0001352621 2021-04-22 2021-04-22 0001352621 nlvt:S000040836Member 2021-04-22 2021-04-22 0001352621 nlvt:S000040836Member nlvt:C000126627Member 2021-04-22 2021-04-22 0001352621 nlvt:S000040836Member nlvt:StandardAndPoors500TotalReturnIndexMember 2021-04-22 2021-04-22 iso4217:USD pure 0001352621 false nlvt 485BPOS 2020-12-31 Northern Lights Variable Trust ~ http://nlfunds.com/role/OperatingExpensesData column period compact * column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact nlvt_S000040836Member column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact * row primary compact * ~ ~ http://nlfunds.com/role/ExpenseExample column period compact * column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact nlvt_S000040836Member column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact * row primary compact * ~ ~ http://nlfunds.com/role/BarChartData column period compact * column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact nlvt_S000040836Member column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact * row primary compact * ~ 2020-12-31 2020-03-31 ~ http://nlfunds.com/role/PerformanceTableData column period compact * column dei_LegalEntityAxis compact nlvt_S000040836Member column rr_ProspectusShareClassAxis compact * row primary compact * ~ 2021-04-22 N-1A 2021-05-01 2021-05-01 PORTFOLIO SUMMARY: TOPS® Managed Risk Flex ETF Portfolio Investment Objectives: The Portfolio seeks to provide income and capital appreciation with less volatility than the fixed income and equity markets as a whole. Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio: This table describes the annual operating expenses that you may indirectly pay if you invest in the Portfolio through your retirement plan or if you allocate your insurance contract premiums or payments to the Portfolio. However, each insurance contract and separate account involves fees and expenses that are not described in this Prospectus. If the fees and expenses of your insurance contract or separate account were included in this table, your overall expenses would be higher. You should review the insurance contract prospectus for a complete description of fees and expenses. In the table below, Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 0.0030 0.0045 0.0011 0.0010 0.0096 The operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Portfolio’s financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Portfolio. Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. You would pay the same expenses if you did not redeem your shares. However, each insurance contract and separate account involves fees and expenses that are not included in the Example. If these fees and expenses were included in the Example, your overall expenses would be higher. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be: 98 306 531 1178 Portfolio Turnover: The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. During the most recent fiscal period, the Portfolio’s turnover rate was 30% of the average value of its portfolio. 0.30 Principal Investment Strategies: The Portfolio employs a fund-of-funds structure that invests, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its assets in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). The Portfolio also employs exchange-traded futures contracts to hedge market risk and reduce return volatility (i.e., the range in which the Portfolio’s return fluctuates over time). The ETFs included in the Portfolio invest primarily in securities representing one of the following asset classes: <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; font: 12pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 6pt; margin-bottom: 0"><tr style="vertical-align: top"> <td style="width: 0.5in"/><td style="width: 0.25in">§</td><td style="text-align: justify">Government Fixed Income Securities</td></tr></table> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; font: 12pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 6pt; margin-bottom: 0"><tr style="vertical-align: top"> <td style="width: 0.5in"/><td style="width: 0.25in">§</td><td style="text-align: justify">Corporate Fixed Income Securities</td></tr></table> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; font: 12pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 6pt; margin-bottom: 0"><tr style="vertical-align: top"> <td style="width: 0.5in"/><td style="width: 0.25in">§</td><td style="text-align: justify">Common and Preferred Stocks</td></tr></table> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; font: 12pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 6pt; margin-bottom: 0"><tr style="vertical-align: top"> <td style="width: 0.5in"/><td style="width: 0.25in">§</td><td style="text-align: justify">Real Estate-Related Securities (“REITS”)</td></tr></table> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; font: 12pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 6pt; margin-bottom: 0"><tr style="vertical-align: top"> <td style="width: 0.5in"/><td style="width: 0.25in">§</td><td style="text-align: justify">Natural Resource-Related Securities</td></tr></table> The Portfolio restricts investment in fixed income ETFs to those with an average maturity of 20 years or less and invests primarily in ETFs with average portfolio credit quality of investment grade. Maturity is the time between when a fixed income security is issued and when it matures. No more than 15% of the portfolio will be