you elect to receive cash.  Dividends from net investment income (including any excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss) are taxable to investors as ordinary income, while distributions of net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) are generally taxable as long-term capital gain, regardless of your holding period for the shares.  Any dividends or capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund will normally be taxable to you when made, regardless of whether you reinvest dividends or capital gain distributions or receive them in cash.  Each year the Fund will inform you of the amount and type of your distributions.  IRAs and other qualified retirement plans are exempt from federal income taxation until retirement proceeds are paid out to the participant.


Your redemptions, including exchanges, may result in a capital gain or loss for federal tax purposes.  A capital gain or loss on your investment is the difference between the cost of your shares, including any sales charges, and the amount you receive when you sell them.

21



 


On the account application, you will be asked to certify that your social security number or taxpayer identification number is correct and that you are not subject to backup withholding for failing to report income to the IRS.  If you are subject to backup withholding or you did not certify your taxpayer identification number, the IRS requires the Fund to withhold a percentage of any dividend, redemption or exchange proceeds.  The Fund reserves the right to reject any application that does not include a certified social security or taxpayer identification number.  If you do not have a social security number, you should indicate on the purchase form that your application to obtain a number is pending.  The Fund is required to withhold taxes if a number is not delivered to the Fund within seven days.

This summary is not intended to be and should not be construed to be legal or tax advice.  You should consult your own tax advisors to determine the tax consequences of owning the Fund’s shares.


DISTRIBUTION OF SHARES


Distributor: Foreside Distribution Services, L.P., (the “Distributor”) located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101, serves as distributor of the shares of the Fund.  The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).  Shares of the Fund are offered on a continuous basis.

Distribution (12b-1) and Shareholder Servicing Fees:  The Trust, with respect to the Funds, has adopted Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plans ("12b-1 Plans" or "Plans"), pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act which allow the Fund to pay the Fund's Distributor an annual fee for distribution and shareholder servicing expenses of up to 0.50% of the Fund's average daily net assets attributable to Investor Class and Class A shares and 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class C shares.  Institutional Class shares do not pay 12b-1 fees.


The Fund’s Distributor and other entities are paid pursuant to the Plans for distribution and shareholder servicing provided and the expenses borne by the Distributor and others in the distribution of Investor Class, Class A, and Class C Fund shares, including the payment of commissions for sales of the shares and incentive compensation to and expenses of dealers and others who engage in or support distribution of shares or who service shareholder accounts, including overhead and telephone expenses; printing and distribution of prospectuses and reports used in connection with the offering of the Fund's Investor Class shares to other than current shareholders; and preparation, printing and distribution of sales literature and advertising materials.  In addition, the Distributor or other entities may utilize fees paid pursuant to the Plan to compensate dealers or other entities for their opportunity costs in advancing such amounts, which compensation would be in the form of a carrying charge on any un-reimbursed expenses.

22



 


You should be aware that if you had your shares for a substantial period of time, you may indirectly pay more than the economic equivalent of the maximum front-end sales charge allowed by FINRA due to the recurring nature of distribution (12b-1) fees.


Additional Compensation to Financial Intermediaries:  The Fund’s Advisor may, at its own expense and out of its own legitimate profits, provide additional cash payments to financial intermediaries who sell shares of the Fund.  Financial intermediaries include brokers, financial planners, banks, insurance companies, retirement or 401(k) plan administrators and others.  These payments may be in addition to the Rule 12b-1 fees that are disclosed elsewhere in this Prospectus.  These payments are generally made to financial intermediaries that provide shareholder or administrative services, or marketing support.  Marketing support may include access to sales meetings, sales representatives and financial intermediary management representatives, inclusion of the Fund on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, or other sales programs.  These payments also may be made as an expense reimbursement in cases where the financial intermediary provides shareholder services to Fund shareholders.  The Advisor may, from time to time, provide promotional incentives to certain investment firms.  Such incentives may, at the Advisor’s discretion, be limited to investment firms who allow their individual selling representatives to participate in such additional commissions.

Householding:  To reduce expenses, only one copy of the prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report will be mailed to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please call the Fund at 1-800-711-9164 on days the Fund is open for business or contact your financial institution. The Fund will begin sending you individual copies thirty days after receiving your request.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

   Because the Fund has only recently commenced operations, there are no financial highlights available for the Fund at this time. In the future, financial highlights for the Fund will be presented in this section of the Prospectus.



23



 


 

   Privacy Notice

Rev. August 2011

FACTS

WHAT DOES NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?


Why?

Financial companies choose how they share your personal information.  Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some, but not all sharing.  Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information.  Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.


What?

The types of personal information we collect and share depends on the product or service that you have with us. This information can include:

·

Social Security number and wire transfer instructions

·

account transactions and transaction history

·

investment experience and purchase history
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice.


How?

All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business.  In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons Northern Lights Fund Trust chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.


Reasons we can share your personal information:

Does Northern Lights Fund Trust share information?

Can you limit this sharing?

For our everyday business purposes - such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus.

YES

NO

For our marketing purposes - to offer our products and services to you.

NO

We don’t share

For joint marketing with other financial companies.

NO

We don’t share

For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes - information about your transactions and records.

NO

We don’t share

For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes - information about your credit worthiness.

NO

We don’t share

For nonaffiliates to market to you

NO

We don’t share


QUESTIONS?  

Call 1-402-493-4603




24






What we do:


How does Northern Lights Fund Trust protect my personal information?

To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law.  These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.


Our service providers are held accountable for adhering to strict policies and procedures to prevent any misuse of your nonpublic personal information.


How does Northern Lights Fund Trust collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

·

open an account or deposit money

·

direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities

·

seek advice about your investments

We also collect your personal information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies.


Why can’t I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only:

·

sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness.

·

affiliates from using your information to market to you.

·

sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you.

State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing.


Definitions

Affiliates

Companies related by common ownership or control.  They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

·

Northern Lights Fund Trust has no affiliates.

Nonaffiliates

Companies not related by common ownership or control.  They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

·

Northern Lights Fund Trust does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you.

Joint marketing

A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies

that together market financial products or services to you.

·

Northern Lights Fund Trust does not jointly market.





25







Leader Global Bond Fund

Advisor

Leader Capital Corp.  

1750 SW Skyline Blvd. Suite 204

Portland, OR 97221

Distributor

Foreside Distribution Services, L.P.

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100

Portland, ME 04101

Legal Counsel

Thompson Hine LLP
41 South High Street, Suite 1700
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Transfer Agent

Gemini Fund Services, LLC
17605 Wright Street, Suite 2
Omaha, NE  68130

Custodian

JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.

270 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

BBD, LLP

1835 Market Street, 26th Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19103


Additional information about the Fund is included in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information dated [                       2014] (the "SAI").  The SAI is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference (i.e., legally made a part of this Prospectus).  The SAI provides more details about the Fund’s policies and management.  Additional information about the Fund’s investments will also be available in the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders.  In the Fund’s Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.


To obtain a free copy of the SAI and the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders, or other information about the Fund, or to make shareholder inquiries about the Fund, please call 1-800-711-9164 or visit www.leadercapital.com.  You may also write to:


Leader Global Bond Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17605 Wright Street

Omaha, Nebraska  68130


You may review and obtain copies of the Fund’s information (including the SAI) at the SEC Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C.  Please call 1-202-551-8090 for information relating to the operation of the Public Reference Room.  Reports and other information about the Funds are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at http://www.sec.gov.  Copies of the information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address:  publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20549-0102.

Investment Company Act File Number:  811-21720



26





 




_______________________________

LEADER GLOBAL BOND FUND

INVESTOR SHARES: [     ]
INSTITUTIONAL SHARES: [     ]

CLASS A SHARES: [     ]

CLASS C SHARES: [     ]



A Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust



_______________________________


STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION


[                   ], 2014



This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a Prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus of the Leader Global Bond Fund (the “Fund”) for its Investor, Institutional Shares, Class A and Class C Shares dated [                ], 2014.  You can obtain copies of the Fund’s Prospectus, annual or semi-annual report without charge by contacting the Fund’s Transfer Agent, Gemini Fund Services, LLC, 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska 68130 or by calling 1-800-711-9164.  You may also obtain a prospectus or shareholder report by visiting our website at www.LeaderCapital.com.   





1





TABLE OF CONTENTS


 

 

TYPES OF INVESTMENTS

3

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

31

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

33

MANAGEMENT

34

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS

41

INVESTMENT ADVISOR

41

DISTRIBUTION OF FUND SHARES

43

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

45

ALLOCATION OF PORTFOLIO BROKERAGE

46

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

47

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

47

CUSTODIAN

48

COMPLIANCE OFFICER

48

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES

49

ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM

49

PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF SHARES

49

TAX STATUS

52

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

56

LEGAL COUNSEL

57

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

57

APPENDIX A -- PROXY VOTING POLICIES

58



2





THE FUND


     

The Leader Global Bond Fund (the “Fund”) is a diversified series of Northern Lights Fund Trust (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust organized on January 19, 2005. Leader Capital Corporation (the “Advisor”) serves as investment advisor to the Fund.  The Trust is registered as an open-end management investment company. The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the “Board” or “Trustees”). The Fund may issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest. All shares of the Fund have equal rights and privileges. Each share of the Fund is entitled to one vote on all matters as to which shares are entitled to vote. In addition, each share of the Fund is entitled to participate equally with other shares (i) in dividends and distributions declared by the Fund and (ii) on liquidation to its proportionate share of the assets remaining after satisfaction of outstanding liabilities. Shares of the Fund are fully paid, non-assessable and fully transferable when issued and have no pre-emptive, conversion or exchange rights. Fractional shares have proportionately the same rights, including voting rights, as are provided for a full share.


The Fund consists of four classes of shares. The Fund’s investment objective, restrictions and policies are more fully described here and in Prospectus. The Board may start other series and offer shares of a new fund under the Trust at any time.


Under the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust, each Trustee will continue in office until the termination of the Trust or his/her earlier death, incapacity, resignation or removal. Shareholders can remove a Trustee to the extent provided by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Vacancies may be filled by a majority of the remaining Trustees, except insofar as the 1940 Act may require the election by shareholders. As a result, normally no annual or regular meetings of shareholders will be held unless matters arise requiring a vote of shareholders under the Agreement and Declaration of Trust or the 1940 Act.

 


TYPES OF INVESTMENTS


 

The investment objective of the Fund and a description of its principal investment strategies are set forth under “Risk/Return Summary” in the Prospectus. The Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust.


The following pages contain more detailed information in which the Advisor may employ in pursuit of the Fund’s investment objective and a summary of related risks.


A.            Asset-Backed Debt Obligations and Mortgage-Backed Securities.  Asset-backed debt obligations represent direct or indirect participation in, or are secured by and payable from, assets such as motor vehicle installment sales contracts, other installment loan contracts, home equity loans, leases of various types of property and receivables from credit card or other revolving credit arrangements.  The credit quality of most asset-backed securities depends primarily on the credit quality of the assets underlying such securities, how well the entity issuing the security is insulated from the credit risk and bankruptcy of the originator or any other affiliated entities and the amount and quality of any credit enhancement of the securities.  Payments or distributions of principal and interest on asset-backed debt obligations may be supported by non-governmental credit enhancements including letters of credit, reserve funds, over-collateralization and guarantees by third parties.  The market for privately issued asset-backed debt obligations is smaller and less liquid than the market for government sponsored mortgage-backed securities.


Mortgage-backed securities represent direct or indirect participations in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans secured by real property, and include single- and multi-class pass-through securities and Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (“CMOs”).  Such securities may be issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Government National Mortgage Association and the

 

3



 

Federal National Mortgage Association, or by private issuers, generally originators and investors in mortgage loans, including savings associations, mortgage bankers, commercial banks, investment bankers and special purpose entities (collectively, “private lenders”).  Mortgage-backed securities issued by private lenders may be supported by pools of mortgage loans or other mortgage-backed securities that are guaranteed, directly or indirectly, by the U.S. Government or one of its agencies or instrumentalities, or they may be issued without any governmental guarantee of the underlying mortgage assets but with some form of non-governmental credit enhancement.

 

The rate of principal payment on mortgage- and asset-backed securities generally depends on the rate of principal payments received on the underlying assets, which in turn may be affected by a variety of economic and other factors.  As a result, the yield on any mortgage- or asset-backed security is difficult to predict with precision and actual yield to maturity may be more or less than the anticipated yield to maturity.  The yield characteristics of mortgage- and asset-backed debt obligations differ from those of traditional debt obligations.  Among the principal differences are that interest and principal payments are made more frequently on mortgage- and asset-backed debt obligations, usually monthly, and that principal may be prepaid at any time because the underlying assets generally may be prepaid at any time.  As a result, if these debt obligations or securities are purchased at a premium, a prepayment rate that is faster than expected will reduce yield to maturity, while a prepayment rate that is slower than expected will have the opposite effect of increasing the yield to maturity.  Conversely, if these debt obligations or securities are purchased at a discount, a prepayment rate that is faster than expected will increase yield to maturity, while a prepayment rate that is slower than expected will reduce yield to maturity.  Mortgage-backed securities available for reinvestment by the Fund are likely to be greater during a period of declining interest rates and, as a result, are likely to be reinvested at lower interest rates than during a period of rising interest rates.  Accelerated prepayments on debt obligations or securities purchased at a premium also impose a risk of loss of principal because the premium may not have been fully amortized at the time the principal is prepaid in full.  The market for privately issued mortgage-backed securities is smaller and less liquid than the market for government-sponsored mortgage-backed securities.


While asset-backed securities may be issued with only one class of security, many asset-backed securities are issued in more than one class, each with different payment terms.  Mortgage-backed securities may be issued with either a single class of security or multiple classes, which are commonly referred to as a CMO.  Multiple class mortgage- and asset-backed securities are issued for two main reasons.  First, multiple classes may be used as a method of providing selective credit support.  This is accomplished typically through creation of one or more classes whose right to payments on the asset-backed security is made subordinate to the right to such payments of the remaining class or classes.  Second, multiple classes may permit the issuance of securities with payment terms, interest rates or other characteristics differing both from those of each other and from those of the underlying assets.  Examples include separate trading of registered interest and principal of securities (“STRIPS”) (mortgage- and asset-backed securities entitling the holder to disproportionate interests with respect to the allocation of interest and principal of the assets backing the security), and securities with class or classes having characteristics that mimic the characteristics of non-asset-backed securities, such as floating interest rates (i.e., interest rates that adjust as a specified benchmark changes) or scheduled amortization of principal.


The Fund may invest in stripped mortgage-backed securities, which receive differing proportions of the interest and principal payments from the underlying assets, including interest-only (“IO”) and principal-only (“PO”) securities.  IO and PO mortgage-backed securities may be illiquid.  The market value of such securities generally is more sensitive to changes in prepayment and interest rates than is the case with traditional mortgage-backed securities, and in some cases such market value may be extremely volatile.

 

Mortgage- and asset-backed securities backed by assets, other than as described above, or in which the payment streams on the underlying assets are allocated in a manner different than those described above may be issued in the future. The Fund may invest in such mortgage- and asset-backed securities if such investment is otherwise consistent with its investment objectives and policies and with the investment restrictions of the Fund.

 

4




If the Fund purchases mortgage- or asset-backed securities that are “subordinated” to other interests in the same mortgage pool, the Fund as a holder of those securities may only receive payments after the pool’s obligations to other investors have been satisfied.  An unexpectedly high rate of defaults on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may substantially limit the pool’s ability to make payments of principal or interest to the Fund as a holder of such subordinated securities, reducing the values of those securities or in some cases rendering them worthless; the risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of mortgage pools that include so called “subprime” mortgages.  An unexpectedly high or low rate of prepayments on a pool’s underlying mortgages may have a similar effect on subordinated securities.  A mortgage pool may issue securities subject to various levels of subordination; the risk of non-payment affects securities at each level, although the risk is greater in the case of more highly subordinated securities.

  

B.           Auction Rate Securities.  Auction Rate Securities (“ARS”) are long-term, variable-rate bonds tied to short-term interest rates.  ARS have a long-term nominal maturity with interest rates reset through a modified Dutch auction, at pre-determined short-term intervals, usually, 7, 28 or 35 days.  ARS trade at par and are “callable” (the issuer can require the bondholder to sell the bond back to the issuer) at par on any interest payment date.  Common issuers of ARS include municipalities, non-profit hospitals, utilities, housing finance agencies, student loan finance authorities and universities.  Credit risk associated with ARS is similar to the default risk associated with other municipal and corporate bond issuers.  Bond insurance is usually used to lower the credit risk of ARS.  Although very infrequent, and almost always due to a dramatic decline in the credit quality of the issuers, ARS would be subject to liquidity risk if the auction process used to reset the interest rates failed because there were more orders to sell the ARS than bids to purchase the ARS.  If an auction process failed, existing holders of ARS would have to continue to hold their ARS until there were a sufficient number of bids to purchase the ARS at the next auction to calculate the interest rate reset.


C.              Cash Management. The Fund may invest directly in cash, ARS and other short-term fixed-income securities.  All money market instruments can change in value when interest rates or an issuer’s creditworthiness change dramatically.


D.              Commercial Paper. Commercial paper is a debt obligation usually issued by corporations (including foreign corporations) and may be unsecured or secured by letters of credit or a surety bond.  Commercial paper is usually repaid at maturity by the issuer from the proceeds of the issuance of new commercial paper.  As a result, investment in commercial paper is subject to the risk the issuer cannot issue enough new commercial paper to satisfy its outstanding commercial paper, also known as rollover risk.  Commercial paper may be deemed a restricted security, thereby causing it to be illiquid or reducing its liquidity in certain circumstances.


Asset-backed commercial paper is a form of commercial paper generally issued by a corporate-sponsored special purpose entity to which the corporation has contributed cash-flowing receivables like credit card receivables, auto and equipment leases and other receivables.  Investment in asset-backed commercial paper is subject to the risk that insufficient proceeds from the projected cash flows of the contributed receivables are available to repay the commercial paper at maturity.


E.              Convertible Securities. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for a specified amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula.  A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest normally paid or accrued on debt or the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged.  Convertible securities have unique investment characteristics in that they generally (1) have higher yields than common stocks, but lower yields than comparable non-convertible securities, (2) are less subject to fluctuation in value than the underlying stock since they have fixed income characteristics and (3) provide the potential for capital appreciation if the market price of the underlying common stock increases.  Most convertible securities currently are issued by U.S. companies, although a substantial Eurodollar convertible securities market has developed, and the markets for convertible securities denominated in local currencies are increasing.

 

5



The value of a convertible security is a function of its “investment value” (determined by its yield in comparison with the yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege) and its “conversion value” (the security’s worth, at market value, if converted into the underlying common stock).  The investment value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline.  The credit standing of the issuer and other factors also may have an effect on the convertible security’s investment value.  The conversion value of a convertible security is determined by the market price of the underlying common stock.  If the conversion value is low relative to the investment value, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment value.  Generally, the conversion value decreases as the convertible security approaches maturity.  To the extent the market price of the underlying common stock approaches or exceeds the conversion price, the price of the convertible security will be increasingly influenced by its conversion value.  A convertible security generally will sell at a premium over its conversion value by the extent to which investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding a fixed income security.


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 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.


F.               Debt Obligations.  The Fund will primarily invest its assets in debt obligations.  Issuers of debt obligations have a contractual obligation to pay interest at a specified rate on specified dates and to repay principal on a specified maturity date.  Certain debt obligations (usually intermediate- and long-term bonds) have provisions that allow the issuer to redeem or “call” a bond before its maturity.  Issuers are most likely to call such securities during periods of falling interest rates and the Fund may have to replace such securities with lower yielding securities, which could result in a lower return for the Fund.  Risks of investing in debt obligations may include the following:


PRICE VOLATILITY.  The market value of debt obligations is affected primarily by changes in prevailing interest rates.  The market value of a debt obligation generally reacts inversely to interest-rate changes, which means that, when prevailing interest rates decline, an obligation’s price usually rises, and when prevailing interest rates rise, an obligation’s price usually declines.


MATURITY.  In general, the longer the maturity of a debt obligation, the higher its yield is, but the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates.  Conversely, the shorter the maturity is, the lower the yield, but the lesser its sensitivity to changes in the interest rates, and the greater the price stability.  Commercial paper is generally considered the shortest maturity form of debt obligation.

 

CREDIT QUALITY.  The value of debt obligations may also be affected by changes in the credit rating or financial condition of their issuers and obligors.  Generally, the lower the quality rating of a security, the higher the degree of risk as to the payment of interest and return of principal.  To compensate investors for taking on such increased risk, those issuers deemed to be less creditworthy generally must offer their investors higher interest rates than do issuers with better credit ratings.


In conducting its credit research and analysis, the Advisor considers both qualitative and quantitative factors to evaluate the creditworthiness of individual issuers.  The Advisor also relies, in part, on credit ratings compiled by a number of Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations (“NRSROs”).


DURATION.  Duration was developed as a more precise alternative to the concept of “maturity” for a debt security or portfolio of debt securities.  Traditionally, a debt security’s maturity has been used as a proxy for the sensitivity of the debt security’s price to changes in interest rates (which is the “interest rate risk” or “volatility” of the security).  However, maturity measures only the time until a debt security provides its final payment, taking no account of the expected timing of the security’s principal and interest payments prior to maturity.  In contrast, duration incorporates a bond’s yield, coupon interest payments, final maturity and call features into one measure.  Duration management is one of the fundamental tools used by the Advisor.

 

6



Duration is a measure of the expected life of a debt obligation on a present value basis.  Duration takes the length of the time intervals between the present time and the time that the interest and principal payments are scheduled or, in the case of a callable bond, the time the principal payments are expected to be received, and weights them by the present values of the cash to be received at each future point in time.  For any debt obligation with interest payments occurring prior to the payment of principal, duration is always less than maturity.  In general, all other things being equal, the lower the stated or coupon rate of interest of a fixed income security, the longer the duration of the security; conversely, the higher the stated or coupon rate of interest of a fixed income security, the shorter the duration of the security.


Futures, options and options on futures have durations that, in general, are closely related to the duration of the debt securities that underlie them.  Holding long futures or call option positions will lengthen the duration of the Fund’s portfolio by approximately the same amount of time that holding an equivalent amount of the underlying debt securities would.


Short futures or put option positions have durations roughly equal to the negative duration of the debt securities that underlie these positions, and have the effect of reducing portfolio duration by approximately the same amount of time that selling an equivalent amount of the underlying debt securities would.


There are some situations where even the standard duration calculation does not completely reflect the interest rate exposure or projected cash flows of a debt security.  For example, floating- and variable-rate securities often have final maturities of ten or more years; however, their interest rate exposure and duration correspond to the frequency of the coupon reset.  Another example where the interest rate exposure is not properly captured by duration is mortgage pass-through securities.  The stated final maturity of such securities is generally 30 years, but current prepayment rates are more critical in determining the securities’ interest rate exposure.  If the Fund invests in collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”), the Advisor may consider using the average life versus its final maturity for the purpose of calculating the Fund’s average duration.  Finally, the duration of a debt obligation may vary over time in response to changes in interest rates and other market factors.


G.           Depositary Receipts. The Fund may invest in foreign securities by purchasing depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”), or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers.  These securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted.  Generally, ADRs, in registered form, are denominated in U.S. dollars and are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, while EDRs, in bearer form, may be denominated in other currencies and are designed for use in the European securities markets.  ADRs are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company evidencing ownership of the underlying securities.  EDRs are European receipts evidencing a similar arrangement.  For purposes of the Fund’s investment policies, ADRs and EDRs are deemed to have the same classification as the underlying securities they represent, except that ADRs and EDRs shall be treated as indirect foreign investments.  For example, an ADR or EDR representing ownership of common stock will be treated as common stock.  Depositary receipts do not eliminate all of the risks associated with directly investing in the securities of foreign issuers.


ADR facilities may be established as either “unsponsored” or “sponsored.”  While ADRs issued under these two types of facilities are in some respects similar, there are distinctions between them relating to the rights and obligations of ADR holders and the practices of market participants.


A depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or even necessarily the permission of) the issuer of the deposited securities, although typically the depositary requests a letter of non-objection from such issuer prior to the establishment of the facility.  Holders of unsponsored ADRs generally bear all the costs of such facility.  The depositary usually charges fees upon the deposit and withdrawal of the deposited securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars, the disposition of non-cash distributions and the performance of other services.  The depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to pass through voting rights to ADR holders in respect of the deposited securities.  In addition, an unsponsored facility is generally not obligated to distribute communications

 

 

7


 

received from the issuer of the deposited securities or to disclose material information about such issuer in the U.S. and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the depositary receipts.


Sponsored ADR facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that the issuer of the deposited securities enters into a deposit agreement with the depositary.  The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the issuer, the depositary and the ADR holders.  With sponsored facilities, the issuer of the deposited securities generally will bear some of the costs relating to the facility (such as dividend payment fees of the depositary), although ADR holders continue to bear certain other costs (such as deposit and withdrawal fees).  Under the terms of most sponsored arrangements, depositaries agree to distribute notices of shareholder meetings and voting instructions, and to provide shareholder communications and other information to the ADR holders at the request of the issuer of the deposited securities.


H.           Derivative Instruments.


IN GENERAL.  The Fund may use derivative instruments for any lawful purpose consistent with its investment objectives such as for hedging, managing risk or obtaining market exposure.  Derivative instruments are commonly defined to include securities or contracts whose values depend on (or “derive” from) the value of one or more other assets, such as securities, currencies, commodities (commonly referred to as “underlying assets”) or indices.

 

A derivative instrument generally consists of, is based upon or exhibits characteristics similar to options or forward contracts.  Options and forward contracts are considered to be the basic “building blocks” of derivatives.  For example, forward-based derivatives include forward contracts and swap contracts, as well as exchange-traded futures.  Option-based derivatives include privately negotiated, over-the-counter (“OTC”) options (including options on forward and cap, floor and collar swap contracts) and exchange-traded options on futures.  Diverse types of derivatives may be created by combining options or forward contracts in different ways, and by applying these structures to a wide range of underlying assets.


An option is a contract in which the “holder” (the buyer) pays a certain amount (“premium”) to the “writer” (the seller) to obtain the right, but not the obligation, to buy from the writer (in a “call”) or sell to the writer (in a “put”) a specific asset at an agreed upon price at or before a certain time.  The holder pays the premium at inception and has no further financial obligation.  The holder of an option-based derivative generally will benefit from favorable movements in the price of the underlying asset but is not exposed to corresponding losses due to adverse movements in the value of the underlying asset.  The writer of an option-based derivative usually will receive fees or premiums, but generally is exposed to losses due to adverse changes in the value of the underlying asset or index.


A forward is a sales contract between a buyer (holding the “long” position) and a seller (holding the “short” position) for an asset 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 asset.  The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary.  The change in market value of a forward-based derivative generally is roughly proportional to the change in value of the underlying asset.


HEDGING.  The Fund may use derivative instruments to protect against possible adverse changes in the market value of securities held in, or anticipated to be held in, its portfolio.  Derivatives may also be used to “lock-in” realized but unrecognized gains in the value of its portfolio securities.  Hedging strategies, if successful, can reduce the risk of loss by wholly or partially offsetting the negative effect of unfavorable price movements in the investments being hedged.  However, hedging strategies can also reduce the opportunity for gain by offsetting the positive effect of favorable price movements in the hedged investments.  To the extent that a hedge matures prior to or after the disposition of the investment subject to the hedge, any gain or loss on the hedge will be realized earlier or later than any offsetting gain or loss on the hedged investment.

 

8



MANAGING RISK/MARKET EXPOSURE.  The Fund may also use derivative instruments to manage the risks of its portfolio.  Risk management strategies include, but are not limited to, facilitating the sale of portfolio securities, managing the effective maturity or duration of debt obligations in its portfolio, or establishing a position in the derivatives markets as a substitute for buying, selling, holding certain securities or creating or altering exposure to certain asset classes, such as equity, debt, foreign securities and floating-rate debt securities.  The use of derivative instruments may provide a less expensive, more expedient or more specifically focused way to invest than “traditional” securities (i.e., stocks or bonds) would.


EXCHANGE-TRADED AND OTC DERIVATIVES.  Derivative instruments may be exchange-traded or traded in OTC transactions between private parties.  Exchange-traded derivatives are standardized options and futures contracts traded in an auction on the floor of a regulated exchange.  Exchange contracts are generally very liquid.  The exchange clearinghouse is the counterparty of every contract.  Thus, each holder of an exchange contract bears the credit risk of the clearinghouse (and has the benefit of its financial strength) rather than that of a particular counterparty.  On the other hand, OTC derivative transactions are not traded on established exchanges and are not guaranteed by the creditworthiness of any exchange.  Consequently, OTC derivative transactions are subject to additional risks, such as the credit risk of the counterparty to the instrument.  OTC derivative transactions are less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since they often can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction.

 

RISKS.  The use of derivative instruments involves risks as described below.  Risks pertaining to particular derivative instruments are described in the sections that follow.


(1)                 MARKET RISK.  The primary risk of derivatives is the same as the risk of the underlying assets, namely that the value of the underlying asset may go up or down.  Adverse movements in the value of an underlying asset can expose the Fund to losses.  Derivative instruments may include elements of leverage and, accordingly, the fluctuation of the value of the derivative instrument in relation to the underlying asset may be magnified.  The successful use of derivative instruments depends upon a variety of factors, particularly the ability of the Advisor to predict movements of the securities, currencies and commodity markets, which requires different skills than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities.  There can be no assurance that any particular strategy adopted will succeed.  The Advisor’s decision to engage in a derivative transaction will reflect its judgment that the derivative transaction will provide value to the Fund and its shareholders, and is consistent with the Fund’s objectives, investment limitations and operating policies.  In making such a judgment, the Advisor will analyze the benefits and risks of the derivative transaction and weigh them in the context of the Fund’s entire portfolio and investment objectives.


(2)                 CREDIT RISK.  The Fund will be subject to the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of a counter-party to comply with the terms of a derivative instrument.  The counterparty risk for exchange-traded derivative instruments is generally less than for privately negotiated or OTC derivative instruments, since generally a clearing agency, (which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded instrument), provides a guarantee of performance for exchange-traded derivatives.  For privately negotiated instruments, there is no similar clearing agency guarantee.  In all transactions, the Fund will bear the risk that the counterparty will default, and this could result in a loss of the expected benefit of the derivative transaction and possibly other losses.  The Fund will enter into transactions in derivative instruments only with counterparties that the Advisor reasonably believes are capable of performing under the contract.  In certain circumstances, the Advisor will obtain collateral for the Fund from the counterparty to minimize this credit risk.


(3)                 CORRELATION RISK.  Correlation risk is the risk that there might be imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between price movements of an instrument and price movements of investments being hedged.  For example, if the value of a derivative instrument used in a short hedge (such as writing a call option, buying a put option or selling a futures contract) increased by less than the decline in value of the hedged investments, the hedge would not be perfectly correlated.  With a perfect hedge, the value of the combined position remains unchanged for any change in the price of the underlying asset.  With an imperfect hedge, the values of the derivative instrument and the associated hedge are not perfectly correlated.  When a derivative transaction is used to completely hedge another position, changes

 

 

9


 

in the market value of the combined position (the derivative instrument plus the position being hedged) result from an imperfect correlation between the price movements of the instruments and the position hedged.    Such a lack of correlation might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as speculative or other pressures on the markets in which these derivative instruments are traded.  The effectiveness of hedges using derivative instruments based on indices will depend, in part, on the degree of correlation between price movements in the index and price movements in the investments being hedged.

 

(4)                 LIQUIDITY RISK.  Derivatives are also subject to liquidity risk.  Liquidity risk is the risk that a derivative instrument cannot be sold, terminated early or replaced quickly at or very close to its market value.  Generally, exchange contracts are very liquid because the exchange clearinghouse is the counterparty of every contract.  OTC transactions are less liquid than exchange-traded derivatives since they often can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction. A Fund might be required by applicable regulatory requirements or by the derivative instrument to maintain assets as “cover,” maintain segregated accounts, designate assets on its books and records, post collateral and/or make margin payments when it takes positions in derivative instruments involving obligations to third parties (i.e., instruments other than purchased options).  If the Fund were unable to close out its positions in such instruments, it might be required to continue to maintain such assets, accounts or collateral or make such payments until the position expired, matured or was closed out.  The requirements might impair the Fund’s ability to sell a portfolio security or make an investment at a time when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or require that the Fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time.  A Fund’s ability to sell or close out a position in an instrument prior to expiration or maturity depends, in part, on the existence of a liquid secondary market for such derivative instruments or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the counterparty to enter into a transaction closing out the position.  Therefore, there is no assurance that any derivatives position can be sold or closed out at a time and price that is favorable to the Fund.


(5)                 LEGAL RISK.  Legal risk is the risk of loss caused by the legal unenforceability of a party’s obligations under the derivative instrument.  While a party seeking price certainty agrees to surrender the potential upside in exchange for downside protection, the party taking the risk is looking for a positive payoff.  Despite this voluntary assumption of risk, a counterparty that has lost money in a derivative transaction may try to avoid payment by exploiting various legal uncertainties about certain derivative instruments.


(6)                 SYSTEMIC OR “INTERCONNECTION” RISK.  Interconnection risk is the risk that a disruption in the financial markets will cause difficulties for all market participants.  In other words, a disruption in one market will spill over into other markets, perhaps creating a chain reaction.  Much of the OTC derivatives market takes place among the OTC dealers themselves, which creates a large interdependent web of financial obligations.  This interdependence raises the possibility that a default by one large dealer could create losses at other dealers and destabilize the entire market for OTC derivative instruments.


GENERAL LIMITATIONS.  The use of derivative instruments is subject to applicable regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the several options and futures exchanges upon which they may be traded, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and various state regulatory authorities.  In addition, the Fund’s ability to use derivative instruments may be limited by certain tax considerations.


