[ ] this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

Part B - Statement of Additional Information for FT Vest Laddered Autocallable Barrier & Income Fund.

Summary Information

Investment Objective

The FT Vest Laddered Autocallable Barrier & Income Fund (the "Fund") seeks to provide investors with annualized distributions while limiting downside market volatility.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. Investors purchasing Class I shares as “clean shares” may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other First Trust Advisors L.P. mutual funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “Share Classes” on page 23 of this prospectus, “Investment in Fund Shares” on page 31 of this prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page 24 of the Fund’s statement of additional information (“SAI”).

Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

	Class A	Class C	Class I
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	___%	___%	___%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)(1)	None	None	None
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	None	None	None
Exchange Fee	None	None	None

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

	Class A	Class C	Class I
Management Fees	___%	___%	___%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees	___%	___%	—
Other Expenses	___%	___%	___%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	___%	___%	___%
Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement(2)	___%	___%	___%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursements(3)	___%	___%	___%

(1)

For Class A shares purchased at net asset value without a sales charge because the purchase amount exceeded $250,000, a contingent deferred sales charge of 1% may be imposed on any redemption within 12 months of purchase.

(2)

The Fund’s investment advisor has agreed to waive fees and reimburse expenses through _________, 20__ so that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding 12b-1 distribution and service fees, interest expenses, taxes, fees incurred in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities, acquired fund fees and expenses and extraordinary expenses) do not exceed ___% of the average daily net assets of any class of Fund shares. Fees waived or expenses borne by the Fund’s investment advisor are subject to reimbursement by the Fund for up to three years from the date the fee was waived or expense was incurred, but no reimbursement payment will be made by the Fund at any time if it would result in the Fund’s expenses exceeding (i) the applicable expense limitation in place for the most recent fiscal year for which such expense limitation was in place, (ii) the applicable expense limitation in place at the time the fees were waived, or (iii) the current expense limitation. Expense limitations may be terminated or modified prior to their expiration only with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the First Trust Series Fund.

(3)

Expenses have been restated to reflect the current fiscal year.

Example

The following 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 hold or sell 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 annual operating expenses (excluding 12b-1 distribution and service fees, interest expense, taxes, fees incurred

in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities, acquired fund fees and expenses and extraordinary expenses) remain at current levels through _________, 20__, and then are estimated to be ____% after _________, 20__. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Redemption

Share Class	A	C	I
1 Year	$___	$___	$___
3 Years	___	___	___
5 Years	___	___	___
10 Years	___	___	___

No Redemption

Share Class	A	C	I
1 Year	$___	$___	$___
3 Years	___	___	___
5 Years	___	___	___
10 Years	___	___	___

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. The Fund has no operational history and therefore no historical turnover rate.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by providing investors with diversified exposure to broad-based U.S. equity market indices while attempting to limit downside risk. The Fund will invest in a laddered portfolio of bank-issued over-the-counter ("OTC") derivatives (or other derivative instruments that could include swap agreements, options, forwards and futures) designed to replicate the defined return characteristics of autocallable yield notes (“Synthetic Autocallable Contracts”). The term “laddered portfolio” refers to the Fund continuously investing in multiple Synthetic Autocallable Contracts that have differing maturity dates and call observation dates (as defined below) by “rolling” (i.e., replacing) such contracts upon their call or maturity into new Synthetic Autocallable Contracts with maturity dates and call observation dates extending beyond those of the remaining existing contracts. Such laddered investing allows the Fund to maintain the staggered investment time periods to which it is exposed and thereby mitigate the risks associated with investing in a single time period. The rolling of Synthetic Autocallable Contracts results in the reset of coupon payment amounts, "coupon" and "maturity" barrier levels (each, as defined below), and initial values of the underlying indices to be commensurate with then-existing market conditions.

The autocallable yield notes that the Fund seeks to replicate through Synthetic Autocallable Contracts are debt obligations linked to the performance of an underlying asset or multiple underlying assets—e.g., the S&P 500 Index (“SPY”), the Russell 2000 Index (“RTY”) and the Nasdaq-100 Index (“NDX”). The value of each underlying asset at the beginning of a Synthetic Autocallable Contract's term (the “initial value”) defines when a contract is automatically called. If the value of each underlying asset is equal to or exceeds its respective initial value on a predefined recurring (e.g., monthly or quarterly) “observation date,” the issuer will automatically call the contract, cancel all remaining coupon payments, and return 100% of the initial notional amount of the contract. Accordingly, the Fund will not benefit from such upside return on the underlying assets. If the value of the worst performing underlying asset is below such initial value but at or above the “coupon barrier” level on an observation date, the issuer will make its coupon payment(s) for such period. The coupon barrier level of the Synthetic Autocallable Contracts will typically be set between 65% to 85% of the initial value of each underlying asset (which amount will depend on prevailing market conditions at such time). If the value of the worst performing underlying asset is below the coupon barrier level as of an observation date, no coupon payments are made for such period. Each Synthetic Autocallable Contract will also have a "maturity barrier" level, which seeks to reduce the likelihood of incurring downside losses from a decline in the value of the worst performing underlying asset below its initial value. If at least one of the underlying assets is below the maturity barrier level on the maturity date of the Synthetic Autocallable Contract, the percentage of the initial notional amount under the contract that will be returned will be equal to the percentage of the value of the worst performing underlying asset on the maturity date relative to its initial value, resulting in a loss corresponding to the decrease in value of such underlying asset. The maturity barrier level of the Synthetic Autocallable Contracts will typically be set between 60% to 80% of the initial value of each underlying asset (which amount will depend on prevailing market conditions at such time). Accordingly, the Fund seeks to limit downside risk to the extent that the worst performing underlying asset does not breach the maturity barrier level. The Fund will be subject to the entirety (i.e., one-to-one exposure) of the downside of the worst performing underlying

asset's performance calculated from its initial value to its final value on the maturity date, if the maturity barrier level is breached by any underlying asset.

As an illustrative example, the following table provides four of several possible scenarios under a Synthetic Autocallable Contract:

In addition to the Synthethic Autocallable Contracts, the Fund will invest in a basket of short-term (i.e., generally less than 12 months) U.S. Treasury securities, including for the purpose of collateralizing the Synthetic Autocallable Contracts.

The Fund’s investment strategy may include active and frequent trading. The Fund will not invest 25% or more of the value of its total assets in securities of issuers in any one industry or group of industries. This restriction does not apply to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or securities of other investment companies.

The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

Principal Risks

You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved. The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance of any particular risk factor.

AUTOCALLABLE YIELD NOTES RISK. The Fund seeks to replicate autocallable yield notes through Synthetic Autocallable Contracts. Autocallable yield notes differ in various ways from traditional debt securities. The autocallable yield notes do not guarantee a return of principal and limit the positive investment return that can be achieved due to the automatic call feature that is triggered when the worst-performing underlying asset’s performance exceeds the initial value—i.e., a direct investment in an underlying asset could produce higher returns than a corresponding autocallable yield note. If the automatic call feature is triggered, an investor would forego any remaining coupon payments and may be unable to invest in another autocallable yield note with a similar level of risk and comparable return potential. If the automatic call feature is not triggered, and the maturity barrier level has been breached as of the maturity date, an investor will receive less than the initial notional amount invested regardless of any outperformance of the underlying asset(s) throughout the term of the note. The coupon payments of autocallable yield notes are not linked to the performance of the underlying asset at any time other than on maturity dates and call observation dates. Moreover, because the autocallable yield notes are linked to the worst-performing underlying asset, an investor is exposed to the market risk of the underlying assets and may not receive any return on the notes and may lose a portion or all of its investment in the notes even if the performance of one or more of the other underlying assets has exceeded the initial value of such asset.

would forfeit, respectively, coupon payments and/or a portion or all of the initial notional amount invested in such contract. If the coupon barrier level is breached on an observation date, the Fund will forfeit the coupon payment for such period. Accordingly, it is possible that the Fund may not receive any coupon payments under a Synthetic Autocallable Contract. If the maturity barrier level is breached on the maturity date, the Fund will forfeit the percentage of the initial notional amount it invested in the contract that is equal to the entire amount of loss that the worst-performing underlying asset experienced since the start of the term of the contract (as set by its initial value), and not just the percentage amount below the barrier level. It is possible that the Fund could forfeit the entire initial notional amount of its investment, in addition to some or all of the coupon payments. Accordingly, it is also possible that a shareholder may lose its entire investment in the Fund notwithstanding the downside protection intended to be provided by the Synthetic Autocallable Contracts and the risk mitigation intended to be provided by the laddered portfolio.

CALL RISK. Some debt securities may be redeemed, or “called,” at the option of the issuer before their stated maturity date. In general, an issuer will call its debt securities if they can be refinanced by issuing new debt securities which bear a lower interest rate. The Fund is subject to the possibility that during periods of falling interest rates an issuer will call its high yielding debt securities. The Fund would then be forced to invest the proceeds at lower interest rates, likely resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income.

COUNTERPARTY RISK. Fund transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund. The Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The OCC acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to the Options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.

CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS RISK. Current market conditions risk is the risk that a particular investment, or shares of the Fund in general, may fall in value due to current market conditions. As a means to fight inflation, which remains at elevated levels, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks have raised interest rates; however, the Federal Reserve has recently lowered interest rates and may continue to do so. U.S. regulators have proposed several changes to market and issuer regulations which would directly impact the Fund, and any regulatory changes could adversely impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment strategies or make certain investments. Recent and potential future bank failures could result in disruption to the broader banking industry or markets generally and reduce confidence in financial institutions and the economy as a whole, which may also heighten market volatility and reduce liquidity. Additionally, challenges in commercial real estate markets, including rising interest rates, declining valuations and increasing vacancies, could have a broader impact on financial markets. The ongoing adversarial political climate in the United States, as well as political and diplomatic events both domestic and abroad, have and may continue to have an adverse impact the U.S. regulatory landscape, markets and investor behavior, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s investments and operations. The change in administration resulting from the 2024 United States national elections could result in significant impacts to international trade relations, tax and immigration policies, and other aspects of the national and international political and financial landscape, which could affect, among other things, inflation and the securities markets generally. Other unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy. For example, ongoing armed conflicts between Russia and Ukraine in Europe and among Israel, Iran, Hamas and other militant groups in the Middle East, have caused and could continue to cause significant market disruptions and volatility within the markets in Russia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The hostilities and sanctions resulting from those hostilities have and could continue to have a significant impact on certain Fund investments as well as Fund performance and liquidity. The economies of the United States and its trading partners, as well as the financial markets generally, may be adversely impacted by trade disputes, including the imposition of tariffs, and other matters. For example, the United States has imposed trade barriers and restrictions on China. In addition, the Chinese government is engaged in a longstanding dispute with Taiwan, continually threatening an invasion. If the political climate between the United States and China does not improve or continues to deteriorate, if China were to attempt invading Taiwan, or if other geopolitical conflicts develop or worsen, economies, markets and individual securities may be adversely affected, and the value of the Fund’s assets may go down. A public health crisis and the ensuing policies enacted by governments and central banks may cause significant volatility and uncertainty in global financial markets, negatively impacting global growth prospects. As the COVID-19 global pandemic illustrated, such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Advancements in technology may also adversely impact markets and the overall performance of the Fund. For instance, the economy may be significantly impacted by the advanced development and increased regulation of artificial intelligence. Additionally, cyber

security breaches of both government and non-government entities could have negative impacts on infrastructure and the ability of such entities, including the Fund, to operate properly. These events, and any other future events, may adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio investments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.

DERIVATIVES RISK. The 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 or may include: (i) the risk that the value of the underlying assets may go up or down; (ii) the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations; (iii) the risk of mispricing or improper valuation of a derivative; (iv) the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset; (v) the risk that a derivative instrument cannot be sold, closed out or replaced quickly at or very close to its fundamental value; (vi) the risk of loss caused by the unenforceability of a party’s obligations under the derivative; and (vii) the risk that a disruption in the financial markets will cause difficulties for all market participants. Derivative prices are highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially during a short period of time. Such prices are influenced by numerous factors that affect the markets, including, but not limited to: changing supply and demand relationships; government programs and policies; national and international political and economic events, changes in interest rates, inflation and deflation and changes in supply and demand relationships. Trading derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities. Derivative contracts ordinarily have leverage inherent in their terms. The low margin deposits normally required in trading derivatives, including futures contracts, permit a high degree of leverage. Accordingly, a relatively small price movement may result in an immediate and substantial loss. The use of leverage may also cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it would not be advantageous to do so. The use of leveraged derivatives can magnify potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on share price.

DISTRIBUTION TAX RISK. The Fund currently expects to make distributions on a regular basis. While the Fund will normally pay its income as distributions, the Fund's distributions may exceed the Fund's income and gains for the Fund's taxable year. The Fund may be required to reduce its distributions if it has insufficient income. Additionally, there may be times the Fund needs to sell securities when it would not otherwise do so and could cause the distributions from that sale to constitute return of capital. Distributions in excess of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital. Return of capital distributions do not represent income or gains generated by the Fund's investment activities and should not be interpreted by shareholders as such. Distributions in excess of the Fund's minimum distribution requirements, but not in excess of the Fund's earnings and profits, will be taxable to Fund shareholders and will not constitute nontaxable returns of capital. A return of capital distribution generally will not be taxable but will reduce the shareholder's cost basis and will result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when those Fund shares on which the distribution was received are sold. Once a Fund shareholder's cost basis is reduced to zero, further distributions will be treated as capital gain, if the Fund shareholder holds shares of the Fund as capital assets. Additionally, any capital returned through distributions will be distributed after payment of Fund fees and expenses. Because the Fund's distributions may consist of return of capital, the Fund may not be an appropriate investment for investors who do not want their principal investment in the Fund to decrease over time or who do not wish to receive return of capital in a given period. In the event that a shareholder purchases shares of the Fund shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.

its calculation of income, the Fund may be required to make an extraordinary distribution to distribute prior undistributed income or recharacterize prior distributions.

EQUITY SECURITIES RISK. Equity securities prices fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant equity market, such as market volatility, or when political or economic events affecting an issuer occur. Common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase. Equity securities may decline significantly in price over short or extended periods of time, and such declines may occur in the equity market as a whole, or they may occur in only a particular country, company, industry or sector of the market.

INCOME RISK. The Fund’s income may decline when interest rates fall or if there are defaults in its portfolio. This decline can occur because the Fund may subsequently invest in lower-yielding securities as debt securities in its portfolio mature, are near maturity or are called, or the Fund otherwise needs to purchase additional debt securities. The Fund's strategy may not provide the level of income sought by the Fund.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES RISK. Information technology companies produce and provide hardware, software and information technology systems and services. These companies may be adversely affected by rapidly changing technologies, short product life cycles, fierce competition, aggressive pricing and reduced profit margins, the loss of patent, copyright and trademark protections, cyclical market patterns, evolving industry standards and frequent new product introductions. In addition, information technology companies are particularly vulnerable to federal, state and local government regulation, and competition and consolidation, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies also heavily rely on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by the loss or impairment of those rights.

LARGE CAPITALIZATION COMPANIES RISK. Large capitalization companies may grow at a slower rate and be less able to adapt to changing market conditions than smaller capitalization companies. Thus, the return on investment in securities of large capitalization companies may be less than the return on investment in securities of small and/or mid capitalization companies. The performance of large capitalization companies also tends to trail the overall market during different market cycles.

LEVERAGE RISK. Leverage may result in losses that exceed the amount originally invested and may accelerate the rates of losses. Leverage tends to magnify, sometimes significantly, the effect of any increase or decrease in the Fund’s exposure to an asset or class of assets and may cause the value of the Fund’s shares to be volatile and sensitive to market swings.

LIQUIDITY RISK. The Fund may hold certain investments that may be subject to restrictions on resale, trade over-the-counter or in limited volume, or lack an active trading market. Accordingly, the Fund may not be able to sell or close out of such investments at favorable times or prices (or at all), or at the prices approximating those at which the Fund currently values them. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value.

MANAGEMENT RISK. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolio. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio managers will apply investment techniques and risk analyses, including through the use of technology, automated processes, algorithms, or other management systems, that may not operate as intended or produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective.

MARKET RISK. Market risk is the risk that a particular investment, or shares of the Fund in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by real or perceived adverse economic, political, and regulatory factors or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of the Fund could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, market manipulation, government defaults, government shutdowns, regulatory actions, political changes, diplomatic developments, the imposition of sanctions and other similar measures, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, natural disasters, or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Any of such circumstances could have a materially negative impact on the value of the Fund’s shares, the liquidity of an investment, and

may result in increased market volatility. During any such events, the Fund’s shares may trade at increased premiums or discounts to their net asset value, the bid/ask spread on the Fund’s shares may widen and the returns on investment may fluctuate.

NEW FUND RISK. The Fund is new and has no performance history or assets as of the date of this prospectus. The Fund expects to have fewer assets than larger funds. Like other new funds, large inflows and outflows may impact the Fund’s market exposure, and in turn, the Fund’s returns for limited periods of time.

NON-DIVERSIFICATION RISK. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. As a result, the Fund is only limited as to the percentage of its assets which may be invested in the securities of any one issuer by the diversification requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Internal Revenue Code"). The Fund may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers. As a result, the Fund may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence affecting one or more of these issuers, experience increased volatility and be highly invested in certain issuers.

OPERATIONAL RISK. The Fund is subject to risks arising from various operational factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund relies on third-parties for a range of services, including custody. Any delay or failure relating to engaging or maintaining such service providers may affect the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective. Although the Fund and the Fund's investment advisor seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures, there is no way to completely protect against such risks.

OTC DERIVATIVES RISK. The Fund may utilize derivatives that are traded over-the-counter, or “OTC.” In general, OTC derivatives are subject to the same risks as derivatives generally, as described throughout. However, because OTC derivatives do not trade on an exchange, the parties to an OTC derivative face heightened levels of counterparty risk, liquidity risk and valuation risk. To the extent that the Fund utilizes OTC derivatives, its counterparty risk will be higher if it only trades with a single or small number of counterparties. The secondary market for OTC derivatives may not be as deep as for other instruments and such instruments may experience periods of illiquidity. In addition, some OTC derivatives may be complex and difficult to value. If the Fund fails to meet its payment or collateral delivery obligations under a Synthetic Autocallable Contract or some other termination or default event occurs, the counterparty to the contract could close out the contract and the Fund could experience significant losses and fail to achieve its investment objective.

SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE RISK. To the extent that the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in a single asset class or the securities of issuers within the same country, state, region, industry or sector, an adverse economic, business or political development may affect the value of the Fund’s investments more than if the Fund were more broadly diversified. A significant exposure makes the Fund more susceptible to any single occurrence and may subject the Fund to greater market risk than a fund that is more broadly diversified.