allocated to fixed income ETFs with an average portfolio credit quality below investment grade (commonly referred to as “junk bond” credit quality). The Portfolio defines investment grade credit quality as Baa3 or higher by Moody’s Investors Service or BBB- or higher by Standard and Poor’s Rating Group. The Portfolio invests in ETFs that may invest in securities without restriction as to underlying issuer country (including foreign and emerging countries), capitalization or currency. The Portfolio considers emerging market countries to be those represented in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The Portfolio invests in REIT ETFs and Natural Resource ETFs without restriction as to underlying issuer capitalization. The Portfolio’s adviser seeks to achieve the Portfolio’s investment objectives by allocating assets and selecting individual ETFs using the adviser’s TOPS® (The Optimized Portfolio System) methodology. The TOPS® methodology utilizes multiple asset classes in an effort to enhance performance and/or reduce risk (as measured by return volatility). Under normal market conditions, the Portfolio invests at least 25% of its assets in equity ETFs and at least 20% of its assets in fixed income ETFs. However, to achieve the Portfolio’s income aspect of the Portfolio’s investment objectives, the adviser may allocate up to 70% of Portfolio assets to fixed income ETFs. To achieve the capital appreciation aspect of the Portfolio’s investment objectives, the adviser may allocate up to 80% of Portfolio assets to a combination of equity ETFs, equity derivatives, REIT ETFs and natural resource ETFs. Furthermore, the adviser selects some equity ETFs that are composed of value stocks. The adviser expects value stocks, those with a lower than average price-to-earnings ratio, to have returns that are less volatile than the equity market as a whole. The adviser selects individual ETFs that it believes are reasonably representative of an asset class and have relatively low expenses and/or relatively high returns when compared to a peer group of ETFs. The adviser may sell individual ETFs to rebalance asset allocation or to purchase a substitute ETF with a higher expected return or lower risk profile or for any other reason. The Portfolio’s adviser seeks to manage return volatility by employing a sub-adviser to execute the portfolio “managed risk” strategy. The sub-adviser’s managed risk strategy consists of using hedge instruments (exchange-traded futures contracts) to reduce the downside risk of the majority of the Portfolio’s securities. The sub-adviser may use: equity futures contracts, treasury futures contracts, currency futures contracts, and other hedge instruments judged by the sub-adviser to be necessary to achieve the goals of the managed risk strategy. The sub-adviser may also buy or sell futures contracts based on one or more market indices in an attempt to maintain the Portfolio’s volatility at the targeted level in an environment in which the sub-adviser expects market volatility to decrease or increase, respectively. The sub-adviser selects individual futures contracts that it believes will have prices that are highly correlated (negatively) to the Portfolio’s ETF positions. The sub-adviser adjusts futures positions to manage overall net Portfolio risk exposure, in an attempt to stabilize the volatility of the Portfolio around a target level set by the adviser and to reduce the potential for portfolio losses during periods of significant and sustained market decline. The sub-adviser regularly monitors and forecasts volatility in the markets utilizing a proprietary model, and adjusts the Portfolio’s futures positions in response to specific changes in the market and in the Portfolio. In addition, the sub-adviser will monitor liquidity levels of relevant futures contracts and transparency provided by exchanges as the counterparties in hedging transactions. The sub-adviser also adjusts futures positions to realign individual hedges when the adviser rebalances the Portfolio’s asset allocation profile. Depending on market conditions, scenarios may occur where the Portfolio has no positions in any futures contracts. There is no guarantee the Portfolio will meet its investment objectives. Who Should Invest in the Portfolio? The adviser believes the Portfolio is appropriate for investors with short-term to intermediate-term investment horizons who seek capital preservation as well as the opportunity for modest income and modest capital appreciation. The Portfolio and the adviser have received a Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) order that allows the adviser to hire a new sub-adviser or sub-advisers without shareholder approval. Principal Investment Risks: As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Portfolio. Many factors affect the Portfolio’s net asset value (“NAV”) and performance. The following principal risks apply to the Portfolio. Many of these risks come from the Portfolio’s investments in ETFs and futures. The value of your investment in the Portfolio will go up and down with the prices of the securities in which the Portfolio invests. <ul style="margin-top: 0in; list-style-type: square"> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Credit Risk: Issuers might not make payments on debt securities, resulting in losses. Credit quality of securities may be lowered if an issuer’s financial condition changes, also resulting in losses.