The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has filed with the National Futures Association, a notice claiming an exemption from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” in accordance with Rule 4.5 under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”), as amended, and the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission promulgated thereunder, with respect to the Fund’s operation.  Accordingly, the Fund’s are not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA.


LEVERAGED DERIVATIVE TRANSACTIONS.  The SEC has identified certain trading practices involving derivative instruments that have the potential for leveraging the Fund’s assets in a manner that raises senior security issues as defined under the 1940 Act.  In order to avoid creating a senior security and

 

 

10


 

to limit the potential problems for leveraging of the Fund’s assets when the Fund invests in derivatives, the SEC has stated that the Fund may use coverage or designation of the Fund’s liquid assets.  To the extent required by SEC guidelines, the Fund will not enter into any such leveraging derivative transactions unless it owns either: (1) an offsetting (“covered”) position in securities, options, futures or derivative instruments; or (2) cash or liquid securities positions with a value sufficient at all times to cover its potential obligations to the counterparty to the extent that the position is not “covered.”  Assets designated on the Fund’s records cannot be sold while the related derivative position is open unless they are replaced with similar assets and such designated assets may be deemed illiquid.  As a result, the designation of a large portion of the Fund’s assets could impede portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

 

In some cases, the Fund may be required to maintain or limit exposure of a specified percentage of its assets to a particular asset class.  In such cases, when the Fund uses a derivative instrument to increase or decrease exposure to an asset class and is required by applicable SEC guidelines to designate liquid assets on its books and records to secure its obligations under such derivative instruments, the Advisor may, where reasonable in light of the circumstances, measure compliance with the applicable percentage by reference to the nature of the economic exposure created through the use of the derivative instrument and not by reference to the nature of the exposure arising from the liquid assets designated on the Fund’s books and records (unless another interpretation is specified by applicable regulatory requirements).


OPTIONS.  The Fund may use options for any lawful purpose consistent with its investment objectives such as hedging or managing risk.  An option is a contract in which the “holder” (the buyer) pays a certain amount (“premium”) to the “writer” (the seller) to obtain the right, but not the obligation, to buy from the writer (in a “call”) or sell to the writer (in a “put”) a specific asset at an agreed upon price (“strike price” or “exercise price”) at or before a certain time (“expiration date”).  The holder pays the premium at inception and has no further financial obligation.  The holder of an option will benefit from favorable movements in the price of the underlying asset but is not exposed to corresponding losses due to adverse movements in the value of the underlying asset.  The writer of an option will receive fees or premiums but is exposed to losses due to adverse changes in the value of the underlying asset.  The Fund may buy (hold) or write (sell) put and call options on assets, such as securities, currencies, financial commodities and indices of debt and equity securities (“underlying assets”) and enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate an existing position.  Options used by the Fund may include European, American and Bermuda style options.  If an option is exercisable only at maturity, it is a “European” option; if it is also exercisable prior to maturity, it is an “American” option and if it is exercisable only at certain times, it is a “Bermuda” option.


The Fund may hold (buy) and write (sell) put and call options on underlying assets and enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate an existing position.  The purchase of a call option serves as a long hedge, and the purchase of a put option serves as a short hedge.  Writing put or call options can enable the Fund to enhance income by reason of the premiums paid by the purchaser of such options.  Writing call options serves as a limited short hedge because declines in the value of the hedged investment would be offset to the extent of the premium received for writing the option.  However, if the security appreciates to a price higher than the exercise price of the call option, it can be expected that the option will be exercised and the Fund will be obligated to sell the security at less than its market value or will be obligated to purchase the security at a price greater than that at which the security must be sold under the option.  All or a portion of any assets used as cover for OTC options written by the Fund would be considered illiquid.  Writing put options serves as a limited long hedge because decreases in the value of the hedged investment would be offset to the extent of the premium received for writing the option.  However, if the security depreciates to a price lower than the exercise price of the put option, it can be expected that the put option will be exercised and the Fund will be obligated to purchase the security at more than its market value.


The value of an option position will reflect, among other things, the historical price volatility of the underlying investment, the current market value of the underlying investment, the time remaining until expiration, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price of the underlying investment and general market conditions.

 

11



The Fund may effectively terminate its right or obligation under an option by entering into a closing transaction.  For example, the Fund may terminate its obligation under a call or put option that it had written by purchasing an identical call or put option; this is known as a closing purchase transaction.  Conversely, the Fund may terminate a position in a put or call option it had purchased by writing an identical put or call option; this is known as a closing sale transaction.  Closing transactions permit the Fund to realize the profit or limit the loss on an option position prior to its exercise or expiration.


The Fund may purchase or write both exchange-traded and OTC options.  Exchange-traded options are issued by a clearing organization affiliated with the exchange on which the option is listed that, in effect, guarantees completion of every exchange-traded option transaction.  In contrast, OTC options are contracts between the Fund and the other party to the transaction (“counterparty”) (usually a securities dealer or a bank) with no clearing organization guarantee.  Thus, when the Fund purchases or writes an OTC option, it relies on the counterparty to make or take delivery of the underlying investment upon exercise of the option.  Failure by the counterparty to do so would result in the loss of any premium paid by the Fund as well as the loss of any expected benefit of the transaction.


A Fund’s ability to establish and close out positions in exchange-listed options depends on the existence of a liquid market.  The Fund intend to purchase or write only those exchange-traded options for which there appears to be a liquid secondary market.  However, there can be no assurance that such a market will exist at any particular time.  Closing transactions can be made for OTC options only by negotiating directly with the counterparty, or by a transaction in the secondary market if any such market exists.  Although the Fund will enter into OTC options only with counterparties that are expected to be capable of entering into closing transactions with the Fund, there is no assurance that the Fund will in fact be able to close out an OTC option at a favorable price prior to expiration.  In the event of insolvency of the counterparty, the Fund might be unable to close out an OTC option position at any time prior to its expiration.  If the Fund were unable to effect a closing transaction for an option it had purchased, it would have to exercise the option to realize any profit.


The Fund may engage in options transactions on indices in much the same manner as the options on securities discussed above, except the index options may serve as a hedge against overall fluctuations in the securities market represented by the relevant market index.


The writing and purchasing of options is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions.  Imperfect correlation between the options and securities markets may detract from the effectiveness of the attempted hedging.


SPREAD OPTION TRANSACTIONS.  The Fund may use spread transactions for any lawful purpose consistent with its investment objectives such as hedging or managing risk.  The Fund may purchase covered spread options from securities dealers.  Such covered spread options are not presently exchange-listed or exchange-traded.  The purchase of a spread option gives the Fund the right to put, or sell, a security that it owns at a fixed dollar spread or fixed yield spread in relation to another security that the Fund does not own, but which is used as a benchmark.  The risk to the Fund in purchasing covered spread options is the cost of the premium paid for the spread option and any transaction costs.  In addition, there is no assurance that closing transactions will be available.  The purchase of spread options will be used to protect the Fund against adverse changes in prevailing credit quality spreads, i.e., the yield spread between high quality and lower quality securities.  Such protection is only provided during the life of the spread option.


FUTURES CONTRACTS.  The Fund may use futures contracts for any lawful purpose consistent with its investment objectives such as hedging or managing risk. The Fund may enter into futures contracts, including, but not limited to, interest rate futures and index futures.  The Fund may also purchase put and call options, and write covered put and call options, on futures in which it is allowed to invest.  The purchase of futures or call options thereon can serve as a long hedge, and the sale of futures or the purchase of put options thereon can serve as a short hedge.  Writing covered call options on futures contracts can serve as a limited short hedge, and writing covered put options on futures contracts can serve as a limited

 

 

12


 

long hedge, using a strategy similar to that used for writing covered options in securities.  The Fund may also purchase and sell interest rate futures contracts on a short-term trading basis as a means of managing the duration of and interest rate exposure of the Fund.  The Fund may also write put options on futures contracts while at the same time purchasing call options on the same futures contracts in order to create synthetically a long futures contract position.  Such options would have the same strike prices and expiration dates.  The Fund will engage in this strategy only when the Advisor believes it is more advantageous to the Fund than purchasing the futures contract.


To the extent required by regulatory authorities, the Fund only enter into futures contracts that are traded on national futures exchanges and are standardized as to maturity date and underlying financial instrument.  Futures exchanges and trading are regulated under the CEA by the CFTC.  Although techniques other than sales and purchases of futures contracts could be used to reduce the Fund’s exposure to market or interest rate fluctuations, the Fund may be able to hedge its exposure more effectively and perhaps at a lower cost through the use of futures contracts.


An interest rate futures contract provides for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific financial instrument (e.g., debt security) for a specified price at a designated date, time and place.  An index futures contract is an agreement pursuant to which the parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to the difference between the value of the index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the index futures contract was originally written.  Transaction costs are incurred when a futures contract is bought or sold and margin deposits must be maintained.  A futures contract may be satisfied by delivery or purchase, as the case may be, of the instrument or by payment of the change in the cash value of the index.  More commonly, futures contracts are closed out prior to delivery by entering into an offsetting transaction in a matching futures contract.  Although the value of an index might be a function of the value of certain specified securities, no physical delivery of those securities is made.  If the offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a gain; if it is more, the Fund realizes a loss.  Conversely, if the offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a gain; if it is less, the Fund realizes a loss.  The transaction costs must also be included in these calculations.  There can be no assurance, however, that the Fund will be able to enter into an offsetting transaction with respect to a particular futures contract at a particular time.  If the Fund is not able to enter into an offsetting transaction, the Fund will continue to be required to maintain the margin deposits on the futures contract.

 

No price is paid by the Fund upon entering into a futures contract.  Instead, at the inception of a futures contract, a  Fund is required to deposit in a segregated account with its custodian, in the name of the futures broker through whom the transaction was effected, “initial margin” consisting of cash and/or other appropriate liquid assets in an amount generally equal to 10% or less of the contract value.  Margin must also be deposited when writing a call or put option on a futures contract, in accordance with applicable exchange rules.  Unlike margin in securities transactions, initial margin on futures contracts does not represent a borrowing, but rather is in the nature of a performance bond or good-faith deposit that is returned to the Fund at the termination of the transaction if all contractual obligations have been satisfied.  Under certain circumstances, such as periods of high volatility, the Fund may be required by an exchange to increase the level of its initial margin payment, and initial margin requirements might be increased generally in the future by regulatory action.


Subsequent “variation margin” payments are made to and from the futures broker daily as the value of the futures position varies, a process known as “marking to market.”  Variation margin does not involve borrowing, but rather represents a daily settlement of the Fund’s obligations to or from a futures broker.  When the Fund purchases an option on a future, the premium paid plus transaction costs is all that is at risk.  In contrast, when the Fund purchases or sells a futures contract or writes a call or put option thereon, it is subject to daily variation margin calls that could be substantial in the event of adverse price movements.  If the Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements, it might need to sell securities at a time when such sales are disadvantageous.  Purchasers and sellers of futures positions and options on futures can enter into offsetting closing transactions by selling or purchasing, respectively, an instrument identical to the instrument held or written.  Positions in futures and options on futures may be closed only on an exchange or board of trade that provides a secondary market.  The Fund intend to enter

 

 

13


 

into futures transactions only on exchanges or boards of trade where there appears to be a liquid secondary market.  However, there can be no assurance that such a market will exist for a particular contract at a particular time.


Under certain circumstances, futures exchanges may establish daily limits on the amount that the price of a future or option on a futures contract can vary from the previous day’s settlement price; once that limit is reached, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond the limit.  Daily price limits do not limit potential losses because prices could move to the daily limit for several consecutive days with little or no trading, thereby preventing liquidation of unfavorable positions.


If the Fund were unable to liquidate a futures or option on a futures contract position due to the absence of a liquid secondary market or the imposition of price limits, it could incur substantial losses.  A Fund would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the position.  In addition, except in the case of purchased options, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily variation margin payments and might be required to maintain the position being hedged by the future or option or to designate liquid assets on its books and records.


Certain characteristics of the futures market might increase the risk that movements in the prices of futures contracts or options on futures contracts might not correlate perfectly with movements in the prices of the investments being hedged.  For example, all participants in the futures and options on futures contracts markets are subject to daily variation margin calls and might be compelled to liquidate futures or options on futures contracts positions whose prices are moving unfavorably to avoid being subject to further calls.  These liquidations could increase price volatility of the instruments and distort the normal price relationship between the futures or options and the investments being hedged.  Also, because initial margin deposit requirements in the futures markets are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities markets, there might be increased participation by speculators in the futures markets.  This participation also might cause temporary price distortions.  In addition, activities of large traders in both the futures and securities markets involving arbitrage, “program trading” and other investment strategies might result in temporary price distortions.


Single-stock futures are futures traded on individual stocks.  When buying or selling single-stock futures, the Fund is obligated to fulfill the terms of the contract upon expiration, unless it offsets the position before then.  Single-stock futures carry higher margin requirements than regular futures contracts.  Trading single-stock futures also involves the risk of losing more than the Fund’s initial investment.


FOREIGN CURRENCY DERIVATIVES.  The Fund may purchase and sell foreign currency on a spot basis, and may use currency-related derivative instruments such as options on foreign currencies, futures on foreign currencies, options on futures on foreign currencies and forward currency contracts (i.e., an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a specified future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the contract date agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time the contract is entered into).  The Fund may use these instruments for hedging or any other lawful purpose consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives, including transaction hedging, anticipatory hedging, cross hedging, proxy hedging and position hedging.  A Fund’s use of currency-related derivative instruments will be directly related to the Fund’s current or anticipated portfolio securities, and the Fund may engage in transactions in currency-related derivative instruments as a means to protect against some or all of the effects of adverse changes in foreign currency exchange rates on its investment portfolio.  In general, if the currency in which a portfolio investment is denominated appreciates against the U.S. dollar, the dollar value of the security will increase.  Conversely, a decline in the exchange rate of the currency would adversely affect the value of the portfolio investment expressed in U.S. dollars.


For example, the Fund might use currency-related derivative instruments to “lock in” a U.S. dollar price for a portfolio investment, thereby enabling the Fund to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the subject foreign currency during the period between the date the security is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received.  The Fund also might use currency-related derivative instruments when the Advisor believes that one currency may experience a substantial movement against another currency, including the U.S. dollar,

 

 

14


 

and it may use currency-related derivative instruments to sell or buy the amount of the former foreign currency, approximating the value of some or all of the Fund’s portfolio securities denominated in such foreign currency.  Alternatively, where appropriate, the Fund may use currency-related derivative instruments to hedge all or part of its foreign currency exposure through the use of a basket of currencies or a proxy currency where such currency or currencies act as an effective proxy for other currencies.  The use of this basket hedging technique may be more efficient and economical than using separate currency-related derivative instruments for each currency exposure held by the Fund.  Furthermore, currency-related derivative instruments may be used for short hedges - for example, the Fund may sell a forward currency contract to lock in the U.S. dollar equivalent of the proceeds from the anticipated sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency.


In addition, the Fund may use a currency-related derivative instrument to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one foreign country to another foreign country where the Advisor believes that the foreign currency exposure purchased will appreciate relative to the U.S. dollar and thus better protect the Fund against the expected decline in the foreign currency exposure sold.  For example, if the Fund owns securities denominated in a foreign currency and the Advisor believes that currency will decline, it might enter into a forward contract to sell an appropriate amount of the first foreign currency, with payment to be made in a second foreign currency that the Advisor believes would better protect the Fund against the decline in the first security than would a U.S. dollar exposure.  Hedging transactions that use two foreign currencies are sometimes referred to as “cross hedges.”  The effective use of currency-related derivative instruments by the Fund in a cross hedge is dependent upon a correlation between price movements of the two currency instruments and the underlying security involved, and the use of two currencies magnifies the risk that movements in the price of one instrument may not correlate or may correlate unfavorably with the foreign currency being hedged.  Such a lack of correlation might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the currency instruments used or investments being hedged, such as speculative or other pressures on the markets in which these instruments are traded.


A Fund also might seek to hedge against changes in the value of a particular currency when no hedging instruments on that currency are available or such hedging instruments are more expensive than certain other hedging instruments.  In such cases, the Fund may hedge against price movements in that currency by entering into transactions using currency-related derivative instruments on another foreign currency or a basket of currencies, the values of which the Advisor believes will have a high degree of positive correlation to the value of the currency being hedged.  The risk that movements in the price of the hedging instrument will not correlate perfectly with movements in the price of the currency being hedged is magnified when this strategy is used.


The use of currency-related derivative instruments by the Fund involves a number of risks.  The value of currency-related derivative instruments depends on the value of the underlying currency relative to the U.S. dollar.  Because foreign currency transactions occurring in the interbank market might involve substantially larger amounts than those involved in the use of such derivative instruments, the Fund could be disadvantaged by having to deal in the odd lot market (generally consisting of transactions of less than $1 million) for the underlying foreign currencies at prices that are less favorable than for round lots (generally consisting of transactions of greater than $1 million).


There is no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies or any regulatory requirement that quotations available through dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis.  Quotation information generally is representative of very large transactions in the interbank market and thus might not reflect odd-lot transactions where rates might be less favorable.  The interbank market in foreign currencies is a global, round-the-clock market.  To the extent the U.S. options or futures markets are closed while the markets for the underlying currencies remain open, significant price and rate movements might take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the markets for the derivative instruments until they re-open.


Settlement of transactions in currency-related derivative instruments might be required to take place within the country issuing the underlying currency.  Thus, the Fund might be required to accept or make delivery of the underlying foreign currency in accordance with any U.S. or foreign regulations regarding the

 

 

15


 

maintenance of foreign banking arrangements by U.S. residents and might be required to pay any fees, taxes and charges associated with such delivery assessed in the issuing country.


When the Fund engages in a transaction in a currency-related derivative instrument, it relies on the counterparty to make or take delivery of the underlying currency at the maturity of the contract or otherwise complete the contract.  In other words, the Fund will be subject to the risk that a loss may be sustained by the Fund as a result of the failure of the counterparty to comply with the terms of the transaction.  The counterparty risk for exchange-traded instruments is generally less than for privately negotiated or OTC currency instruments, since generally a clearing agency, which is the issuer or counterparty to each instrument, provides a guarantee of performance.  For privately negotiated instruments, there is no similar clearing agency guarantee.  In all transactions, the Fund will bear the risk that the counterparty will default, and this could result in a loss of the expected benefit of the transaction and possibly other losses to the Fund.  A Fund will enter into transactions in currency-related derivative instruments only with counterparties that the Advisor reasonably believes are capable of performing under the contract.

 

Purchasers and sellers of currency-related derivative instruments may enter into offsetting closing transactions by selling or purchasing, respectively, an instrument identical to the instrument purchased or sold.  Secondary markets generally do not exist for forward currency contracts, with the result that closing transactions generally can be made for forward currency contracts only by negotiating directly with the counterparty.  Thus, there can be no assurance that the Fund will in fact be able to close out a forward currency contract (or any other currency-related derivative instrument) at a time and price favorable to the Fund.  In addition, in the event of insolvency of the counterparty, the Fund might be unable to close out a forward currency contract at any time prior to maturity.  In the case of an exchange-traded instrument, the Fund will be able to close the position out only on an exchange that provides a market for the instruments.  The ability to establish and close out positions on an exchange is subject to the maintenance of a liquid market, and there can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist for any instrument at any specific time.  In the case of a privately negotiated instrument, the Fund will be able to realize the value of the instrument only by entering into a closing transaction with the issuer or finding a third party buyer for the instrument.  While the Fund will enter into privately negotiated transactions only with entities that are expected to be capable of entering into a closing transaction, there can be no assurance that the Fund will in fact be able to enter into such closing transactions.


The precise matching of currency-related derivative instrument amounts and the value of the portfolio securities involved generally will not be possible because the value of such securities, measured in the foreign currency, will change after the currency-related derivative instrument position has been established.  Thus, the Fund might need to purchase or sell foreign currencies in the spot (cash) market.  The projection of short-term currency market movements is extremely difficult, and the successful execution of a short-term hedging strategy is highly uncertain.


Permissible foreign currency options will include options traded primarily in the OTC market.  Although options on foreign currencies are traded primarily in the OTC market, the Fund will normally purchase or sell OTC options on foreign currency only when the Advisor reasonably believes a liquid secondary market will exist for a particular option at any specific time.


There will be a cost to the Fund of engaging in transactions in currency-related derivative instruments that will vary with factors such as the contract or currency involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing.  A Fund may have to pay a fee or commission for using these instruments or, in cases where the instruments are entered into on a principal basis, foreign exchange dealers or other counterparties will realize a profit based on the difference (“spread”) between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies.  Thus, for example, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency to the Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the Fund desire to resell that currency to the dealer.


When required by the SEC guidelines, the Fund will designate liquid assets on its books and records to cover potential obligations under currency-related derivative instruments.  To the extent the Fund’s assets

 

 

16


 

are so set aside, they cannot be sold while the corresponding currency position is open, unless they are replaced with similar assets.  As a result, if a large portion of the Fund’s assets is so set aside, this could impede portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

 

The Advisor’s decision to engage in a transaction in a particular currency-related derivative instrument will reflect the Advisor’s judgment that the transaction will provide value to the Fund and its shareholders and is consistent with the Fund’s objectives and policies.  In making such a judgment, the Advisor will analyze the benefits and risks of the transaction and weigh them in the context of the Fund’s entire portfolio and objectives.  The effectiveness of any transaction in a currency-related derivative instrument is dependent on a variety of factors, including the Advisor’s skill in analyzing and predicting currency values and upon a correlation between price movements of the currency instrument and the underlying security.  There might be imperfect correlation, or even no correlation, between price movements of an instrument and price movements of investments being hedged.  Such a lack of correlation might occur due to factors unrelated to the value of the investments being hedged, such as speculative or other pressures on the markets in which these instruments are traded.  In addition, the Fund’s use of currency-related derivative instruments is always subject to the risk that the currency in question could be devalued by the foreign government.  In such a case, any long currency positions would decline in value and could adversely affect any hedging position maintained by the Fund.


The Fund’s dealing in currency-related derivative instruments will generally be limited to the transactions described above.  However, the Fund reserve the right to use currency-related derivative instruments for different purposes and under different circumstances.  Of course, the Fund are not required to use currency-related derivative instruments and will not do so unless deemed appropriate by the Advisor.  It also should be realized that use of these instruments does not eliminate, or protect against, price movements in the Fund’s securities that are attributable to other (i.e., non-currency related) causes.  Moreover, while the use of currency-related derivative instruments may reduce the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of a hedged currency, at the same time the use of these instruments tends to limit any potential gain that may result from an increase in the value of that currency.


“SWAP” DERIVATIVE TRANSACTIONS.  The Fund may enter into interest rate, credit default, securities index, commodity or security and currency exchange rate swap agreements for any lawful purpose consistent with the Fund’s investment objective, such as for the purpose of attempting to obtain, enhance or preserve a particular desired return or spread at a lower cost to the Fund than if the Fund had invested directly in an instrument that yielded that desired return or spread.  A Fund also may enter into swaps in order to protect against an increase in the price of, or the currency exchange rate applicable to, securities that the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date.  Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to several years.  In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments.  The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are calculated with respect to a “notional amount” (i.e., the amount or value of the underlying asset used in computing the particular interest rate, return or other amount to be exchanged) in a particular foreign currency, or in a “basket” of securities representing a particular index.  Swap agreements may include (1) interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate, or “cap;” (2) interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified level, or “floor” and (3) interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor, or vice versa, in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels or “collar” amounts.


The “notional amount” of the swap agreement is the agreed upon amount or value of the underlying asset used for calculating the obligations that the parties to a swap agreement have agreed to exchange.  For most swap agreements entered into by the Fund, the obligations of the parties would be exchanged on a “net basis.”  Consequently, the Fund’s obligation (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative notional values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (“net amount”) and not the notional amount differences

 

 

17


 

themselves.  A Fund’s obligation under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against amounts owed to the Fund) and any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty will be covered by designating liquid assets on the Fund’s books and records.

 

Whether the Fund’s use of swap agreements will be successful in furthering its investment objectives will depend, in part, on the Advisor’s ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments and the changes in the future values, indices or rates covered by the swap agreement.  Swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid.  Moreover, the Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty.  A Fund will enter into swap agreements only with counterparties that the Advisor reasonably believes are capable of performing under the swap agreements.  If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, the Fund will have to rely on its contractual remedies (which may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws) pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction.  Certain restrictions imposed on the Fund by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (“IRC”) may limit the Fund’s ability to use swap agreements.  The swaps market is largely unregulated.


CREDIT DERIVATIVES.  Credit derivatives are a form of derivative that are divided into two basic types, credit default swaps and total return swaps, and are usually governed by the standard ISDA Master Agreement terms and conditions.  A credit default swap involves a protection buyer and a protection seller.  The Fund may be either a protection buyer or seller.  The protection buyer makes periodic premium payments to the protection seller during the swap term in exchange for the protection seller agreeing to make certain defined payments to the protection buyer in the event that certain defined credit events occur with respect to a particular security, issuer or basket of securities.  A total return swap involves a total return receiver and a total return payor.  The Fund may either be a total return receiver or payor.  Generally, the total return payor sells to the total return receiver an amount equal to all cash flows and price appreciation on a defined security or asset payable at periodic times during the swap term (i.e., credit risk) in return for a periodic payment from the total return receiver based on a designated index (e.g., the London Interbank Offer Rate (“LIBOR”)) and spread plus the amount of any price depreciation on the reference security or asset.  The total return payor does not need to own the underlying security or asset to enter into a total return swap.  The final payment at the end of the swap term includes final settlement of the current market price of the underlying reference security or asset, and payment by the applicable party for any appreciation or depreciation in value.  Usually, collateral must be posted by the total return receiver to secure the periodic interest-based and market price depreciation payments depending on the credit quality of the underlying reference security and creditworthiness of the total return receiver, and the collateral amount is marked-to-market daily equal to the market price of the underlying reference security or asset between periodic payment dates.  Another type of credit derivative is the credit-linked notes and other forms of debt obligations with an embedded credit default swap component.  In this type of credit derivative, payments of principal and interest are linked to the performance of one or more reference debt securities or assets.  In all of these credit derivative transactions, the same general risks of derivative transactions are present, but they offer greater risks of imperfect correlation between the performance and price of the underlying reference security or asset, and the general performance of the designated interest rate or index which is the basis for the periodic payment.  If the Fund writes a credit default swap, it receives a premium up front but the Fund’s exposure under the credit default swap is a form of leverage and will be subject to the restrictions on leveraged derivatives discussed above.

 

ADDITIONAL DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND STRATEGIES.  In addition to the derivative instruments and strategies described above and in the Prospectus, the Advisor expects to use additional derivative instruments and to employ other hedging or risk management techniques using derivatives.  The Advisor may utilize these new derivative instruments and techniques to the extent that they are consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives and permitted by the Fund’s investment limitations, operating policies and applicable regulatory authorities.


I.           Exchange-Traded Funds.  The Fund may invest in Exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”).  ETFs represent shares of ownership in mutual funds, or unit investment trusts (“UITs”), that hold portfolios of securities that closely track the performance and dividend yield of specific domestic or foreign market

 

 

18


 

indices.  An index-based ETF seeks to track the performance of a particular index by holding in its portfolio either the contents of the index or a representative sample of the securities in the index.  Unlike typical open-end mutual funds or UITs, ETFs do not sell or redeem their individual shares at net asset value (“NAV”).  Instead, ETFs sell and redeem their shares at NAV only in large blocks (such as 50,000 shares).  In addition, national securities exchanges list ETF shares for trading, which allow investors to purchase and sell individual ETF shares among themselves at market prices throughout the day.  ETFs therefore possess characteristics of traditional open-end mutual funds and UITs, which issue redeemable shares, and of closed-end mutual funds, which generally issue shares that trade at negotiated prices on national securities exchanges and are not redeemable.  


The Fund expect to use ETFs as part of its overall investment strategy, which may include yield enhancement and as part of its hedging strategy.  ETFs other than those related to the fixed income sector may be used for yield enhancement purposes.  For example, to offset the risk of declining security prices, the Fund may invest in inverse ETFs.  Inverse ETFs are funds designed to rise in price when stock or other security prices are falling.  Consequently, an investment in an inverse ETF is economically similar to a short-sale position.  Inverse ETFs seek daily investment results, before fees and expenses that will match a certain percentage of the inverse (opposite) of the daily performance of a specific benchmark.  For example, if an ETF's current benchmark is 100% of the inverse of the Russell 2000 Index and the ETF meets its objective, the value of the ETF will tend to increase on a daily basis when the value of the underlying index decreases (if the Russell 2000 Index goes down 5% then the ETF’s value should go up 5%).  Conversely, when the value of the underlying index increases, the value of the ETF’s shares tend to decrease on a daily basis (if the Russell 2000 Index goes up 5% then the fund’s value should go down 5%).  Positions in inverse securities are speculative and can be more risky than "long" positions (purchases).  


Additionally, long and inverse ETFs may employ leverage, which magnifies the changes in the underlying stock or other index upon which they are based.  For example, if an inverse ETF’s current benchmark is 200% of the inverse of the Russell 2000 Index and the ETF meets its objective, the value of the ETF will tend to increase on a daily basis by a factor of two when the value of the underlying index decreases (e.g., if the Russell 2000 Index goes down 5% then the inverse ETF’s value should go up 10%).  You should be aware that any strategy that includes inverse securities could suffer significant losses because of the return magnifying effect of leverage.


ETF shares may trade at a discount or a premium in market price if there is a limited market in such shares.  Investments in ETFs are also subject to brokerage and other trading costs, which could result in greater expenses to the Fund.  ETFs are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund.  As a result, your cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest exclusively in stocks and bonds.  Also, because the value of ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, the Advisor may not be able to liquidate the Fund’s holdings at the most optimal time, adversely affecting the Fund’s performance.


J.           Foreign Investment Companies.   The Fund may invest, to a limited extent, in foreign investment companies.  Some of the countries in which the Fund invest may not permit direct investment by outside investors.  Investments in such countries may only be permitted through foreign government-approved or -authorized investment vehicles, which may include other investment companies.  In addition, it may be less expensive and more expedient for the Fund to invest in a foreign investment company in a country that permits direct foreign investment.  Investing through such vehicles may involve frequent or layered fees or expenses and may also be subject to limitation under the 1940 Act.  Under the 1940 Act, the Fund may invest up to 10% of its assets in shares of other investment companies and up to 5% of its assets in any one investment company as long as the investment does not represent more than 3% of the voting stock of the acquired investment company.  The Fund do not intend to invest in such investment companies unless, in the judgment of the Advisor, the potential benefits of such investments justify the payment of any associated fees and expenses.


K.           Foreign Securities.  Foreign securities are securities issued by a foreign government or securities issued by a company incorporated in a foreign country.  Investing in foreign securities involves certain risks not present in investing in U.S. securities, and many of these risks are discussed below.  For example, many of the foreign securities held by the Fund will not be registered with the SEC, nor will the foreign

 

 

19


 

issuers be subject to SEC reporting requirements.  Accordingly, the Fund have the risk of obtaining less publicly available information concerning these foreign issuers and foreign securities than is available concerning U.S. issuers.  In addition, the Fund have the risk that disclosure, reporting and regulatory standards for foreign issuers may be less stringent in certain foreign countries (especially emerging market countries) than in the U.S. and other major markets.  There also may be a lower level of effective government regulation of emerging markets and the activities of investors in such markets, and enforcement of existing regulations in these emerging markets may be extremely limited.  Foreign companies, and in particular, companies in smaller and emerging capital markets, are not generally subject to the same uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards as in the U.S. and other developed countries.  The Fund also have the risk that its net investment income and capital gains from its foreign investment activities may be subject to non-U.S. withholding taxes.

 

Foreign securities may be subject to the instability of foreign governments and/or their relationship with the U.S. government (including concerns over nationalization of U.S. assets); unilateral actions of the foreign government about payment of its own debt or restricting payments of foreign company debt and unilateral actions of the U.S. government with respect to treaties, trade, capital flows, immigration and taxation with that foreign country or affecting that foreign company.


A Fund’s costs attributable to investing in foreign securities may be higher than those attributable to domestic investments- and this is particularly true with respect to investments in emerging capital markets.  For example, the Fund’s cost of maintaining custody of its foreign securities usually exceeds its custodial costs for domestic securities; and the Fund’s transaction and settlement costs of for foreign securities usually are higher than those attributable to domestic investing.  A Fund’s costs associated with the exchange of and hedging foreign currencies also make investing in foreign securities more expensive than domestic investments.  A Fund’s investment income on certain foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding or other foreign taxes that could reduce the Fund’s total return on its investments in foreign securities.  Tax treaties between the U.S. and certain foreign countries, however, may reduce or eliminate the amount of foreign tax to which the Fund would be subject.


Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures.  In certain foreign markets, there have been times when settlements have failed to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult for the Fund to conduct or timely settle such transactions.  Delays in foreign settlement could result in unexpected, temporary periods when the Fund’s assets are uninvested and are earning no investment return.  The Fund’s inability to make and timely settle foreign security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss foreign investment opportunities.  On the sell-side, the Fund’s inability to dispose of a foreign security due to settlement problems could result either in unexpected losses to the Fund (due to subsequent declines in the value of such foreign security) or, if the Fund is unable to deliver the foreign security to the purchaser, could result in the Fund’s possible liability to the purchaser.


In addition, the Fund’s investment in any security payable in a foreign currency is subject to the risk of changes in the value of the U.S. dollar versus the value of the foreign currency.