SMALLER COMPANIES RISK. Smalland/or mid- capitalization companies may be more vulnerable to adverse general market or economic developments, and their securities may be less liquid and may experience greater price volatility than larger, more established companies as a result of several factors, including limited trading volumes, fewer products or financial resources, management inexperience and less publicly available information. Accordingly, such companies are generally subject to greater market risk than larger, more established companies.

TAX RISK. The Fund intends to elect and to qualify each year to be treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The federal income tax treatment of the securities in which the Fund may invest, including the Fund’s OTC derivatives strategy, may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the Internal Revenue Service. It could be more difficult to comply with the tax requirements applicable to RICs if the tax characterization of investments or the tax treatment of the income from such investments were successfully challenged by the Internal Revenue Service. Any such failure to comply with the rules applicable to RICs could cause the Fund to fail to qualify as such. To qualify and maintain its status as a RIC, the Fund must meet certain income, diversification and distributions tests. For purposes of the diversification test, the identification of the issuer (or, in some cases, issuers) of a particular Fund investment can depend on the terms and conditions of that investment. In particular, there is little or no published Internal Revenue Service guidance or case law on how to determine the “issuer” of certain derivatives that the Fund may enter into. Because of the uncertainty of the authority, the Fund intends to treat the “issuer” of a Synthetic Autocallable Contract both as the bank that is the counterparty to the contract and the issuer of the securities in the referenced index and to treat any income it may derive from the Synthetic Autocallable Contract as “qualifying income” under the provisions of the Code applicable to RICs. If the income is not qualifying income or the issuer of the Synthetic Autocallable Contract is not

appropriately identified, the Fund may not qualify, or may be disqualified, as a RIC. If the Fund does not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year and certain relief provisions are not available, the Fund’s taxable income will be subject to tax at the Fund level and to a further tax at the shareholder level when such income is distributed.

To maintain its status as a RIC, the Fund must distribute 90% of its investment company taxable income annually. In addition, to avoid a non-deductible excise tax, the Fund must distribute 98% of its ordinary income and 98.2% of its capital gain net income. Separately, depending upon the circumstances, sales to fund redemptions could cause the Fund to recognize income that the Fund is required to distribute to maintain the Fund's RIC status and avoid the excise tax. Funding such distributions could require additional sales, which could require more distributions and affect the projected performance of the Fund. Alternatively, if the Fund only makes distributions to maintain its RIC status and becomes subject to the excise tax, that could also affect the projected performance of the Fund. In either case, the assets sold to fund redemptions, distributions or pay the excise tax will not be available to assist the Fund in meeting its target outcome.

In the event that a shareholder purchases shares of the Fund shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.

U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES RISK. U.S. government securities are subject to interest rate risk but generally do not involve the credit risks associated with investments in other types of debt securities. As a result, the yields available from U.S. government securities are generally lower than the yields available from other debt securities. U.S. government securities are guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and the payment of principal when held to maturity.

VALUATION RISK. The Fund may hold securities or other assets that may be valued on the basis of factors other than market quotations. This may occur because the asset or security does not trade on a centralized exchange, or in times of market turmoil or reduced liquidity. There are multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio holding when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio holding at a point in time might differ from what would be produced using a different methodology or if it had been priced using market quotations. Portfolio holdings that are valued using techniques other than market quotations, including “fair valued” assets or securities, may be subject to greater fluctuation in their valuations from one day to the next than if market quotations were used. In addition, there is no assurance that the Fund could sell or close out a portfolio position for the value established for it at any time, and it is possible that the Fund would incur a loss because a portfolio position is sold or closed out at a discount to the valuation established by the Fund at that time. The Fund’s ability to value investments may be impacted by technological issues or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.

VOLATILITY RISK. Volatility is the characteristic of a security, an index or a market to fluctuate significantly in price within a short time period. The Fund may invest in securities or financial instruments that exhibit more volatility than the market as a whole. Such exposures could cause the Fund’s net asset value to experience significant increases or declines in value over short periods of time.

Performance

The Fund does not have a performance history. Once available, the Fund’s performance information, and information that gives some indication of the risks of an investment in the Fund by comparing the Fund’s performance with a broad measure of market performance, will be available on the Fund’s website at http://www.ftportfolios.com. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

Management

Investment Advisor

First Trust Advisors L.P. (“First Trust” or the “Advisor”)

Investment Sub-Advisor

Vest Financial LLC (“Vest” or the “Sub-Advisor”)

Portfolio Managers

The following persons serve as the portfolio managers of the Fund:

●

Karan Sood, Managing Director of Vest

●

Trevor Lack, Managing Director of Vest

The portfolio managers are primarily and jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund. Each portfolio manager has served as a part of the portfolio management team of the Fund since ______ 2025.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the Fund only through a financial advisor on any day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for business. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into the Fund is $2,500 ($750 for a Traditional/Roth IRA account; $500 for an Education IRA account; and $250 for accounts opened through fee-based programs). The minimum subsequent investment is $50. Certain financial advisors may impose investment minimums on purchases or exchanges into the Fund. Class I shares are subject to higher minimums for certain investors. There are no minimums for purchases or exchanges into the Fund through employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Tax Information

The Fund intends to make interest income distributions that are exempt from federal income tax. All or a portion of these distributions, however, may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax on individuals and state and local taxes, and may have other tax consequences (e.g., they may affect the amount of your social security benefits that are taxed). For tax years beginning after December 31, 2022, exempt-interest dividends may affect the corporate alternative minimum tax for certain corporations. The Fund may make other distributions that are subject to federal income tax.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, bank or other financial intermediary (collectively, “intermediaries”), First Trust and First Trust Portfolios L.P., the Fund’s distributor, 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.

Additional Information on the Fund's Investment Objective and Strategies

The Fund is a series of First Trust Series Fund (the “Trust”) and is regulated as an “investment company” under the 1940 Act. The Fund is actively managed and does not seek to track the performance of an index. The Fund’s investment objective to provide investors with annualized distributions while limiting downside market volatility is non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) without shareholder approval. Unless an investment policy is identified as being fundamental, all investment policies included in this prospectus and the Fund's Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) are non-fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) without shareholder approval. If there is a material change to the Fund’s principal investment strategies, you should consider whether the Fund remains an appropriate investment for you. There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

While it is not expected that the Fund will invest in the securities of other investment companies, any such investments would be subject to limitations imposed by the 1940 Act and the related rules and interpretations. The Fund has adopted a policy that it will not invest in other investment companies in excess of 1940 Act limits in reliance on Sections 12(d)(1)(F) or 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act.

The autocallable yield notes that the Fund seeks to replicate through Synthetic Autocallable Contracts are debt obligations linked to the performance of an underlying asset or multiple underlying assets — e.g., the S&P 500 Index, the Russell 2000 Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index. The value of each underlying asset at the beginning of a Synthetic Autocallable Contract's term (the “initial value”) defines when a contract is automatically called. If the value of each underlying asset is equal to or exceeds its respective initial value on a predefined recurring (e.g., monthly or quarterly) “observation date,” the issuer will automatically call the contract, cancel all remaining coupon payments, and return 100% of the initial notional amount of the contract. Accordingly, the Fund will not benefit from such upside return on the underlying assets. The value of the worst performing underlying asset is below such initial value but at or above the “coupon barrier” level on an observation date, the issuer will make its coupon payment(s) for such period. The coupon barrier level of the Fund’s Synthetic Autocallable Contracts will typically be set between 65% to 85% of the initial value of each underlying asset (which amount will depend on prevailing market conditions at such time). If the value of the worst performing underlying asset is below the coupon barrier level as of an observation date, no coupon payments are made for such period. Each Synthetic Autocallable Contract will also have a "maturity barrier" level, which seeks to reduce the likelihood of occurring downside losses from a decline in the value of the worst performing underlying asset below its initial value. If at least one of the underlying assets is below the maturity barrier level on the maturity date of the Synthetic Autocallable Contract, the percentage of the initial notional amount under the contract that will be returned will be equal to the percentage of the value of the worst performing underlying asset on the maturity date relative to its initial value, resulting in a loss corresponding to the decrease in value of such underlying asset. The maturity barrier level of the Synthetic Autocallable Contracts will typically be set between 60% to 80% of the initial value of each underlying asset (which amount will depend on prevailing market conditions at such time). Accordingly, the Fund seeks to limit downside risk to the extent that the worst performing underlying asset does not breach the maturity barrier level. The Fund will be subject to the entirety (i.e., one-to-one exposure) of the downside of the worst performing underlying asset's performance calculated from its initial value to its final value on the maturity date, if the maturity barrier level is breached by any underlying asset.

The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act.

Fund Investments

Principal Investments

Derivative Instruments

The Fund will invest in OTC derivative instruments designed to replicate autocallable yield notes and may invest in additional derivative instruments, including swap agreements, options, forwards contracts and futures contracts. Derivatives are financial instruments whose value depends upon, or is derived from, an underlying reference asset, such as an index or security, that are commonly used to hedge risk, enhance returns, as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset, maintain a desired level of market exposure, manage cash flows or foreign currency exposures and preserve capital. OTC derivative instruments are derivative instruments that are exchanged between private parties in the over-the-counter market rather than on exchanges. A swap is a derivative contract through which two parties exchange the cash flows or liabilities from two different financial instruments. An options contract is a tradable security that grants its owner the right or “option” (but not the obligation) to buy or sell a predetermined amount of an underlying asset at a specific price on or before a certain date. A forward contract is a customized contract between two parties to buy or sell an asset at a specified price on a future date. A futures contract is a legally binding agreement to buy or sell a standardized asset on a specific date or during a specific month that is generally facilitated through a futures exchange. The Fund may also invest directly in and utilize exchange-listed derivative instruments, such as futures and options contracts. Additionally, the Fund may engage in hedging activities utilizing a variety of financial instruments, including options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts and shorting strategies. The Fund’s investments in derivative instruments will be consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and the 1940 Act and will not be used to seek to achieve a multiple or inverse multiple of an index.