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Duration Risk: Longer-term securities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes. Given the recent, historically low interest rates and the potential for increases in those rates, a heightened risk is posed by rising interest rates to a fund whose portfolios include longer-term fixed income securities.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Emerging Markets Risk. Investing in emerging markets involves not only the risks described below with respect to investing in foreign securities, but also other risks, including exposure to economic structures that are generally less diverse and mature, limited availability and reliability of information material to an investment decision, and exposure to political systems that can be expected to have less stability than those of developed countries. The market for the securities of issuers in emerging markets typically is small, and a low or nonexistent trading volume in those securities may result in a lack of liquidity and price volatility.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">ETF Risk: The cost of investing in the Portfolio will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. ETF shares may trade at a discount or premium to their NAV. Because the value of ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, the adviser may not be able to liquidate the Portfolio's holdings at the most optimal time, adversely affecting performance. ETFs in which a Portfolio invests will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices they track, if any, because the total return generated by the securities will be reduced by transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities. In addition, the ETFs in which the Portfolio invests will incur expenses not incurred by their applicable indices. Each ETF is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the fund.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Foreign Currency Risk: Foreign equity securities denominated in non-US dollar currencies will subject the Portfolio to currency trading risks that include market risk and country risk. Market risk results from adverse changes in exchange rates. Country risk arises because a government may interfere with transactions in its currency.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Foreign Investment Risk: Foreign investing involves risks not typically associated with U.S. investments, including adverse fluctuations in foreign currency values, adverse political, social and economic developments, less liquidity, greater volatility, less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability and differing auditing and legal standards.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Fund of Funds Risk: The Portfolio’s principal investment strategy involves investing in ETFs. Investors may be able to invest directly in the ETFs and may not need to invest through the Portfolio. The cost of investing directly in the Portfolio may be higher than the cost of investing directly in the ETFs. Investors of the Portfolio will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in which the Portfolio invests in addition to the Portfolio’s direct fees and expenses. The Portfolio will incur brokerage costs when it purchases shares of investment companies.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Futures Risk: Futures contract positions may not provide an effective hedge because changes in futures contract prices may not track those of the ETFs they are intended to hedge. Futures create leverage, which can magnify the Portfolio’s potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Portfolio’s share price.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Hedging Risk: Futures contracts may not provide an effective hedge of the underlying securities or indexes because changes in the prices of futures contracts may not track those of the securities or indexes that they are intended to hedge. In addition, the managed risk strategy may not effectively protect the Portfolio from market declines and may limit the Portfolio’s participation in market gains. The use of the managed risk strategy could cause the Portfolio to underperform as compared to the underlying funds and other mutual funds with similar investment objectives.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Interest Rate Risk: The value of bonds and other fixed income securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates cause a decline in the value of fixed income securities. Recently, interest rates have been historically low. Current conditions may result in a rise in interest rates, which in turn may result in a decline in the value of the fixed income investments held by the Portfolio. As a result, for the present, interest rate risk may be heightened.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Junk Bond Risk: Lower-quality bonds, known as “high yield” or “junk” bonds, present greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased risk of default. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these bonds and the Portfolio’s ETFs holding these bonds. The lack of a liquid market for these bonds could decrease the Portfolio’s share price.