Non-foreign securities may also be directly or indirectly subject to foreign risks because of, for example, the issuer’s affiliation with a foreign company or the multinational nature of the issuer’s operations.  The type and aggregate level of foreign risk can vary significantly between individual securities held by the Fund.  A summary of certain common types of debt-obligations affected by foreign risks is presented below:


NON-DOLLAR BONDS (INTERNATIONAL BONDS).  Foreign governments, U.S. and international agencies and corporations may issue debt instruments with interest and/or principal payable in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.  These types of debt instruments are usually known as “non-dollar bonds.”  For U.S.-based investors, these non-dollar bonds entail foreign currency risk as described above.  While some foreign currencies tend to trade in a moderate range versus the U.S. dollar, other foreign currencies may exhibit dramatic and/or unexpected increases or decreases in value relative to the U.S. dollar.  Freely floating foreign currencies have no limit on the degree of appreciation or depreciation they may

 

 

20


 

experience.  Even foreign currencies which are managed by foreign governments and central banks to track the value of the U.S. dollar or a “basket” of securities (“managed float” or “peg”) can in fact gain or lose value in U.S. dollar terms.  Such managed currency arrangements can break down at any time, resulting in significant U.S. dollar valuation swings for those non-dollar bonds paying in these foreign currencies.  While the most common issuers of non-dollar bonds are domiciled outside the United States, U.S entities can choose to offer bonds payable in foreign currencies.

 

YANKEE BONDS.  “Yankee” bonds are debt instruments issued and/or registered in the United States by non-U.S. borrowers (also called “Yankee issuers”) paying interest and principal in U.S. dollars.  Yankee issuers may have significant operations or entire subsidiaries located in the United States, or they may have U.S. funding arms, but no U.S. business operations.  U.S. holders of Yankee bonds are not directly subject to foreign currency risk, but exchange rate movements may have an indirect influence on the market price of Yankee bonds since they impact the financial condition of the Yankee issuer.  For example, a Canadian-based company raising capital in the U.S. market by issuing Yankee bonds could face a change in its business results (and therefore its creditworthiness) due to a change in the value of the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar.  Yankee bonds may also be subject to foreign, political, legal, accounting, regulatory and disclosure risks discussed above.


U.S. SUBSIDIARY BONDS.  A U.S. subsidiary bond is a debt instrument issued by a U.S. operating company which is owned, directly or indirectly, by a foreign company.  Like Yankee bonds, U.S. subsidiary bonds are payable in U.S. dollars, and consequently avoid direct foreign currency risk for U.S. holders.  However, as with Yankee bonds, the creditworthiness of the U.S. subsidiary issuing the bonds (and market value of the U.S. subsidiary’s bonds) can be influenced by foreign currency movements and the other foreign risk factors noted above to the extent that the foreign parent company’s business prospects are affected by such foreign risks.


U.S. MULTI-NATIONAL BONDS.  A U.S. multi-national bond is a debt instrument issued in the U.S. by a subsidiary of a multi-national company (which multi-national company is domiciled in the United States).  The issuing subsidiary could be domiciled in the U.S. or in a foreign country, and could be either an operating subsidiary or a funding vehicle for the multi-national parent company.  A U.S. multi-national bond can be issued in U.S. dollars or other foreign currencies.  If issued by the subsidiary company in a foreign currency, a U.S. multi-national bond embodies the same foreign currency risks described above for non-dollar bonds.  If issued by the subsidiary in U.S. dollars, there is no direct foreign currency risk for U.S. investors, but indirect foreign currency risks affecting the multi-national operations of the parent company remain.  Many U.S. multi-national companies derive a greater share of revenues and earnings from foreign activities than from U.S. operations.  Consequently, financial results and the creditworthiness of these U.S. multi-national companies (and the market value of the debt instruments issued by their subsidiaries) can be affected (to a greater or lesser extent) by the foreign risk factors described above.


U.S. DOLLAR FOREIGN BONDS.  U.S. dollar foreign bonds are debt instruments issued by foreign governments, supra-national foreign organizations, foreign subsidiaries of U.S. multinational companies, foreign corporations and offshore registered entities payable in U.S. dollars.  Principal and interest on these bonds are payable in U.S. dollars, so there is no direct foreign currency risk for U.S. holders.  However, indirect foreign currency risk and the other foreign risk factors may apply to the foreign issuers of these U.S. dollar foreign bonds, and affect the market value of these bonds.  (Note: These foreign issuers of U.S. dollar foreign bonds may also have U.S. subsidiaries or a U.S. parent that issue debt instruments themselves.  Accordingly, it is not uncommon that one multi-national company may issue bonds both at its subsidiary level and at its parent level and, depending if the issuer is a U.S. entity or a foreign entity, one bond could be categorized as a “foreign security” while the other bond categorized as a U.S. security).

 

L.           Governmental/Municipal Obligations.


IN GENERAL.  Municipal obligations are debt obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States (including the District of Columbia) and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities.  Municipal obligations generally include debt obligations issued to obtain funds for various public purposes.  Certain types of municipal obligations are issued in whole or in part to obtain funding for privately operated facilities or projects.  Municipal obligations include general

 

 

21


 

obligation bonds, revenue bonds, industrial development bonds, notes and municipal lease obligations.  Municipal obligations also include additional obligations, the interest on which is exempt from federal income tax, that may become available in the future as long as the Board of the Fund determines that an investment in any such type of obligation is consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives.  Municipal obligations may be fully or partially backed by local government, the credit of a private issuer, current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or domestic or foreign entities providing credit support such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance.


BONDS AND NOTES.  General obligation bonds are secured by the issuer’s pledge of its full faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of interest and principal.  Revenue bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a project or facility or from the proceeds of a specified revenue source.  Industrial development bonds are generally revenue bonds secured by payments from and the credit of private users.  Municipal notes are issued to meet the short-term funding requirements of state, regional and local governments.  Municipal notes include tax anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes, revenue anticipation notes, tax and revenue anticipation notes, construction loan notes, short-term discount notes, tax-exempt commercial paper, demand notes and similar instruments.


MUNICIPAL LEASE OBLIGATIONS.  Municipal lease obligations may take the form of a lease, an installment purchase or a conditional sales contract.  They are issued by state and local governments and authorities to acquire land, equipment and facilities, such as vehicles, telecommunications and computer equipment and other capital assets.  The Fund may purchase these lease obligations directly, or it may purchase participation interests in such lease obligations (See “Participation Interests” section). States have different requirements for issuing municipal debt and issuing municipal leases.  Municipal leases are generally subject to greater risks than general obligation or revenue bonds because they usually contain a “non-appropriation” clause, which provides that the issuer is not obligated to make payments on the obligation in future years unless funds have been appropriated for this purpose each year.  Such non-appropriation clauses are required to avoid the municipal lease obligations from being treated as debt for state debt restriction purposes.  Accordingly, such obligations are subject to “non-appropriation” risk.  Municipal leases may be secured by the underlying capital asset and it may be difficult to dispose of any such asset in the event of non-appropriation or other default.


MORTGAGE-BACKED BONDS.  A Fund’s investments in municipal obligations may include mortgage-backed municipal obligations, which are a type of municipal security issued by a state, authority or municipality to provide financing for residential housing mortgages to target groups, generally low-income individuals who are first-time home buyers.  The Fund’s interest, evidenced by such obligations, is an undivided interest in a pool of mortgages.  Payments made on the underlying mortgages and passed through to the Fund will represent both regularly scheduled principal and interest payments.  The Fund may also receive additional principal payments representing prepayments of the underlying mortgages.  While a certain level of prepayments can be expected, regardless of the interest rate environment, it is anticipated that prepayment of the underlying mortgages will accelerate in periods of declining interest rates.  In the event that the Fund receives principal prepayments in a declining interest-rate environment, its reinvestment of such funds may be in bonds with a lower yield.

 

PARTICIPATION INTERESTS.  A participation interest gives the Fund an undivided interest in a municipal debt obligation in the proportion that the Fund’s participation interest bears to the principal amount of the underlying obligation.  These underlying obligations may have fixed-, floating-, or variable-rates of interest.  The Fund will only purchase participation interests if accompanied by an opinion of counsel that the interest earned on the underlying municipal obligations will be federal tax-exempt.  If the Fund purchases unrated participation interests, the Board or its delegate must have determined that the credit risk is equivalent to the rated obligations in which the Fund may invest.  Participation interests may be backed by a letter of credit or repurchase obligation of the selling institution.  When determining whether such a participation interest meets the Fund’s credit quality requirements, the Fund may look to the credit quality of any financial guarantor providing a letter of credit or guaranty.


PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES.  The Fund may also invest in pass-through certificates or securities issued by partnerships and grantor trusts.  These securities allow the Fund to receive principal and interest payments on underlying obligations and such securities may have fixed-, floating-, or variable-rates of

 

 

22


 

interest.  The pass-through certificates may be backed by a letter of credit, guarantee or liquidity provider and, if the pass-through certificate is intended to be a tax-exempt security, it is generally accompanied by an opinion of counsel that the interest on the pass-through certificates will be exempt from federal income tax.  The Fund may only invest in these securities if they meet the Fund’s credit-quality and eligibility requirements.


M.           High-Yield Securities.


IN GENERAL.  Non-investment grade debt obligations (“lower-quality securities”) include (1) debt obligations rated between BB and C by Moody’s Investor Services (“Moody’s”), Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group (“S&P”) and comparable ratings of other NRSROs; (2) commercial paper rated as low as C by S&P, Not Prime by Moody’s and comparable ratings of other NRSROs and (3) unrated debt obligations of comparable credit-quality as determined by the Advisor.  Lower-quality securities, while generally offering higher yields than investment grade securities with similar maturities, involve greater risks, including the possibility of default or bankruptcy of the obligor.  They are regarded as predominantly speculative and present a significant risk for loss of principal and interest.  The special risk considerations in connection with investments in these securities are discussed below.


EFFECT OF INTEREST RATES.  The lower-quality and comparable unrated security market is relatively new and its growth has paralleled a long economic expansion.  As a result, it is not clear how this market may withstand a prolonged recession or economic downturn.  Such conditions could severely disrupt the market for and adversely affect the value of such securities.


All fixed interest-bearing securities typically experience appreciation when interest rates decline and depreciation when interest rates rise.  The market values of lower-quality and comparable unrated securities tend to reflect individual corporate developments to a greater extent than do higher rated securities (which react primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates).  Lower-quality and comparable unrated securities also tend to be more sensitive to economic conditions than are higher-rated securities.  As a result, they generally involve more credit risks than securities in the higher-rated categories.  During an economic downturn or a sustained period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers of lower-quality and comparable unrated securities may experience financial stress and may not have sufficient revenues to meet their payment obligations.  The issuer’s ability to service its debt obligations may also be adversely affected by specific corporate developments, the issuer’s inability to meet specific projected business forecasts or the unavailability of additional financing.  The risk of loss due to default by an issuer of these securities is significantly greater than issuers of higher-rated securities because such securities may be unsecured and may be subordinated to other creditors.  Further, if the issuer of a lower-quality or comparable unrated security defaulted, the Fund might incur additional expenses to seek recovery.  Periods of economic uncertainty and changes would also generally result in increased volatility in the market prices of these securities and thus in the Fund’s NAV.

 

DECREASED FUND LIQUIDITY.  As previously stated, the value of a lower-quality or comparable unrated security will decrease in a rising interest rate market and accordingly, so will the Fund’s NAV.  If the Fund experiences unexpected net redemptions in such a market, it may be forced to liquidate a portion of its portfolio securities without regard to their investment merits.  Due to the limited liquidity of lower-quality and comparable unrated securities (discussed below), the Fund may be forced to liquidate these securities at a substantial discount to its existing market value to meet redemptions.  Any such redemption would force the Fund to sell the more liquid portion of its portfolio.


PREPAYMENT RISK.  Lower-quality and comparable unrated securities typically bear higher rates of interest than higher- and medium- quality securities, and generally contain redemption, call or prepayment provisions that permit the issuer of such securities containing such provisions to, at its discretion, redeem the securities.  During periods of falling interest rates, issuers of these securities are likely to redeem or prepay the securities and refinance them with debt securities with a lower interest rate.  To the extent an issuer is able to refinance the securities, or otherwise redeem them, the Fund may have to replace the securities with a lower yielding security, which would result in a lower return for the Fund.

 

23



CREDIT RATINGS.  Credit ratings issued by NRSROs are designed to evaluate the ability of obligors to make principal and interest payments on rated securities.  They do not, however, evaluate the overall risk of owning lower-quality securities and, therefore, may not fully reflect the true risks of this type of 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 condition of the issuer that affect the market value of the security.  Consequently, credit ratings are used only as a preliminary indicator of investment quality.  Investments in lower-quality and comparable unrated obligations will be more dependent on the Advisor’s credit analysis than would be the case with investments in investment-grade debt obligations.  The Advisor employs its own credit research and analysis, which includes a study of existing debt, capital structure, ability to service debt and to pay dividends, the issuer’s sensitivity to economic conditions, its operating history, its industry and the current trend of earnings.  The Advisor periodically monitors the investments in the Fund’s portfolio and carefully evaluates whether to dispose of or to retain lower-quality and comparable unrated securities whose credit ratings or credit quality may have changed.


LIQUIDITY AND VALUATION.  The Fund may have difficulty disposing of certain lower-quality and comparable unrated securities because there may be a thin trading market for such securities or they may be illiquid.  Because not all dealers maintain markets in all lower-quality and comparable unrated securities, there is no established retail secondary market for many of these securities.  The Fund anticipates that such securities could be sold only to a limited number of dealers or institutional investors.  To the extent a secondary trading market does exist in these lower-quality (and comparable unrated) securities, it is generally not as liquid as the secondary market for higher-rated securities.  The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an adverse impact on the market price of the security.  As a result, the Fund’s NAV and ability to dispose of particular securities, when necessary to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event, may be impacted.  The lack of a liquid secondary market for certain securities may also make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing these securities held in the Fund’s portfolio.  Market quotations are generally available on many lower-quality and comparable unrated issues only from a limited number of dealers and may not necessarily represent firm bids of such dealers or prices for actual sales.  During periods of thin trading, the spread between bid and asked prices is likely to increase significantly which can lead to lower reliability of broker price quotations.  In addition, adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of lower-quality and comparable unrated securities, especially in a thinly traded market.


LEGISLATION.  Legislation may be adopted, from time to time, designed to limit the use of certain lower-quality and comparable unrated securities as permissible investments.  It is anticipated that if additional legislation is enacted or proposed, it could have a material effect on the value of these securities and the existence of a secondary trading market for the securities.


N.           Inflation-Indexed Securities.  The Fund may invest in inflation-indexed securities, which have a final value and interest payment stream linked to the inflation rate.  The index for measuring the inflation rate for these securities is typically the non-seasonally adjusted Consumer Price Index published monthly by the U.S. Department of Labor- Bureau of Labor Statistics.  By offering interest and principal payments linked to inflation, these securities attempt to protect the future purchasing power of the money invested in them.  However, inflation-indexed securities provide this protected return only if held to maturity.  In addition, inflation-indexed securities may not trade at par value.  Real interest rates (the market rate of interest adjusted for inflation) change over time as a result of many factors, such as expected domestic economic output.  When real interest rates do change, inflation-indexed securities prices may be more sensitive to these changes than conventional bonds.  Should market expectations for real interest rates rise, the price of inflation-indexed securities may fall.  In addition, inflation-indexed securities may not be as widely traded as fixed-principal securities.  This lesser liquidity may result in the Fund experiencing higher transaction costs when purchasing and selling these securities.


O.           Maturity.  A Fund’s average effective portfolio maturity represents an average based on the actual stated maturity dates of the debt securities in the Fund’s portfolio, except that (1) variable-rate securities are deemed to mature at the next interest-rate adjustment date, unless subject to a demand feature, (2) variable-rate securities subject to a demand feature are deemed to mature on the longer of the next

 

 

24


 

interest-rate adjustment date or the date on which principal can be recovered through demand, (3) floating-rate securities subject to a demand feature are deemed to mature on the date on which the principal can be recovered through demand, (4) the maturity of mortgage-backed and certain other asset-backed securities is determined on an “expected life” basis by the Advisor and (5) securities being hedged with futures contracts may be deemed to have a longer maturity, in the case of purchases of futures contracts, and a shorter maturity, in the case of sales of futures contracts, than they would otherwise be deemed to have.  In addition, a security that is subject to redemption at the option of the issuer on a particular date (“call date”), which is prior to the security’s stated maturity, may be deemed to mature on the call date rather than on its stated maturity date.  The call date of a security will be used to calculate average effective portfolio maturity when the Advisor reasonably anticipates, based upon information available to it, that the issuer will exercise its right to redeem the security.  The average effective portfolio maturity of the Fund is dollar-weighted based upon the market value of the Fund’s securities at the time of the calculation.

 

The Fund may utilize puts which are provided on a “best efforts” or similar basis (a “soft put”) to shorten the maturity of securities when the Advisor reasonably believes, based upon information available to it at the time the security is acquired, that the issuer of the soft put has or will have both the willingness and the resources or creditworthiness to repurchase the securities at the time the Fund exercises the put.  Failure of an issuer to honor a soft put may, depending on the specific put, have a variety of possible consequences, including (1) an automatic extension of the soft put to a later date, (2) the elimination of the soft put, in which case the effective maturity of the security may be its final maturity date or (3) a default of the security, typically after the passage of a cure period.  Should either the exercise date of the soft put automatically extend or the soft put right be eliminated as a result of the failure to honor a soft put, the affected security may include a provision that adjusts the interest rate on the security to an amount intended to result in the security being priced at par at an interest rate equal to comparable securities.  However, not all securities have rate reset provisions or, if they have such provisions, the reset rate may be capped at a rate that would prevent the security from being priced at par.  Furthermore, it is possible that the interest rate may reset to a level that increases the interest expense to the issuer by an amount that negatively affects the credit quality of the security.


P.     Private Placement Debt Securities. The Fund may invest in debt securities issued in private placement transactions.  A private placement is a direct offering of securities, which are exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, to a single or limited number of sophisticated investors (such as mutual funds, insurance companies, pension funds and accredited individual investors).  Issuance is typically made by direct negotiation between an issuer and an investor (or small group of investors), but may also be made with the assistant of a placement agent.  Private placement debt securities are generally more complex than those issued in the public market (those registered with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933).  Private Placement debt securities may (i) bear fixed or floating rates of interest, (ii) may permit the issuer to increase the size of the issue at some future date, (iii) may permit the issuer to extend or shorten the repayment date, (iv) may be secured or unsecured (v) or may offer the issuer additional terms which are generally more flexible than those offered in the public market.  Private placement debt securities may include restrictive covenants on the issuer such as limiting additional debt issuance and restricting or prohibiting asset sales, but are primarily dependent on the credit quality of the issuer for repayment.  These debt securities also bear the risks described more fully above under the heading Debt Obligations including price volatility.  Unless the Fund’s Advisor determines that such private placements securities are liquid, the Fund will classify them as illiquid for purposes of complying with additional investment restriction number 6 (more fully described below), which limits the Fund to investing no more than 15% of the value of its net assets, taken at the time of investment, in illiquid securities.  Certain privately placed securities may be traded among sophisticated investors under Rule 144A (described more fully below), which may substantially increase their liquidity.  


Q.           Repurchase Agreements.  The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with qualified, creditworthy banks or non-bank dealers (“Seller”) as determined by the Advisor.  In a repurchase agreement, the Fund buys from the Seller investment-grade securities at one price and the Seller agrees to repurchase these securities at a later date (usually within one to seven days) for a price equal to the original price paid by the Fund plus an agreed interest payment (“Repurchase Price”).  The Seller’s obligation to repurchase the securities is secured by cash, the securities purchased and/or certain U.S. Government securities or U.S. agency guaranteed securities (“Collateral”).  The Collateral is held by the Fund’s

 

 

25


 

custodian or a qualified subcustodian under the 1940 Act that is a financial intermediary (“Custodian”).  The Advisor or Custodian will monitor, on an ongoing basis, the current market value of the Collateral to ensure it always equals or exceeds the Repurchase Price.  Each repurchase agreement must at all times be “fully collateralized” by the Collateral as required by the 1940 Act.  Repurchase agreements involve risks that the Seller cannot pay the Repurchase Price (e.g., in the event of a default or insolvency of the Seller) and risks that the net liquidation value of the Collateral is less than the amount needed to repay the Repurchase Price.


In addition, the Fund may invest in foreign repurchase agreements.  Foreign repurchase agreements may include agreements to purchase and sell foreign securities in exchange for fixed U.S. dollar amounts, or in exchange for specified amounts of foreign currency.  In the event of default by the counterparty, the Fund may suffer a loss if the value of the security purchased, i.e., the collateral, in U.S. dollars, is less than the agreed upon repurchase price, or if the Fund is unable to successfully assert a claim to the collateral under foreign laws.  As a result, foreign repurchase agreements may involve greater credit risk than repurchase agreements in U.S. markets, as well as risks associated with currency fluctuations.  Repurchase agreements with foreign counterparties may have more risk than with U.S. counterparties, since less financial information may be available about the foreign counterparties and they may be less creditworthy.


R.           Rule 144A Securities. The Fund may invest in Rule 144A securities that the Advisor determines to be liquid.  Rule 144A allows a broader institutional trading market for securities otherwise subject to restriction on their resale to the general public.  Rule 144A establishes a “safe harbor” from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act of resales of certain securities to qualified institutional buyers.  Rule 144A securities are not considered to be illiquid for purposes of the Fund’s illiquid securities policy, if such securities satisfy the conditions enumerated in Rule 144A and are determined to be liquid by the Advisor in accordance with the requirements established by the Trust.  In determining the liquidity of such securities, the Advisor will consider, among other things, the following factors:  (1) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers and other potential purchasers or sellers of the security; (3) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security and (4) the nature of the security and of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).

 

 S.          Short-Hold Trading Strategy.  The Fund may have the opportunity to participate in the primary market for new issues offered by issuers and/or underwriters at prices the Fund’s manager(s) deem(s) favorable, based on factors such as the supply of bonds in the marketplace and economic conditions.  In these situations, the Fund may decide to purchase these new security issues at the negotiated opening price, and shortly thereafter offer to sell all or a part of the Fund’s purchased allocation to third-party interested purchasers at a higher price, depending on market conditions.  These short-term trades are only done when the Fund’s Advisor believes it is in the best interests of the Fund (e.g., realization of capital appreciation).  Because the Fund is “at risk” for the purchased amount of these new issues, it is possible for the Fund to experience losses on these trades.


T.           Sovereign Debt.  Sovereign debt differs from debt obligations issued by private entities in that, generally, remedies for defaults must be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party.  Legal recourse is therefore limited.  Political conditions, especially a sovereign entity’s willingness to meet the terms of its debt obligations, are of considerable significance.  Also, there can be no assurance that the holders of commercial bank loans to the same sovereign entity may not contest payments to the holders of sovereign debt in the event of default under commercial bank loan agreements.


A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including among others, 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 sovereign debtor’s policy toward principal international lenders and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.  A country whose exports are concentrated in a few commodities could be vulnerable to a decline in the international price of such commodities.  Increased protectionism on the part of a country’s trading partners, or political changes in those countries, could also adversely affect its exports.  Such events could diminish a country’s trade

 

 

26


 

account surplus, if any, or the credit standing of a particular local government or agency.  Another factor bearing on the ability of a country to repay sovereign debt is the level of the country’s international reserves.  Fluctuations in the level of these reserves can affect the amount of foreign exchange readily available for external debt payments and, thus, could have a bearing on the capacity of the country to make payments on its sovereign debt.


To the extent that a country has a current account deficit (generally when its exports of merchandise and services are less than its country’s imports of merchandise and services plus net transfers (e.g., gifts of currency and goods) to foreigners), it may need to depend on loans from foreign governments, multilateral organizations or private commercial banks, aid payments from foreign governments and inflows of foreign investment.  The access of a country to these forms of external funding may not be certain, and a withdrawal of external funding could adversely affect the capacity of a government to make payments on its obligations.  In addition, the cost of servicing debt obligations can be adversely affected by a change in international interest rates, since the majority of these obligations carry interest rates that are adjusted periodically based upon international rates.


With respect to sovereign debt of emerging market issuers, investors should be aware that certain emerging market countries are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments.  At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on external debt.


Certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis which led to defaults on certain obligations and the restructuring of certain indebtedness.  Restructuring arrangements have included, among other things, reducing and rescheduling interest and principal payments by negotiating new or amended credit agreements or converting outstanding principal and unpaid interest to Brady Bonds (discussed below), and obtaining new credit to finance interest payments.  Holders of sovereign debt, including the Fund, may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of such debt and to extend further loans to sovereign debtors, and the interests of holders of sovereign debt could be adversely affected in the course of restructuring arrangements or by certain other factors referred to below.  Furthermore, some of the participants in the secondary market for sovereign debt may also be directly involved in negotiating the terms of these arrangements and may therefore have access to information not available to other market participants, such as the Fund.  Obligations arising from past restructuring agreements may affect the economic performance and political and social stability of certain issuers of sovereign debt.  There is no bankruptcy proceeding by which sovereign debt on which a sovereign has defaulted may be collected in whole or in part.


Foreign investment in certain sovereign debt is restricted or controlled to varying degrees.  These restrictions or controls may at times limit or preclude foreign investment in such sovereign debt and increase the costs and expenses of the Fund.  Certain countries in which the Fund may invest require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons, limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular issuer, limit the investment by foreign persons only to a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous rights than the classes available for purchase by domiciliaries of the countries or impose additional taxes on foreign investors.  Certain issuers may require governmental approval for the repatriation of investment income, capital or the proceeds of sales of securities by foreign investors.  In addition, if a deterioration occurs in a country’s balance of payments, the country could impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances.  The Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to the Fund of any restrictions on investments.  Investing in local markets may require the Fund to adopt special procedures, seek local government approvals or take other actions, each of which may involve additional costs to the Fund.


The sovereign debt in which the Fund may invest includes Brady Bonds, which are securities issued under the framework of the Brady Plan, an initiative announced by former U.S. Treasury Secretary Nicholas F. Brady in 1989 as a mechanism for debtor nations to restructure their outstanding external commercial bank indebtedness.  In restructuring its external debt under the Brady Plan framework, a debtor nation negotiates with its existing bank lenders as well as multilateral institutions such as the International Monetary Fund

 

 

27


 

(“IMF”).  The Brady Plan framework, as it has developed, contemplates the exchange of commercial bank debt for newly issued Brady Bonds.  Brady Bonds may also be issued in respect of new money being advanced by existing lenders in connection with the debt restructuring.  The World Bank and the IMF support the restructuring by providing funds pursuant to loan agreements or other arrangements which enable the debtor nation to collateralize the new Brady Bonds or to repurchase outstanding bank debt at a discount.


There can be no assurance that the circumstances regarding the issuance of Brady Bonds by these countries will not change.  Investors should recognize that Brady Bonds do not have a long payment history.  Agreements implemented under the Brady Plan to date are designed to achieve debt and debt-service reduction through specific options negotiated by a debtor nation with its creditors.  As a result, the financial packages offered by each country differ.  The types of options have included the exchange of outstanding commercial bank debt for bonds issued at 100% of face value of such debt, which carry a below-market stated rate of interest (generally known as par bonds), bonds issued at a discount from the face value of such debt (generally known as discount bonds), bonds bearing an interest rate which increases over time and bonds issued in exchange for the advancement of new money by existing lenders.  Regardless of the stated face amount and stated interest rate of the various types of Brady Bonds, the Fund will purchase Brady Bonds, if any, in secondary markets, as described below, in which the price and yield to the investor reflect market conditions at the time of purchase.

 

Certain Brady Bonds have been collateralized as to principal due at maturity by U.S. Treasury zero coupon bonds with maturities equal to the final maturity of such Brady Bonds.  Collateral purchases are financed by the IMF, the World Bank and the debtor nations’ reserves.  In the event of a default with respect to collateralized Brady Bonds as a result of which the payment obligations of the issuer are accelerated, the U.S. Treasury zero coupon obligations held as collateral for the payment of principal will not be distributed to investors, nor will such obligations be sold and the proceeds distributed.  The collateral will be held by the collateral agent to the scheduled maturity of the defaulted Brady Bonds, which will continue to be outstanding, at which time the face amount of the collateral will equal the principal payments which would have then been due on the Brady Bonds in the normal course.  In addition, interest payments on certain types of Brady Bonds may be collateralized by cash or high grade securities in amounts that typically represent between 12 and 18 months of interest accruals on these instruments with the balance of the interest accruals being uncollateralized.  Brady Bonds are often viewed as having several valuation components: (1) the collateralized repayment of principal, if any, at final maturity, (2) the collateralized interest payments, if any, (3) the uncollateralized interest payments and (4) any uncollateralized repayment of principal at maturity (these uncollateralized amounts constitute the “residual risk”).  In light of the residual risk of Brady Bonds and, among other factors, the history of defaults with respect to commercial bank loans by public and private entities of countries issuing Brady Bonds, investments in Brady Bonds have speculative characteristics.  The Fund may purchase Brady Bonds with no or limited collateralization, and will be relying for payment of interest and (except in the case of principal collateralized Brady Bonds) principal primarily on the willingness and ability of the foreign government to make payment in accordance with the terms of the Brady Bonds.  Brady Bonds issued to date are purchased and sold in secondary markets through U.S. securities dealers and other financial institutions and are generally maintained through European transnational securities depositories.


U.           U.S Government Securities.  U.S. Government securities are issued by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities, including:


·

U.S. Treasury obligations, such as Treasury bills, notes and bonds;

·

The Federal Housing Administration, Farmers Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Small Business Administration and the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”), including GNMA pass-through certificates, whose securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States;


·

The Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks and the Tennessee Valley Authority, whose securities are supported by the right of  the agency to borrow from the U.S. Treasury;

·

The Federal National Mortgage Association, whose securities are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase certain obligations of the agency or instrumentality; and

 

28



·

The Student Loan Marketing Association, the Inter-American Development Bank and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, whose securities are supported only by the credit of such agencies.


Although the U.S. Government provides various types of financial support to U.S. Government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities, no assurance can be given that it will always do so and not all U.S. Government securities are guaranteed or backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.  The U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities.  Consequently, the market value of such securities will fluctuate.  On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Housing Finance Authority (the “FHFA”) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had been placed into conservatorship, a statutory process designed to stabilize a troubled institution with the objective of returning the entity to normal business operations.  The U.S. Treasury Department and the FHFA at the same time established a secured lending facility and a Secured Stock Purchase Agreement with both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to ensure that each entity had the ability to fulfill its financial obligations. The FHFA announced that it does not anticipate any disruption in pattern of payments or ongoing business operations of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.


V.           Variable- or Floating-Rate Securities.  The Fund may invest in securities that offer a variable- or floating-rate of interest.  Variable-rate securities provide for automatic establishment of a new interest rate at fixed intervals (e.g., daily, monthly, semi-annually, etc.).  Floating-rate securities generally provide for automatic adjustment of the interest rate whenever some specified interest rate index changes.  The interest rate on variable- or floating-rate securities is ordinarily determined by reference to or is a percentage of a bank’s prime rate, LIBOR, the 90-day U.S. Treasury bill rate, the rate of return on bank certificates of deposit or some other objective measure.


Variable- or floating-rate securities frequently include a put or demand feature entitling the holder to sell the securities to the issuer at par.  In many cases, the demand feature can be exercised at any time on seven days’ notice; in other cases, the put or demand feature is exercisable at any time on 30 days’ notice or on similar notice at intervals of not more than one year.  Some securities, which do not have variable or floating interest rates, may be accompanied by puts producing similar results and price characteristics.  When considering the maturity of any instrument that may be sold or put to the issuer or a third party prior to its stated maturity, the Fund may consider that instrument’s maturity to be shorter than its stated maturity.


Variable-rate demand notes include master demand notes, which are obligations that permit the Fund to invest fluctuating amounts that may change daily without penalty, pursuant to direct arrangements between the Fund, as lender, and the borrower.  The interest rates on these notes fluctuate from time to time.  The issuer of such obligations normally has a corresponding right, after a given period, to prepay in its discretion the outstanding principal amount of the obligations plus accrued interest upon a specified number of days’ notice to the holders of such obligations.  The interest rate on a floating-rate demand obligation is based on a known lending rate, such as a bank’s prime rate or LIBOR, and is adjusted automatically each time such rate is adjusted.  The interest rate on a variable-rate demand obligation is adjusted automatically at specified intervals.  Frequently, such obligations are secured by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements provided by banks.  Because these obligations are direct lending arrangements between the lender and borrower, it is not contemplated that such instruments will generally be traded and may be illiquid.  There generally is not an established secondary market for these obligations, although they are redeemable at face value.  Accordingly, where these obligations are not secured by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements, the Fund’s right to redeem is dependent on the ability of the borrower to pay principal and interest on demand.  Such obligations frequently are not rated by credit rating agencies and, if not so rated, the Fund may invest in them only if the Advisor determines that at the time of investment the obligations are of comparable quality to the other obligations in which the Fund may invest.  The Advisor, on behalf of the Fund, will consider on a periodic basis the creditworthiness of the issuers of the floating- and variable-rate demand obligations in the Fund’s portfolio and any providers of credit enhancements.

 

29


 

In determining the Fund’s average effective portfolio maturity, the Fund will consider a floating- or variable-rate security to have a maturity equal to its stated maturity (or redemption date if it has been called for redemption), except that it may consider (1) variable-rate securities to have a maturity equal to the period remaining until the next readjustment in the interest rate, unless subject to a demand feature, (2) variable-rate securities subject to a demand feature to have a remaining maturity equal to the longer of (a) the next readjustment in the interest rate or (b) the period remaining until the principal can be recovered through demand and (3) floating-rate securities subject to a demand feature to have a maturity equal to the period remaining until the principal can be recovered through demand.  Variable- and floating-rate securities generally are subject to less principal fluctuation than securities without these attributes.


