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Shareholder Report
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2025
USD ($)
Holding
Shareholder Report [Line Items]  
Document Type N-CSR
Amendment Flag false
Registrant Name Northern Lights Variable Trust
Entity Central Index Key 0001352621
Entity Investment Company Type N-1A
Document Period End Date Dec. 31, 2025
Shareholder Report Annual or Semi-Annual Annual Shareholder Report
C000126627  
Shareholder Report [Line Items]  
Fund Name TOPS Managed Risk Flex ETF Portfolio
Class Name Portfolio
Trading Symbol TMRF
Annual or Semi-Annual Statement [Text Block] This annual shareholder report contains important information about TOPS Managed Risk Flex ETF Portfolio for the period of January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025.
Additional Information [Text Block] You can find additional information about the Fund at https://topsfunds.com/tops-portfolios/vit/. You can also request this information by contacting us at 1-855-572-5945.
Additional Information Phone Number 1-855-572-5945
Additional Information Website https://topsfunds.com/tops-portfolios/vit/
Expenses [Text Block]

What were the Fund’s costs for the last year?

(based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment)

Class Name
Costs of a $10,000 investment
Costs paid as a percentage of a $10,000 investment
Fund
$90
0.86%
Expenses Paid, Amount $ 90
Expense Ratio, Percent 0.86%
Factors Affecting Performance [Text Block]

How did the Fund perform during the reporting period? 

Stocks and bonds remained resilient in 2025, overcoming concerns about the U.S. job market and AI (artificial intelligence) spending at year end to post above average results. The TOPS strategies benefited from diversification and strategic allocation, leading the portfolios to favorable results.

For the year, large-cap growth (S&P 500 Growth Total Return Index) rose +22.2%. Large-cap value (S&P 500 Value Total Return Index) was up +13.2%. Mid-cap equities (S&P MidCap 400 Total Return Index) gained +7.5%, while small caps (S&P Small Cap 600 Total Return Index) were up +12.2%. Developed international markets (FTSE Developed ex US All Cap Net Tax [US RIC] Index) led leading globally, up +34.9%. Emerging markets ex-China (MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Net Return USD Index) was up +34.6%, and emerging markets ex-state-owned enterprises (WisdomTree Emerging Markets ex-State Owned Enterprises Index) gained +27.9%. Broad-based emerging markets (FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Net Tax [US RIC] Index) were +24.5%. Emerging market local currency bonds (J.P. Morgan Government Bond Index Emerging Markets Global Core) finished up +19.0%. Mortgage-backed securities (Bloomberg US MBS Float Adjusted Index) returned +8.5%, high-yield corporate bonds (Solactive USD High Yield Corporates Index) were up +8.6%, and corporate bonds (ICE BofA US Corporate Index) gained +7.8%. Intermediate-term Treasuries (Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 3-10 Year Total Return Index) were up +7.5%. Short-term TIPS (Bloomberg US Treasury TIPS 0-5 Years Index) gained +6.1%, short-term corporates (Bloomberg US Corporate 1-3 Year Index) were up +5.9%, and short-term Treasuries (Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index) returned +5.2%. Floating-rate corporates (Bloomberg US FRN <5 Years Index) finished up +5.1%. Global ex-US aggregate bonds (Bloomberg GLA xUSD Float Adjusted RIC Capped Index) rose +3.0%. Year-to-date, global natural resources (Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources Net Return Index) were up +30.3%. The global real estate sector (FTSE EPRA Nareit Global REITs Net Tax Index) gained +7.2%.

 

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] The Fund's past performance is not a good predictor of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Line Graph [Table Text Block]
Chart showing performance over last 10 years or since inception
TOPS Managed Risk Flex ETF Portfolio
S&P 500® Index
Dec-2015
$10,000
$10,000
Dec-2016
$10,536
$11,196
Dec-2017
$11,720
$13,640
Dec-2018
$10,964
$13,042
Dec-2019
$12,561
$17,149
Dec-2020
$13,208
$20,304
Dec-2021
$14,369
$26,132
Dec-2022
$12,628
$21,399
Dec-2023
$13,799
$27,025
Dec-2024
$14,654
$33,786
Dec-2025
$15,992
$39,827
Average Annual Return [Table Text Block]
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
TOPS Managed Risk Flex ETF Portfolio
9.13%
3.90%
4.81%
S&P 500® Index
17.88%
14.42%
14.82%
No Deduction of Taxes [Text Block] The graph and table do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on fund distributions or redemption of fund shares.
AssetsNet $ 122,810,881
Holdings Count | Holding 31
Advisory Fees Paid, Amount $ 382,613
InvestmentCompanyPortfolioTurnover 7.00%
Additional Fund Statistics [Text Block]

Fund Statistics 

  • Net Assets$122,810,881
  • Number of Portfolio Holdings31
  • Advisory Fee $382,613
  • Portfolio Turnover7%
Holdings [Text Block]

Asset Weighting (% of total investments)

Group By Asset Type Chart
Value
Value
Collateral for Securities Loaned
1.3%
Exchange-Traded Funds
87.3%
Money Market Funds
11.4%

Sector Weighting (% of net assets)

Group By Sector Chart
Value
Value
Liabilities in Excess of Other Assets
-1.2%
Collateral for Securities Loaned
1.4%
Money Market
11.5%
Fixed Income
38.9%
Equity
49.4%
Largest Holdings [Text Block]

Top 10 Holdings (% of net assets)

Holding Name
% of Net Assets
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
10.8%
Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF
9.4%
Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF
9.1%
State Street SPDR Portfolio Short Term Corporate ETF
7.2%
iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF
6.3%
State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF
5.4%
State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Value ETF
5.1%
Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF
3.6%
iShares Global REIT ETF
3.6%
State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF
3.6%
Material Fund Change [Text Block]

Material Fund Changes

No material changes occurred during the year ended December 31, 2025.