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Liquidity Risk: Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. This can reduce</li> </ul> the Portfolio’s returns because the Portfolio may be unable to transact at advantageous times or prices. Recently, interest rates have been historically low. Current conditions may result in a rise in interest rates, and a potential rise in interest rates may result in periods of volatility and increased redemptions. As a result of increased redemptions, the fund may have to liquidate portfolio securities at disadvantageous prices and times, which could reduce the returns of the fund. The reduction in dealer market-making capacity in the fixed income markets that has occurred in recent years also has the potential to decrease liquidity. <ul style="margin-top: 0in; list-style-type: square"> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Management Risk: The adviser’s dependence on the TOPS® methodology and judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular asset classes, securities and futures in which the Portfolio invests may prove to be incorrect and may not produce the desired results. The sub-adviser’s portfolio managed risk strategy may not effectively protect the Portfolio from market declines and may limit the Portfolio’s participation in market gains.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Market Risk: Overall securities market risks may affect the value of futures and individual ETFs. Factors such as foreign and domestic economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events may adversely affect the securities and futures markets.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Market and Geopolitical Risk: The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Securities in the Portfolio may underperform due to inflation (or expectations for inflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics, terrorism, regulatory events and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The occurrence of global events similar to those in recent years, such as terrorist attacks around the world, natural disasters, social and political discord or debt crises and downgrades, among others, may result in market volatility and may have long term effects on both the U.S. and global financial markets. It is difficult to predict when similar events affecting the U.S. or global financial markets may occur, the effects that such events may have and the duration of those effects. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Portfolio. The current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic and the aggressive responses taken by many governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines or similar restrictions, as well as the forced or voluntary closure of, or operational changes to, many retail and other businesses, has had negative impacts, and in many cases severe negative impacts, on markets worldwide. It is not known how long such impacts, or any future impacts of other significant events described above, will or would last, but there could be a prolonged period of global economic slowdown, which may impact your Portfolio investment. Therefore, the Portfolio could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. During a general market downturn, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Changes in market conditions and interest rates can have the same impact on all types of securities and instruments. In times of severe market disruptions you could lose your entire investment.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Model Risk: The adviser’s TOPS® methodology utilized in the Portfolio’s securities selection process is not certain to produce improved issuer creditworthiness, maximized returns or minimized risk, and may not be appropriate for every investor. No assurance can be given that the Portfolio will be successful under all or any market conditions.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Natural Resource Risk: Exposure to companies primarily engaged in the natural resource markets (which for this purpose includes agribusiness) may subject the Portfolio to greater volatility than the securities market as a whole. Natural resource companies are affected by commodity price volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Preferred Stock Risk: The value of preferred stocks will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of preferred stock. Preferred stocks are also subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that an issuer of preferred stock will fail to make its dividend payments.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Real Estate Risk: Real estate values rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, including local, regional and national economic conditions, interest rates and tax considerations. REIT ETF performance depends on the types and locations of the properties it owned by the relevant REITs and on how well those REITs manage those properties.</li> <li style="font: 10pt Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif; text-align: justify; margin: 6pt 0 0">Small and Medium Capitalization Stock Risk: The value of a small or medium capitalization company stocks may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than those of larger, more established companies or the market averages in general.