To the extent the Fund enters into derivatives transactions, it will do so pursuant to Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act. Rule 18f-4 requires the Fund to implement certain policies and procedures designed to manage its derivatives risks, dependent upon the Fund’s level of exposure to derivative instruments.

U.S. Government Securities

The Fund will generally invest in short-term U.S. government securities. U.S. government securities include U.S. Treasury obligations and securities issued or guaranteed by various agencies of the U.S. government, or by various instrumentalities that have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

Non-Principal Investments

Illiquid Investments

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in investments and other instruments that are, at the time of investment, illiquid (determined using the Securities and Exchange Commission's standard applicable to investment companies, i.e., any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment). For this purpose, illiquid investments may include, but are not limited to, certain restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted under the federal securities laws), certain securities that may only be resold pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act, that are deemed to be illiquid, and certain repurchase agreements.

Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments

The Fund may invest in securities with maturities of less than one year or cash equivalents, or it may hold cash. The percentage of the Fund invested in such holdings varies and depends on several factors, including market conditions. For temporary defensive purposes and during periods of high cash inflows or outflows, the Fund may depart from its principal investment strategies and invest all of its assets in these securities, or it may hold cash. During such periods, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objectives. The Fund may adopt a temporary defensive strategy when the portfolio managers believe securities in which the Fund normally invests have elevated risks due to political or economic factors and in other extraordinary circumstances. For more information on eligible short-term investments, see the SAI.

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

The Fund’s portfolio holdings are available on the Fund's website at http://www.ftportfolios.com. A description of the policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund's portfolio securities is included in the Fund's SAI, which is also available on the Fund's website.

Risks of Investing in the Fund

Risk is inherent in all investing. Investing in the Fund involves risk, including the risk that you may lose all or part of your investment. There can be no assurance that the Fund will meet its stated objective. Before you invest, you should consider the following disclosure pertaining to the Principal Risks set forth above as well as additional Non-Principal Risks set forth below in this prospectus. The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance of any particular risk factor.

Principal Risks

BARRIER RISK. The coupon and maturity barrier levels of a Synthetic Autocallable Contract set forth the threshold amount of loss the underlying asset(s) (e.g., the applicable broad-based U.S. equity market index) could experience before the Fund would forfeit, respectively, coupon payments and/or a portion or all of the initial notional amount invested in such contract. If the coupon barrier level is breached on an observation date, the Fund will forfeit the coupon payment for such period. Accordingly, it is possible that the Fund may not receive any coupon payments under a Synthetic Autocallable Contract. If the maturity barrier level is breached on the maturity date, the Fund will forfeit the percentage of the initial notional amount it invested in the contract that is equal to the entire amount of loss that the worst-performing underlying asset experienced since the start of the term of the contract (as set by its initial value), and not just the percentage amount below the barrier level. It is possible that the Fund could forfeit the entire initial notional amount of its investment, in addition to some or all of the coupon payments. Accordingly, it is also possible that a shareholder may lose its entire investment in the Fund notwithstanding the downside protection intended to be provided by the Synthetic Autocallable Contracts and the risk mitigation intended to be provided by the laddered portfolio.

CALL RISK. Some debt securities may be redeemed at the option of the issuer, or “called,” before their stated maturity date. In general, an issuer will call its debt securities if they can be refinanced by issuing new debt securities which bear a lower interest rate. The Fund is subject to the possibility that during periods of falling interest rates an issuer will call its high yielding debt securities. The Fund would then be forced to invest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, likely resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income. Such redemptions and subsequent reinvestments would also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover. If a called debt security was purchased by the Fund at a premium, the value of the premium may be lost in the event of a redemption.

COUNTERPARTY RISK. If the Fund enters into an investment or transaction that depends on the performance of another party, the Fund becomes subject to the credit risk of that counterparty. The Fund's ability to profit from these types of investments and transactions depends on the willingness and ability of the Fund’s counterparty to perform its obligations. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, the Fund may be unable to terminate or realize any gain on the investment or transaction, resulting in a loss to the Fund. The Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in an insolvency, bankruptcy, or other reorganization proceeding involving a counterparty (including recovery of any collateral posted by it) and may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances. If the Fund holds collateral

posted by its counterparty, it may be delayed or prevented from realizing on the collateral in the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding relating to the counterparty. Under applicable law or contractual provisions, including if the Fund enters into an investment or transaction with a financial institution and such financial institution (or an affiliate of the financial institution) experiences financial difficulties, then the Fund may in certain situations be prevented or delayed from exercising its rights to terminate the investment or transaction, or to realize on any collateral and may result in the suspension of payment and delivery obligations of the parties under such investment or transactions or in another institution being substituted for that financial institution without the consent of the Fund. Further, the Fund may be subject to “bail-in” risk under applicable law whereby, if required by the financial institution's authority, the financial institution's liabilities could be written down, eliminated or converted into equity or an alternative instrument of ownership. A bail-in of a financial institution may result in a reduction in value of some or all of securities and, if the Fund holds such securities or has entered into a transaction with such a financial security when a bail-in occurs, the Fund may also be similarly impacted.

CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS RISK. Current market conditions risk is the risk that a particular investment, or shares of the Fund in general, may fall in value due to current market conditions.

As a means to fight inflation, which remains at elevated levels, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks have raised interest rates; however, the Federal Reserve has recently lowered interest rates and may continue to do so. U.S. regulators have proposed several changes to market and issuer regulations which would directly impact the Fund. While it is hard to predict whether any of these regulations will be adopted, due to the current scope of proposed regulations, any regulatory changes could adversely impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment strategies or make certain investments. Regulatory changes may also increase Fund operational costs, which could impact overall performance. Certain market factors may result in central banks changing their approach in the future. Recent and potential future bank failures could result in disruption to the broader banking industry or markets generally and reduce confidence in financial institutions and the economy as a whole, which may also heighten market volatility and reduce liquidity. Additionally, challenges in commercial real estate markets, including rising interest rates, declining valuations and increasing vacancies, could have a broader impact on financial markets.

The ongoing adversarial political climate in the United States, as well as political and diplomatic events both domestic and abroad, such as presidential, congressional and gubernatorial elections in the U.S., global elections and governmental changes and the U.S. government’s failure to agree on a long-term budget and deficit reduction plan, have and may continue to have an adverse impact on the U.S. regulatory landscape, markets and investor behavior, which could have a negative impact on the Fund’s investments and operations. The potential result of a U.S. federal government shutdown may also significantly impact investor and consumer behavior, which may adversely impact the markets and global economy. The change in administration resulting from the 2024 United States national elections could result in significant impacts to international trade relations, tax and immigration policies, and other aspects of the national and international political and financial landscape, which could affect, among other things, inflation and the securities markets generally. Global and domestic authorities and regulators have previously responded to serious economic disruptions with ranging fiscal and monetary policy changes, including but not limited to, direct capital infusions into companies, new monetary programs and dramatically lower interest rates. Any change in these policies, or the ineffectiveness of these policies, could increase volatility in securities markets, which may adversely impact the Fund’s investments and performance. Any market disruptions could also delay the Fund from making sound investment decisions in a timely manner. If the Fund concentrates its investments in a region enduring geopolitical market disruption, it may face higher risk of loss, although the increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets can lead to events or conditions in one country, region or financial market adversely impacting a different country, region or financial market.

Other unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy. For example, ongoing armed conflicts between Russia and Ukraine in Europe and among Israel, Iran, Hamas and other militant groups in the Middle East, have caused and could continue to cause significant market disruptions and volatility within the markets in Russia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The hostilities and sanctions resulting from those hostilities have and could continue to have a significant impact on certain Fund investments as well as Fund performance and liquidity. The economies of the United States and its trading partners, as well as the financial markets generally, may be adversely impacted by trade disputes, including the imposition of tariffs, and other matters. For example, the United States has imposed trade barriers and restrictions on China. In addition, the Chinese government is engaged in a longstanding dispute with Taiwan, continually threatening an invasion. If the political climate between the United States and China does not improve or continues to deteriorate, if China were to attempt invading Taiwan, or if other geopolitical conflicts develop or worsen, economies, markets and individual securities may be adversely affected, and the value of the Fund’s assets may go down. A public health crisis and the ensuing policies enacted by governments and central banks may cause significant volatility and uncertainty in global financial markets, negatively

impacting global growth prospects. As the COVID-19 global pandemic illustrated, such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others.

Advancements in technology may also adversely impact markets and the overall performance of the Fund. For instance, the economy may be significantly impacted by the advanced development and increased regulation of artificial intelligence. As the use of technology grows, liquidity and market movements may be affected. As artificial intelligence is used more widely, the profitability and growth of Fund holdings may be impacted, which could significantly impact the overall performance of the Fund. Additionally, cyber security breaches of both government and non-government entities could have negative impacts on infrastructure and the ability of such entities, including the Fund, to operate properly.

These events, and any other future events, may adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio investments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.