W.           When-Issued and Delayed-Delivery Securities. The Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis and such transactions represent a type of forward commitment by the Fund.  The price of debt obligations so purchased, which may be expressed in yield terms, generally is fixed at the time the commitment to purchase is made, but delivery and payment for the securities take place at a later date.  During the period between the purchase and settlement, no payment is made by the Fund to the issuer and no interest on the underlying debt obligations accrues to the Fund.  These types of forward commitments involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date.  While when-issued and delayed-delivery securities may be sold prior to the settlement date, the Fund intends to purchase such securities with the purpose of actually acquiring them unless a sale appears desirable for investment reasons.  At the time the Fund makes the commitment to purchase these types of securities, it will record the transaction and reflect the value of the security in determining its NAV.  The Fund do not believe that their NAV will be adversely affected by these types of securities purchases.


To the extent required by the SEC, the Fund will maintain cash and liquid assets equal in value to the aggregate outstanding forward commitments for when-issued and delayed-delivery securities marked to market daily.  Such designated securities either will mature or, if necessary, be sold on or before the settlement date.  When the time comes to pay for when-issued or delayed-delivery securities, the Fund will meet its obligations from then-available cash flow, sale of the securities designated on its books and records, described above, sale of other securities or, although it would not normally expect to do so, from the sale of the when-issued or delayed-delivery securities themselves (which may have a market value greater or less than the Fund’s payment obligation).


Another type of forward commitment is for certain future pass-through, residential mortgage-backed pools which forward commitments are traded in the “to-be-announced” market (TBAs).  TBAs are the Fund’s commitment to purchase one or more standardized, residential mortgage pools which will be placed in a pass-through mortgage-backed security issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or Ginnie Mae in the future.  The residential mortgages in these pools all have common underwriting characteristics: they are residential mortgages with 15 to 30 year maturities, generally at a fixed rate, with monthly payments and no prepayment penalties and must be under a certain prescribed dollar limit.  TBA settlement terms are commonly 90 days, but may extend to 180 days.  TBAs are sold by mortgage originators during the process of originating residential mortgages and are a primary source of the funds needed by these mortgage loan originators.  Certain key terms are specified at the time the TBA is purchased (mortgage type, mortgage issuer, required rate, dollar amount to be purchased, price and settlement date), but the exact identity and number of the mortgage pools to be covered by the TBA is only determined 48 hours before the settlement date.  The Fund may hold and trade TBAs, and TBAs are included in the Fund’s NAV.  TBAs are actively traded and the TBA market is very liquid.  The price of most TBAs are ascertainable by market quotations.  However, TBAs are still subject to the same risks as other forward commitments, and subject to the same leverage requirements as other forward commitments.

 

X.           Zero-Coupon, Step-Coupon and Pay-In-Kind Securities. The Fund may invest in zero-coupon, step-coupon and pay-in-kind securities.  These securities are debt securities that do not make regular cash interest payments.  Zero-coupon and step-coupon securities are sold at a deep discount to their face value.  Pay-in-kind securities pay interest through the issuance of additional securities.  Because such securities do not pay current cash income, the price of these securities can be volatile when interest rates fluctuate.  While these securities do not pay current cash income, federal income tax law requires the

 

 

30


 

holders of zero-coupon, step-coupon and pay-in-kind securities to include in income each year the portion of the original issue discount (or deemed discount) and other non-cash income on such securities accruing that year.  In order for the Fund to continue to qualify as a “regulated investment company” or “RIC” under the IRC and avoid a certain excise tax, the Fund may be required to distribute a portion of such discount and income to its shareholders.  Consequently, the Fund may be required to dispose of other portfolio securities, which may occur in periods of adverse market prices, in order to generate cash to meet these IRC distribution requirements.


The U.S. Treasury Department creates STRIPS by separating the coupon payments and the principal payment from an outstanding Treasury security and selling them as individual securities.  A broker-dealer creates a derivative zero by depositing a Treasury security with a custodian for safekeeping and then selling the coupon payments and principal payment that will be generated by this security separately.  Examples are Certificates of Accrual on Treasury Securities (“CATs”), Treasury Investment Growth Receipts (“TIGRs”) and generic Treasury Receipts (“TRs”).  These derivative zero coupon obligations are not considered to be government securities unless they are part of the STRIPS program.  Original issue zeros are zero coupon securities issued directly by the U.S. government, a government agency or by a corporation.


INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS



The Fund have adopted the following investment restrictions that may not be changed without approval by a "majority of the outstanding shares" of the Fund which, as used in this SAI, means the vote of the lesser of (a) 67% or more of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.   The Fund may not:


1.

Borrow money, except (a) from a bank, provided that immediately after such borrowing there is an asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings of the Fund; or (b) from a bank or other persons for temporary purposes only, provided that such temporary borrowings are in an amount not exceeding 5% of the Fund’s total assets at the time when the borrowing is made.  (This limitation does not preclude the Fund from entering into reverse repurchase transactions, provided that the Fund has an asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings and repurchase commitments of the Fund pursuant to reverse repurchase transactions);


2.

Issue senior securities.  (This limitation is not applicable to activities that may be deemed to involve the issuance or sale of a senior security by the Fund, provided that the Fund’s engagement in such activities is consistent with or permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or interpretations of the SEC or its staff);


3.

Act as underwriter (except to the extent the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter in connection with the sale of securities in its investment portfolio);


4.

Invest more than 25% of its net assets, calculated at the time of purchase and taken at market value, in securities of issuers in any one industry (other than obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, or repurchase agreements with respect thereto);


5.

Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities (although the Fund may invest in marketable securities which are secured by or represent interests in real estate, and may invest in mortgage-related securities or invest in companies engaged in the real estate business or that have a significant portion of their assets in real estate (including real estate investment trusts));


6.

Purchase or sell commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other investments.  This limitation does not preclude the Fund from purchasing or selling options or futures contracts, from investing in securities or other instruments backed by commodities or from investing in companies which are engaged in a commodities business or have a significant portion of their assets in commodities;

 

31



7.

Make loans to others, except (a) where each loan is represented by a note executed by the borrower, (b) through the purchase of debt securities, which may be considered loans, (c) to the extent the entry into a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan, and (d) by loaning portfolio securities.  Additionally, the preceding limitation on loans does not preclude the Fund from modifying notes.


8.

With respect to 75% of its total assets, invest more than 5% of its total assets in securities of a single issuer or hold more than 10% of the voting securities of such issuer.  (Does not apply to investments in the securities of the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities.)


If any percentage restriction or requirement described above is satisfied at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in such percentage resulting from a change in asset value will not constitute a violation of such restriction or requirement. However, should a change in net asset value or other external events cause the Fund’s investments in illiquid securities, repurchase agreements with maturities in excess of seven days and other instruments in the Fund which are not readily marketable to exceed the limit set forth in the Fund’s Prospectus for its investment in illiquid securities, the Fund will act to cause the aggregate amount of such securities to come within such limit as soon as reasonably practicable. In such an event, however, the Fund would not be required to liquidate any portfolio securities where the Fund would suffer a loss on the sale of such securities.



THE FOLLOWING ARE ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS OF THE FUND. THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS ARE DESIGNATED AS NON-FUNDAMENTAL AND MAY BE CHANGED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TRUST WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF SHAREHOLDERS.


The Fund may not:


1.

Mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or in any manner transfer, as security for indebtedness, any assets of the Fund except as may be necessary in connection with borrowings described in fundamental restriction 1 above.  (Margin deposits, security interests, liens and collateral arrangements with respect to transactions involving options, futures contracts, short sales and other permitted investments and techniques are not deemed to be a mortgage, pledge or hypothecation of assets for purposes of this limitation);


2.

With respect to fundamental investment restriction 1 above, the Fund will not purchase portfolio securities while outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of its assets;


3.

Purchase securities or evidences of interest thereon on “margin.”  (This limitation is not applicable to short-term credit obtained by the Fund for the clearance of purchases and sales or redemption of securities, or to arrangements with respect to transactions involving options, futures contracts, short sales and other permitted investments and techniques);

 

4.

Effect short sales of securities except as described by the Fund’s Prospectus or SAI;


5.

Purchase or sell puts, calls, options or straddles except as described in the Prospectus or this SAI;


6.

Invest more than 15% of the value of its net assets, taken at the time of investment, in illiquid securities.  Illiquid securities are those securities without readily available market quotations, including repurchase agreements having a maturity of more than seven days.  Illiquid securities may include restricted securities not determined by the Board of Trustees to be liquid, non-negotiable time deposits, over-the-counter options and repurchase agreements providing for settlement in more than seven days after notice; or


7.

Make loans of portfolio securities.

 

 

32



Except with respect to borrowing, if a percentage or rating restriction on investment or use of assets set forth herein or in the Prospectus is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentage resulting from any cause other than actions by the Fund will not be considered a violation.


POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS



The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that govern the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that such disclosure is in the best interests of Fund shareholders.


It is the Trust’s policy to: (1) ensure that any disclosure of portfolio holdings information is in the best interest of Trust shareholders; (2) protect the confidentiality of portfolio holdings information; (3) have procedures in place to guard against personal trading based on the information; and (4) ensure that the disclosure of portfolio holdings information does not create conflicts between the interests of the Trust’s shareholders and those of the Trust’s affiliates.


The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings by mailing its annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders approximately two months after the end of the fiscal year and semi-annual period.  In addition, the Fund may, from time to time, make available end of quarter portfolio holdings information on its website at www.leadercapital.com.  Quarterly portfolio holdings are generally posted to the website within 10 days of the end of each quarter and remain available until new information for the next quarter is posted.


The Fund may choose to make available to rating agencies such as Lipper, Morningstar or Bloomberg more frequently on a confidential basis.  


Under limited circumstances, as described below, the Fund’s portfolio holdings may be disclosed to, or known by, certain third parties in advance of their filing with the SEC on Form N-CSR or Form N-Q.  In each case, a determination has been made that such advance disclosure is supported by a legitimate business purpose and that the recipient is subject to a duty to keep the information confidential.  

·

The Advisor.  Personnel of the Advisor, including personnel responsible for managing the Fund’s portfolio, may have full daily access to Fund portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for the Advisor to provide their management, administrative, and investment services to the Fund.  As required for purposes of analyzing the impact of existing and future market changes on the prices, availability, demand and liquidity of such securities, as well as for the assistance of the portfolio manager in the trading of such securities, Advisor personnel may also release and discuss certain portfolio holdings with various broker-dealers.

·

Gemini Fund Services, LLC.  Gemini Fund Services, LLC is the transfer agent, fund accountant and administrator for the Fund; therefore, its personnel have full daily access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for them to provide the agreed-upon services for the Trust.

·

JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.  JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.  is the custodian for the Fund; therefore, its personnel have full daily access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for them to provide the agreed-upon services for the Trust.


·

[          .] [          ] is the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm; therefore, its personnel have access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings in connection with auditing of the Fund’s annual financial statements and providing assistance and consultation in connection with SEC filings.

 

33


 

·

Thompson Hine LLP.  Thompson Hine LLP is counsel to the Fund; therefore, its personnel have access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings in connection with the review of the Fund’s annual and semi-annual shareholder reports and SEC filings.

Additions to List of Approved Recipients


The Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer is the person responsible, and whose prior approval is required, for any disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities to persons other than those listed before the Fund files its portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-CSR or Form N-Q.  In such cases, the recipient must have a legitimate business need for the information and must be subject to a duty to keep the information confidential. There are no ongoing arrangements in place with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings. In no event shall the Fund, the Advisor or any other party receive any direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings.


Compliance with Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Procedures


The Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer will report periodically to the Board with respect to compliance with the Fund’s portfolio holdings disclosure procedures, and from time to time will provide the Board any updates to the portfolio holdings disclosure policies and procedures.


There is no assurance that the Trust’s policies on disclosure of portfolio holdings will protect the Fund from the potential misuse of holdings information by individuals or firms in possession of that information.


MANAGEMENT


The business of the Trust is managed under the direction of the Board in accordance with the Agreement and Declaration of Trust and the Trust’s By-laws (the “Governing Documents”), which have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are available upon request. The Board consists of seven (7) individuals, six (6) of whom are not “interested persons” (as defined under the 1940 Act) of the Trust, any investment advisor to any series of the Trust, or the Fund’s principal underwriter (“Independent Trustees”).  Pursuant to the Governing Documents of the Trust, the Trustees shall elect officers including a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Principal Executive Officer and a Principal Accounting Officer. The Board retains the power to conduct, operate and carry on the business of the Trust and has the power to incur and pay any expenses, which, in the opinion of the Board, are necessary or incidental to carry out any of the Trust’s purposes. The Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust, when acting in such capacities, shall not be subject to any personal liability except for his or her own bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties.




Board Leadership Structure


The Trust is led by Anthony Hertl, an Independent Trustee, who has served as the Chairman of the Board since July 2013.   The Board of Trustees is comprised of Mr. Hertl, five (5) additional Independent Trustees, and one (1) Interested Trustee.  Andrew Rogers, an Interested Trustee, is the Chief Executive Officer of Gemini Fund Services, LLC, and President of the Trust.  Additionally, under certain 1940 Act governance guidelines that apply to the Trust, the Independent Trustees will meet in executive session, at least quarterly.  Under the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, the Chairman of the Board is responsible for (a) presiding at board meetings, (b) calling special meetings on an as-needed basis, (c) execution and administration of Trust policies including (i) setting the agendas for board meetings and (ii) providing information to board members in advance of each board meeting and between board meetings.  Generally, the Trust believes it best to have a non-executive Chairman of the Board, who together with the President (principal executive officer), are seen by our shareholders, business partners and other stakeholders as providing strong leadership.  The Trust believes that its Chairman, the independent chair of the Audit Committee, and, as an entity, the full Board of Trustees, provide effective leadership that is in the best interests of the Trust, its Funds and each shareholder.

 

34



Board Risk Oversight


The Board of Trustees has a standing independent Audit Committee with a separate chair, Mark H. Taylor. The Board is responsible for overseeing risk management, and the full Board regularly engages in discussions of risk management and receives compliance reports that inform its oversight of risk management from its Chief Compliance Officer at quarterly meetings and on an ad hoc basis, when and if necessary.  The Audit Committee considers financial and reporting risk within its area of responsibilities.  Generally, the Board believes that its oversight of material risks is adequately maintained through the compliance-reporting chain where the Chief Compliance Officer is the primary recipient and communicator of such risk-related information.


Trustee Qualifications


Generally, the Trust believes that each Trustee is competent to serve because of their individual overall merits including: (i) experience, (ii) qualifications, (iii) attributes and (iv) skills.   Gary W. Lanzen has over 20 years of business experience in the financial services industry, holds a Master’s in Education Administration degree, is a Certified Financial Planner ("CFP"), serves as a member of two other mutual fund boards outside of the Fund Complex and possesses a strong understanding of the regulatory framework under which investment companies must operate based on his years of service to this Board and other mutual fund boards.   Anthony J. Hertl has over 20 years of business experience in financial services industry and related fields including serving as chair of the finance committee for the Borough of Interlaken, New Jersey and Vice President-Finance and Administration of Marymount College, holds a Certified Public Accountant designation, serves or has served as a member of four other mutual fund boards outside of the Fund Complex and possesses a strong understanding of the regulatory framework under which investment companies must operate based on his years of service to this Board and other fund boards.  Mark H. Taylor, has over two decades of academic and professional experience in the accounting and auditing areas, has Doctor of Philosophy, a Master’s and Bachelor  degrees in Accounting, is a Certified Public Accountant and is Professor of Accountancy at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.  He serves as a member of two other mutual fund boards outside of the Fund Complex, has served a fellowship in the Office of the Chief Accountant at the headquarters of the United States Securities Exchange Commission, served a three-year term on the AICPA Auditing Standards Board (2008-2011), and like the other Board members, possesses a strong understanding of the regulatory framework under which investment companies must operate based on his years of service to this Board and other mutual fund boards.   John V. Palancia has over 30 years of business experience in financial services industry including serving as the Director of Futures Operations for Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc.  Mr. Palancia holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.  He also possesses a strong understanding of risk management, balance sheet analysis and the regulatory framework under which regulated financial entities must operate based on service to Merrill Lynch. Additionally, he is well versed in the regulatory framework under which investment companies must operate and serves as a member of three other fund boards. Andrew Rogers has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry and has served as the President of the Trust since 2006.  Mr. Rogers is also currently the Chief Executive Officer of Gemini Fund Services, LLC.  Prior to joining Gemini Fund Services, LLC, he served in executive roles at J.P. Morgan Chase and Co. and Alliance Capital Management Holdings L.P. as Financial Reporting Manager. Mr. Rogers holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. . Mark D. Gersten has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, having served in executive roles at AllianceBernstein LP and holding key industry positions at Prudential-Bache Securities and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.  He also serves as a member of two other mutual fund boards outside of the Fund Complex. Mr. Gersten is a certified public accountant and holds an MBA in accounting.  Like other trustees, his experience has given him a strong understanding of the regulatory framework under which investment companies operate.  Mark S. Garbin has more than 30 years of experience in corporate balance sheet and income statement risk management for large asset managers, serving as Managing Principal of Coherent Capital Management LLC since 2007.  Mr. Garbin has extensive derivatives experience and has provided consulting services to alternative asset managers.  He is both a Chartered Financial Analyst and Professional Risk Manager charterholder and holds advanced degrees in international business.  The Trust does not believe any one factor is determinative in assessing a Trustee's qualifications, but that the collective experience of each Trustee makes them each highly qualified.

 

 

 

35



The following is a list of the Trustees and executive officers of the Trust and each person’s principal occupation over the last five years. Unless otherwise noted, the address of each Trustee and Officer is 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska 68130.


Independent Trustees

Name, Address and Year of Birth

Position/Term of Office*

Principal Occupation During the Past Five Years

Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex** Overseen by Trustee

Other Directorships held by Trustee During the Past Five Years

Mark Garbin

Born in 1951

Trustee

Since 2013

Managing Principal, Coherent Capital Management LLC (since 2007).

[108]

Two Roads Shared Trust

(since 2012) (Chairman of the Valuation Committee); Forethought Variable Insurance Trust (since 2013) (Lead Independent and Chairman of the Valuation Committee)

Mark D. Gersten
Born in 1950

Trustee

Since 2013

Independent Consultant (since 2012); Senior Vice President – Global Fund Administration Mutual Funds & Alternative Funds, AllianceBernstein LP (1985 – 2011).

[108]

Schroder Global Series Trust and Two Roads Shared Trust (since 2012)

Anthony J. Hertl^

Born in 1950

Trustee

Since 2005; Chairman of the Board since 2013

Consultant to small and emerging businesses (since 2000).

[108]

AdvisorOne Funds (2004-2013); Alternative Strategies Fund (since June 2010); Satuit Capital Management Trust; The Z-Seven Fund, Inc. (2007 – May, 2010), Greenwich Advisers Trust (2007- February 2011), Global Real Estate Fund (2008-2011), The World Funds Trust (2010-2013) and Northern Lights Variable Trust (since 2006)

Gary W. Lanzen^

Born in 1954

Trustee

Since 2005

Retired since Formerly, Founder, Partner and President, Orizon Investment Counsel, Inc. (2000-2006); Chief Investment Officer (2000 -2010).

[108]

AdvisorOne Funds (16 portfolios) (since 2003);

Alternative Strategies Fund (2010-2011); Northern Lights Variable Trust (since 2006)

 

 

36


 

Mark H. Taylor^

Born in 1964

Trustee

Since 2007

Andrew D. Braden Professor of Accounting and Auditing, Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University (since 2009); President, Auditing Section of the American Auditing Association (2012-2015); Former member of the AICPA Auditing Standards Board, AICPA (2008-2011); Fellow, Office of the Chief Accountant, United States Securities Exchange Commission (2005-2006). 

[136]

Alternative Strategies Fund (since 2010); Lifetime Achievement Mutual Fund, Inc.  (LFTAX) (Director and Audit Committee Chairman) (2007-2012); NLFT III (since February 2012); Northern Lights Variable Trust (since 2007)

John V. Palancia

Born in 1954

Trustee

Since 2011

Retired (since 2011). Formerly, Director of Futures Operations, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. (1975-2011).

[136]

Northern Lights Variable Trust (since 2011); NLFT III (since February 2012); Alternative Strategies Fund (since  2012)

Mark D. Gersten
Born in 1950

Trustee

Since 2013

Independent Consultant (since 2012); Senior Vice President – Global Fund Administration Mutual Funds & Alternative Funds, AllianceBernstein LP (1985 – 2011).

[108]

Schroder Global Series Trust and Two Roads Shared Trust (since 2012)

Mark Garbin

Born in 1951

Trustee

Since 2013

Managing Principal, Coherent Capital Management LLC (since 2007); Managing Director and Head of Equity Derivatives -Americas, Rabobank International (2006-2007).

[108]

Two Roads Shared Trust

(since 2012); Forethought Variable Insurance Trust (since 2013) (Lead Independent and Chairman of the Valuation Committee)




 

37




    Interested Trustees and Officers

Name, Address and Year of Birth

Position/Term of Office*

Principal Occupation During the Past Five Years

Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex** Overseen by Trustee

Other Directorships held by Trustee During the Past Five Years

Andrew Rogers***
80 Arkay Drive
Hauppauge, NY  11788
Born in 1969

Trustee Since 2013;
President
Since 2006

Chief Executive Officer, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (since 2012); President and Manager, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2006 - 2012); Formerly President and Manager, GemCom LLC (2004 - 2011).

[108]

Northern Lights Variable Trust (since 2013)

Kevin E. Wolf
80 Arkay Drive
Hauppauge, NY  11788
Born in 1969

Treasurer
Since 2006

President, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (since 2012); Director of Fund Administration, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2006 - 2012); and Vice-President, GemCom, LLC (2004 - 2013).

N/A

N/A

James P. Ash
80 Arkay Drive
Hauppauge, NY  11788
Born in 1976

Secretary
Since 2011

Senior Vice President, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (since 2012); Vice President, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2011 - 2012); Director of Legal Administration, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2009 - 2011); Assistant Vice President of Legal Administration, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2008 - 2011).

N/A

N/A

Lynn Bowley
17605 Wright Street Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68130
Born in 1958

Chief Compliance Officer
Since 2007

Compliance Officer of Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (since 2007); Vice President of Investment Support Services for Mutual of Omaha Companies (2002 – 2006).

N/A

N/A

* The term of office for each Trustee and officer listed above will continue indefinitely until the individual resigns or is removed.

** The term “Fund Complex” includes the Northern Lights Fund Trust (“NLFT”), Northern Lights Fund Trust III (“NLFT III”) and the Northern Lights Variable Trust (“NLVT”).

*** Andrew Rogers is an “Interested Trustee” of the Trust as that term is defined under the 1940 Act, because of his affiliation with Gemini Fund Services, LLC, (the Trust’s Administrator, Fund Accountant and Transfer Agent).

  ^ These Trustees were named in the SEC order instituting settled administrative proceedings against Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC, Gemini Fund Services, LLC and certain Trustees.  For more information, please see the “Legal Proceedings” in the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).


 

38



Legal Proceedings


On May 2, 2013, the SEC filed an order instituting settled administrative proceedings (the “Order”) against Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (“NLCS”), Gemini Fund Services, LLC (“GFS”), certain current Trustees of the Trust, and two former Trustee.  To settle the SEC’s charges, GFS and NLCS each agreed to pay $50,000 penalties, and both firms and the named Trustees agreed to engage an independent compliance consultant to address the violations found in the Order.  The firms and the named Trustees agreed to settle with the SEC without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings, while agreeing to cease and desist from committing or causing any violations and any future violations of those provisions.  There were no allegations that shareholders suffered any monetary harm.  The SEC charges were not against the Advisor or the Fund.


The Order found that on certain occasions during the period January 2009 to December 2010, disclosures included in shareholder reports (concerning the Trustees’ advisor evaluation process under Section 15(c) of the 1940 Act) filed by certain funds of the Trust contained boilerplate disclosures that were materially untrue or misleading in violation of Section 34(b) of the 1940 Act.  These disclosures were included in the fund shareholder reports based on board minutes drafted by GFS, reviewed by the Trust’s outside counsel, and then reviewed and approved by the Trustees.  The Order found that the named Trustees therefore were a cause of these violations.  In addition, GFS failed to ensure that certain shareholder reports contained the required disclosures concerning the Trustees’ evaluation process and failed to ensure that certain series within the Trust maintained and preserved their Section 15(c) files in accordance with 1940 Act recordkeeping requirements.  Accordingly, GFS caused those funds’ violations of Sections 30(e) and 31(a) of the Investment Company Act and Rules 30e-1 and 31a-2(a)(6) thereunder.


The Order found that, during the relevant period, NLCS and the four named Trustees were also a cause of violations of Rule 38a-1(a)(1) under the 1940 Act, which requires registered investment companies to adopt and implement written compliance policies and procedures.  Specifically, the Order found that NLCS and the named Trustees failed to implement certain policies and procedures of the Trust that required the funds’ CCO to provide the advisors’ compliance manuals to the named Trustees for their review or, as an alternative, summaries of the compliance programs.  Rather than following this process, the Order found that the named Trustees’ approval of the advisors’ compliance programs was based primarily on their review of a brief written statement prepared by NLCS and a verbal representation by NLCS that such manuals were adequate.  


Board Committees


Audit Committee


The Board has an Audit Committee that consists of all the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The Audit Committee’s responsibilities include: (i) recommending to the Board the selection, retention or termination of the Trust’s independent auditors; (ii) reviewing with the independent auditors the scope, performance and anticipated cost of their audit; (iii) discussing with the independent auditors certain matters relating to the Trust’s financial statements, including any adjustment to such financial statements recommended by such independent auditors, or any other results of any audit; (iv) reviewing on a periodic basis a formal written statement from the independent auditors with respect to their independence, discussing with the independent auditors any relationships or services disclosed in the statement that may impact the objectivity and independence of the Trust’s independent auditors and recommending that the Board take appropriate action in response thereto to satisfy itself of the auditor’s independence; and (v) considering the comments of the independent auditors and management’s responses thereto with respect to the quality and adequacy of the Trust’s accounting and financial reporting policies and practices and internal controls.  The Audit Committee operates pursuant to an Audit Committee Charter.  The Audit Committee is responsible for seeking and reviewing nominee candidates for consideration as Independent Trustees as is from time to time considered necessary or appropriate.  The Audit Committee generally will not consider shareholder nominees.  The Audit Committee is also responsible for reviewing and setting Independent Trustee compensation from time to time when considered necessary or appropriate.  During the past fiscal year, the Audit Committee held [twelve] meetings.  

 

 

39


 


Compensation


Effective April 1, 2013, each Trustee who is not affiliated with the Trust or an investment advisor to any series of the Trust will receive a quarterly fee of $27,625 for his attendance at the regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Trustees, to be paid in advance of each calendar quarter, as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred. Prior to April 1, 2013 each Trustee who is not affiliated with the Trust or an advisor received a quarterly fee of $21,500.  Effective July 1, 2013, in addition to the quarterly fees and reimbursements, the Chairman of the Board receives a $30,000 annual fee, and the Audit Committee Chairman receives a $15,000 additional annual fee, each to be paid quarterly and allocated between the Trust and Northern Lights Variable Trust.


Additionally, in the event a meeting of the Board of Trustees other than its regularly scheduled meetings (a “Special Meeting”) is required, each Independent Trustee will receive a fee of $2,500 per Special Meeting, as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred, to be paid by the relevant series of the Trust or its investment advisor depending on the circumstances necessitating the Special Meeting.


The “interested persons” who serve as Trustees of the Trust receive no compensation for their services as Trustees. None of the executive officers receive compensation from the Trust.


The table below details the amount of compensation the Trustees received from the Trust during the fiscal year ended May 31, 2014.  Each Independent Trustee attended all quarterly meetings during the period.  The Trust does not have a bonus, profit sharing, pension or retirement plan.

 

Name and Position

Aggregate Compensation From Trust **

Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Funds Expenses

Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement

Total Compensation From Trust and Fund Complex*** Paid to Directors

Anthony J. Hertl

[$               ]

None

None

[$               ]

Gary Lanzen

[$               ]

None

None

[$               ]

Mark H. Taylor

[$               ]

None

None

[$               ]

John V. Palancia

[$               ]

None

None

[$               ]

Mark D. Gersten

None

None

None

None

Mark Garbin

None

None

None

None

Michael Miola****

None

None

None

None

Andrew Rogers*

None

None

None

None

_______________

*This Trustee is deemed to be an ‘interested person’ as defined in the 1940 Act as a result of his affiliation with Gemini Fund Services, LLC (the Trust’s Administrator, Transfer Agent and Fund Accountant),

**There are currently multiple series comprising the Trust.  Trustees’ fees are allocated equitably among the series of the Trust.

***The term “Fund Complex” includes to the Northern Lights Fund Trust, Northern Lights Fund Trust III and the Northern Lights Variable Trust.

****Retired in September 2013.


Trustee Ownership


The following table indicates the dollar range of equity securities that each Trustee beneficially owned in the Trust as of December 31, 2013.  



Name of Trustee

Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund

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

Anthony J. Hertl

None

None

Gary Lanzen

None

None

John V. Palancia

None

None

Mark Taylor

None

None

Mark D. Gersten

None

None

Mark Garbin

None

None

Andrew Rogers*

None

None


* This Trustee is deemed to be an ‘interested person’ as defined in the 1940 Act as a result of his affiliation with Gemini Fund Services, LLC (the Trust’s Administrator, Transfer Agent and Fund Accountant),

 

40



Management Ownership


As of [                    ], the Trustees and officers, as a group, owned less than 1.00% of either Fund’s outstanding shares and less than 1.00% of the Fund Complex's outstanding shares.


CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS


  

As of the date of this SAI, the Fund was new and had not yet issued any shares.  


INVESTMENT ADVISOR



Investment Advisor and Advisory Agreement


The Fund’s Advisor is Leader Capital Corp., 1750 SW Skyline Blvd, Suite 204, Portland, Oregon, 97221, Portland, Oregon  97204.  John E. Lekas, President of the Advisor, is the controlling shareholder of the Advisor.  The Advisor is 100% employee-owned.    As compensation for its management services, the Fund is obligated to pay the Advisor a fee of 1.00% of the average daily net assets of the Fund.


Under the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor, under the supervision of the Board, agrees to invest the assets of the Fund in accordance with applicable law and the investment objective, policies and restrictions set forth in the Fund’s current Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, and subject to such further limitations as the Trust may from time to time impose by written notice to the Advisor. The Advisor shall act as the investment advisor to the Fund and, as such shall (i) obtain and evaluate such information relating to the economy, industries, business, securities markets and securities as it may deem necessary or useful in discharging its responsibilities here under; (ii) formulate a continuing program for the investment of the assets of the Fund in a manner consistent with its investment objective, policies and restrictions; and (iii) determine from time to time securities to be purchased, sold, retained or lent by the Fund, and implement those decisions, including the selection of entities with or through which such purchases, sales or loans are to be effected; provided, however, that the Advisor will place orders pursuant to its investment determinations either directly with the  issuer or with a broker or dealer, and if with a broker or dealer, (a) will attempt to obtain the best price and execution of its orders, and (b) may nevertheless in its discretion purchase and sell portfolio securities from and  to brokers who provide the Advisor with research, analysis, advice and similar services and pay such brokers in return a higher commission or spread than may be charged by other brokers. The Advisor also provides the Fund with all necessary office facilities and personnel for servicing the Fund’s investments, compensates all officers, Trustees and employees of the Trust who are officers, directors or employees of the Advisor, and all personnel of the Fund or the Advisor performing services relating to research, statistical and investment activities.


Fund Expenses.  The Fund is responsible for its own operating expenses.  Pursuant to an operating expense limitation agreement between the Advisor and the Trust, the Advisor has agreed to reduce fees payable to it by the Fund and/or to pay Fund operating expenses to the extent necessary to limit the Fund’s aggregate annual operating expenses (excluding any front-end or contingent deferred loads, brokerage fees and commissions, 12b-1 fees, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short), taxes or extraordinary expenses, such as litigation) to the limit

 

 

41


 

set forth in the “Expense Table” of the Prospectus. Any such reductions made by the Advisor in its fees or payment of expenses which is the Fund’s obligation are subject to reimbursement by the Fund to the Advisor, if so requested by the Advisor, in subsequent fiscal years if the aggregate amount actually paid by the Fund toward the operating expenses for such fiscal year (taking into account the reimbursement) does not exceed the applicable limitation on Fund expenses.  The Advisor is permitted to be reimbursed only for fee reductions and expense payments made in the previous three fiscal years from the date the expense was incurred.  Any such reimbursement is also contingent upon the Board of Trustees’ subsequent review and ratification of the reimbursed amounts.  Such reimbursement may not be paid prior to the Fund’s payment of current ordinary operating expenses.  During the Fund’s current fiscal year, pursuant to authority granted by the Trust’s Board of Trustees, the Advisor will be reimbursed by the Fund for past fee waivers and expense reimbursements by the Advisor.


Under the terms of the expense limitation agreement, the following examples of fees and expenses that would not be considered to be extraordinary or non-recurring include, but are not limited to, taxes, interest, loan commitment fees, brokerage fees and commissions, if any, fees of Board members who are not officers, directors, employees or holders of 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the Advisor, U.S. SEC fees, state Blue Sky qualification fees, advisory fees, charges of custodians, transfer and dividend disbursing agents’ fees, certain insurance premiums, industry association fees, outside auditing and legal expenses, costs of maintaining the Fund’s existence, costs of independent pricing services, costs attributable to investor services (including, without limitation, telephone and personnel expenses), costs of preparing and printing prospectuses and statements of additional information for regulatory purposes and for distribution to existing shareholders, costs of shareholders' reports and meetings.