</li> </ul> Before investing in the Portfolio, you should carefully consider your own investment goals, the amount of time you are willing to leave your money invested, and the amount of risk you are willing to take. As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Portfolio. Performance: <span class="xdx_phnt_U3RhdGVtZW50IC0gUmlzay9SZXR1cm4gRGV0YWlsIERhdGEA" id="xdx_904_err--PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns_c20210422__20210422__dei--LegalEntityAxis__custom--S000040836Member_zedyW85HOX2i">The bar chart and performance table below show the variability of the Portfolio’s returns, which is some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio. The bar chart shows performance of the Portfolio for each full calendar year since the Portfolio’s inception. The performance table compares the performance of the share classes of the Portfolio over time to the performance of a broad-based securities market index. <span class="xdx_phnt_U3RhdGVtZW50IC0gUmlzay9SZXR1cm4gRGV0YWlsIERhdGEA" id="xdx_90F_err--PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture_c20210422__20210422__dei--LegalEntityAxis__custom--S000040836Member_z5Mfaf7GAcfj">You should be aware that the Portfolio’s past performance (before and after taxes) may not be an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by calling 1-855-572-5945. The bar chart and performance table below show the variability of the Portfolio’s returns, which is some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio. You should be aware that the Portfolio’s past performance (before and after taxes) may not be an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future. 1-855-572-5945 Annual Total Return For Calendar Year Ended December 31 0.0254 -0.0520 0.0536 0.1124 -0.0645 0.1457 0.0515 <div id="xdx_A85_err--BarChartClosingTextBlock_zw72jM0sDIHf"/> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font: 11pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse"> <tr> <td class="xdx_phnt_U3RhdGVtZW50IC0gUmlzay9SZXR1cm4gRGV0YWlsIERhdGEA" id="xdx_986_err--HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel_c20210422__20210422__dei--LegalEntityAxis__custom--S000040836Member_zII6GNuSErb4" style="border: Black 1pt solid; font: 12pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; padding: 0.7pt 5.75pt; width: 36%; text-align: center">Best Quarter:</td> <td class="xdx_phnt_U3RhdGVtZW50IC0gUmlzay9SZXR1cm4gRGV0YWlsIERhdGEA" id="xdx_98B_err--BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate_dxL_c20210422__20210422__dei--LegalEntityAxis__custom--S000040836Member_zmwzmNFcBkXe" style="border-top: Black 1pt solid; border-right: Black 1pt solid; border-bottom: Black 1pt solid; font: 12pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; width: 42%; padding: 0.7pt 5.75pt; text-align: center" title="::XDX::2020-12-31">4th Quarter 2020</td> <td class="xdx_phnt_U3RhdGVtZW50IC0gUmlzay9SZXR1cm4gRGV0YWlsIERhdGEA" id="xdx_98B_err--BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn_c20210422__20210422__dei--LegalEntityAxis__custom--S000040836Member_ztmllRNTLjF4" style="border-top: Black 1pt solid; border-right: Black 1pt solid; border-bottom: Black 1pt solid; font: 12pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; width: 22%; padding: 0.7pt 5.75pt; text-align: center">7.60%</td></tr> <tr> <td id="xdx_98F_err--LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel_c20210422__20210422__dei--LegalEntityAxis__custom--S000040836Member_zCzimiKb2Pga" style="border-right: Black 1pt solid; border-bottom: Black 1pt solid; border-left: Black 1pt solid; font: 12pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; padding: 0.7pt 5.75pt; text-align: center">Worst Quarter:</td> <td id="xdx_98D_err--BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate_dxL_c20210422__20210422__dei--LegalEntityAxis__custom--S000040836Member_zw8Lbzug43T1" style="border-right: Black 1pt solid; border-bottom: Black 1pt solid; font: 12pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; padding: 0.7pt 5.75pt; text-align: center" title="::XDX::2020-03-31">1st Quarter 2020</td> <td class="xdx_phnt_U3RhdGVtZW50IC0gUmlzay9SZXR1cm4gRGV0YWlsIERhdGEA" id="xdx_984_err--BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn_c20210422__20210422__dei--LegalEntityAxis__custom--S000040836Member_zUQrgvm7JeOh" style="border-right: Black 1pt solid; border-bottom: Black 1pt solid; font: 12pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; padding: 0.7pt 5.75pt; text-align: center">(10.10)%</td></tr> </table> Best Quarter: 0.0760 Worst Quarter: -0.1010 Performance Table Average Annual Total Returns (For periods ended December 31, 2020) 0.0515 0.0572 0.0431 0.1840 0.1522 0.1432 2013-08-27 The Standard and Poor’s 500 Total Return Index is an unmanaged market capitalization-weighted index of 500 of the largest capitalized U.S. domiciled companies. Index returns assume reinvestment of dividends. <span class="xdx_phnt_U3RhdGVtZW50IC0gUmlzay9SZXR1cm4gRGV0YWlsIERhdGEA" id="xdx_90D_err--IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes_c20210422__20210422__dei--LegalEntityAxis__custom--S000040836Member_zpUXQ7Juxhd1">Its performance does not reflect any deduction for fees, management expenses or taxes. An investor cannot invest directly in an index. Its performance does not reflect any deduction for fees, management expenses or taxes. Other expenses are contractually limited to 0.10% (does not include expenses related to certain regulatory filings). 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 Portfolio’s financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Portfolio. Inception date of the TOPS Managed Risk Flex ETF Portfolio is August 27, 2013.