CYBER SECURITY RISK. The Fund is susceptible to operational risks through breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity. Such events could cause the Fund to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures and/or financial loss. These risks typically are not covered by insurance. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber incidents include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures by or breaches of the systems of the Advisor, distributor and other service providers (including, but not limited to, sub-advisors, index providers, fund accountants, custodians, transfer agents and administrators), market makers, authorized participants or the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in: financial losses; interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its net asset value; disclosure of confidential trading information; impediments to trading; submission of erroneous trades or erroneous creation or redemption orders; the inability of the Fund or its service providers to transact business; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs; or additional compliance costs. Substantial costs may be incurred by the Fund in order to resolve or prevent cyber incidents in the future. While the Fund has established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified and that prevention and remediation efforts will not be successful. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Fund, issuers in which the Fund invests, market makers or authorized participants. However, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, and the Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

The Fund may be required to reduce its distributions if it has insufficient income. Additionally, there may be times the Fund needs to sell securities when it would not otherwise do so and could cause the distributions from that sale to constitute return of capital. Distributions in excess of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital. Return of capital distributions do not represent income or gains generated by the Fund's investment activities and should not be interpreted by shareholders as such. Distributions in excess of the Fund's minimum distribution requirements, but not in excess of the Fund's earnings and profits, will be taxable to Fund shareholders and will not constitute nontaxable returns of capital. A return of capital distribution generally will not be taxable but will reduce the shareholder's cost basis and will result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when those Fund shares on which the distribution was received are sold. Once a Fund shareholder's cost basis is reduced to zero, further distributions will be treated as capital gain, if the Fund shareholder holds shares of the Fund as capital assets. Additionally, any capital returned through distributions will be distributed after payment of Fund fees and expenses. Because the Fund's distributions may consist of return of capital, the Fund may not be an appropriate investment for investors who do not want their principal investment in the Fund to decrease over time or who do not wish to receive return of capital in a given period. In the event that a shareholder purchases shares of the Fund shortly before a distribution by the Fund, the entire distribution may be taxable to the shareholder even though a portion of the distribution effectively represents a return of the purchase price.

The Fund’s investment strategy may limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to federal income tax at rates of up to 20%. The Fund’s investment strategy may also limit its ability to distribute dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. For these reasons, a significant portion of distributions received by Fund shareholders may be subject to tax at effective tax rates that are higher than the rates that would apply if the Fund were to engage in a different investment strategy.

Substantial uncertainties exist related to the calculation of income from the Synthetic Autocallable Contracts. The Fund intends to calculate the income from the contacts using the IRS rules for notional principal contracts. However, the application of such rules to the Synthetic Autocallable Contracts may be subject to challenge or varying interpretation. If the Fund is incorrect in its calculation of income, the Fund may be required to make an extraordinary distribution to distribute prior undistributed income or recharacterize prior distributions.

EQUITY SECURITIES RISK. Equity securities prices fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in investors' perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant equity market, such as market volatility, or when political or economic events affecting the issuers occur. Common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase. Equity securities may decline significantly in price over short or extended periods of time, and such declines may occur in the equity market as a whole, or they may occur in only a particular country, company, industry or sector of the market. Additionally, holders of an issuer's common stock may be subject to greater risks than holders of its preferred stock and debt securities because common stockholders' claims are subordinated to those of holders of preferred stocks and debt securities upon the bankruptcy of an issuer.

INFLATION RISK. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions may decline. This risk is more prevalent with respect to debt securities held by the Fund. Inflation creates uncertainty over the future real value (after inflation) of an investment. Inflation rates may change frequently and drastically as a result of various factors, including unexpected shifts in the domestic or global economy, and the Fund’s investments may not keep pace with inflation, which may result in losses to Fund investors.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES RISK. Information technology companies produce and provide hardware, software and information technology systems and services. Information technology companies are generally subject to the following risks: rapidly changing technologies and existing product obsolescence; short product life cycles; fierce competition; aggressive pricing and reduced profit margins; the loss of patent, copyright and trademark protections; cyclical market patterns; evolving industry standards; and frequent new product introductions and new market entrants. Information technology companies may be smaller and less experienced companies, with limited product lines, markets or financial resources and fewer experienced management or marketing personnel. Information technology company stocks, particularly those involved with the internet, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that are often unrelated to their operating performance. In addition, information technology companies are particularly vulnerable to federal, state and local government regulation, and competition and consolidation, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Information technology companies also face competition for services of qualified personnel and heavily rely on patents and intellectual property rights and the ability to enforce such rights to maintain a competitive advantage.

LEVERAGE RISK. The Fund has exposure to instruments subjecting them to leverage risk. Leverage may result in losses that exceed the amount originally invested and may accelerate the rates of losses. Leverage tends to magnify, sometimes significantly, the effect of any increase or decrease in the Fund’s exposure to an asset or class of assets and may cause the value of the Fund’s portfolio and the Fund’s shares to be volatile and sensitive to market swings. Certain instruments have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.

LIQUIDITY RISK. The Fund has investments that it may not be able to dispose of or close out readily at a favorable time or price (or at all), or at a price approximating the Fund’s valuation of the investment. For example, certain investments may be subject to restrictions on resale, may trade over-the-counter or in limited volume, or may not have an active trading market. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. It may be difficult for the Fund to value illiquid securities accurately. The market for certain investments may become illiquid under adverse market or economic conditions independent of any specific adverse changes in the conditions of a particular issuer. If the Fund needed to sell a large block of illiquid securities to meet shareholder redemption request or to raise cash, these sales could further reduce the securities’ prices and adversely affect performance of the Fund. Disposal of illiquid securities may entail registration expenses and other transaction costs that are higher than those for liquid securities.

NON-DIVERSIFICATION RISK. As a “non-diversified” fund, the Fund may hold a smaller number of portfolio securities than many other funds and may be more sensitive to any single economic, business, political or regulatory occurrence than a diversified fund. To the extent the Fund invests in a relatively small number of issuers due to the high percentage of the Fund’s assets invested in that security, a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect its value more than if it invested in a larger number of issuers. The value of the Fund’s shares may be more volatile than the values of shares of more diversified funds.

OPERATIONAL RISK. The Fund is subject to risks arising from various operational factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund relies on third-parties for a range of services, including custody. Any delay or failure relating to engaging or maintaining such service providers may affect the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective. Although the Fund and the Fund’s investment advisor seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures, there is no way to completely protect against such risks.

OTC DERIVATIVES RISK. The Fund may utilize derivatives that are traded over-the-counter, or "OTC." In general, OTC derivatives are subject to the same risks as derivatives generally, as described throughout. However, because OTC derivatives do not trade on an exchange, the parties to an OTC derivative face heightened levels of counterparty risk, liquidity risk and valuation risk. To the extent that the Fund utilizes OTC derivatives, its counterparty risk will be higher if it only trades with a single or small number of counterparties. The secondary market for OTC derivatives may not be as deep as for other instruments and such instruments may experience periods of illiquidity. In addition, some OTC derivatives may be complex and difficult to value. Under certain market conditions it may not be economically feasible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position in time to avoid a loss or take advantage of an opportunity. If a particular derivative transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses. If the Fund fails to meet its payment or collateral delivery obligations under a Synthetic Autocallable Contract or some other termination or default event occurs, the counterparty to the contract could close out the contract and the Fund could experience significant losses and fail to achieve its investment objective.

SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE RISK. To the extent that the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in a single asset class or the securities of issuers within the same country, state, region, industry or sector, an adverse economic, business or political development that affected a particular asset class, region or industry may affect the value of the Fund’s investments more than if the Fund were more broadly diversified. A significant exposure makes the Fund more susceptible to any single occurrence and may subject the Fund to greater volatility and market risk than a fund that is more broadly diversified.

SMALLER COMPANIES RISK. The stock price of smalland/or mid capitalization companies may be more volatile than those of larger companies and therefore the Fund’s share price may be more volatile than those of funds that invest a larger percentage of their assets in stocks issued by large capitalization companies. Stock prices of smalland/or mid capitalization companies are also generally more vulnerable than those of large capitalization companies to adverse business and economic developments. Securities of smalland/or mid capitalization companies may be thinly traded, making it difficult for the Fund to buy and sell them. In addition, smalland/or mid capitalization companies are typically less financially stable than larger, more established companies and may reinvest a high proportion of their earnings in their business and may not pay dividends. Smalland/or mid capitalization companies may also depend on a small number of essential personnel who may also be less experienced than the management of larger companies, making these companies more vulnerable to experiencing adverse effects due to the loss or inexperience of personnel. Smalland/or mid capitalization companies also normally have less diverse product lines than those of large capitalization companies and are more susceptible to adverse developments concerning their products.

also affect the projected performance of the Fund. In either case, the assets sold to fund redemptions, distributions or pay the excise tax will not be available to assist the Fund in meeting its target outcome.

Non-Principal Risks

BORROWING AND LEVERAGE RISK. If the Fund borrows money, it must pay interest and other fees, which may reduce the Fund’s returns. Any such borrowings are intended to be temporary. However, under certain market conditions, including periods of decreased liquidity, such borrowings might be outstanding for longer periods of time. As prescribed by the 1940 Act, the Fund will be required to maintain specified asset coverage of at least 300% with respect to any bank borrowing immediately following such borrowing and at all times thereafter. The Fund may be required to dispose of assets on unfavorable terms if market fluctuations or other factors reduce the Fund’s asset coverage to less than the prescribed amount.

DEPENDENCE ON KEY PERSONNEL RISK. The Sub-Advisor is dependent upon the experience and expertise of the Fund’s portfolio managers in providing advisory services with respect to the Fund’s investments. If the Sub-Advisor were to lose the services of any of these portfolio managers, its ability to service the Fund could be adversely affected. There can be no assurance that a suitable replacement could be found for any of the portfolio managers in the event of their death, resignation, retirement or inability to act on behalf of the Sub-Advisor.