Expenses not expressly assumed by the Advisor under the Advisory Agreement are paid by the Trust.  Under the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Trust is responsible for the payment of the following expenses among others: (a) the fees payable to the Advisor; (b) the fees and expenses of Trustees who are not affiliated persons of the Advisor or Distributor (as defined under the section entitled (“The Distributor”); (c) the fees and certain expenses of the Custodian (as defined under the section entitled “Custodian”) and Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent (as defined under the section entitled “Transfer Agent”), including the cost of maintaining certain required records of the Trust and of pricing the Trust’s shares; (d) the charges and expenses of legal counsel and independent accountants for the Trust; (e) brokerage commissions and any issue or transfer taxes chargeable to the Trust in connection with its securities transactions; (f) all taxes and corporate fees payable by the Trust to governmental agencies; (g) the fees of any trade association of which the Trust may be a member; (h) the cost of share certificates representing shares of the Trust; (i) the cost of fidelity and liability insurance; (j) the fees and expenses involved in registering and maintaining registration of the Trust and of its shares with the SEC, qualifying its shares under state securities laws, including the preparation and printing of the Trust’s registration statements and prospectuses for such purposes; (k) all expenses of shareholders and Trustees’ meetings (including travel expenses of trustees and officers of the Trust who are directors, officers or employees of the Advisor) and of preparing, printing and mailing reports, proxy statements and prospectuses to shareholders in the amount necessary for distribution to the shareholders; and (l) litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s  business.


The Advisory Agreement continued in effect for two (2) years initially and thereafter shall continue from year to year provided such continuance is approved at least annually by (a) a vote of the majority of the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting specifically called for the purpose of voting on such approval and by (b) the majority vote of either all of the Trustees or the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The Advisory Agreement may be terminated without penalty on 60 days’ written notice by a vote of a majority of the Trustees or by the Advisor, or by holders of a majority of that Trust’s outstanding shares. The Advisory Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.


The Advisor may make payments to banks or other financial institutions that provide shareholder services and administer shareholder accounts.  If a bank or other financial institution were prohibited from continuing to perform all or a part of such services, management of the Fund believe that there would be no

 

 

42


 

material impact on the Fund or its shareholders.  Banks and other financial institutions may charge their customers fees for offering these services to the extent permitted by applicable regulatory authorities, and the overall return to those shareholders availing themselves of the bank services will be lower than to those shareholders who do not.  The Fund may from time to time purchase securities issued by banks and other financial institutions which provide such services; however, in selecting investments for the Fund, no preference will be shown for such securities.


Codes of Ethics


The Trust and the Advisor each have adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act that governs the personal securities transactions of their board members, officers and employees who may have access to current trading information of the Trust. Under the code of ethics adopted by the Trust (the “Code”), the Trustees are permitted to invest in securities that may also be purchased by the Fund.


In addition, the Code, which applies only to the Trust’s executive officers to ensure that these officers promote professional conduct in the practice of corporate governance and management. The purpose behind these guidelines is to promote i) honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; ii) full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that a registrant files with, or submits to, the SEC and in other public communications made by the Fund; iii) compliance with applicable governmental laws, rule and regulations; iv) the prompt internal reporting of violations of this Code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the Code; and v) accountability for adherence to the Code.


Proxy Voting Policies


The Board has adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (“Policies”) on behalf of the Trust, which delegate the responsibility for voting proxies to the Advisor, subject to the Board’s continuing oversight. The Policies require that the Advisor vote proxies received in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders.  The Policies also require the Advisor to present to the Board, at least annually, the Advisor’s Proxy Policies and a record of each proxy voted by the Advisor on behalf of the Fund, including a report on the resolution of all proxies identified by the Advisor as involving a conflict of interest. A copy of the Advisor’s proxy voting policies is attached hereto as Appendix A.


More information. Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling the Fund at 1-800-711-9164  and (2) on the U.S. SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and will be sent within three business days of receipt of a request.


DISTRIBUTION OF FUND SHARES



The Distributor


Foreside Distribution Services, L.P., Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 (the “Distributor”) serves as the principal underwriter and national distributor for the shares of the Trust pursuant to a Distribution Agreement with the Trust (the “Distribution Agreement”). The Distributor is registered as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). The offering of the Fund’s shares is continuous. The Distribution Agreement provides that the Distributor, as agent in connection with the distribution of Fund shares, will use its best efforts to distribute the Fund’s shares.


The Distribution Agreement provides that, unless sooner terminated, it will continue in effect for two years initially and thereafter shall continue from year to year, subject to annual approval by (a) the Board or a vote of a majority of the outstanding shares, and (b) by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust or of the Distributor by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

 

43


 

The Distribution Agreement may be terminated by the Trust at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the entire Board of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund on 60 days’ written notice to the Distributor, or by the Distributor at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on 60 days’ written notice to the Trust. The Distribution Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment as defined by the Investment Company Act.


Rule 12b-1 Plan and Shareholder Servicing Agreement


The Trust on behalf of the Fund,  has adopted the Trust’s Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plans pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act for each of the Fund’s Class A shares, Class C shares and Investor Class shares (the "Plans") pursuant to which the Fund is authorized to pay the Distributor, as compensation for Distributor's account maintenance services under the respective Plans, a distribution and shareholder servicing fee at the rate of up to 0.50% for  Class A shares and Investor Class shares and 1.00% for Class C shares of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to the relevant class.  Such fees are to be paid by the Fund monthly, or at such other intervals as the Board shall determine. Such fees shall be based upon the Fund’s average daily net assets during the preceding month, and shall be calculated and accrued daily. The Fund may pay fees to the Distributor at a lesser rate, as agreed upon by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and the Distributor. The Plans authorizes payments to the Distributor as compensation for providing account maintenance services to Class A, Class C and  Investor Class  Fund shareholders, respectively,  including arranging for certain securities dealers or brokers, administrators and others ("Recipients") to provide these services and paying compensation for these services.  


The services to be provided under the Plans by Recipients may include, but are not limited to, the following: assistance in the offering and sale of Institutional Class and Investor Class  and in other aspects of the marketing of the shares to clients or prospective clients of the respective recipients; answering routine inquiries concerning the Fund; assisting in the establishment and maintenance of accounts or sub-accounts in the Fund and in processing purchase and redemption transactions; making the Fund’s investment plan and shareholder services available; and providing such other information and services to investors in shares of the Fund as the Distributor or the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, may reasonably request. The distribution services shall also include any advertising and marketing services provided by or arranged by the Distributor with respect to the Fund.


The Distributor is required to provide a written report, at least quarterly to the Board of Trustees of the Trust, specifying in reasonable detail the amounts expended pursuant to each of the Plans and the purposes for which such expenditures were made. Further, the Distributor will inform the Board of any Rule 12b-1 fees to be paid by the Distributor to Recipients.


The initial term of each Plan is one year and it will continue in effect from year to year thereafter, provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board of Trustees of the Trust and a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust and do not have a direct or indirect financial interest in the Rule 12b-1 Plan (“Rule 12b-1 Trustees”) by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Rule 12b-1 Plan. The Plan may be terminated at any time by the Trust or the Fund by vote of a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of the Fund.


A Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount of the Distributor’s compensation to be paid by the Fund, unless such amendment is approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act). All material amendments must be approved by a majority of the Board of Trustees of the Trust and a majority of the Rule 12b- 1 Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on a Rule 12b-1 Plan. During the term of the Rule 12b-1 Plan, the selection and nomination of non-interested Trustees of the Trust will be committed to the discretion of current non-interested Trustees. The Distributor will preserve copies of the Plan, any related agreements that are signed by the Distributor, and all reports that are filed by the Distributor, for a period of not less than six years from the date of such document and for at least the first two years in an easily accessible place.

 

44



Any agreement related to a Plan will be in writing and provide that: (a) it may be terminated by the Trust or the Fund at any time upon sixty days’ written notice, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the respective Rule 12b-1 Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust or the Fund; (b) it will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act); and (c) it will continue in effect for a period of more than one year from the date of its execution or adoption only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board and a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such agreement.


PORTFOLIO MANAGERS


Portfolio Manager

John E. Lekas serves as portfolio manager and Scott Carmack serves as co-portfolio manager for the Fund and, as such, are primarily responsible for making all investment decisions of the Fund (“Portfolio Manager”).  As of [        ], 2014, the Portfolio Managers were responsible for the management of the following types of accounts:



John E. Lekas

 

Category of

Account

Total Number of

Accounts Managed

Total Assets in

Accounts Managed

Number of

Accounts for

which

Advisory Fee is

Based on

Performance

Assets in

Accounts for

which Advisory

Fee is Based on

Performance

Other Registered Investment Companies

[   ]0

[   ]

[   ]

[   ]

Other Pooled Investment Vehicles

[   ]

[   ]

[   ]

[   ]

Other Accounts

[   ]

[   ]

[   ]

[   ]

  


Scott Carmack

 

Category of

Account

Total Number of

Accounts Managed

Total Assets in

Accounts Managed

Number of

Accounts for

which

Advisory Fee is

Based on

Performance

Assets in

Accounts for

which Advisory

Fee is Based on

Performance

Other Registered Investment Companies

[   ]

[   ]

[   ]

[   ]

Other Pooled Investment Vehicles

[   ]

[   ]

[   ]

[   ]

Other Accounts

[   ]

[   ]

[   ]

[   ]

  

 

45


Conflicts of Interest


The performance fees may create a potential conflict of interest by providing an incentive for the Advisor to allocate more volatile securities with greater capital appreciation opportunity to the retail accounts with the performance fees rather than to the Fund.


To the extent that the Fund and another of the Advisor’s clients seek to acquire the same security at about the same time, the Fund may not be able to acquire as large a position in such security as it desires or it may have to pay a higher price for the security.  Similarly, the Fund may not be able to obtain as large an execution of an order to sell or as high a price for any particular portfolio security if the other client desires to sell the same portfolio security at the same time.  On the other hand, if the same securities are bought or sold at the same time by more than one client, the resulting participation in volume transactions could produce better executions for the Fund.  In the event that more than one client wants to purchase or sell the same security on a given date, the purchases and sales will normally be made by random client selection.


The Portfolio Managers may manage accounts for multiple clients and may make investment decisions for each account based on the investment objectives and policies and other relevant investment considerations applicable to that portfolio. The management of multiple accounts may result in the Portfolio Manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each account. Even where multiple accounts are managed by the Portfolio Manager within the same investment discipline, however, the Advisor may take action with respect to one account that may differ from the timing or nature of action taken, with respect to another account. Accordingly, the performance of each account managed by the Portfolio Manager will vary.


Compensation.

  

The Portfolio Managers are compensated for their services by the Advisor.  Each Portfolio Manager’s compensation consists of a base salary.  Additionally, each Portfolio Manager receives an annual discretionary bonus based on the Advisor’s profits.  Although each Portfolio Manager’s compensation is not tied to the performance of any private client account, the Advisor receives a performance fee with respect to certain private retail accounts.  The Advisor charges performance fees on the pre-tax profits of certain private accounts over a twelve-month period compared to the account’s high water mark.  The high water mark is the opening value of the account, or, if the account has grown in value, the highest account value at the end of any previous twelve-month period.  


Ownership of Securities


As of the date of this SAI, the Fund was new and had not yet issued any shares.



ALLOCATION OF PORTFOLIO BROKERAGE


  

Specific decisions to purchase or sell securities for the Fund are made by the portfolio manager who is an employee of the Advisor. The Advisor is authorized by the Trustees to allocate the orders placed by them on behalf of the Fund to brokers or dealers who may, but need not, provide research or statistical material or other services to the Fund or the Advisor for the Fund’s use. Such allocation is to be in such amounts and proportions as the Advisor may determine.


In selecting a broker or dealer to execute each particular transaction, the Advisor will take the following into consideration:

·

the best net price available;

·

the reliability, integrity and financial condition of the broker or dealer;

 

46


 

 

·

the size of and difficulty in executing the order; and

·

the value of the expected contribution of the broker or dealer to the investment performance of the Fund on a continuing basis.

Brokers or dealers executing a portfolio transaction on behalf of the Fund may receive a commission in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for executing the transaction if the Advisor determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in relation to the value of brokerage, research and other services provided to the Fund. In allocating portfolio brokerage, the Advisor may select brokers or dealers who also provide brokerage, research and other services to other accounts over which the Advisor exercises investment discretion. Some of the services received as the result of Fund transactions may primarily benefit accounts other than the Fund’s, while services received as the result of portfolio transactions effected on behalf of those other accounts may primarily benefit the Fund.  


PORTFOLIO TURNOVER


  

A Fund’s portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year by the monthly average of the value of the portfolio securities owned by the Fund during the fiscal year. The calculation excludes from both the numerator and the denominator securities with maturities at the time of acquisition of one year or less. High portfolio turnover involves correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, which will be borne directly by the Fund. A 100% turnover rate would occur if all of the Fund’s portfolio securities were replaced once within a one-year period. A Fund may engage in active trading to achieve its investment objectives and may experience episodes of substantial portfolio turnover occasionally.  


OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS



Fund Administration, Fund Accounting and Transfer Agent Services

 

Gemini Fund Services, LLC, (“GFS”), which has its principal office at 80 Arkay Drive, Suite 110., Hauppauge, New York 11788, serves as administrator, fund accountant and transfer agent for the Fund pursuant to the Fund Services Agreement (the “Agreement”) with the Fund and subject to the supervision of the Board. GFS is primarily in the business of providing administrative, fund accounting and transfer agent services to retail and institutional mutual funds. GFS is an affiliate of the Distributor. GFS may also provide persons to serve as officers of the Fund. Such officers may be directors, officers or employees of GFS or its affiliates.


The Agreement became effective on June 22, 2011 and will remain in effect for two years from the applicable effective date for the Fund, and will continue in effect for successive twelve-month periods provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board.  The Agreement is terminable by the Board or GFS on 90 days’ written notice and may be assigned by either party, provided that the Trust may not assign this agreement without the prior written consent of GFS. The Agreement provides that GFS shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to the Agreement.


Under the Agreement, GFS performs administrative services, including:  (1) monitoring the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to the Trust by others service providers; (2) monitoring Fund holdings and operations for post-trade compliance with the Fund’s registration statement and applicable laws and rules; (3) preparing and coordinating the printing of semi-annual and annual financial statements; (4) preparing selected management reports for performance and compliance analyses; (5) preparing and disseminating materials for and attending and participating in meetings of the Board; (6) determining income and capital gains available for distribution and calculating distributions required to meet regulatory, income, and excise tax requirements; (7) reviewing the Trust's federal, state, and local tax returns as prepared and signed by the Trust's independent public accountants; (8) preparing and maintaining

 

 

47


 

 

the Trust's operating expense budget to determine proper expense accruals to be charged to the Fund to calculate its daily net asset value; (9) assisting in and monitoring the preparation, filing, printing and where applicable, dissemination to shareholders of amendments to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, periodic reports to the Trustees, shareholders and the SEC, notices pursuant to Rule 24f-2, proxy materials and reports to the SEC on Forms N-SAR, N-CSR, N-Q and N-PX; (10) coordinating the Trust's audits and examinations by assisting the Fund’s independent public accountants; (11) determining, in consultation with others, the jurisdictions in which shares of the Trust shall be registered or qualified for sale and facilitating such registration or qualification; (12) monitoring sales of shares and ensure that the shares are properly and duly registered with the SEC; (13) monitoring the calculation of performance data for the Fund; (14) preparing, or cause to be prepared, expense and financial reports; (15) preparing authorizations for the payment of Trust expenses and pay, from Trust assets, all bills of the Trust; (16) providing information typically supplied in the investment company industry to companies that track or report price, performance or other information with respect to investment companies; (17) upon request, assisting the Fund in the evaluation and selection of other service providers, such as independent public accountants, printers, EDGAR providers and proxy solicitors (such parties may be affiliates of GFS) and (18) performing other services, recordkeeping and assistance relating to the affairs of the Trust as the Trust may, from time to time, reasonably request.


For the administrative services rendered to the Fund by GFS, the Fund pays GFS an annual fee equal to the greater of a minimum fee of $40,000 plus 0.08% on net assets $80 million to $200 million and 0.06% on net assets greater than $200 million. The Fund also pay the Administrator for any out-of-pocket expenses.


GFS also provides the Fund with accounting services, including: (i) daily computation of net asset value; (ii) maintenance of security ledgers and books and records as required by the 1940 Act; (iii) production of the Fund’s listing of portfolio securities and general ledger reports; (iv) reconciliation of accounting records; (v) calculation of yield and total return for the Fund; (vi) maintenance of certain books and records described in Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, and reconciliation of account information and balances among the Fund’s custodian and Advisor; and (vii) monitoring and evaluation of daily income and expense accruals, and sales and redemptions of shares of the Fund.


GFS also acts as transfer, dividend disbursing, and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund pursuant to the Agreement. Under the Agreement, GFS is responsible for administering and performing transfer agent functions, dividend distribution, shareholder administration, and maintaining necessary records in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.


CUSTODIAN



JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (the "Custodian") 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017 serves as the custodian of the Fund’s assets pursuant to a Custody Agreement by and between the Custodian and the Trust on behalf of the Fund.  The Custodian’s responsibilities include safeguarding and controlling the Fund’s cash and securities, handling the receipt and delivery of securities, and collecting interest and dividends on the Fund’s investments. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the Custodian also maintains original entry documents and books of record and general ledgers; posts cash receipts and disbursements; and records purchases and sales based upon communications from the Advisor.  The Fund may employ foreign sub-custodians that are approved by the Board to hold foreign assets.


COMPLIANCE OFFICER



Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (“NLCS”), 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68130, an affiliate of GFS and the Distributor, provides a Chief Compliance Officer to the Trust as well as related compliance services pursuant to a consulting agreement between NLCS and the Trust. NLCS’s compliance services consist primarily of reviewing and assessing the policies and procedures of the Trust and its service providers pertaining to compliance with applicable federal securities laws, including Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act.  For the compliance services rendered to the Fund, the Fund pays NLCS a one-time fee of $2,500, plus an annual fee, based on Fund assets, ranging from $13,500 (net assets of $50 million or less) to $31,500 (net assets over $1 billion).  The Fund also pays NLCS for any out-of-pocket expenses.

 

48


 


DESCRIPTION OF SHARES


  

Each share of beneficial interest of the Trust has one vote in the election of Trustees. Cumulative voting is not authorized for the Trust. This means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of Trustees can elect 100% of the Trustees if they choose to do so, and, in that event, the holders of the remaining shares will be unable to elect any Trustees.


Shareholders of the Trust and any other future series of the Trust will vote in the aggregate and not by series except as otherwise required by law or when the Board determines that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interest of the shareholders of a particular series. Matters such as ratification of the independent public accountants and election of Trustees are not subject to separate voting requirements and may be acted upon by shareholders of the Trust voting without regard to series.


The Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest.  Each share has equal dividend, distribution and liquidation rights. There are no conversion or preemptive rights applicable to any shares of the Fund. All shares issued are fully paid and non-assessable.


ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM


  

The Trust has established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the “Program”) as required by Section 352 the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”). To ensure compliance with this law, the Trust’s Program is written and has been approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees.  The Program provides for the development of policies, procedures and internal controls, reasonably designed to prevent money laundering, the designation of an anti-money laundering compliance officer, who is responsible for implementing and monitoring the Program, ongoing anti-money laundering training for appropriate persons and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program. The Trust’s secretary serves as its Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer.


Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that the Fund’s Transfer Agent has established reasonable anti-money laundering procedures, have reported suspicious and/or fraudulent activity and have completed thorough reviews of all new opening account applications. The Trust will not transact business with any person or entity whose identity cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.


As a result of the Program, the Trust may be required to “freeze” the account of a shareholder if the shareholder appears to be involved in suspicious activity or if certain account information matches information on government lists of known terrorists or other suspicious persons, or the Trust may be required to transfer the account or proceeds of the account to a governmental agency.



PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF SHARES


  

Calculation of Share Price


As indicated in the Prospectus under the heading “Net Asset Value,” (“NAV”) the NAV of the Fund’s shares is determined by dividing the total value of the Fund’s portfolio investments and other assets, less any liabilities, by the total number of shares outstanding of the Fund.


For purposes of calculating the NAV, portfolio securities and other assets for which market quotes are available are stated at market value. Market value is generally determined on the basis of last reported sales

 

 

49


 

 

prices, or if no sales are reported, based on quotes obtained from a quotation reporting system, established market makers, or pricing services. Securities primarily traded in the NASDAQ National Market System for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ Official Closing Price (“NOCP”). If the NOCP is not available, such securities shall be valued at the last sale price on the day of valuation, or if there has been no sale on such day, at the last bid price. Certain securities or investments for which daily market quotes are not readily available may be valued, pursuant to guidelines established by the Board, with reference to other securities or indices. Short-term investments having a maturity of 60 days or less are generally valued at amortized cost. Exchange traded options; futures and options on futures are valued at the settlement price determined by the exchange. Other securities for which market quotes are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board or persons acting at their direction.


Investments initially valued in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted to U.S. dollars using exchange rates obtained from pricing services. As a result, the NAV of the Fund’s shares may be affected by changes in the value of currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar. The value of securities traded in markets outside the United States or denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar may be affected significantly on a day that the New York Stock Exchange is closed and an investor is not able to purchase, redeem or exchange shares.


Fund shares are valued at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) (the “NYSE Close”) on each day that the New York Stock Exchange is open. For purposes of calculating the NAV, the Fund normally uses pricing data for domestic equity securities received shortly after the NYSE Close and do not normally take into account trading, clearances or settlements that take place after the NYSE Close. Domestic fixed income and foreign securities are normally priced using data reflecting the earlier closing of the principal markets for those securities. Information that becomes known to the Fund or its agents after the NAV has been calculated on a particular day will not generally be used to retroactively adjust the price of the security or the NAV determined earlier that day.


In unusual circumstances, instead of valuing securities in the usual manner, the Fund may value securities at fair value or estimate their value as determined in good faith by the Board or their designees, pursuant to procedures approved by the Board. Fair valuation may also be used by the Board if extraordinary events occur after the close of the relevant market but prior to the NYSE Close.


A Fund may hold securities, such as private placements, interests in commodity pools, other non-traded securities or temporarily illiquid securities, for which market quotations are not readily available or are determined to be unreliable.  These securities will be valued at their fair market value as determined using the “fair value” procedures approved by the Board.  The Board has delegated execution of these procedures to a fair value team composed of one of more representatives from each of the (i) Trust, (ii) administrator, and (iii) advisor and/or sub-advisor.  The team may also enlist third party consultants such as an audit firm or financial officer of a security issuer on an as-needed basis to assist in determining a security-specific fair value.  The Board reviews and ratifies the execution of this process and the resultant fair value prices at least quarterly to assure the process produces reliable results.


Fair Value Team and Valuation Process.  This team is composed of one of more representatives from each of the (i) Trust, (ii) administrator, and (iii) advisor and/or sub-advisor.  The applicable investments are valued collectively via inputs from each of these groups.  For example, fair value determinations are required for the following securities: (i) securities for which market quotations are insufficient or not readily available on a particular business day (including securities for which there is a short and temporary lapse in the provision of a price by the regular pricing source), (ii) securities for which, in the judgment of the advisor or sub-advisor, the prices or values available do not represent the fair value of the instrument.  Factors which may cause the advisor or sub-advisor to make such a judgment include, but are not limited to, the following: only a bid price or an asked price is available; the spread between bid and asked prices is substantial; the frequency of sales; the thinness of the market; the size of reported trades; and actions of the securities markets, such as the suspension or limitation of trading; (iii) securities determined to be illiquid; (iv) securities with respect to which an event that will affect the value thereof has occurred (a “significant event”) since the closing prices were established on the principal exchange on which they are traded, but prior to the Fund’s calculation of its net asset value.  Specifically, interests in commodity pools or managed

 

 

50


 

 

futures pools are valued on a daily basis by reference to the closing market prices of each futures contract or other asset held by a pool, as adjusted for pool expenses.  Restricted or illiquid securities, such as private placements or non-traded securities are valued via inputs from the advisor or sub-advisor valuation based upon the current bid for the security from two or more independent dealers or other parties reasonably familiar with the facts and circumstances of the security (who should take into consideration all relevant factors as may be appropriate under the circumstances).  If the advisor or sub-advisor is unable to obtain a current bid from such independent dealers or other independent parties, the fair value team shall determine the fair value of such security using the following factors: (i) the type of security; (ii) the cost at date of purchase; (iii) the size and nature of the Fund’s holdings; (iv) the discount from market value of unrestricted securities of the same class at the time of purchase and subsequent thereto; (v) information as to any transactions or offers with respect to the security; (vi) the nature and duration of restrictions on disposition of the security and the existence of any registration rights; (vii) how the yield of the security compares to similar securities of companies of similar or equal creditworthiness; (viii) the level of recent trades of similar or comparable securities; (ix) the liquidity characteristics of the security; (x) current market conditions; and (xi) the market value of any securities into which the security is convertible or exchangeable.


Standards For Fair Value Determinations.  As a general principle, the fair value of a security is the amount that the Fund might reasonably expect to realize upon its current sale. The Trust has adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement of Financial Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures ("ASC 820"). In accordance with ASC 820, fair value is defined as the price that the Fund would receive upon selling an investment in a timely transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market of the investment.  ASC 820 establishes a three-tier hierarchy to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes.  Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk, for example, the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value including such a pricing model and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity's own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, developed based on the best information available under the circumstances.


Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s investments relating to ASC 820.  These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below.


Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities.


Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)


Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments).


The fair value team takes into account the relevant factors and surrounding circumstances, which may include: (i) the nature and pricing history (if any) of the security; (ii) whether any dealer quotations for the security are available; (iii) possible valuation methodologies that could be used to determine the fair value of the security; (iv) the recommendation of a portfolio manager of the Fund with respect to the valuation of the security; (v) whether the same or similar securities are held by other Funds managed by the advisor (or sub-advisor) or other Funds and the method used to price the security in those Funds; (vi) the extent to which the fair value to be determined for the security will result from the use of data or formulae produced by independent third parties and (vii) the liquidity or illiquidity of the market for the security.


Board of Trustees Determination.  The Board of Trustees meets at least quarterly to consider the valuations provided by fair value team and ratify valuations for the applicable securities. The Board of Trustees considers the reports provided by the fair value team, including follow up studies of subsequent market-

 

 

51


 

 

provided prices when available, in reviewing and determining in good faith the fair value of the applicable portfolio securities.


The Trust expects that the New York Stock Exchange will be closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.


Purchase of Shares


Orders for shares received by the Fund in good order prior to the close of business on the NYSE on each day during such periods that the NYSE is open for trading are priced at net asset value per share computed as of the close of the regular session of trading on the NYSE. Orders received in good order after the close of the NYSE, or on a day it is not open for trading, are priced at the close of such NYSE on the next day on which it is open for trading at the next determined net asset value per share.


Redemption of Shares


A Fund will redeem all or any portion of a shareholder’s shares of the Fund when requested in accordance with the procedures set forth in the “Redemptions” section of the Prospectus. Under the 1940 Act, a shareholder’s right to redeem shares and to receive payment therefore may be suspended at times:

 

(a) when the NYSE is closed, other than customary weekend and holiday closings;

(b) when trading on that exchange is restricted for any reason;

(c) when an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of securities owned by it is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund fairly to determine the value of its net assets, provided that applicable rules and regulations of the SEC (or any succeeding governmental authority) will govern as to whether the conditions prescribed in (b) or (c) exist; or

(d) when the SEC by order permits a suspension of the right to redemption or a postponement of the date of payment on redemption.

 

In case of suspension of the right of redemption, payment of a redemption request will be made based on the net asset value next determined after the termination of the suspension.


Supporting documents in addition to those listed under “Redemptions” in the Prospectus will be required from executors, administrators, Trustees, or if redemption is requested by someone other than the shareholder of record. Such documents include, but are not restricted to, stock powers, Trust instruments, certificates of death, appointments as executor, certificates of corporate authority and waiver of tax required in some states when settling estates.


TAX STATUS


  

The following discussion is general in nature and should not be regarded as an exhaustive presentation of all possible tax ramifications. All shareholders should consult a qualified tax adviser regarding their investment in the Fund.


The Fund intends to qualify as, and elects to be treated as, a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), which requires compliance with certain requirements concerning the sources of its income, diversification of its assets, and the amount and timing of its distributions to shareholders. Such qualification does not involve supervision of management or investment practices or policies by any government agency or bureau. By so qualifying, the Fund should not be subject to federal income or excise tax on its net investment income or net capital gain, which are distributed to shareholders in accordance with the applicable timing requirements. Net investment income and net capital gain of the Fund will be computed in accordance with Section 852 of the Code.  


Net investment income is made up of dividends and interest less expenses. Net capital gain for a fiscal year is computed by taking into account any capital loss carryforward of the Fund.  Capital losses incurred in tax

 

 

52


 

 

years beginning after December 22, 2010 may now be carried forward indefinitely and retain the character of the original loss.  Under previously enacted laws, capital losses could be carried forward to offset any capital gains for only eight years, and carried forward as short-term capital losses, irrespective of the character of the original loss.  Capital loss carryforwards are available to offset future realized capital gains. To the extent that these carryforwards are used to offset future capital gains it is probable that the amount offset will not be distributed to shareholders.


The Fund intends to distribute all of its net investment income, any excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, and any excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses in accordance with the timing requirements imposed by the Code and therefore should not be required to pay any federal income or excise taxes. Distributions of net investment income will be made monthly and net capital gains will be made after June 30, the end of each fiscal year, and no later than December 31 of each year. Both types of distributions will be in shares of the Fund unless a shareholder elects to receive cash.


To be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code, the Fund must also (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, net income from certain publicly traded partnerships and gains from the sale or other disposition of securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to the business of investing in such securities or currencies, and (b) diversify its holding so that, at the end of each fiscal quarter, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s assets is represented by cash, U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities (for purposes of this calculation, generally limited in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the market value of the Fund’s assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer) and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its assets is invested in the securities of (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other regulated investment companies) any one issuer, two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or the securities of certain publicly traded partnerships.


If the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M in any fiscal year, it will be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. As such the Fund would be required to pay income taxes on its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, at the rates generally applicable to corporations. Shareholders of the Fund generally would not be liable for income tax on the Fund’s net investment income or net realized capital gains in their individual capacities. Distributions to shareholders, whether from the Fund’s net investment income or net realized capital gains, would be treated as taxable dividends to the extent of current or accumulated earnings and profits of the Fund.


The Fund are subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on certain undistributed amounts of ordinary income and capital gain under a prescribed formula contained in Section 4982 of the Code. The formula requires payment to shareholders during a calendar year of distributions representing at least 98% of the Fund’s ordinary income for the calendar year and at least 98.2% of its capital gain net income (i.e., the excess of its capital gains over capital losses) realized during the one-year period ending October 31 during such year plus 100% of any income that was neither distributed nor taxed to the Fund during the preceding calendar year. Under ordinary circumstances, the Fund expect to time its distributions so as to avoid liability for this tax.


The following discussion of tax consequences is for the general information of shareholders that are subject to tax. Shareholders that are IRAs or other qualified retirement plans are exempt from income taxation under the Code.


Distributions of taxable net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.


Distributions of net capital gain (“capital gain dividends”) generally are taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain; regardless of the length of time the shares of the Trust have been held by such shareholders.

 

53


 


For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, certain U.S. shareholders, including individuals and estates and trusts, will be subject to an additional 3.8% Medicare tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which should include dividends from the Fund and net gains from the disposition of shares of the Fund.  U.S. Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the implications of the additional Medicare tax resulting from an investment in the Fund.


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 generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on: (a) income dividends paid by a 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.


Redemption of Fund shares by a shareholder will result in the recognition of taxable gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the shareholder’s tax basis in his or her Fund shares. Such gain or loss is treated as a capital gain or loss if the shares are held as capital assets However, any loss realized upon the redemption of shares within six months from the date of their purchase will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as capital gain dividends during such six-month period. All or a portion of any loss realized upon the redemption of shares may be disallowed to the extent shares are purchased (including shares acquired by means of reinvested dividends) within 30 days before or after such redemption.  


Distributions of taxable net investment income and net capital gain will be taxable as described above, whether received in additional cash or shares. Shareholders electing to receive distributions in the form of additional shares will have a cost basis for federal income tax purposes in each share so received equal to the net asset value of a share on the reinvestment date.


All distributions of taxable net investment income and net capital gain, whether received in shares or in cash, must be reported by each taxable shareholder on his or her federal income tax return.. Redemptions of shares may result in tax consequences (gain or loss) to the shareholder and are also subject to these reporting requirements.


Under the Code, the Fund will be required to report to the Internal Revenue Service all distributions of taxable income and capital gains as well as gross proceeds from the redemption or exchange of Fund shares, except in the case of certain exempt shareholders. Under the backup withholding provisions of Section 3406 of the Code, distributions of taxable net investment income and net capital gain and proceeds from the redemption or exchange of the shares of a regulated investment company may be subject to withholding of federal income tax in the case of non-exempt shareholders who fail to furnish the investment company with their taxpayer identification numbers and with required certifications regarding their status under the federal income tax law, or if the Fund is notified by the IRS or a broker that withholding is required due to an incorrect TIN or a previous failure to report taxable interest or dividends. If the withholding provisions are applicable, any such distributions and proceeds, whether taken in cash or reinvested in additional shares, will be reduced by the amounts required to be withheld.


Options, Futures, Forward Contracts and Swap Agreements


To the extent such investments are permissible for the Fund, the Fund’s transactions in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, straddles and foreign currencies will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the Fund, defer losses to the Fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the Fund’s securities, convert long-term capital gains into short-term capital gains and

 

 

54


 

 

convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders.


To the extent such investments are permissible, certain of the Fund’s hedging activities (including its transactions, if any, in foreign currencies or foreign currency-denominated instruments) are likely to produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If the Fund’s book income exceeds its taxable income, the distribution (if any) of such excess book income will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the Fund’s remaining earnings and profits (including earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income), (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. If the Fund’s book income is less than taxable income, the Fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regular investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.


Passive Foreign Investment Companies


Investment by the Fund in certain “passive foreign investment companies” (“PFICs”) could subject the Fund to a U.S. federal income tax (including interest charges) on distributions received from the company or on proceeds received from the disposition of shares in the company, which tax cannot be eliminated by making distributions to Fund shareholders. However, the Fund may elect to treat a PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” (“QEF”), in which case the Fund will be required to include its share of the company’s income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether it receives any distribution from the company.


The Fund also may make an election to mark the gains (and to a limited extent losses) in such holdings “to the market” as though it had sold and repurchased its holdings in those PFICs on the last day of the Fund’s taxable year. Such gains and losses are treated as ordinary income and loss. The QEF and mark-to-market elections may accelerate the recognition of income (without the receipt of cash) and increase the amount required to be distributed for the Fund to avoid taxation. Making either of these elections therefore may require the Fund to liquidate other investments (including when it is not advantageous to do so) to meet its distribution requirement, which also may accelerate the recognition of gain and affect the Fund’s total returns.


Foreign Taxation


Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax treaties and conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may be able to elect to “pass through” to the Fund’s shareholders the amount of eligible foreign income and similar taxes paid by the Fund. If this election is made, a shareholder generally subject to tax will be required to include in gross income (in addition to taxable dividends actually received) his or her pro rata share of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund, and may be entitled either to deduct (as an itemized deduction) his or her pro rata share of foreign taxes in computing his or her taxable income or to use it as a foreign tax credit against his or her U.S. federal income tax liability, subject to certain limitations. In particular, a shareholder must hold his or her shares (without protection from risk of loss) on the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 more days during the 30-day period surrounding the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit with respect to a gain dividend. No deduction for foreign taxes may be claimed by a shareholder who does not itemize deductions. Each shareholder will be notified within 60 days after the close of the Fund’s taxable year whether the foreign taxes paid by the Fund will “pass through” for that year.


Generally, a credit for foreign taxes is subject to the limitation that it may not exceed the shareholder’s U.S. tax attributable to his or her total foreign source taxable income. For this purpose, if the pass-through election is made, the source of the Fund’s income will flow through to shareholders of the Fund. With respect to the Fund, gains from the sale of securities will be treated as derived from U.S. sources and certain currency fluctuation gains, including fluctuation gains from foreign currency-denominated debt securities, receivables and payables will be treated as ordinary income derived from U.S. sources. The limitation on the foreign tax credit is applied separately to foreign source passive income, and to certain other types of income. A shareholder may be unable to claim a credit for the full amount of his or her proportionate share of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund. The foreign tax credit can be used to offset only

 

 

55


 

 

90% of the revised alternative minimum tax imposed on corporations and individuals and foreign taxes generally are not deductible in computing alternative minimum taxable income.


Original Issue Discount and Pay-In-Kind Securities


Current federal tax law requires the holder of a U.S. Treasury or other fixed income zero coupon security to accrue as income each year a portion of the discount at which the security was purchased, even though the holder receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year. In addition, pay-in-kind securities will give rise to income, which is required to be distributed and is taxable even though the Fund holding the security receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year.


Some of the debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund may be treated as debt securities that are issued originally at a discount. Generally, the amount of the original issue discount (“OID”) is treated as interest income and is included in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. A portion of the OID includable in income with respect to certain high-yield corporate debt securities (including certain pay-in-kind securities) may be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes.


Some of the debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund in the secondary market may be treated as having market discount. Generally, any gain recognized on the disposition of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt security having market discount is treated as ordinary income to the extent the gain, or principal payment, does not exceed the “accrued market discount” on such debt security. Market discount generally accrues in equal daily installments. The Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt securities having market discount, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.


Some debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of one year or less from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund may be treated as having acquisition discount, or OID in the case of certain types of debt securities. Generally, the Fund will be required to include the acquisition discount, or OID, in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. The Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt securities having acquisition discount, or OID, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.


A Fund that holds the foregoing kinds of securities may be required to pay out as an income distribution each year an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of the Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary (including when it is not advantageous to do so). The Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event the Fund realizes net capital gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution, if any, than they would in the absence of such transactions.


Shareholders of the Fund may be subject to state and local taxes on distributions received from the Fund and on redemptions of the Fund’s shares.


A brief explanation of the form and character of the distribution accompany each distribution. In January of each year the Fund issues to each shareholder a statement of the federal income tax status of all distributions.


Shareholders should consult their tax advisors about the application of federal, state and local and foreign tax law in light of their particular situation.


 

56


 


INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM


  

[            ], located at [                                                        ] serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm providing services including (1) audit of annual financial statements, and (2) assistance and consultation in connection with SEC filings.


LEGAL COUNSEL


 

Thompson Hine LLP, 41 South High Street, Suite 1700, Columbus, Ohio 43215 serves as the Trust’s legal counsel.



FINANCIAL STATEMENTS



The Fund had not yet commenced operations as of the date of this SAI and therefore had no financial statements.  




 

57


 



APPENDIX A -- PROXY VOTING POLICIES


LEADER CAPITAL CORPORATION


PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES


Pursuant to the adoption by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of Rule 206(4)-6 (17 CFR 275.206(4)-6) and amendments to Rule 204-2 (17 CFR 275.204-2) under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940 (the “Act”), it is a fraudulent, deceptive, or manipulative act, practice or course of business, within the meaning of Section 206(4) of the Act, for an investment Advisor to exercise voting authority with respect to client securities, unless (i) the Advisor has adopted and implemented written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that the Advisor votes proxies in the best interest of its clients, (ii) the Advisor describes its proxy voting procedures to its clients and provides copies on request, and (iii) the Advisor discloses to clients how they may obtain information on how the Advisor voted their proxies.


In order to fulfill its responsibilities under the Act, Leader Capital Corporation (hereinafter “we” or “our”) has adopted the following policies and procedures for proxy voting with regard to companies in investment portfolios of our clients.


KEY OBJECTIVES


The key objectives of these policies and procedures recognize that a company’s management is entrusted with the day-to-day operations and longer term strategic planning of the company, subject to the oversight of the company’s board of directors.  While “ordinary business matters” are primarily the responsibility of management and should be approved solely by the corporation’s board of directors, these objectives also recognize that the company’s shareholders must have final say over how management and directors are performing, and how shareholders’ rights and ownership interests are handled, especially when matters could have substantial economic implications to the shareholders.


Therefore, we will pay particular attention to the following matters in exercising our proxy voting responsibilities as a fiduciary for our clients:


Accountability.  Each company should have effective means in place to hold those entrusted with running a company’s business accountable for their actions.  Management of a company should be accountable to its board of directors and the board should be accountable to shareholders.


Alignment of Management and Shareholder Interests.  Each company should endeavor to align the interests of management and the board of directors with the interests of the company’s shareholders.  For example, we generally believe that compensation should be designed to reward management for doing a good job of creating value for the shareholders of the company.


Transparency.  Promotion of timely disclosure of important information about a company’s business operations and financial performance enables investors to evaluate the performance of a company and to make informed decisions about the purchase and sale of a company’s securities.


DECISION METHODS


We generally believe that the individual portfolio managers that invest in and track particular companies are the most knowledgeable and best suited to make decisions with regard to proxy votes.  Therefore, we rely on those individuals to make the final decisions on how to cast proxy votes.

 

 

 

58


 

 


No set of proxy voting guidelines can anticipate all situations that may arise.  In special cases, we may seek insight from our managers and analysts on how a particular proxy proposal will impact the financial prospects of a company, and vote accordingly.

 

In some instances, a proxy vote may present a conflict between the interests of a client, on the one hand, and our interests or the interests of a person affiliated with us, on the other.  In such a case, we will abstain from making a voting decision and will forward all of the necessary proxy voting materials to the client to enable the client to cast the votes.

  

SUMMARY OF PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES


Election of the Board of Directors


We believe that good corporate governance generally starts with a board composed primarily of independent directors, unfettered by significant ties to management, all of whose members are elected annually.  In addition, key board committees should be entirely independent.


The election of a company’s board of directors is one of the most fundamental rights held by shareholders.  Because a classified board structure prevents shareholders from electing a full slate of directors annually, we will generally support efforts to declassify boards or other measures that permit shareholders to remove a majority of directors at any time, and will generally oppose efforts to adopt classified board structures.


Approval of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm


We believe that the relationship between a company and its independent registered public accounting firm should be limited primarily to the audit engagement, although it may include certain closely related activities that do not raise an appearance of impaired independence.


We will evaluate on a case-by-case basis instances in which the audit firm has a substantial non-audit relationship with a company to determine whether we believe independence has been, or could be, compromised.


Equity-based compensation plans


We believe that appropriately designed equity-based compensation plans, approved by shareholders, can be an effective way to align the interests of shareholders and the interests of directors, management, and employees by providing incentives to increase shareholders value.  Conversely, we are opposed to plans that substantially dilute ownership interests in the company, provide participants with excessive awards, or have inherently objectionable structure features.


We will generally support measures intended to increase stock ownership by executives and the use of employee stock purchase plans to increase company stock ownership by employees.  These may include:


 

1.

Requiring senior executives to hold stock in a company.

 

2.

Requiring stock acquired through option exercise to be held for a certain period of time.


 

3.

Using restricted stock grants instead of options.

 

4.

Awards based on non-discretionary grants specified by the plan’s terms rather than subject to management’s discretion.

 

 

 

59



While we evaluate plans on a case-by-case basis, we will generally oppose plans that have the following features:


 

1.

Annual option grants that would exceed 2% of outstanding shares.

 

2.

Ability to issue options with an exercise price below the stock’s current market price.


 

3.

Automatic share replenishment (“evergreen”) feature.


 

4.

Authorization to permit the board of directors to materially amend a plan without shareholder approval.

 

5.

Authorizes the re-pricing of stock options or the cancellation and exchange of options without shareholder approval.


These are guidelines, and we consider other factors, such as the nature of the industry and size of the company, when assessing a plan’s impact on ownership interests.


Corporate Structure


We view the exercise of shareholders’ rights, including the rights to act by written consent, to call special meetings and to remove directors, to be fundamental to good corporate governance.


Because classes of common stock with unequal voting rights limit the rights of certain shareholders, we generally believe that shareholders should have voting power equal to their equity interest in the company and should be able to approve or reject changes to a company’s by-laws by a simple majority vote.


Because the requirement of a super-majority vote can limit the ability of shareholders to effect change, we will support proposals to remove super-majority (typically from 66.7% to 80%) voting requirements for certain types of proposals and oppose proposals to impose super-majority requirements.


We will generally support the ability of shareholders to cumulate their votes for the election of directors.


Shareholder Rights Plans


While we recognize that there are arguments both in favor of and against shareholder rights plans, also known as poison pills, such measures may tend to entrench current management, which we generally consider to have a negative impact on shareholder value.


We believe the best approach is for a company to seek shareholder approval of rights plans and we generally support shareholder resolutions requesting that shareholders be given the opportunity to vote on the adoption of rights plans.


We will generally be more inclined to support a shareholder rights plan if the plan (i) has short-term “sunset” provisions, (ii) is linked to a business strategy that will likely result in greater value for shareholders, (iii) requires shareholder approval to reinstate the expired plan or adopt a new plan at the end of its term, and (iv) is subject to mandatory review by a committee of independent directors.

CLIENT INFORMATION


A copy of these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures is available to our clients, without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-711-9164.  We will send a copy of these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures within three business days of receipt of a request, by first-class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery.


In addition, we will provide each client, without charge, upon request, information regarding the proxy votes cast by us with regard to the client’s securities.



 

60


 



APPENDIX B- DESCRIPTION OF BOND RATINGS


SHORT-TERM RATINGS


Standard & Poor’s Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings


 

A Standard & Poor's issue credit rating is a current opinion of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The issue credit rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a financial obligation, inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor.

 

Issue credit ratings are based on current information furnished by the obligors or obtained by Standard & Poor's from other sources it considers reliable. Standard & Poor's does not perform an audit in connection with any credit rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. Credit ratings may be changed, suspended or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or unavailability of, such information, or based on other circumstances.

 

Issue credit ratings can be either long term or short term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days including commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. The result is a dual rating, in which the short-term rating addresses the put feature, in addition to the usual long-term rating. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.

 


Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings


A-1


A short-term obligation rated 'A-1' is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.


A-2


A short-term obligation rated 'A-2' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.


A-3


A short-term obligation rated 'A-3' exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

 

 

61


 


B


A short-term obligation rated 'B' is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. Ratings of 'B-1', 'B-2', and 'B-3' may be assigned to indicate finer distinctions within the 'B' category. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.


B-1


A short-term obligation rated 'B-1' is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, but the obligor has a relatively stronger capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.


B-2


A short-term obligation rated 'B-2' is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, and the obligor has an average speculative-grade capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.


B-3


A short-term obligation rated 'B-3' is regarded as having significant speculative characteristics, and the obligor has a relatively weaker capacity to meet its financial commitments over the short-term compared to other speculative-grade obligors.


C


A short-term obligation rated 'C' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.


D


A short-term obligation rated 'D' is in payment default. The 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.


Active Qualifiers (Currently applied and/or outstanding)


 

i

 

This subscript is used for issues in which the credit factors, terms, or both, that determine the likelihood of receipt of payment of interest are different from the credit factors, terms or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of principal on the obligation. The 'i' subscript indicates that the rating addresses the interest portion of the obligation only. The 'i' subscript will always be used in conjunction with the 'p' subscript, which addresses likelihood of receipt of principal. For example, a rated obligation could be assigned ratings of "AAAp N.R.i" indicating that the principal portion is rated "AAA" and the interest portion of the obligation is not rated.

 

 

62


 



L

 

Ratings qualified with 'L' apply only to amounts invested up to federal deposit insurance limits.

 

p

 

This subscript is used for issues in which the credit factors, the terms, or both, that determine the likelihood of receipt of payment of principal are different from the credit factors, terms or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of interest on the obligation. The 'p' subscript indicates that the rating addresses the principal portion of the obligation only. The 'p' subscript will always be used in conjunction with the 'i' subscript, which addresses likelihood of receipt of interest. For example, a rated obligation could be assigned ratings of "AAAp N.R.i" indicating that the principal portion is rated "AAA" and the interest portion of the obligation is not rated.

 

pi

 

Ratings with a 'pi' subscript are based on an analysis of an issuer's published financial information, as well as additional information in the public domain. They do not, however, reflect in-depth meetings with an issuer's management and are therefore based on less comprehensive information than ratings without a 'pi' subscript. Ratings with a 'pi' subscript are reviewed annually based on a new year's financial statements, but may be reviewed on an interim basis if a major event occurs that may affect the issuer's credit quality.

 

pr

 

The letters 'pr' indicate that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful, timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, makes no comment on the likelihood of or the risk of default upon failure of such completion. The investor should exercise his own judgment with respect to such likelihood and risk.

 

preliminary

 

Preliminary ratings are assigned to issues, including financial programs, in the following circumstances.

 

 

·

Preliminary ratings may be assigned to obligations, most commonly structured and project finance issues, pending receipt of final documentation and legal opinions. Assignment of a final rating is conditional on the receipt and approval by Standard & Poor's of appropriate documentation. Changes in the information provided to Standard & Poor's could result in the assignment of a different rating. In addition, Standard & Poor's reserves the right not to issue a final rating.

 

 

·

Preliminary ratings are assigned to Rule 415 Shelf Registrations. As specific issues, with defined terms, are offered from the master registration, a final rating may be assigned to them in accordance with Standard & Poor's policies. The final rating may differ from the preliminary rating.

 

t

 

This symbol indicates termination structures that are designed to honor their contracts to full maturity or, should certain events occur, to terminate and cash settle all their contracts before their final maturity date.

 

 

63


 


Inactive Qualifiers (No longer applied or outstanding)


 

*


This symbol indicated continuance of the ratings is contingent upon Standard & Poor's receipt of an executed copy of the escrow agreement or closing documentation confirming investments and cash flows. Discontinued use in August 1998.


c


This qualifier was used to provide additional information to investors that the bank may terminate its obligation to purchase tendered bonds if the long-term credit rating of the issuer is below an investment-grade level and/or the issuer's bonds are deemed taxable. Discontinued use in January 2001.


q


A 'q' subscript indicates that the rating is based solely on quantitative analysis of publicly available information. Discontinued use in April 2001.


r


The 'r' modifier was assigned to securities containing extraordinary risks, particularly market risks, that are not covered in the credit rating. The absence of an 'r' modifier should not be taken as an indication that an obligation will not exhibit extraordinary non-credit related risks. Standard & Poor's discontinued the use of the 'r' modifier for most obligations in June 2000 and for the balance of obligations (mainly structured finance transactions) in November 2002.


Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks


Country risk considerations are a standard part of Standard & Poor's analysis for credit ratings on any issuer or issue. Currency of repayment is a key factor in this analysis. An obligor's capacity to repay foreign currency obligations may be lower than its capacity to repay obligations in its local currency due to the sovereign government's own relatively lower capacity to repay external versus domestic debt. These sovereign risk considerations are incorporated in the debt ratings assigned to specific issues. Foreign currency issuer ratings are also distinguished from local currency issuer ratings to identify those instances where sovereign risks make them different for the same issuer.


Moody’s Short-Term Debt Ratings

 

Short-Term Ratings

 

Moody's short-term ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations. Ratings may be assigned to issuers, short-term programs or to individual short-term debt instruments. Such obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months, unless explicitly noted.

 

Moody's employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

 

P-1

 

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

 

64


 

 

P-2

 

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

 

P-3

 

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

 

NP

 

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

 

Note: Canadian issuers rated P-1 or P-2 have their short-term ratings enhanced by the senior-most long-term rating of the issuer, its guarantor or support-provider.

 

[sai001.jpg]

  

 Fitch’s International Short-Term Credit Ratings

 

 

The following ratings scale applies to foreign currency and local currency ratings. A Short-term rating has a time horizon of less than 13 months for most obligations, or up to three years for US public finance, in line with industry standards, to reflect unique risk characteristics of bond, tax, and revenue anticipation notes that are commonly issued with terms up to three years. Short-term ratings thus place greater emphasis on the liquidity necessary to meet financial commitments in a timely manner.

 

 

 

65


 


 

F1

Highest credit quality.  Indicates the Strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

 

 

F2

Good credit quality.  A satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings.

 

 

F3

Fair credit quality.  The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate; however, near-term adverse changes could result in a reduction to non-investment grade.

 

 

B

Speculative.  Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

 

 

C

High default risk.  Default is a real possibility.  Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.

 

 

RD

Indicated an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other obligations.

 

 

D

Indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations.

 

Notes to International Long-Term and Short-Term ratings:

 

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 rating category, to categories below 'CCC', or to Short-term ratings other than 'F1'. (The +/- modifiers are only used to denote issues within the CCC category, whereas issuers are only rated CCC without the use of modifiers.)

 

Rating Watch: Ratings are placed on Rating Watch to notify investors that there is a reasonable probability of a rating change and the likely direction of such change. These are designated as "Positive", indicating a potential upgrade, "Negative", for a potential downgrade, or "Evolving", if ratings may be raised, lowered or maintained. Rating Watch is typically resolved over a relatively short period.

 

Rating Outlook: An Outlook indicates the direction a rating is likely to move over a one to two-year period. Outlooks may be positive, stable or negative. A positive or negative Rating Outlook does not imply a rating change is inevitable. Similarly, ratings for which outlooks are 'stable' could be upgraded or downgraded before an outlook moves to positive or negative if circumstances warrant such an action. Occasionally, Fitch Ratings may be unable to identify the fundamental trend. In these cases, the Rating Outlook may be described as evolving.

 

Program ratings (such as the those assigned to MTN shelf registrations) relate only to standard issues made under the program concerned; it should not be assumed that these ratings apply to every issue made under the program. In particular, in the case of non-standard issues, i.e. those that are linked to the credit of a third party or linked to the performance of an index, ratings of these issues may deviate from the applicable program rating.

 

Variable rate demand obligations and other securities which contain a short-term 'put' or other similar demand feature will have a dual rating, such as AAA/F1+. The first rating reflects the ability to meet long-term principal and interest payments, whereas the second rating reflects the ability to honor the demand feature in full and on time.

 

 

66


 


Interest Only

Interest Only ratings are assigned to interest strips. These ratings do not address the possibility that a security holder might fail to recover some or all of its initial investment due to voluntary or involuntary principal repayments.

 

Principal Only

Principal Only ratings address the likelihood that a security holder will receive their initial principal investment either before or by the scheduled maturity date.

 

Rate of Return

Ratings also may be assigned to gauge the likelihood of an investor receiving a certain predetermined internal rate of return without regard to the precise timing of any cash flows.

 

'PIF'

Paid-in -Full; denotes a security that is paid-in-full, matured, called or refinanced.

 

'NR' indicates that Fitch Ratings does not rate the issuer or issue in question.

 

'Withdrawn': A rating is withdrawn when Fitch Ratings deems the amount of information available to be inadequate for rating purposes, or when an obligation matures, is called, or refinanced or for any other reason Fitch Ratings deems sufficient.

 

Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”) National Short-Term Credit Ratings

 

National Ratings are an assessment of credit quality relative to the rating of the "best" credit risk in a country. This "best" risk will normally, although not always, be assigned to all financial commitments issued or guaranteed by the sovereign state.

 

A special identifier for the country concerned will be added at the end of all national ratings. For illustrative purposes, (xxx) has been used, in the table below.

 

 

F1(xxx)

Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or issues in the same country.  Under their national rating scale, this rating is assigned to the “best” credit risk relative to all others in the same country and is normally assigned to all financial commitments issued or guaranteed by the sovereign state.  Where the credit risk is particularly strong, a “+” is added to the assigned rating.

 

 

F2(xxx)

Indicates a satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or issues 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 issues 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 issues 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 issues in the same country.  Capacity or meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.

 

 

 

67


 

 

D (xxx)

Indicates actual or imminent payment default.

 

Note to National Short-Term ratings:

 

In certain countries, regulators have established credit rating scales, to be used within their domestic markets, using specific nomenclature. In these countries, our National Short-Term Ratings definitions for F1+(xxx), F1(xxx), F2(xxx) and F3(xxx) may be substituted by those regulatory scales, e.g. A1+, A1, A2 and A3.

 

LONG-TERM RATINGS

 

Standard & Poors Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings

 

Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings

 

Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on 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;

 

·

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.

 

The issue rating definitions are expressed in terms of default risk. As such, they pertain to senior obligations of an entity. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation applies when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.) Accordingly, in the case of junior debt, the rating may not conform exactly with the category definition.

 

AAA

 

An obligation rated 'AAA' has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor's. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.

 

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.

 

 

68


 

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.

 

C


A subordinated debt or preferred stock obligation rated 'C' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The 'C' rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued. A 'C' also will be assigned to a preferred stock issue in arrears on dividends or sinking fund payments, but that is currently paying.

 

D

 

An obligation rated 'D' is in payment default. The 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless Standard & Poor's believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-)

 

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.

 

 

69


 

 

N.R.

 

This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor's does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.

 

Active Qualifiers (Currently applied and/or outstanding)


i

 

This subscript is used for issues in which the credit factors, terms, or both, that determine the likelihood of receipt of payment of interest are different from the credit factors, terms or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of principal on the obligation. The 'i' subscript indicates that the rating addresses the interest portion of the obligation only. The 'i' subscript will always be used in conjunction with the 'p' subscript, which addresses likelihood of receipt of principal. For example, a rated obligation could be assigned ratings of "AAAp N.R.i" indicating that the principal portion is rated "AAA" and the interest portion of the obligation is not rated.

 

L

 

Ratings qualified with 'L' apply only to amounts invested up to federal deposit insurance limits.

 

p


This subscript is used for issues in which the credit factors, the terms, or both, that determine the likelihood of receipt of payment of principal are different from the credit factors, terms or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of interest on the obligation. The 'p' subscript indicates that the rating addresses the principal portion of the obligation only. The 'p' subscript will always be used in conjunction with the 'i' subscript, which addresses likelihood of receipt of interest. For example, a rated obligation could be assigned ratings of "AAAp N.R.i" indicating that the principal portion is rated "AAA" and the interest portion of the obligation is not rated.

pi

 

Ratings with a 'pi' subscript are based on an analysis of an issuer's published financial information, as well as additional information in the public domain. They do not, however, reflect in-depth meetings with an issuer's management and are therefore based on less comprehensive information than ratings without a 'pi' subscript. Ratings with a 'pi' subscript are reviewed annually based on a new year's financial statements, but may be reviewed on an interim basis if a major event occurs that may affect the issuer's credit quality.

 

pr

 

The letters 'pr' indicate that the rating is provisional. A provisional rating assumes the successful completion of the project financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements is largely or entirely dependent upon the successful, timely completion of the project. This rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, makes no comment on the likelihood of or the risk of default upon failure of such completion. The investor should exercise his own judgment with respect to such likelihood and risk.

 

preliminary

 

Preliminary ratings are assigned to issues, including financial programs, in the following circumstances.

 

 

 

70


 

·

Preliminary ratings may be assigned to obligations, most commonly structured and project finance issues, pending receipt of final documentation and legal opinions. Assignment of a final rating is conditional on the receipt and approval by Standard & Poor's of appropriate documentation. Changes in the information provided to Standard & Poor's could result in the assignment of a different rating. In addition, Standard & Poor's reserves the right not to issue a final rating.

 

·

Preliminary ratings are assigned to Rule 415 Shelf Registrations. As specific issues, with defined terms, are offered from the master registration, a final rating may be assigned to them in accordance with Standard & Poor's policies. The final rating may differ from the preliminary rating.

 

t


This symbol indicates termination structures that are designed to honor their contracts to full maturity or, should certain events occur, to terminate and cash settle all their contracts before their final maturity date.

 

Inactive Qualifiers (No longer applied or outstanding)


*

 

This symbol indicated continuance of the ratings is contingent upon Standard & Poor's receipt of an executed copy of the escrow agreement or closing documentation confirming investments and cash flows. Discontinued use in August 1998.

 

c

 

This qualifier was used to provide additional information to investors that the bank may terminate its obligation to purchase tendered bonds if the long-term credit rating of the issuer is below an investment-grade level and/or the issuer's bonds are deemed taxable. Discontinued use in January 2001.

 

q

 

A 'q' subscript indicates that the rating is based solely on quantitative analysis of publicly available information. Discontinued use in April 2001.


 r

 

The 'r' modifier was assigned to securities containing extraordinary risks, particularly market risks, that are not covered in the credit rating. The absence of an 'r' modifier should not be taken as an indication that an obligation will not exhibit extraordinary non-credit related risks. Standard & Poor's discontinued the use of the 'r' modifier for most obligations in June 2000 and for the balance of obligations (mainly structured finance transactions) in November 2002.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks


Country risk considerations are a standard part of Standard & Poor's analysis for credit ratings on any issuer or issue. Currency of repayment is a key factor in this analysis. An obligor's capacity to repay foreign currency obligations may be lower than its capacity to repay obligations in its local currency due to the sovereign government's own relatively lower capacity to repay external versus domestic debt. These sovereign risk considerations are incorporated in the debt ratings assigned to specific issues. Foreign currency issuer ratings are also distinguished from local currency issuer ratings to identify those instances where sovereign risks make them different for the same issuer.

 

 

71


 


Moody’s Long-Term Debt Ratings

 

Long-Term Obligation Ratings

 

Moody's long-term obligation ratings are opinions of the relative credit risk of fixed-income obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. They address the possibility that a financial obligation will not be honored as promised. Such ratings reflect both the likelihood of default and any financial loss suffered in the event of default.

 

Moody's Long-Term Rating Definitions:

 

Aaa

 

Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal 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 considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

 

Baa

 

Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

 

Ba

 

Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements 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 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 class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

 

72


 

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.

 

Fitch’s International Long-Term Credit Ratings

 

 International Long-Term Credit Ratings (LTCR) may also be referred to as Long-Term Ratings. When assigned to most issuers, it is used as a benchmark measure of probability of default and is formally described as an Issuer Default Rating (IDR). The major exception is within Public Finance, where IDRs will not be assigned as market convention has always focused on timeliness and does not draw analytical distinctions between issuers and their underlying obligations. When applied to issues or securities, the LTCR may be higher or lower than the issuer rating (IDR) to reflect relative differences in recovery expectations.

  

The following rating scale applies to foreign currency and local currency ratings:

 

Investment Grade

 

 

AAA

Highest credit quality.  ‘AAA’ ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk.  They are assigned only in case 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 low credit risk.  They indicate very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.  This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

 

 

A

High credit quality.  ‘A’ ratings denote expectations of low credit risk.  The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong.  This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

 

 

BBB

Good credit quality.  ‘BBB’ ratings indicate that there is currently expectations of low credit risk.  The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse changes in circumstances and economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.  This is the lowest investment-grade category.

 

Speculative Grade

 

 

BB

Speculative.  ‘BB’ ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.  Securities rated in this category are not investment grade.

 

 

B

Highly speculative.

 

·

For issuers and performing obligations, 'B' ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.


·

For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for extremely high recoveries. Such obligations would possess a Recovery Rating of 'R1' (outstanding).

 

 

 

73


 

CCC

 

·

For issuers and performing obligations, default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic conditions.


·

For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for average to superior levels of recovery. Differences in credit quality may be denoted by plus/minus distinctions. Such obligations typically would possess a Recovery Rating of 'R2' (superior), or 'R3' (good) or 'R4' (average).

 

CC

 

·

For issuers and performing obligations, default of some kind appears probable.


·

For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with a Recovery Rating of 'R4' (average) or 'R5' (below average).


C

 

·

For issuers and performing obligations, default is imminent.


·

For individual obligations, may indicate distressed or defaulted obligations with potential for below-average to poor recoveries. Such obligations would possess a Recovery Rating of 'R6' (poor).


 

RD

Indicates an entity that has failed to make due payments (within the applicable grace period) on some but not all material financial obligations, but continues to honor other classes of obligations.

 

D

Indicates an entity or sovereign that has defaulted on all of its financial obligations. Default generally is defined as one of the following:

 

- failure of an obligor to make timely payment of principal and/or interest under the contractual terms of any financial obligation; - the bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other winding-up or cessation of business of an obligor; or - the distressed or other coercive exchange of an obligation, where creditors were offered securities with diminished structural or economic terms compared with the existing obligation.

 

Default ratings are not assigned prospectively; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period.

 

 

 

74


 

Issuers will be rated 'D' upon a default. Defaulted and distressed obligations typically are rated along the continuum of 'C' to 'B' ratings categories, depending upon their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Additionally, in structured finance transactions, where analysis indicates that an instrument is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to meet pay interest and/or principal in full in accordance with the terms of the obligation's documentation during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default in accordance with the terms of the documentation is imminent, the obligation may be rated in the 'B' or 'CCC-C' categories.

 

Default is determined by reference to the terms of the obligations' documentation. Fitch will assign default ratings where it has reasonably determined that payment has not been made on a material obligation in accordance with the requirements of the obligation's documentation, or where it believes that default ratings consistent with Fitch's published definition of default are the most appropriate ratings to assign.

  

 

Notes to International Long-Term and Short-Term ratings

 

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 rating category, to categories below 'CCC', or to Short-term ratings other than 'F1'. (The +/- modifiers are only used to denote issues within the CCC category, whereas issuers are only rated CCC without the use of modifiers.)

 

Rating Watch: Ratings are placed on Rating Watch to notify investors that there is a reasonable probability of a rating change and the likely direction of such change. These are designated as "Positive", indicating a potential upgrade, "Negative", for a potential downgrade, or "Evolving", if ratings may be raised, lowered or maintained. Rating Watch is typically resolved over a relatively short period.

 

Rating Outlook: An Outlook indicates the direction a rating is likely to move over a one to two-year period. Outlooks may be positive, stable or negative. A positive or negative Rating Outlook does not imply a rating change is inevitable. Similarly, ratings for which outlooks are 'stable' could be upgraded or downgraded before an outlook moves to positive or negative if circumstances warrant such an action. Occasionally, Fitch Ratings may be unable to identify the fundamental trend. In these cases, the Rating Outlook may be described as evolving.

 

Program ratings (such as the those assigned to MTN shelf registrations) relate only to standard issues made under the program concerned; it should not be assumed that these ratings apply to every issue made under the program. In particular, in the case of non-standard issues, i.e. those that are linked to the credit of a third party or linked to the performance of an index, ratings of these issues may deviate from the applicable program rating.

 

Variable rate demand obligations and other securities which contain a short-term 'put' or other similar demand feature will have a dual rating, such as AAA/F1+. The first rating reflects the ability to meet long-term principal and interest payments, whereas the second rating reflects the ability to honor the demand feature in full and on time.

 

Interest Only

Interest Only ratings are assigned to interest strips. These ratings do not address the possibility that a security holder might fail to recover some or all of its initial investment due to voluntary or involuntary principal repayments.

 

Principal Only

Principal Only ratings address the likelihood that a security holder will receive their initial principal investment either before or by the scheduled maturity date.

 

Rate of Return

Ratings also may be assigned to gauge the likelihood of an investor receiving a certain predetermined internal rate of return without regard to the precise timing of any cash flows.

 

75


 

'PIF'

Paid-in -Full; denotes a security that is paid-in-full, matured, called, or refinanced.

 

'NR' indicates that Fitch Ratings does not rate the issuer or issue in question.

 

'Withdrawn': A rating is withdrawn when Fitch Ratings deems the amount of information available to be inadequate for rating purposes, or when an obligation matures, is called, or refinanced, or for any other reason Fitch Ratings deems sufficient.