FAILURE TO QUALIFY AS A REGULATED INVESTMENT COMPANY RISK. If, in any year, the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. In such circumstances, the Fund's taxable income would be subject to tax at the Fund level and to a further tax at the shareholder level when such income is distributed and the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment. This would cause investors to incur higher tax liabilities than they otherwise would have incurred and would have a negative impact on Fund returns. If the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company, distributions to the Fund's shareholders generally would be eligible (i) for treatment as qualified dividend income in the case of individual shareholders and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. See "Federal Tax Matters."

FORWARD CONTRACTS RISK. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and

other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying reference and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, currency risk, market risk, and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to counterparty risk, liquidity risk and valuation risk, among others.

FUTURES CONTRACTS RISK. The Fund may enter into futures contracts. Futures contracts are typically exchange-traded contracts that call for the future delivery of an asset by one party to another at a certain price and date, or cash settlement of the terms of the contract. The risk of a position in a futures contract may be very large compared to the relatively low level of margin the Fund is required to deposit. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit. The ability to establish and close out positions in futures contracts is subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. If the Fund uses futures contracts for hedging purposes, there is a risk of imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the derivatives and movements in the securities or index underlying the derivatives or movements in the prices of the Fund's investments that are the subject of such hedge. The prices of futures contracts, for a number of reasons, may not correlate perfectly with movements in the securities or index underlying them. For example, participants in the futures markets are subject to margin deposit requirements less onerous than margin requirements in the securities markets in general. As a result, futures markets may attract more speculators than the securities markets. Increased participation by speculators in those markets may cause temporary price distortions. Due to the possibility of price distortion, even a correct forecast of general market trends by the Fund’s portfolio managers still may not result in a successful derivatives activity over a very short time period. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the various exchanges have established limits referred to as “speculative position limits” on the maximum net long or net short positions that any person and certain affiliated entities may hold or control in a particular futures contract. It is possible that, as a result of such limits, the Fund will be precluded from taking positions in certain futures contracts it might have otherwise taken to the disadvantage of shareholders.

ISSUER SPECIFIC CHANGES RISK. The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole.

LEGISLATION/LITIGATION RISK. From time to time, various legislative initiatives are proposed in the United States and abroad, which may have a negative impact on certain companies in which the Fund invests. In addition, litigation regarding any of the issuers of the securities owned by the Fund, or industries represented by these issuers, may negatively impact the value of the securities. Such legislation or litigation may cause the Fund to lose value or may result in higher portfolio turnover if the Advisor determines to sell such a holding.

OPTIONS RISK. The use of options involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions and depends on the ability of the Fund's portfolio managers to forecast market movements correctly. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, or in interest or currency exchange rates, including the anticipated volatility, which in turn are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political and economic events. The effective use of options also depends on the Fund's ability to terminate option positions at times deemed desirable to do so. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to effect closing transactions at any particular time or at an acceptable price. In addition, there may at times be an imperfect correlation between the movement in values of options and their underlying securities and there may at times not be a liquid secondary market for certain options. There may be times the Fund needs to sell securities in order to settle an option position, which could result in the distribution of premium from that option position being classified as a return of capital and make the Fund less tax-efficient than other funds.

SWAP AGREEMENTS RISK. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into for a set period of time in which the parties agree to exchange payments based on some underlying reference or asset (such as interest rates). The use of swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques, risk analyses and tax planning different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. These transactions can result in sizeable realized and unrealized capital gains and losses relative to the gains and losses from the Fund’s direct investments in the reference assets. Transactions in swaps can involve greater risks than if the Fund had invested directly in the reference asset since, in addition to general market risks, swaps may be leveraged and are also subject to credit risk, counterparty risk, liquidity risk and valuation risk. Because they are two-party contracts and may have terms of greater than seven days, certain swap transactions 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 counterparty. Some swaps may be complex and difficult to value. Swaps may also be

subject to pricing or “basis” risk, which exists when a particular swap becomes extraordinarily expensive relative to historical prices or the price of corresponding cash market instruments. Under certain market conditions it may not be economically feasible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position in time to avoid a loss or take advantage of an opportunity. If a swap transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses. The prices of swaps can be very volatile, and a variance in the degree of volatility or in the direction of the price of the reference asset from the sub-advisor’s expectations may produce significant losses in the Fund’s investments in swaps. In addition, a perfect correlation between a swap and an investment position may be impossible to achieve. As a result, the Fund’s use of swaps may not be effective in fulfilling the Fund’s investment strategies and may contribute to losses that would not have been incurred otherwise. Certain swaps are not bilateral agreements but are centrally-cleared and are exchange-traded. Central clearing tends to decrease credit risk and improve liquidity but many regulations regarding centrally-cleared swaps have not been fully implemented and the scope of the risks remain unclear. As central clearing does not make the agreements risk-free and there is no guarantee that the Fund would consider all centrally-cleared or exchange-traded swaps to be liquid.

Fund Organization

The Fund is a series of the Trust, an investment company registered under the 1940 Act. The Fund is treated as a separate fund with its own investment objective and policies. The Trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust. The Board is responsible for the overall management and direction of the Trust. The Board elects the Trust’s officers and approves all significant agreements, including those with the Advisor, Sub-Advisor, distributor, custodian, transfer agent and fund administrative and accounting agent.

Management of the Fund

First Trust Advisors L.P., 120 East Liberty Drive, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, is the investment advisor to the Fund. In this capacity, First Trust is responsible for overseeing the Sub-Advisor in the investment of the Fund’s assets, managing the Fund’s business affairs and providing certain clerical, bookkeeping and other administrative services.

First Trust is a limited partnership with one limited partner, Grace Partners of DuPage L.P., and one general partner, The Charger Corporation. Grace Partners of DuPage L.P. is a limited partnership with one general partner, The Charger Corporation, and a number of limited partners. The Charger Corporation is an Illinois corporation controlled by James A. Bowen, the Chief Executive Officer of First Trust and Chairman of the Board of the Trust. First Trust discharges its responsibilities subject to the policies of the Fund.

First Trust serves as advisor or sub-advisor for 12 mutual fund portfolios, 10 exchange-traded funds consisting of ___ series and 6 closed-end funds. It is also the portfolio supervisor of certain unit investment trusts sponsored by First Trust Portfolios L.P. (“FTP”), an affiliate of First Trust, 120 East Liberty Drive, Wheaton, Illinois 60187. FTP specializes in the underwriting, trading and distribution of unit investment trusts and other securities. FTP is the principal underwriter of the shares of the Fund.

The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and First Trust have retained Vest Financial LLC ("Vest" or the "Sub-Advisor") to serve as investment sub-advisor pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement (the "Sub-Advisory Agreement"). In this capacity, Vest is responsible for the selection and ongoing monitoring of the securities in the Fund’s investment portfolio. Vest, with principal offices at 8350 Broad St., Suite 240, McLean, Virginia 22102, was founded in 2012, and is a Delaware LLC. Vest had approximately $39.3 billion under management or committed to management as of February 28, 2025.

The Sub-Advisor is a subsidiary of Vest Group, Inc. (“VG”). First Trust Capital Partners, LLC (“FTCP”), an affiliate of First Trust, is the largest single holder of voting shares in VG.

Karan Sood and Trevor Lack are the Fund’s portfolio managers and are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s investment portfolio.

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clients. Mr. Sood received a master’s degree in Decision Sciences & Operations Research from London School of Economics & Political Science. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

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Mr. Lack has over 10 years of experience as a Portfolio Manager. Mr. Lack joined the Sub-Advisor in 2019. Prior to joining the Sub-Advisor, Mr. Lack worked at ProShare Advisors LLC from 2011 to 2019. Mr. Lack received a master’s degree in finance from Johns Hopkins University. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Northeastern University.

For additional information concerning First Trust and the Sub-Advisor, including a description of the services provided to the Fund, see the Fund’s SAI. Additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities in the Fund is provided in the SAI.

Management Fees

Pursuant to an investment management agreement between First Trust and the Trust, on behalf of the Fund (the "Investment Management Agreement"), First Trust oversees Vest’s management of the Fund’s assets and pays Vest for its services as Sub-Advisor. First Trust is paid an annual management fee by the Fund equal to ___% of the Fund's average daily net assets. The Fund is responsible for all of its expenses, including management fees, costs of transfer agency, custody, fund administration and accounting, legal, audit and other services, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses related to the execution of portfolio transactions, any distribution fees or expenses, and extraordinary expenses, as well as its portion of the Trust’s operating expenses.

First Trust and the Sub-Advisor have agreed to limit fees and/or pay expenses to the extent necessary through ___________, 20__, to prevent the Fund’s Total Annual Operating Expenses (excluding 12b-1 distribution and service fees, interest expense, taxes, fees incurred in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding ____% of the average daily net assets of any class of shares of the Fund. Expenses borne by First Trust are subject to reimbursement by the Fund for up to three years from the date the fee or expense was incurred, but no reimbursement payment will be made by the Fund at any time if it would result in the Fund’s expenses exceeding (i) the applicable expense limitation in place for the most recent fiscal year for which such expense limitation was in place, (ii) the applicable expense limitation in place at the time the fees were waived, or (iii) the current expense limitation.

A discussion regarding the Board’s approval of the Investment Management Agreement and the Sub-Advisory Agreement will be available in the Fund’s Form N-CSR for the fiscal _____ ended ___________, 20__.