 

Fitch’s National Long-Term Credit Ratings

 

National Ratings are an assessment of credit quality relative to the rating of the "best" credit risk in a country. This "best" risk will normally, although not always, be assigned to all financial commitments issued or guaranteed by the sovereign state.

 

A special identifier for the country concerned will be added at the end of all national ratings. For illustrative purposes, (xxx) has been used, in the table below.

 

 

AAA(xxx)

AAA’ national ratings denote the highest rating assigned in its national rating scale for that country.  This rating is assigned to the “best” credit risk relative to all other issuers or issues in the same country and will normally be assigned to all financial commitments issued or guaranteed by the sovereign state.

 

 

AA(xxx)

‘AA’ national ratings denote a very strong credit risk relative to other issuers or issues in the same country.  The credit risk inherent in these financial commitments differs only slightly from the country’s highest rated issuers or issues.

 

 

A (xxx)

‘A’ national ratings denote a strong credit risk relative to other issuers or issues in the same country.  However, changes in circumstances or economic conditions may affect the capacity for timely repayment of these financial commitments to a greater degree than for financial commitments denoted by a higher rated category.

 

 

BBB(xxx)

‘BBB’ national ratings denote an adequate credit risk relative to other issuers or issues in the same country.  However, changes in circumstances or economic conditions are more likely to affect the capacity for timely repayment of these financial commitments than for financial commitments denoted by a higher rated category.

 

 

BB(xxx)

‘BB’ national ratings denote a fairly weak credit risk relative to other issuers or issues in the same country.  Within the context of the country, payment of these financial commitments 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 weak credit risk relative to other issuers or issues 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.

 

 

CCC(xxx),

CC(xxx), C(xxx) These categories of national ratings denote an extremely weak credit risk relative to other issuers or issues in the same country.  Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic developments.

 

 

76


 

 

 

DDD(xxx),

DD(xxx), D(xxx) These categories of national ratings are assigned to entities or financial commitments which are currently in default.

 

MUNICIPAL NOTE RATINGS

 

Standard & Poor’s Note Ratings

 Notes

 

A Standard & Poor's U.S. municipal note rating reflects the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes maturing beyond three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. The following criteria will be used in making that assessment:

 

·

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 a 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.

 

Moody’s MIG/VMIG Ratings U.S. Short-Term Ratings

 

US Municipal Short-Term Debt And Demand Obligation Ratings

 

Short-Term Debt Ratings

 

There are three rating categories for short-term municipal obligations that are considered investment grade. These ratings are designated as Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) and are divided into three levels -- MIG 1 through MIG 3. In addition, those short-term obligations that are of speculative quality are designated SG, or speculative grade. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation.

  

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.

 

 

77


 


MIG 2

 

This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

 

MIG 3

 

This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

 

SG

 

This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

 


 

78


 



 Northern Lights Fund Trust

PART C

OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 28.

EXHIBITS.


(a)(1)

Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated January 19, 2005, as amended December 14, 2009 previously filed on March 24, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 133, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(a)(2)

Certificate of Trust as filed with the State of Delaware on January 19, 2005. Previously filed on February 18, 2005 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(b)

By-Laws, effective as of January 19, 2005, as amended December 14, 2009, previously filed on March 24, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 133, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(c)

Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders. See Article III, “Shares” and Article V “Shareholders’ Voting Powers and Meetings” of the Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust. See also, Article II, “Meetings of Shareholders” of the Registrant’s By-Laws.

(d)(1)

Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Adaptive Allocation Fund (previously known as Critical Math Fund), and Critical Math Advisors LLC, previously filed on January 30, 2006 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 8, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(2)

Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to The Biondo Growth Fund, and Biondo Investment Advisors, LLC, previously filed on April 24, 2006 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 11, and hereby incorporated by reference. Amended Investment Advisory Agreement to include The Biondo Focus Fund previously filed on January 14, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 121, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(3)

Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Changing Parameters Fund, and Changing Parameters, LLC, previously filed on January 12, 2007 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 16, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(4)

Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Pacific Financial Core Equity Fund, the Pacific Financial Explorer Fund, the Pacific Financial International Fund, the Pacific Financial Strategic Conservative Fund and the Pacific Financial Tactical Fund, and The Pacific Financial Group, Inc., previously filed on May 10, 2007 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 21, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(5)

Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to Sierra Core Retirement Fund and Wright Fund Management, LLC, previously filed on December 17, 2007 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 35, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(6)

Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to EAS Crow Point Alternatives Fund and Crow Point Partners, LLC, previously filed on October 9, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 540, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(7)

Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to KCM Macro Trends Fund and Kerns Capital Management, Inc., previously filed on October 11, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 542, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(8)

Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Wade Tactical L/S Fund and Wade Financial Group, previously filed on November 28, 2012 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 436, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(9)

Investment Advisory Agreement between SouthernSun Asset Management, Inc. and the Registrant, on behalf of SouthernSun Small Cap Fund and SouthernSun U.S. Equity Fund, previously filed on October 9, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 540, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(10)

Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Toews Hedged Emerging Markets Fund and Toews Corporation previously filed on May 14, 2009 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 87, and hereby incorporated by reference. Amended Investment Advisory Agreement to include Toews Hedged International Fund, Toews Hedged High Yield Bond Fund, Toews Hedged Large-Cap Fund and Toews Hedged Small & Mid Cap Fund previously filed on June 4, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 156, and hereby incorporated by reference. Amended Investment Advisory to include Toews Hedged Growth Allocation, Toews Unconstrained Income Fund and Toews Hedged Commodities Fund previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(11)

Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Leader Short Term Bond Fund and Leader Capital Corp., previously filed on October 20, 2008 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 66, and hereby incorporated by reference. Amended Investment Advisory Agreement to include Leader Total Return Fund previously filed on June 30, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 162, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(12)

Amended Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the CMG SR Tactical Bond Fund (formerly CMG Absolute Return Strategies Fund) and CMG Capital Management Group, Inc., to be filed by subsequent amendment.

(d)(13)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Montebello Partners, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the GMG Defensive Beta Fund previously filed on June 24, 2009 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 91, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(14)

Investment Advisory Agreement between BTS Asset Management, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the BTS Bond Asset Allocation Fund previously filed on July 21, 2009 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 94, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(15)

Investment Advisory Agreement between National Asset Management, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the Astor Long/Short Fund, the Astor S.T.A.R. ETF Fund and the Astor Income ETF Fund, previously filed on September 27, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 535, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(16)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Equinox Fund Management, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to MutualHedge Frontier Legends Fund previously filed on January 22, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 122, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(17)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Investment Partners Asset Management, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to Investment Partners Opportunities Fund previously filed on October 30, 2009 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 111, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(18)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Princeton Futures Strategy Fund, previously filed on April 7, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 598, and hereby incorporated by reference.  

(d)(19)

Sub-Advisory Agreement between Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC and 6800 Capital, LLC, with respect to the Princeton Futures Strategy Fund previously filed on October 9, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 540, and hereby incorporated by reference.  

(d)(20)

Sub-Advisory Agreement between Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC and Congress Asset Management Company, LLP, with respect to the Princeton Futures Strategy Fund previously filed on October 9, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 540, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(21)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Chadwick & D’Amato, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Chadwick & D’Amato Fund previously filed on June 10, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 157, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(22)

Investment Advisory Agreement between 13D Management, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to 13D Activist Fund previously filed on December 29, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 345, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(23)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Altegris Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Altegris Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Altegris Macro Strategy Fund, Altegris Futures Evolution Fund, Altegris Equity Long Short Fund, Altegris Fixed Income Long Short Fund and Altegris Multi-Strategy Alternatives Fund previously filed on January 28, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 589, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(24)

Investment Advisory Agreement between W.E. Donoghue & Co., Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to Power Income Fund previously filed on August 27, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 170, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(25)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Portfolio Strategies, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to PSI Market Neutral Fund, PSI Total Return Fund, PSI Strategic Growth Fund and PSI Tactical Growth Fund previously filed on August 27, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 170, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(26)

Investment Advisory Agreement between CWC Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to CWC Small Cap Aggressive Value Fund previously filed on November 30, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 186, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(27)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Traub Capital Management, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to The FX Strategy Fund previously filed on January 20, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 201, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(28)

Investment Advisory Agreement between TransWestern Capital Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to TransWestern Institutional Short Duration Government Bond Fund previously filed on December 2, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 187, and hereby incorporated by reference. Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between TransWestern Capital Advisors, LLC, and  the Registrant, with respect to TransWestern Institutional Short Duration Government Bond Fund previously filed on April 25, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 601, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(29)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between TransWestern Capital Advisors, LLC and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., with respect to TransWestern Institutional Short Duration Government Bond Fund previously filed on December 2, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 187, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(30)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Bandon Capital Management, LLC, and the Registrant, with respect to Bandon Isolated Alpha Fixed Income Fund previously filed on December 3, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 189, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(31)

Sub-Advisory Agreement between Bandon Capital Management, LLC and Dix Hills Partners, LLC, with respect to the Bandon Isolated Alpha Fixed Income Fund previously filed on December 22, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 193, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(32)

Sub-Advisory Agreement between Bandon Capital Management, LLC and Logan Circle Partners, L.P. with respect to the Bandon Isolated Alpha Fixed Income Fund previously filed on December 22, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 193, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(33)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Beech Hill Advisors, Inc., and the Registrant, with respect to Beech Hill Total Return Fund previously filed on January 5, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 196, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(34)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Clark Capital Management Group, Inc., and the Registrant, with respect to Navigator Equity Hedged Fund previously filed on November 30, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 186, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(35)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Knollwood Investment Advisors, LLC, and the Registrant, with respect to Grant Park Managed Futures Strategy Fund previously filed on March 1, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 226, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(36)

Transfer and Assumption Agreement between Knollwood Investment Advisors, LLC, and Dearborn Capital Management, L.L.C., with respect to the Investment Advisory Agreement specific as to the Grant Park Managed Futures Strategy Fund previously filed on May 31, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 491, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(37)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Risk Paradigm Group, LLC, and the Registrant, with respect to Diversified Risk Parity Fund previously filed on April 21, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 240, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(38)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Genesis Capital LLC, and the Registrant, with respect to Granite Harbor Alternative Fund (formerly SCA Absolute Return Fund) and Granite Harbor Tactical Fund (formerly SCA Directional Fund) previously filed on April 21, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 240, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(39)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Zeo Capital Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Zeo Strategic Income Fund previously filed on May 27, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 261, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(40)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Giralda Advisors, LLC, and the Registrant, with respect to The Giralda Fund previously filed on May 4, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 245, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(41)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Van Hulzen Asset Management, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Iron Horse Fund previously filed on March 3, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 595, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(42)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Makefield Capital Management, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Makefield Managed Futures Strategy Fund, previously filed on December 23, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 571, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(43)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Ascendant Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Ascendant Balanced Fund, Ascendant Natural Resources Fund, Ascendant Natural Resources Master Fund, Ascendant Diversified Income & Growth Fund and Patriot Fund previously filed on December 23, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 580, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(44)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Winch Advisory Services, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Ginkgo Multi-Strategy Fund previously filed on July 19, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 282, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(45)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Altegris Advisors, LLC and Doubleline Capital LP, with respect to Altegris Futures Evolution Strategy Fund previously filed on October 19, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 318, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(46)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Risk Paradigm Group, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to RPG Emerging Market Sector Rotation Fund previously filed on November 28, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 341, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(47)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Risk Paradigm Group, LLC and F-Squared Institutional Advisors, LLC, with respect to RPG Emerging Market Sector Rotation Fund previously filed on October 9, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 540, and hereby incorporated by reference..

(d)(48)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Preservation Trust Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the PTA Comprehensive Alternatives Fund previously filed on November 25, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 336, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(49)

Investment Advisory Agreement between CMG Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the CMG Tactical Equity Strategy Fund previously filed on March 12, 2012 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 363, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(50)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between CMG Capital Management Group, Inc. and Scotia Partners, LLC, with respect to the CMG Tactical Equity Strategy Fund previously filed on March 12, 2012 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 363, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(51)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Altegris Advisors, L.L.C. and Harvest Capital Strategies, LLC, with respect to the Altegris Equity Long Short Fund previously filed on October 15, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 543, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(52)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Wright Fund Management, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the Sierra Strategic Income Fund previously filed on December 21, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 343, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(53)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC, Eagle Global Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the Eagle MLP Strategy Fund previously filed on October 15, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 543, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(54)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Altegris Advisors, L.L.C. and Visium Asset Management LP, with respect to the Altegris Equity Long Short Fund previously filed on October 15, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 543, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(55)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the Sandalwood Opportunity Fund previously filed on October 15, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 543, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(56)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC and Sandalwood Securities, Inc., with respect to the Sandalwood Opportunity Fund previously filed on October 15, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 543, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(57)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC and Deer Park Road Corporation, with respect to the Sandalwood Opportunity Fund previously filed on October 15, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 543, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(58)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC and Acuity Capital Management, LLC, with respect to the Sandalwood Opportunity Fund previously filed on November 20, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 561, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(59)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC and MidOcean Credit Fund Management, L.P., with respect to the Sandalwood Opportunity previously filed on April 7, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 598, and hereby incorporated by reference.  

(d)(60)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC and Whippoorwill Associates, Inc., with respect to the Sandalwood Opportunity Fund previously filed on April 7, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 598, and hereby incorporated by reference.  

(d)(61)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Altegris Advisors, L.L.C. and RockView Management, LLC, with respect to the Altegris Fixed Income Long Short Fund previously filed on December 17, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 570, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(62)

Investment Advisory Agreement between The Pacific Financial Group, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the Pacific Financial Alternative Strategies Fund, Pacific Financial Flexible Growth & Income Fund, Pacific Financial Balanced Fund, Pacific Financial Foundational Asset Allocation Fund, Pacific Financial Faith & Values Based Moderate Fund, Pacific Financial Faith & Values Based Conservative Fund and Pacific Financial Faith & Values Based Diversified Growth Fund previously filed on December 17, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 570, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(63)

Investment Advisory Agreement between BTS Asset Management, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the BTS Diversified Income Fund previously filed on February 12, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 459, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(64)

Investment Advisory Agreement between CMG Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the CMG Global Equity Fund and CMG Managed High Yield Fund previously filed on May 30, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 488, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(65)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between CMG Capital Management Group, Inc. and Alpha Simplex Group, LLC, with respect to the CMG Global Equity Fund to be filed by subsequent amendment.

(d)(66)

Investment Advisory Agreement between BTS Asset Management, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the BTS Tactical Fixed Income Fund previously filed on December 17, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 570, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(67)

Assignment and Consent between the Registrant, Emerald Asset Advisors, LLC and Crow Point Partners, LLC previously filed on March 7, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 469, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(68)

Advisory Fee Waiver between Traub Capital Management, LLC. and the Registrant, with respect to The FX Strategy Fund previously filed on April 30, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 480, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(69)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Giralda Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to The Giralda Fund previously filed on May 30, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 488, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(70)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Clark Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to Navigator Duration Neutral Bond Fund previously filed on December 23, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 571, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(71)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Clark Capital Management Group, Inc. and Main Point Advisers, LLC, with respect to the Navigator Duration Neutral Bond Fund previously filed on December 23, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 571, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(72)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Probabilities Fund Management, LLC, Princeton Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the Probabilities Fund previously filed on January 15, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 576, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(73)

Investment Advisory Agreement between W.E. Donoghue & Co., Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the Power Dividend Index Fund previously filed on October 11, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 542, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(74)

Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement between Van Hulzen Asset Management, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Iron Horse Fund previously filed on July 25, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 507, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(75)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Portfolio Strategies, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the PSI Calendar Effects Fund previously filed on December 23, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 571, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(76)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Dearborn Capital Management L.L.C. and the Registrant, with respect to the Grant Park Multi-Alternative Strategy Fund previously filed on December 17, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 570, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(77)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Altegris Advisors, LLC and Premium Point Investments LP, with respect to Altegris Fixed Income Fund previously filed on December 23, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 571, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(78)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Altegris Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the Altegris/AACA Real Estate Long Short previously filed on December 23, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 571, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(79)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Altegris Advisors, LLC and American Assets Investment Management, LLC, with respect to Altegris/AACAM Real Estate Long Short Fund previously filed on March 3, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 595, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(80)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Altegris Advisors, LLC and J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc., with respect to Altegris Macro Strategy Fund and Altegris Managed Futures Strategy Fund previously filed on October 28, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 551, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(81)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Genesis Capital, LLC, with respect to Anchor Alternative Income previously filed on January 24, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 578, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(82)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Genesis Capital, LLC and Anchor Capital Management, Group, Inc., with respect to Anchor Alternative Income Fund previously filed on January 24, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 578, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(83)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Giralda Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the Giralda Risk-Managed Growth Fund previously filed on February 24, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 593, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(84)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Clark Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the Navigator Sentry Fund previously filed on February 3, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 591, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(85)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Clark Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the Navigator Tactical Fixed Income Fund previously filed on July 11, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 614, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(86)

Form of Investment Advisory Agreement between Lakewood Investment Management, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the Astor Macro Alternative Fund previously filed on April 17, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 599, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(87)

Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Dearborn Capital Management and EMC Capital Management, with respect to Grant Park Multi-Alternative Strategies Fund previously filed on July 28, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 617, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(d)(88)

Investment Advisory Agreement between Leader Capital Corp. and the Registrant, with respect to the Leader Global Bond Fund to be filed by subsequent amendment.

(e)(1)

Underwriting Agreement between the Registrant and Northern Lights Distributors LLC, previously filed on March 15, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 471, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(e)(2)

Underwriting Agreement between the Registrant and Foreside Distribution Services, LP with respect to The Leader Short-Term Bond Fund, previously filed on October 20, 2008 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 66, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(e)(3)

Underwriting Agreement between the Registrant and ALPS Distribution, Inc. with respect to 13D Activist Fund, previously filed on April 7, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 598, and hereby incorporated by reference.  

(f)

Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts -  NONE

(g)(1)

Custody Agreement between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, previously filed on October 3, 2007 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 29, and hereby incorporated by reference.   

(g)(2)

Custody Agreement between the Registrant and the First National Bank of Omaha is hereby incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on March 2, 2007 and hereby incorporated by reference.

(g)(3)

Custody Agreement between the Registrant and Union Bank, N.A., previously filed on October 20, 2008 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 66, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(g)(4)

Custody Agreement between the Registrant and Fifth Third Bank, previously filed on October 20, 2008 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 66, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(g)(5)

Custody Agreement between the Registrant and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. previously filed on August 29, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 302, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(1)

Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, dated June 22, 2011, previously filed on September 27, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 535, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(2)

Amended Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Adaptive Allocation Fund and Critical Math Advisors LLC previously filed on July 11, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 614, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(3)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to The Biondo Growth Fund, and Biondo Investment Advisors, LLC, previously filed on April 29, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 605, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(4)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Pacific Financial Core Equity Fund, the Pacific Financial Explorer Fund, the Pacific Financial International Fund, the Pacific Financial Strategic Conservative Fund and the Pacific Financial Tactical Fund, and The Pacific Financial Group, Inc. previously filed on May 10, 2007 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 21, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(5)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to Sierra Core Retirement Fund and Wright Fund Management, LLC, previously filed on December 17, 2007 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 35, and hereby incorporated by reference.  Form of revised Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to Sierra Core Retirement Fund and Wright Fund Management, LLC previously filed on June 1, 2012 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 380, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(6)

Custody Administration Agreement between Registrant and the Administrator, with respect to certain Funds of the Trust that use First National Bank of Omaha as Custodian, is hereby incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, filed on March 2, 2007 and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(7)

Form of Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect EAS Crow Point Alternatives Fund and Emerald Asset Advisors, LLC, filed herewith.

(h)(8)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to KCM Macro Trends Fund and Kerns Capital Management, Inc., previously filed on April 18, 2008 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 41, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(9)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Wade Tactical L/S Fund and Wade Financial Group previously filed on August 21, 2008 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 58, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(10)

Expense Limitation Agreement between SouthernSun Asset Management, Inc. and the Registrant, on behalf of SouthernSun Small Cap Fund and SouthernSun U. S. Equity Fund previously filed on July 22, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 285, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(11)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Toews Hedged Emerging Markets Fund and Toews Corporation previously filed on May 14, 2009 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 87, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(12)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to Leader Short-Term Bond Fund and Leader Capital Corp., previously filed on October 20, 2008 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 66, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(13)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the CMG Absolute Return Strategies Fund and CMG Capital Management Group, Inc. previously filed on March 9, 2009 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 80, and hereby incorporated by reference.  Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the CMG SR Tactical Bond Fund and CMG Capital Management Group, Inc. as last updated on June 17, 2013 previously filed on June 17, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 496, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(14)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the GMG Defensive Beta Fund and Montebello Partners, LLC previously filed on June 24, 2009 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 91, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(15)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Astor Long/Short Fund, Astor Long/Short ETF Fund and Astor S.T.A.R. ETF Fund, and National Asset Management, Inc., previously filed on September 27, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 535, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(16)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to Equinox MutualHedge Futures Strategy Fund and Equinox Fund Management, LLC previously filed on November 25, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 563, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(17)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to Investment Partners Opportunities Fund and Investment Partners Asset Management, Inc. previously filed on April 29, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 606, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(18)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to Toews Hedged International Fund, Toews Hedged High Yield Fund, Toews Hedged Large-Cap Fund and Toews Hedged Small & Mid Cap Fund and Toews Corporation previously filed on June 4, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 156, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(19)

Advisory Fee Waiver Agreement between the Registrant and Summit Portfolio Advisors, LLC with respect to The Collar Fund previously filed on January 22, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 122, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(20)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to Princeton Futures Strategy Fund and Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC is filed herewith.

(h)(21)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to Leader Total Return Fund and Leader Capital Corp. previously filed on June 30, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 162, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(22)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to Altegris Managed Futures Strategy Fund and Altegris Advisors, LLC previously filed on August 27, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 170, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(23)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to Power Income Fund and W.E. Donoghue & Co., Inc. previously filed on August 31, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 171, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(24)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to PSI Market Neutral Fund, PSI Total Return Fund, PSI Strategic Growth Fund and PSI Tactical Growth Power Income Fund previously filed on August 27, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 170, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(25)

Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to CWC Small Cap Aggressive Value Fund previously filed on January 28, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 451, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(26)

Amended Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to TransWestern Institutional Short Duration Government Bond Fund previously filed on May 29, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 608, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(27)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Bandon Capital Management, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Bandon Isolated Alpha Fixed Income Fund previously filed on January 5, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 196, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(28)

Amended Expense Limitation Agreement between Beech Hill Advisors, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to Beech Hill Total Return Fund previously filed on May 29, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 608, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(29)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Clark Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to Navigator Equity Hedged Fund previously filed on January 5, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 197, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(30)

Amended Expense Limitation Agreement between Dearborn Capital Management, L.L.C. and the Registrant, with respect to Grant Park Managed Futures Strategy Fund previously filed on July 11, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 614, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(31)

Amended Expense Limitation Agreement between Dearborn Capital Management, L.L.C. and the Registrant, with respect to Grant Park Multi-Alternative Strategy Fund previously filed on July 11, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 614, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(32)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Risk Paradigm Group, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Diversified Risk Parity Fund previously filed on April 21, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 240, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(33)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Genesis Capital LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Granite Harbor Alternative Fund (formerly SCA Absolute Return Fund) and Granite Harbor Tactical Fund (formerly SCA Directional Fund)  previously filed on May 6, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 246, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(34)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Altegris Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Altegris Macro Strategy Fund and Altegris Equity Long Short Fund previously filed on July 28, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 617, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(35)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Zeo Capital Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Zeo Strategic Income Fund previously filed on May 27, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 261, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(36)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Giralda Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to The Giralda Fund previously filed on May 31, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 491, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(37)

Form of Expense Limitation Agreement between Van Hulzen Asset Management, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Iron Horse Fund previously filed on July 11, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 614, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(38)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Makefield Capital Management, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Makefield Managed Futures Strategy Fund, previously filed on December 23, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 571, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(39)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Ascendant Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Ascendant Balanced Fund, Ascendant Natural Resources Fund, Ascendant MultiCap Equity Fund and Patriot Fund previously filed on March 19, 2012 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Amendment No. 366, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(40)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Winch Advisory Services, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Ginkgo Multi-Strategy Fund previously filed on July 19, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 282, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(41)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Toews Corporation and the Registrant, with respect to Toews Hedged Commodities Fund previously filed on October 9, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 540, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(42)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Altegris Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to Altegris Futures Evolution Strategy Fund was previously filed on October 19, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 318, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(43)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Risk Paradigm Group, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to RPG Emerging Market Sector Rotation Fund previously filed on November 28, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 341, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(44)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Preservation Trust Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the PTA Comprehensive Alternatives Fund previously filed on November 25, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 336, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(45)

Expense Limitation Agreement between CMG Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the CMG Tactical Equity Strategy Fund, CMG Global Equity Fund and CMG Managed High Yield Fund previously filed on April 30, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 607, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(46)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Wright Fund Management and the Registrant, with respect to the Sierra Strategic Income Fund previously filed on June 11, 2012 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 385, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(47)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC, Eagle Global Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the Eagle MLP Strategy Fund previously filed on December 23, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 571, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(48)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Ascendant Advisors, LLC, and the Registrant with respect to the Ascendant Natural Resources Master Fund previously filed on March 19, 2012 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Amendment No. 366, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(49)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC, and the Registrant with respect to the Sandalwood Opportunity Fund previously filed on January 28, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Amendment No. 586, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(50)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Altegris Advisors, L.L.C., and the Registrant with respect to the Altegris Fixed Income Long Short Fund and Altegris Multi-Strategy Alternative Fund previously filed on April 30, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 607, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(51)

Expense Limitation Agreement between BTS Asset Management, Inc. and the Registrant with respect to the BTS Hedged Income Fund and BTS Tactical Fixed Income Fund previously filed on April 29. 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 604, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(52)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Toews Corporation and the Registrant with respect to the Toews Unconstrained Income Fund previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(53)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Clark Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant with respect to the Navigator Duration Neutral Bond Fund previously filed on January 23, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 576, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(54)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Probabilities Fund Management, LLC, Princeton Fund Advisors LLC and the Registrant with respect to the Probabilities Fund previously filed on January 15, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 576, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(55)

Expense Limitation Agreement between W.E. Donoghue & Co., Inc., and the Registrant with respect to the Power Dividend Index Fund previously filed on October 11, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 542, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(56)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Portfolio Strategies, Inc. and the Registrant with respect to the PSI Calendar Effects Fund previously filed on March 3, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 595, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(57)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Altegris Advisors, LLC. and the Registrant with respect to the Altegris/AACA Real Estate Long Short Fund previously filed on December 23, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 571, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(58)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Genesis Capital, LLC and the Registrant with respect to the Anchor Alternative Income Fund previously filed on January 24, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 578, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(59)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Giralda Advisors, LLC and the Registrant with respect to the Giralda Risk-Managed Growth Fund previously filed on February 24, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 593, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(60)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Clark Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant with respect to the Navigator Sentry Managed Volatility Fund previously filed on February 3, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 591, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(61)

Form of Expense Limitation Agreement between Lakewood Investment Management, LLC and the Registrant with respect to the Astor Macro Alternative Fund previously filed on April 17, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 599, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(62)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Clark Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant with respect to the Navigator Tactical Fixed Income Fund previously filed on April 25, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 601, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(h)(63)

Expense Limitation Agreement between Leader Capital Corp. and the Registrant with respect to the Leader Global Bond Fund to be filed by subsequent amendment.

(i)(1)

Opinion of Counsel previously filed on April 17, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 599, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(i)(2)

Consent of Counsel to be filed by subsequent amendment.

(j)(1)

Consent of Independent Auditor to be filed by subsequent amendment.

(j)(2)

Powers of Attorney of Andrew Rogers and Kevin Wolf previously filed on March 13, 2009 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 81, and hereby incorporated by reference.  Powers of Attorney of Anthony J. Hertl, Michael Miola, L. Merill Bryan, Gary W. Lanzen, Mark Taylor previously filed on April 1, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 234, and hereby incorporated by reference.  Power of Attorney of John V. Palancia previously filed on January 9, 2012 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 346, and hereby incorporated by reference.  Powers of Attorney of Mark D. Gersten and Mark Garbin previously filed on September 27, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 535, and hereby incorporated by reference

(j)(3)

Powers of Attorney of Anthony J. Hertl, Gary W. Lanzen, Mark Taylor, John V. Palancia, Andrew Rogers, Mark Garbin and Mark D. Gersten with respect to AMA Fund Ltd. previously filed on April 17, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 599, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(k)

Omitted Financial Statements - Not Applicable.

(l)

Initial Capital Agreements - Not Applicable.

(m)(1)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class A Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(2)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class A1 Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(3)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class C Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(4)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class I Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(5)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class I1 Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(6)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class N Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(7)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class O Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(8)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class R Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(9)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class R-1 Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(10)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class R-2 Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(11)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class W Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(12)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class Y Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(13)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Institutional Class Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(14)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Investor Class Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(15)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Manager Class Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(16)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Non-designated Class Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(17)

Master Distribution Shareholder Servicing Plan for Retail Class Shares previously filed on October 4, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 539, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(m)(18)

Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and ALPS Distributors, Inc. with respect to The 13D Activist Fund previously filed on March 3, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 595, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(n)

Rule 18f-3 Plan to add Astor Macro Alternative Fund previously filed on April 25, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 601, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(1)

Code of Ethics of Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, previously filed on October 30, 2007 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 32, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(2)

Code of Ethics of Critical Math Advisors LLC, previously filed on January 30, 2006 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 8, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(3)

Code of Ethics of Biondo Investment Advisors, LLC, previously filed on April 24, 2006 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 11, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(5)

Code of Ethics of Changing Parameters, LLC previously filed on January 12, 2007 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 16, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(6)

Code of Ethics of The Pacific Financial Group, Inc. previously filed on May 10, 2007 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 21, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(7)

Code of Ethics of Wright Fund Management, LLC, previously filed on December 17, 2007 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 35, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(8)

Code of Ethics of Crow Point Partners, LLC, previously filed on January 23, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 576, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(9)

Code of Ethics of Kerns Capital Management, Inc., previously filed on April 18, 2008 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 41, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(10)

Code of Ethics of Equinox Fund Management, LLC, previously filed on July 9, 2008 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 51, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(11)

Code of Ethics of Wade Financial Group, previously filed on August 21, 2008 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 58, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(12)

Code of Ethics of SouthernSun Asset Management, Inc. previously filed on August 21, 2008 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 58, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(13)

Code of Ethics of Toews Corporation, previously filed on November 7, 2008 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 70, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(14)

Code of Ethics of Leader Capital Corp., previously filed on October 20, 2008 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 66, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(15)

Code of Ethics of CMG Capital Management Group, Inc. previously filed on April 30, 2009 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 84, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(16)


Code of Ethics of Traub Capital Management, LLC previously filed on April 30, 2009 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 84, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(17)

Code of Ethics of Bandon Capital Management, LLC previously filed on April 30, 2009 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 84, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(18)

Code of Ethics of Scotia Partners, Ltd. previously filed on April 30, 2009 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 84, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(19)

Code of Ethics of Summit Portfolios Advisors, LLC previously filed on June 24, 2009 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 91, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(20)

Code of Ethics of Montebello Partners, LLC previously filed on September 14, 2009 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 104, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(21)


Code of Ethics of BTS Asset Management, LLC previously filed on August 28, 2009 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 99, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(22)

Code of Ethics of National Asset Management, Inc., previously filed on January 23, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 576, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(23)

Code of Ethics of Investment Partners Asset Management, Inc. previously filed on October 2, 2009 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 107, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(24)

Code of Ethics of Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC, previously filed on January 23, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 576, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(25)

Code of Ethics of 6800 Capital, LLC previously filed on June 30, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 162, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(26)

Code of Ethics of Congress Asset Management Company, LLP previously filed on June 30, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 162, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(27)

Code of Ethics of Chadwick & D’Amato, LLC previously filed on June 30, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 162, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(28)

Code of Ethics of 13D Management, LLC previously filed on July 8, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 164, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(29)

Code of Ethics of Altegris Advisors, LLC previously filed on August 31, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 171, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(30)

Code of Ethics of W.E. Donoghue & Co., Inc. previously filed on August 31, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 171, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(31)

Code of Ethics of Portfolio Strategies, Inc. previously filed on August 31, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 171, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(32)

Code of Ethics of CWC Advisors, LLC previously filed on March 14, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 230, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(33)

Code of Ethics of TransWestern Capital Advisors, LLC, previously filed on April 7, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 598, and hereby incorporated by reference.  

(p)(34)

Code of Ethics of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. previously filed on March 29, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 232, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(35)

Code of Ethics of Beech Hill Advisors, Inc. previously filed on November 30, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 186, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(36)

Code of Ethics of Clark Capital Management Group, Inc. previously filed on December 2, 2010 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 187, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(37)

Code of Ethics of Dearborn Capital Management, L.L.C., previously filed on January 23, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 576, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(38)

Code of Ethics of Risk Paradigm Group, LLC previously filed on March 14, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 230, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(39)

Code of Ethics of Genesis Capital, LLC previously filed on March 29, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 232, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(40)

Code of Ethics of CWM, LLC previously filed on May 6, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 246, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(41)

Code of Ethics of Zeo Capital Advisors, LLC previously filed on December 29, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 345, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(42)

Code of Ethics of Giralda Advisors, LLC previously filed on March 29, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 232, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(43)

Code of Ethics of Van Hulzen Asset Management, LLC previously filed on May 6, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 246, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(44)

Code of Ethics of Ascendant Advisors, LLC previously filed on June 14, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 274, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(45)

Code of Ethics of Winch Advisory Services, LLC previously filed on December 29, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 345, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(46)

Code of Ethics of Absolute Private Wealth Management, LLC previously filed on July 1, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 279, and hereby incorporated by reference.  

(p)(47)

Code of Ethics of Horizon Cash Management LLC previously filed on July 1, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 279, and hereby incorporated by reference.  