Share Classes

The Fund offers three classes of shares: Class A, Class C and Class I. Each class represents an interest in the same portfolio of investments but with a different combination of sales charges, fees, eligibility requirements and other features. Consult with your financial intermediary representative for additional information on whether the shares are an appropriate investment choice. The Fund may not be available through certain of these intermediaries and not all financial intermediaries offer all classes of shares. Contact your financial intermediary or refer to your plan documents for instructions on how to purchase, exchange, or redeem shares. With certain limited exceptions, the Fund is available only to U.S. citizens or residents.

Please refer to the SAI for more information about Class A, Class C and Class I shares, including more detailed program descriptions and eligibility requirements. If your financial intermediary offers more than one class of shares, you should carefully consider which class of shares to purchase. Certain classes have higher expenses than other classes, which may lower the return on your investment. Additional information is also available from your financial intermediary. Information regarding the sales charge applicable to the purchase of Fund shares is included in this prospectus and the Fund's SAI, both of which are available free of charge at http://www.ftportfolios.com/Retail/MF/MFSummary.aspx?Ticker=_____. Information regarding the sales charge applicable to the purchase of Fund shares is not available on the Fund's website separately from the Fund's prospectus and SAI.

Class A Shares

You can purchase Class A shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge. The sales charge may be waived, as described in “Class A Sales Charge Waivers.” Class A shares are also subject to an annual service fee of ___% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class A shares, which compensates your financial advisor

and other entities for providing ongoing service to you. FTP retains the up-front sales charge and the service fee on accounts with no financial intermediary of record. The up-front Class A sales charges for the Fund are as follows:

Amount of Purchase	Sales Charge as % of Public Offering Price	Sales Charge as % of Net Amount Invested	Maximum Financial Intermediary Commission as % of Public Offering Price
Less than $50,000	3.50%	3.62%	3.00%
$50,000 but less than $100,000	3.25%	3.35%	2.75%
$100,000 but less than $250,000	2.50%	2.56%	2.00%
$250,000 and over*	—	—	1.00%

You can purchase $250,000 or more of Class A shares at net asset value without an up-front sales charge. First Trust pays financial intermediaries of record a commission equal to 1.00% of the first $2.5 million, plus 0.50% of the next $2.5 million, plus 0.25% of the amount over $5 million. You may be assessed a contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00% if you redeem any of your shares within 12 months of purchase. The contingent deferred sales charge is calculated on the lower of your purchase price or your redemption proceeds. You do not pay a contingent deferred sales charge on any Class A shares you purchase by reinvesting dividends or capital gains.

For purposes of determining whether you qualify for a reduced sales charge as set forth in the table above, you may include purchases by (i) you, (ii) your spouse (or legal equivalent if recognized under local law) and your children under 21 years of age, and (iii) a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship that is 100% owned by any of the persons in or (ii). In addition, a trustee or other fiduciary can count all shares purchased for a single trust, estate or other single fiduciary account that has multiple accounts (including one or more employee benefit plans of the same employer). See the SAI for more information.

Class C Shares

You can purchase Class C shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. Class C shares are subject to annual distribution and service fees of 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class C shares. The annual 0.25% service fee compensates your financial advisor for providing ongoing service to you. The annual 0.75% distribution fee compensates FTP for paying your financial advisor an ongoing sales commission as well as an advance of the first year’s service and distribution fees. FTP retains the service and distribution fees on accounts with no financial intermediary of record. If you redeem your shares within 12 months of purchase, you will normally pay a 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”), which is calculated on the lower of your purchase price or your redemption proceeds. You do not pay a CDSC on any Class C shares you purchase by reinvesting dividends or capital gains.

The Fund has established a limit to the amount of Class C shares that may be purchased by an individual investor. See the SAI for more information.

Automatic Conversion of Class C Shares to Class A Shares After 8-Year Holding Period. Class C shares of the Fund that have been held for 8 years or more will automatically convert into Class A shares of the Fund and will be subject to Class A shares’ lower distribution and service (12b-1) fees. The conversion will occur on the basis of the relative net asset values of the two classes, meaning the value of your investment will not change, but the number of shares that you own may be higher or lower after the conversion.

Class C shares of the Fund will convert automatically to Class A shares of the Fund on a monthly basis in the month of, or the month following, the 8-year anniversary of the Class C shares’ purchase date. Class C shares of the Fund acquired through automatic reinvestment of dividends or distributions will convert to Class A shares of the Fund on the conversion date pro rata with the converting Class C shares of the Fund that were not acquired through reinvestment of dividends or distributions.

Shareholders will not pay a sales charge, including a CDSC, upon the automatic conversion of their Class C shares to Class A shares. The automatic conversion of the Fund’s Class C shares into Class A shares after the 8-year holding period is not expected to be a taxable event for federal income tax purposes. Shareholders should consult with their tax advisor regarding the state and local tax consequences of such conversions.

to track purchases to credit individual shareholders’ holding periods. This primarily occurs when shares are invested through certain record keepers for group retirement plans, where the intermediary cannot track share aging at the participant level. In these circumstances, the Fund will not be able to automatically convert Class C shares into Class A shares as described above. In order to determine eligibility for conversion in these circumstances, it is the responsibility of the shareholder or their financial intermediary to notify the Fund that the shareholder is eligible for the conversion of Class C shares to Class A shares, and the shareholder or their financial intermediary may be required to maintain and provide the Fund with records that substantiate the holding period of Class C shares. In these circumstances, it is the financial intermediary’s (and not the Fund’s) responsibility to keep records and to ensure that the shareholder is credited with the proper holding period. In circumstances where a financial intermediary is unable to track or substantiate the holding period of a Class C shareholder, such shareholder will remain holding Class C shares and will be ineligible to have their shares converted to Class A pursuant to this automatic conversion program. Please consult with your financial intermediary about your shares’ eligibility for this conversion feature.

New accounts or plans may not be eligible to purchase Class C shares of the Fund if it is determined that the intermediary cannot track shareholder holding periods to determine whether a shareholder’s Class C shares are eligible for conversion to Class A shares. Accounts or plans (and their successor, related and affiliated plans) that have Class C shares of the Fund available to participants on or before March 1, 2019, may continue to open accounts for new participants in that share class and purchase additional shares in existing participant accounts. The Fund has no responsibility for overseeing, monitoring or implementing a financial intermediary’s process for determining whether a shareholder meets the required holding period for conversion.

Customers of Raymond James (as defined below) may be eligible for an exchange of Class C shares for Class A shares, less the applicable sales charge, after holding their Class C shares for eight (8) years. Please consult with your financial intermediary if you have any questions regarding your shares’ conversion from Class C shares to Class A shares.

Class I Shares

You can purchase Class I shares at the offering price, which is the net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. Class I shares are not subject to sales charges or ongoing service or distribution fees. Class I shares have lower ongoing expenses than the other classes. Class I shares are available for purchase in an amount of $1 million or more, or using dividends and capital gains distributions on Class I shares. Class I shares may also be available for purchase in amounts of less than $1 million by the following categories of investors:

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Certain employees, officers, directors and affiliates of First Trust.

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Certain financial intermediary personnel.

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Certain bank or broker affiliated trust departments, pursuant to an agreement.

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Certain employer-sponsored retirement plans.

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Certain additional categories of investors, including certain advisory accounts of First Trust and its affiliates, and qualifying clients of investment advisors, financial planners, or other financial intermediaries that charge periodic or asset-based fees for their services.

Class I shares are also available for purchase in minimum amounts of $250 or more for accounts of clients of financial intermediaries who charge an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services (“wrap” accounts).

Class I shares may be available to investors that purchase shares through financial intermediaries that, acting as agents on behalf of their customers, directly impose on shareholders sales charges or transaction fees (i.e., commissions) determined by the financial intermediary related to the purchase of Class I shares. These charges and fees are not disclosed in the prospectus or statement of additional information. Such purchases are not subject to the Class I minimum purchase requirements disclosed in the prospectus or statement of additional information. Shares of the Fund are available in other share classes that have different fees and expenses.

See the SAI for more information.

Class A Sales Charge Waivers

Class A shares of the Fund may be purchased at net asset value without a sales charge as follows:

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Purchases of $[250,000] or more.

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Reinvestment of distributions from Class A Shares of the Fund.

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Purchases by officers, trustees and former trustees of the First Trust Mutual Funds, as well as full-time and retired employees of First Trust, any parent company of First Trust, and subsidiaries thereof, and such employees’ immediate family members (as defined in the SAI).

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Purchases by any person who, for at least the last 90 days, has been an officer, director, or full-time employee of any financial intermediary or any such person’s immediate family member.

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Purchases by bank or broker-affiliated trust departments investing funds over which they exercise exclusive discretionary investment authority and that are held in a fiduciary, agency, advisory, custodial, or similar capacity.

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Purchases made by investors purchasing on a periodic fee, asset based fee, or no transaction fee basis through a broker-dealer sponsored mutual fund purchase program; and clients of investment advisors, financial planners, or other financial intermediaries that charge periodic or asset-based fees for their services.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) Class A Sales Charge Waivers. Notwithstanding the list above, effective July 1, 2018, shareholders purchasing Class A shares of the Fund through a Morgan Stanley Wealth Management transactional brokerage account will only be eligible for a waiver of the up-front sales charge applicable to Class A shares under the following circumstances (these conditions differ from and may be more limited than those disclosed above and elsewhere in the Fund’s prospectus or statement of additional information):

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Purchases by employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans.

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Purchases by Morgan Stanley employee and employee-related accounts according to Morgan Stanley’s account linking rules.

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Shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions when purchasing shares of the same Fund.

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Shares purchased through a Morgan Stanley self-directed brokerage account.

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Class C shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are converted to Class A shares of the same Fund pursuant to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s share class conversion program.