(p)(48)

Code of Ethics of DoubleLine Capital LP was previously filed on October 19, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 318, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(49)

Code of Ethics of Preservation Trust Advisors, LLC previously filed on September 2, 2011 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 304, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(50)

Code of Ethics of Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC previously filed on April 7, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 598, and hereby incorporated by reference.  

(p)(51)

Code of Ethics of Eagle Global Advisors, LLC previously filed on June 12, 2012 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 386, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(52)

Code of Ethics of Sandalwood Securities, Inc. previously filed on January 23, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 576, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(53)

Code of Ethics of RockView Management, LLC previously filed on December 18, 2012 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 445, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(54)

Code of Ethics of Alpha Simplex Group, LLC previously filed on October 11, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 542, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(55)

Code of Ethics of Probabilities Fund Management, LLC previously filed on October 11, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 542, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(56)

Code of Ethics of American Assets Investment Management, LLC previously filed on December 23, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 571, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(57)

Code of Ethics of Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc. previously filed on January 24, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 578, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(p)(58)

Code of Ethics of Lakewood Investment Management, LLC previously filed on April 17, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 595, and hereby incorporated by reference..


ITEM 29.

PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH THE REGISTRANT.


None.



ITEM 30.

INDEMNIFICATION.


Article VIII, Section 2(a) of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust provides that to the fullest extent that limitations on the liability of Trustees and officers are permitted by the Delaware Statutory Trust Act of 2002, 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, is required to 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 contained in the Agreement and Declaration of Trust indemnifies, holds harmless or protects 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.


Article VIII, Section 2(b) provides that every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or document whatsoever issued, executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust, the officers or the Trustees or any of them in connection with the Trust shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued, executed or done only in such Person’s capacity as Trustee and/or as officer, and such Trustee or officer, as applicable, shall not be personally liable therefore, except as described in the last sentence of the first paragraph of Section 2 of Article VIII.


Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions of Delaware law and the Agreement and Declaration of the Registrant or the By-Laws of the Registrant, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Trust 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, the 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 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.


The Underwriting Agreement provides that the Registrant agrees to indemnify, defend and hold Northern Lights Distributors (NLD), its several officers and directors, and any person who controls NLD within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands or liabilities and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which NLD, its officers and directors, or any such controlling persons, may incur under the Securities Act, the 1940 Act, or common law or otherwise, arising out of or based upon: (i) any untrue statement, or alleged untrue statement, of a material fact required to be stated in either any Registration Statement or any Prospectus, (ii) any omission, or alleged omission, to state a material fact required to be stated in any Registration Statement or any Prospectus or necessary to make the statements in any of them not misleading, (iii) the Registrant’s  failure to maintain an effective Registration statement and Prospectus with respect to Shares of the Funds that are the subject of the claim or demand, or (iv)  the Registrant’s failure to provide NLD with advertising or sales materials to be filed with the FINRA on a timely basis.


The Fund Accounting, Transfer Agency and Administration Service Agreements with Gemini Fund Services (GFS) provides that the Registrant agrees to indemnify and hold GFS harmless from and against any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees, payments, expenses and liability arising out of or attributable to the Registrant’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of the Agreement, or which arise out of the Registrant’s lack of good faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct with respect to the Registrant’s performance under or in connection with this Agreement.


The Consulting Agreement with Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (NLCS) provides that the Registrant agree to indemnify and hold NLCS harmless from and against any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees, payments, expenses and liability arising out of or attributable to the Trust’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of the Agreement, or which arise out of the Trust’s lack of good faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct with respect to the Trust’s performance under or in connection with the Agreement.  NLCS shall not be liable for, and shall be entitled to rely upon, and may act upon information, records and reports generated by the Trust, advice of the Trust, or of counsel for the Trust and upon statements of the Trust’s independent accountants, and shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to such records and reports.

 

ITEM 31.

BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISER.

  

Certain information pertaining to the business and other connections of each Advisor of each series of the Trust is hereby incorporated herein by reference to the section of the respective Prospectus captioned “Investment Advisor” and to the section of the respective Statement of Additional Information captioned “Investment Advisory and Other Services.”  The information required by this Item 26 with respect to each director, officer or partner of each Advisor is incorporated by reference to the Advisor’s Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration (Form ADV) on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).  Each Advisor’s Form ADV may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov, and may be requested by File No. as follows:

Critical Math Advisors LLC, the Adviser to the Adaptive Allocation Fund -- File No. 801 - 65306

Biondo Investment Advisors, LLC, the Adviser to The Biondo Growth Fund and The Biondo Focus Fund-- File No. 801 - 62775

Changing Parameters, LLC, the Adviser to Changing Parameters Fund -- File No. 801-63495

The Pacific Financial Group, Inc., the Adviser to the Pacific Financial Core Equity Fund, the Pacific Financial Explorer Fund, the Pacific Financial International Fund, the Pacific Financial Strategic Conservative Fund, the Pacific Financial Tactical Fund, the Pacific Financial Alternative Strategies Fund, Pacific Financial Flexible Growth & Income Fund, Pacific Financial Balanced Fund, Pacific Financial Foundational Asset Allocation Fund, Pacific Financial Faith & Values Based Moderate Fund, Pacific Financial Faith & Values Based Conservative Fund and Pacific Financial Faith & Values Based Diversified Growth Fund -- File No. 801 - 18151

Wright Fund Management, LLC, the Adviser of Sierra Core Retirement Fund and Sierra Strategic Income Fund– File No. 801- 68554

Kerns Capital Management, Inc., the Adviser of the KCM Macro Trends Fund – File No. 801 – 57482

Equinox Fund Management, LLC, the Adviser of the MutualHedge Funds – File No. 801- 67852


Wade Financial Group, the Adviser of the Wade Tactical L/S Fund – File No. 801-47676 


Toews Corporation, the Adviser of the Toews Hedged Emerging Markets Fund, Toews Hedged International Fund, Toews Hedged High Yield Bond Fund, Toews Hedged Large-Cap Fund, Toews Hedged Small & Mid Cap Fund, Toews Hedged Commodities Fund, Toews Hedged Growth Allocation Fund and Toews Unconstrained Income Fund– File No. 801- 47765


Leader Capital Corp., the Adviser of the Leader Short Term Bond Fund , Leader Total Return Fund and Leader Global Bond Fund – File No. 801- 56684 


CMG Capital Management Group, Inc., the Adviser of the CMG SR Tactical Bond Fund, CMG Tactical Equity Strategy Fund, CMG Global Equity Fund and CMG Managed High Yield Fund– File No. 801-43455 


Bandon Capital Management, LLC, the Adviser of the Bandon Isolated Alpha Fixed Income Fund - File No. 801-68367 

Scotia Partners, Ltd., the Sub-Adviser to the CMG Tactical Futures Strategy Fund - File No. 801-69997.

Montebello Partners, LLC, the Adviser of the GMG Defensive Beta Fund – File No. 801-70164 


BTS Asset Management, Inc., the Adviser of the BTS Bond Asset Allocation Fund, BTS Hedged Income Fund and BTS Tactical Fixed Income Fund– File No.801-14895. 


Astor Investment Management, LLC, the Interim Adviser of the Astor Long/Short ETF Fund, Astor Active Income ETF Fund and Astor S.T.A.R ETF Fund – File No. 801-60150. 


Investment Partners Asset Management, Inc., the Adviser of the Investment Partners Opportunities Fund – File No. 801-61906.


Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC, the Adviser of Princeton Futures Strategy Fund – File No. 801-63221.


6800 Capital, LLC, the Sub-Adviser of Princeton Futures Strategy Fund – File No. 801-69750.


Congress Asset Management Company, LLP the Sub-Adviser of Princeton Futures Strategy Fund – File No. 801-69845.


Chadwick & D’Amato, LLC, the Adviser of Chadwick & D’Amato Fund – File No. 801-62604. 


13D Management, LLC, the Adviser of 13D Activist Fund – File No. 801-71577.


Altegris Advisors, LLC, the Adviser of Altegris Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Altegris Macro Strategy Fund, and Altegris Futures Evolution Strategy Fund, Altegris Equity Long Short Fund, Altegris Fixed Income Long Short Fund, Altegris Multi-Strategy Alternative Fund, Altegris/AACA Real Estate Long Short Fund– File No. 801- 71496.

 

W.E. Donoghue & Co., Inc., the Adviser of Power Income Fund and Power Dividend Index Fund – File No. 801-27959.


Portfolio Strategies, Inc., the Adviser of PSI Market Neutral Fund, PSI Total Return Fund, PSI Strategic Growth Fund, PSI Tactical Growth Power Income Fund  and PSI Calendar Effects Fund– File No. 801-18475. 


CWC Advisors, LLC, the Adviser of the CWC Small Cap Aggressive Value Fund – File No. 801-62369. 


Transwestern Advisors, the Adviser of the TransWestern Institutional Short Duration Government Bond Fund – File No. 801-67113. 


Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., the Sub-Adviser of the TransWestern Institutional Short Duration Government Bond Fund – File No. 801-170.


Beech Hill Advisors, Inc., the Adviser of the Beech Hill Total Return Fund – File No. 801-31503.


Clark Capital Management Group Inc., the Adviser of the Navigator Equity Hedged Fund, Navigator Duration Neutral Bond Fund, Navigator Sentry Managed Volatility Fund and Navigator Tactical Fixed Income Fund– File No. 801-28445.


Dearborn Capital Management, LLC, the Advisor of the Grant Park Managed Futures Strategy Fund – File No. 801-72068.

 

Genesis Capital LLC, the Advisor of the Anchor Alternative Income Fund, Granite Harbor Alternative Fund and Granite Harbor Tactical Fund – File No. 801-62613. 


Zeo Capital Advisors, LLC, the Advisor of the Zeo Strategic Income Fund – File No. 801-72287.


Giralda Advisors, LLC, the Advisor of The Giralda Fund and the Giralda Risk-Managed Growth Fund – File No. 801-35421. 


Van Hulzen Asset Management, LLC, the Advisor of Iron Horse Fund – File No. 801-61884.


Ascendant Advisors, LLC, the Advisor of Ascendant Balanced Fund, Ascendant Natural Resources Fund, Ascendant Diversified Income & Growth Fund and the Patriot Fund – File No. 801-72278.

  

Winch Advisory Services LLC, the Advisor of Ginkgo Multi-Strategy Fund – File No. 801-55488.


DoubleLine Capital LP, the Sub-Adviser of Altegris Futures Evolution Strategy Fund – File 801-70942. 


Preservation Trust Advisors, LLC, the Adviser of PTA Comprehensive Alternatives Fund – File No.801-72576.


Harvest Capital Strategies, LLC, the Sub-Adviser of Altegris Equity Long Short Fund – File No.801-66003.


Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC the Co-Advisor of Eagle MLP Total Return Fund, Probabilities Fund and Adviser to Princeton Futures Strategy Fund and Sandalwood Opportunity Fund– File No. 801-72525.


Eagle Global Advisors, LLC the Co-Advisor of Eagle MLP Total Return Fund – File No. 801-53294.


Sandalwood Securities, Inc. the Sub-Adviser of Sandalwood Opportunity Fund – File No. 801-42453.  


RockView Management, LLC the Sub-Adviser of Altegris Fixed Income Long Short Fund – File No. 801-73761.  


Alpha Simplex Group, LLC the Sub-Adviser of CMG Global Equity Fund – File No. 801-62448.


Crow Point Partners, LLC the Adviser of EAS Crow Point Alternatives Fund – File No. 801-67184.  


Probabilities Fund Management, LLC the Co-Adviser of the Probabilities Fund – File No.801-77947.  


American Assets Investment Management, LLC (DBA AACA), the Sub-Adviser of Altegris/AACA Real Estate Long Short Fund – File No. 801-65209


J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc. the Sub-Adviser of Altegris Macro Strategy Fund and Altegris Managed Futures Strategy Fund – File No. 801-21011.


Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc. the Sub-adviser of Anchor Alternative Income Fund – File No. 801-61643.


Lakewood Investment Management, LLC the Adviser of Astor Macro Alternative Fund – File No 801-79246.


ITEM 32.

PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITER


(a) Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (“NLD”), is the principal underwriter for all series of Northern Lights Fund Trust, except Leader Short-Term Bond Fund, Leader Total Return Fund, 13D Activist Fund TransWestern Institutional Short Duration Government Bond Fund and Leader Global Bond Fund .  NLD also acts as principal underwriter for the following:

AdvisorOne Funds, AmericaFirst Quantitative Funds, Arrow Investments Trust, Compass EMP Funds Trust, Copeland Trust, Dominion Funds, Inc., Equinox Funds Trust, GL Beyond Income Fund, Miller Investment Trust, Mutual Fund Series Trust, Nile Capital Investment Trust, North Country Funds, Northern Lights Fund Trust, Northern Lights Fund Trust II, Northern Lights Fund Trust III, Northern Lights ETF Fund Trust, Northern Lights Variable Trust, OCM Mutual Fund, Roge Partners Funds, Resource Real Estate Diversified Income Fund, The DMS Funds, The Multi-Strategy Growth & Income Fund, The Saratoga Advantage Trust, Total Income+ Real Estate Fund, Tributary Funds, Inc., Two Roads Shared Trust and Vertical Capital Income Fund.


Foreside Distribution Services, L.P. (the “Distributor”) serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:


1.

HSBC Advisor Funds Trust

2.

HSBC Funds (f/k/a HSBC Investor Funds)

3.

IMS Funds, Series of Unified Series Trust

4.

Leader Funds, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust

5.

Miles Funds, Inc. (f/k/a WB Capital Mutual Funds, Inc.)


ALPS Distributors, Inc. acts as the distributor for the 13D Activist Fund, a series of the Trust and the following investment companies: ALPS Series Trust, Arbitrage Funds, AQR Funds, Babson Capital Funds Trust, BBH Trust, BLDRS Index Funds Trust, BPV Family of Funds, Broadview Funds Trust, Brown Management Funds, Caldwell & Orkin Funds, Inc., Campbell Multi-Strategy Trust, Centaur Mutual Funds Trust, Century Capital Management Trust, Columbia ETF Trust, CornerCap Group of Funds, Cortina Funds, Inc., CRM Mutual Fund Trust, Cullen Funds,  DBX ETF TRUST, db-X Exchange-Traded Funds Inc., Centre Funds, EGA Emerging Global Shares Trust, EGA Frontier Diversified Core Fund, Financial Investors Trust, Firsthand Funds, Heartland Group, Inc., Henssler Funds, Inc., Holland Balanced Fund, IndexIQ Trust, Index IQ ETF Trust, James Advantage Funds, Laudus Trust, Laudus Institutional Trust, Mairs & Power Funds Trust, Oak Associates Funds, Pax World Series Trust I, Pax World Funds Trust II, PowerShares QQQ 100 Trust Series 1, RiverNorth Funds, Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust, SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust, SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust, Stadion Investment Trust, Stone Harbor Investment Funds, Transparent Value Trust, Wakefield Alternative Series Trust, Wasatch Funds, WesMark Funds, Westcore Trust, Whitebox Mutual Funds, Williams Capital Liquid Assets Fund, Wilmington Funds and WisdomTree Trust.

(b) NLD is registered with Securities and Exchange Commission as a broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. The principal business address of NLD is 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. NLD is an affiliate of Gemini Fund Services, LLC. To the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the following are the members and officers of NLD:


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name

Positions and Offices

with Underwriter

Positions and Offices

with the Fund

 

Brian Nielsen

Manager, CEO, Secretary

None

 

Bill Wostoupal

President

None

 

Daniel Applegarth

Treasurer

None

 

Mike Nielsen

Chief Compliance Officer and AML Compliance Officer

None

 


Foreside Distribution Services, LP is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as a broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.  The Distributor’s main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101 The following are the Officers of the Distributor:   

  

Name

Address

Position with Underwriter

Position with Registrant

Mark A. Fairbanks

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101

President

None

Richard J. Berthy

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101

Vice President and Treasurer

None

Jennifer E. Hoopes

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101

Secretary

None

Nanette K. Chern

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101

Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer

None

Lisa S. Clifford

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101

Vice President and Managing Director of Compliance

None

Nishant Bhatnagar

Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101

Assistant Secretary

None


ALPS Distributors, Inc. is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a broker dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.  The principal address of ALPS is 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.  To the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the directors and executive officers of ALPS Distributors, Inc., are as follows:


Name*

Position with Underwriter

Positions with Fund

Edmund J. Burke

Director

None

Jeremy O. May

President, Director

None

Thomas A. Carter

Executive Vice President, Director

None

Bradley J. Swenson

Senior Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer

None

Robert J. Szydlowski

Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer

None

Eric Parsons

Vice President, Controller and Assistant Treasurer

None

Steven Price

Vice President, Deputy Chief Compliance Officer

None

James Stegall

Vice President, Institutional Sales Manager

None

Gary Ross

Vice President, Director of Sales

None

Erin D. Nelson

Vice President, Assistant General Counsel

None

JoEllen Legg

Vice President, Assistant General Counsel

None

David T. Buhler

Vice President, Senior Associate Counsel

None

Rhonda A. Mills

Vice President, Associate Counsel

None

Jennifer T. Welsh

Vice President, Associate Counsel

None

Paul F. Leone

Vice President, Associate  Counsel

None

Randall D. Young

Secretary

None

Gregg Wm. Givens

Vice President, Treasurer and Asst. Secretary

None


* The principal business address for each of the above directors and executive officers is 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado 80203.


(c)

Not Applicable.


ITEM 33.

LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS.


The following entities prepare, maintain and preserve the records required by Section 31 (a) of the 1940 Act for the Registrant.  These services are provided to the Registrant for such periods prescribed by the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the 1940 Act and such records are the property of the entity required to maintain and preserve such records and will be surrendered promptly on request.


Bank of New York Mellon (“BONY”), located at One Wall Street, New York, New York 10286, provides custodian services to The Biondo Growth Fund, Changing Parameters Fund, Pacific Financial Core Equity Fund, Pacific Financial Explorer Fund, Pacific Financial International Fund, Pacific Financial Strategic Conservative Fund, Pacific Financial Tactical Fund, The Biondo Focus Fund, Navigator Equity Hedged Fund, Navigator Duration Neutral Bond Fund, Navigator Sentry Managed Volatility Fund and Navigator Tactical Fixed Income Fund pursuant to a Custody Agreement between BONY and the Trust.  


First National Bank of Omaha (“FNBO”), located at 1620 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68197, provides custodian services to the Adaptive Allocation Fund, Sierra Core Retirement Fund, Sierra Strategic Income Fund, EAS Crow Point Alternatives Fund, Wade Tactical L/S  Fund, SouthernSun Small Cap Fund and SouthernSun U.S. Equity Fund pursuant to a Custody Agreement between FNBO and the Trust.  


MUFG Union Bank, National Association, 400 California Street, San Francisco, California  94104 (“Union”), provides custodian services to the MutualHedge Frontier Legends Fund, The Collar Fund, BTS Bond Asset Allocation Fund, Astor Long/Short Fund, GMG Defensive Beta Fund, Investment Partners Opportunities Fund, Princeton Futures Strategy Fund Power Income Fund, PSI Market Neutral Fund, PSI Total Return Fund, PSI Strategic Growth Fund, PSI Tactical Growth, PSI Calendar Effects Fund, CWC Small Cap Aggressive Value Fund, Bandon Isolated Alpha-Fixed Income Fund, Chadwick & D’Amato Fund, TransWestern Institutional Short Duration Government Bond Fund, 13D Activist Fund, Beech Hill Total Return Fund, Navigator Equity Hedged Fund, Diversified Risk Parity Fund,  Ginkgo Multi-Strategy Fund, Ascendant Balanced Fund, Ascendant Natural Resources Fund, Ascendant Diversified Income & Growth Fund, Ascendant Natural Resources Master Fund, Patriot Fund, Eagle MLP Total Return Fund, Sandalwood Opportunity Fund, BTS Diversified Income Fund, BTS Tactical Fixed Income Fund, Navigator Duration Neutral Bond Fund, Power Dividend Index Fund, Anchor Alternative Income Fund, Probabilities Fund, Navigator Sentry Managed Volatility Fund, Navigator Fixed Income Total Return Fund and Astor Macro Alternative Fund pursuant to a Custody Agreement between Union and the Trust.


Fifth Third Bank (“Fifth Third”), 38 Fountain Square Plaza Cincinnati, Ohio 45263, provides custodian services to KCM Macro Trends Fund,   Toews Hedged Emerging Markets Fund, CMG SR Tactical Bond Fund, CMG Tactical Equity Strategy Fund, CMG Global Equity Fund, CMG Managed High Yield Fund, Toews Hedged International Fund, Toews Hedged High Yield Fund, Toews Hedged Large-Cap Fund, Toews Hedged Small & Mid Cap Fund, Toews Commodities Fund and Toews Unconstrained Income Fund pursuant to a Custody Agreement between Fifth Third and the Trust.


JPMorgan Chase Bank (“JPMorgan”), 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017, provides custodian services to Altegris Macro Strategy Fund, Altegris Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Altegris Futures Evolution Strategy Fund, Altegris Equity Long Short Fund, Altegris Fixed Income Long Short Fund, Altegris Multi-Strategy Alternative Fund and Altegris/AACA Real Estate Long Short Fund pursuant to a Custody Agreement between JPMorgan and the Trust.


Gemini Fund Services, LLC (“GFS”), located at 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska 68130, provides transfer agent and dividend disbursing services pursuant to a Transfer Agency and Service Agreements between GFS and the Trust.  In such capacities, GFS provides pricing for each Fund’s portfolio securities, keeps records regarding securities and other assets in custody and in transfer, bank statements, canceled checks, financial books and records, and keeps records of each shareholder’s account and all disbursement made to shareholders.  GFS also maintains all records required pursuant to Administrative Service Agreements with the Trust.  


NLD, located at 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130, serves as principal underwriter for all series of Northern Lights Fund Trust, except Leader Short-Term Bond Fund, Leader Total Return Fund and 13D Activist Fund , TransWestern Institutional Short Duration Government Bond Fund and Leader Global Bond Fund . NLD maintains all records required to be maintained pursuant to each Fund’s Distribution Plan and Agreement adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.  

Foreside Distribution Services, LP, located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101, serves as principal underwriter for Leader Short-Term Bond Fund , Leader Total Return Fund and Leader Global Bond Fund and maintains all records required to be maintained pursuant to the Fund’s Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan and Agreements adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.  


ALPS Distribution Services, Inc., located at 1209 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203, serves as principal underwriter for 13D Activist Fund and maintains all records required to be maintained pursuant to the Fund’s Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan and Agreements adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.  


Critical Math Advisors LLC, located at 29 Emmons Drive, Suite A-20, Princeton, NJ  08540, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to Adaptive Allocation Fund.


Biondo Investment Advisors, LLC, located at 544 Routes 6 & 209, PO Box 909, Milford, Pennsylvania 18337, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to The Biondo Growth Fund and The Biondo Focus Fund.


Changing Parameters, LLC, located at 250 Oak Grove Avenue, Suite A, Menlo Park, California 94025, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Changing Parameters Fund.

  

The Pacific Financial Group, Inc., located at 10900 NE 8th Street, Suite 1523, Bellevue, WA 98004, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Pacific Financial Core Equity Fund, the Pacific Financial Explorer Fund, the Pacific Financial International Fund, the Pacific Financial Strategic Conservative Fund, the Pacific Financial Tactical Fund the Pacific Financial Alternative Strategies Fund, Pacific Financial Flexible Growth & Income Fund, Pacific Financial Balanced Fund, Pacific Financial Foundational Asset Allocation Fund, Pacific Financial Faith & Values Based Moderate Fund, Pacific Financial Faith & Values Based Conservative Fund and Pacific Financial Faith & Values Based Diversified Growth Fund.


Wright Fund Management, LLC, located at 3420 Ocean Park Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA  90405, pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to Sierra Core Retirement Fund and Sierra Strategic Income Fund.


Kerns Capital Management, Inc., located at Galleria Financial Center, 5075 Westheimer Road, Suite 1177, Houston, Texas 77056, pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the KCM Macro Trends Fund.


Equinox Fund Management, LLC, 1660 Lincoln Street, Suite 100, Denver, CO 80264, pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the MutualHedge Managed Futures Fund.


Wade Financial Group, 5500 Wayzata Blvd, STE 200, Minneapolis, MN 55416, pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records, required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Wade Tactical L/S Fund.


Toews Corporation, Cornerstone Commerce Center, 1201 New Road, Suite 111, Linwood, NJ  08221, pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Toews Hedged Emerging Markets Fund, Toews Hedged International Fund, Toews Hedged High Yield Fund, Toews Hedged Large-Cap Fund, Toews Hedged Small & Mid Cap Fund, Toews Hedged Commodities Fund and Toews Unconstrained Income Fund.


Leader Capital Corp., 121 SW Morrison St., Suite 425, Portland, OR 97204, pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Leader Short-Term Bond Fund , Leader Total Return Fund and Leader Global Bond Fund .


CMG Capital Management Group, LLC, 1000 Continental Drive, Suite 570, King of Prussia, PA 19406, pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the CMG SR Tactical Bond Fund, CMG Tactical Equity Strategy Fund, CMG Global Equity Fund and CMG Managed High Yield Fund.


Traub Capital Management, LLC 97 Chapel Street 3rd Floor, Needham, MA 02492, pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to The FX Strategy Fund.


Bandon Capital Management, LLC, 818 SW 3rd Ave. #240, Portland OR 97204-2405, pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Bandon Isolated Alpha Fixed Income Fund.


Scotia Partners, Ltd., 436 Ridge Road, Spring City, PA 19475, pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with CMG Capital Management Group, LLC, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the CMG Tactical Futures Strategy Fund.


Montebello Partners, LLC, 75 Montebello Road, Suffern, New York 10901, pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the GMG Defensive Beta Fund.


BTS Asset Management, Inc. located at 420 Bedford Street, Suite 340, Lexington, MA  02420, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the BTS Bond Asset Allocation Fund, BTS Hedged Income Fund and BTS Tactical Fixed Income Fund. 


Astor Investment Management LLC., located at 111 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 3950, Chicago, IL 60606, pursuant to the Interim Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Astor Long/Short ETF Fund, Astor Active Income ETF Fund and Astor S.T.A.R ETF Fund.


Investment Partners Asset Management, Inc. located at 1 Highland Avenue, Metuchen, NJ 08840 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to The Investment Partners Opportunities Fund.


Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC, 1125 17th Street, Suite 1400, Denver, CO 80202, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Princeton Futures Strategy Fund.


6800 Capital, LLC, One Palmer Square, Suite 530, Princeton, NJ 08542, pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Princeton Futures Strategy Fund.


Congress Asset Management Company, LLP, 2 Seaport Lane, Floor 5, Boston, MA 02210-2001, pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Princeton Futures Strategy Fund.


Chadwick & D’Amato, LLC, 224 Main Street, PO Box 1978, New London, NH 03257, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Chadwick & D’Amato Fund.


13D Management, LLC, 200 East 61 Street, Suite 17C, New York, NY 10065, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the 13D Activist Fund.


Altegris Advisors, LLC, 1200 Prospect Street, Suite 400, La Jolla, CA 92037, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Altegris Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Altegris Macro Strategy Fund, Altegris Evolution Strategy Fund, Altegris Equity Long Short Fund, Altegris Fixed Income Long Short Fund, Altegris Multi-Strategy Alternative Fund and Altegris/AACA Real Estate Long Short Fund.


W. E. Donoghue & Inc., 629 Washington Street, Norwood, MA 02062 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Power Income Fund and Power Dividend Index Fund.


Portfolio Strategies, Inc., 1724 W Union Avenue, Suite 200, Tacoma, WA 98405 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the PSI Market Neutral Fund, PSI Total Return Fund, PSI Strategic Growth Fund, PSI Tactical Growth Fund and PSI Calendar Effects Fund.


CWC Advisors, LLC, 5800 SW Meadows Road, Suite 230, Lake Oswego, OR 97035, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the CWC Small Cap Aggressive Value Fund.


TransWestern Capital Advisors, LLC, 1743 Wazee Street, Suite 250, Denver, CO 80202, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust and as the distributor for such fund, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement and Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Agreement adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act with respect to the TransWestern Institutional Short Duration Government Bond Fund.


Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, pursuant to the Sub- Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the TransWestern Institutional Short Duration Government Bond Fund.


Bandon Capital Management, LLC, 317 SW Alder Street, Suite 1110, Portland, OR 97204 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Bandon Isolated Alpha Fixed Income Fund.


Beech Hill Advisors, Inc., 880 third Ave., 16th Floor, New York, NY 10022 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Beech Hill Total Return Fund.


Clark Capital Management Group, Inc., 1650 Market Street, 53rd Floor, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Navigator Equity Hedged Fund, Navigator Duration Neutral Bond Fund, Navigator Sentry Managed Volatility Fund and Navigator Tactical Fixed Income Fund.


Dearborn Capital Management, LLC, 626 W. Jackson Street, Chicago, IL 60661 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Grant Park Managed Futures Strategy Fund.


Genesis Capital LLC, 7191 Wagner Way NW, Suite 302, Gig Harbor, WA 98335 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Anchor Alternative Income Fund, Granite Harbor Alternative Fund and Granite Tactical Fund.


Zeo Capital Advisors, LLC, 555 California Street, Suite 5180 San Francisco, CA 94104, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Zeo Strategic Income Fund.


Giralda Advisors, LLC, One Giralda Farms, Suite 130, Madison, NJ 07940, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to The Giralda Fund and Giralda Risk-Managed Growth Fund.


Van Hulzen Asset Management, LLC, 950 Iron Point Road, Suite 290, Folsom, CA 95630, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to Iron Horse Fund.


Ascendant Advisors, LLC, Four Oaks Place, 1330 Post Oak Blvd, Suite 1550, Houston, TX, 77056, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to Ascendant Balanced Fund, Ascendant Natural Resources Fund, Ascendant Natural Resources Master Fund, Ascendant Diversified Income & Growth Fund and the Patriot Fund.


Winch Advisory Services, LLC, 424 East Wisconsin Avenue, Appleton, WI 54911 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to Ginkgo Multi-Strategy Fund.


J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc., 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10036, pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Altegris Macro Strategy Fund and Altegris Managed Futures Strategy Fund.


DoubleLine Capital LP, 333 South Grand Avenue, Suite 1800, Los Angeles, CA 90071, pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Altegris Futures Evolution Strategy Fund.


Preservation Trust Advisors, LLC, One Embarcadero Center, Suite 1140, San Francisco, CA 94111, pursuant to the Interim Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the PTA Comprehensive Alternatives Fund.


Harvest Capital Strategies, LLC, 600 Montgomery Street, 20th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111, pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Altegris Equity Long Short Fund.


Princeton Fund Advisors, LLC, 1125 17th Street, Suite 1400, Denver CO 80202, pursuant to the Co-Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Eagle MLP Total Return Fund, Probabilities Fund and Sandalwood Opportunity Fund.


Eagle Global Advisors, LLC, 5847 San Felipe, Suite 930, Houston TX 77057, pursuant to the Co-Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Eagle MLP Total Return Fund.


Sandalwood Securities, Inc. 101 Eisenhower Parkway, 3rd Floor, Roseland, NJ 07068, pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Sandalwood Opportunity Fund.


RockView Management, LLC Metro Center, One Station Place, 7th Floor, Stamford , CT 06902, pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Altegris Fixed Income Long Short Fund.


Alpha Simplex Group, LLC One Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the CMG Global Equity Fund.


Crow Point Partners, LLC, 10 New Driftway, Suite 203, Scituate, MA 02066, pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the EAS Crow Point Alternatives Fund.


Probabilities Fund Management, LLC, 1665 Union Street, Suite A, San Diego, CA 92101, pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Probabilities Fund.


Premium Point Investments LP, 712 Fifth Avenue 24th Floor, New York, NY 10019, pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Altegris Fixed Income Long Short Fund.


American Assets Investment Management, LLC (dba AACA), 11455 El Camino Real, Suite 140, San Diego, CA 92130, pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Altegris/AACA Real Estate Long Short Fund.


Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc. 15 Enterprise, Suite 450, Aliso Viejo, CA 926560, pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Anchor Alternative Income Fund.


Lakewood Investment Management, LLC 111 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 3950, Chicago, IL 60606, pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Astor Macro Alternative Fund.



ITEM 34.

MANAGEMENT SERVICES.

Not applicable.  


ITEM 35.

UNDERTAKINGS.

See Item 30 above, second paragraph.


One or more of the Registrant’s series may invest up to 25% of its respective total assets in a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary (each a “Subsidiary” and collectively the “Subsidiaries”).  Each Subsidiary will operate under the supervision of the Registrant.  The Registrant hereby undertakes that the Subsidiaries will submit to inspection by the Securities and Exchange Commission.


Signatures


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 20 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized in the City of Hauppauge, State of New York on the 3 0 th of July 2014.


NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST

(Registrant)


By:

/s/ Andrew Rogers

 Andrew Rogers*,

President, Trustee and Principal Executive Officer



Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.


Northern Lights Fund Trust

John V. Palancia*

Trustee

July 30 , 2014

Gary Lanzen*

Trustee

July 30 , 2014

Anthony Hertl*

Trustee& Chairman

July 30 , 2014

Mark Taylor*

Trustee

July 30 , 2014

Mark D. Gersten*

Trustee

July 30 , 2014

Mark Garbin*

Trustee

July 30 , 2014

Andrew Rogers*

President, Principal Executive Officer and Trustee

July 30 , 2014

Kevin Wolf

Treasurer and Principal Accounting Officer

July 30, 2014


By:                                    

Date:

/s/ James P. Ash, Esq.     

July 30, 2014

James Ash, Secretary

*Attorney-in-Fact – Pursuant to Powers of Attorney previously filed on April 1, 2011, January 9, 2012 and September 27, 2013 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 234, No. 346 and No, 535, respectively which are hereby incorporated by reference.