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Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions of other First Trust Mutual Funds; provided that, (i) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (ii) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (iii) the redeemed shares were subject to an up-front or deferred sales charge.

Intermediary-Defined Sales Charge Waiver Policies

The availability of certain initial or deferred sales charge waivers and discounts may depend on the particular financial intermediary or type of account through which you purchase or hold Fund shares.

Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales load waivers or CDSC waivers, which are discussed below. In all instances, it is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify the Fund or the purchaser’s financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts. For waivers and discounts not available through a particular intermediary, shareholders will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary to receive these waivers or discounts.

Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., & Raymond James affiliates (“Raymond James”)

Effective March 1, 2019, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Raymond James platform or account will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.

Front-end sales load waivers on Class A shares available at Raymond James

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Shares purchased in an investment advisory program.

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Shares purchased within the family of First Trust Mutual Funds through a systematic reinvestment of capital gains and dividend distributions.

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Employees and registered representatives of Raymond James or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Raymond James.

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Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the family of First Trust Mutual Funds, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement).

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A shareholder in the Fund’s Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Raymond James.

CDSC Waivers on Classes A and C shares available at Raymond James

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Death or disability of the shareholder.

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Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus.

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Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account.

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Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations as described in the Fund’s prospectus.

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Shares sold to pay Raymond James fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Raymond James.

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Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.

Front-end load discounts available at Raymond James: breakpoints, rights of accumulation, and/or letters of intent

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Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.

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Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Raymond James. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the rights of accumulation calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

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Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc (“OPCO”)

Effective March 24, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through an OPCO platform or account are eligible only for the following load waivers (front end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.

Front-end sales load waivers on Class A shares available at OPCO

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Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan.

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Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan.

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Shares purchased through an OPCO affiliated investment advisory program.

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Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same Fund (but not any other fund within the family of First Trust Mutual Funds).

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Employees and registered representatives of OPCO or its affiliates and their family members.

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Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund’s investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this prospectus.

CDSC waivers on A and C Shares available at OPCO

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Death or disability of the shareholder.

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Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus.

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Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account.

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Shares sold to pay OPCO fees but only if the transaction is initiated by OPCO.

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Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.

Front-end load discounts available at OPCO: breakpoints, rights of accumulation & letters of intent

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Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.

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Rights of Accumulation (“ROA”) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at OPCO. Eligible fund family assets not held at OPCO may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC (“Janney”)

Effective May 1, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Janney brokerage account will only be eligible for the following load waivers (front-end sales load waivers and CDSC waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s Prospectus or SAI.

Front-end sales load waivers on Class A shares available at Janney

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Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Janney or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Janney.

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Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the family of First Trust Mutual Funds, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within ninety (90) days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e., right of reinstatement).

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Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans.

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Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.

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Class C shares that are no longer subject to a CDSC and are converted to Class A shares of the same Fund pursuant to Janney’s policies and procedures.

CDSC waivers on Class A and C shares available at Janney

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Shares sold upon the death or disability of the shareholder.

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Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus.

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Shares purchased in connection with a return of excess contributions from an IRA account.

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Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and other retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 72 as described in the Fund’s prospectus.

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Shares sold to pay Janney fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Janney.

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Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.

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Shares exchanged into the same share class of a different fund.

Front-end sales load discounts available at Janney: breakpoints, rights of accumulation, and/or letters of intent

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Breakpoints as described in the Fund’s Prospectus.

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Rights of accumulation (“ROA”), which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts, will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Janney. Eligible fund family assets not held at Janney may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

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Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Janney may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (“Stifel”) and its broker dealer affiliates

Effective March 3, 2025, shareholders purchasing or holding fund shares, including existing fund shareholders, through a Stifel or affiliated platform that provides trade execution, clearance, and/or custody services, will be eligible for the following sales charge load waivers (including front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, (“CDSC”) sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this prospectus or the Fund’s SAI.

Class A Shares

As described elsewhere in this prospectus, Stifel may receive compensation out of the front-end sales charge if you purchase Class A shares through Stifel.

Rights of accumulation

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Rights of accumulation (“ROA”) that entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts on front-end sales charges will be calculated by Stifel based on the aggregated holding of eligible assets in all classes of shares of First Trust funds held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Stifel. Ineligible assets include Class A Money Market Funds not assessed a sales charge. Fund Family assets not held at Stifel may be included in the calculation of ROA only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

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The employer maintaining a SEP IRA plan and/or SIMPLE IRA plan may elect to establish or change ROA for the IRA accounts associated with the plan to a plan-level grouping as opposed to including all share classes at a shareholder or pricing group level.

Front-end sales charge waivers on Class A shares available at Stifel

Sales charges may be waived for the following shareholders and in the following situations:

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Class C shares that have been held for more than seven (7) years may be converted to Class A shares or other front-end share class(es) of the same fund pursuant to Stifel’s policies and procedures. To the extent that this prospectus elsewhere provides for a waiver with respect to the exchange or conversion of such shares following a shorter holding period, those provisions shall continue to apply.

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Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Stifel or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Stifel.

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Shares purchased in a Stifel fee-based advisory program, often referred to as a “wrap” program.

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Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same or other fund within the fund family.

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Shares purchased from the proceeds of redeemed shares of the same fund family so long as the proceeds are from the sale of shares from an account with the same owner/beneficiary within 90 days of the purchase. For the absence of doubt, automated transactions (i.e. systematic purchases, including salary deferral transactions and withdrawals) and purchases made after shares are sold to cover Stifel Nicolaus’ account maintenance fees are not eligible for rights of reinstatement.

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Shares from rollovers into Stifel from retirement plans to IRAs.

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Shares exchanged into Class A shares from another share class so long as the exchange is into the same fund and was initiated at the direction of Stifel. Stifel is responsible for any remaining CDSC due to the fund company, if applicable. Any future purchases are subject to the applicable sales charge as disclosed in this prospectus.

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Purchases of Class 529-A shares through a rollover from another 529 plan.

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Purchases of Class 529-A shares made for reinvestment of refunded amounts.

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Contingent Deferred Sales Charges Waivers on Class A and C Shares

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Death or disability of the shareholder or, in the case of 529 plans, the account beneficiary.

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Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan not to exceed 12% annually.

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Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account.

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Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations.

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Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.

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Shares sold to pay Stifel fees or costs in such cases where the transaction is initiated by Stifel.

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Shares exchanged or sold in a Stifel fee-based program.

Share Class Conversions in Advisory Accounts

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Stifel continually looks to provide our clients with the lowest cost share class available based on account type. Stifel reserves the right to convert shares to the lowest cost share class available at Stifel upon transfer of shares into an advisory program.

Robert W. Baird & Co. (“Baird”)

Effective September 18, 2020, shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Baird platform or account will only be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in the Fund’s prospectus or the SAI.

Front-end sales charge waivers on Class A shares available at Baird

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Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same Fund.

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Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Baird or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Baird.

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Shares purchased using the proceeds of redemptions from within the family of First Trust Mutual Funds, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same accounts, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (known as rights of reinstatement).

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A shareholder in the Fund’s Class C Shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares of the same Fund if the shares are no longer subject to the CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Baird.

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Employer-sponsored retirement plans or charitable accounts in a transactional brokerage account at Baird, including 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs or SAR-SEPs.

CDSC waivers on Class A and C shares available at Baird

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Shares sold due to death or disability of the shareholder.

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Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in your Fund’s prospectus.

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Shares bought due to returns of excess contributions from an IRA Account.

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Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable Internal Revenue Service regulations as described in your Fund’s prospectus.

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Shares sold to pay Baird fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Baird.

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Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.

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Front-end sales charge discounts available at Baird: breakpoints, rights of accumulations and letters of intent

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Breakpoints as described in your Fund’s prospectus.

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Rights of accumulations which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of First Trust Mutual Fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Baird. Eligible First Trust Mutual Fund family assets not held at Baird may be included in the rights of accumulations calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

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Letters of Intent (LOI) allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases of First Trust Mutual Funds through Baird, over a 13-month period of time.

You may need to provide the Fund or your financial advisor information or records, such as account statements, in order to verify your eligibility for a sales charge waiver (or reduction as set forth in the table above in “Share Classes—Class A Shares”). This may include account statements of family members and information regarding First Trust Mutual Fund shares held in accounts with other financial advisors. You or your financial advisor must notify First Trust at the time of each purchase if you are eligible for any of these programs that result in a sales charge waiver or reduction. The Fund may modify or discontinue these programs at any time.

Right of Accumulation. You may purchase Class A shares of the Fund at a reduced sales charge determined by aggregating the dollar amount of the new purchase (measured by the offering price) and the total prior day’s net asset value (net amount invested) of all eligible shares (as set forth herein) and applying the sales charge applicable to such aggregate amount. Shares eligible for aggregation include Class A shares of the Fund and other First Trust Mutual Funds then held by (i) you, (ii) your spouse (or legal equivalent if recognized under local law) and your children under 21 years of age, and (iii) a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship that is 100% owned by any of the persons in (i) or (ii). In order for your purchases and holdings to be aggregated for purposes of qualifying for such discount, they must have been made through one financial intermediary and you must provide sufficient information to your financial intermediary at the time of initial purchase of shares that qualify for the rights of accumulation to permit verification that the purchase qualifies for the reduced sales charge. The right of accumulation is subject to modification or discontinuance at any time with respect to all shares purchased thereafter.

Letter of Intent. You can also reduce the sales charge on the purchase of Class A shares by signing a Letter of Intent indicating your intention to purchase $50,000 or more of Class A shares (including Class A shares in other First Trust funds) over a 13-month period. The term of the Letter of Intent will commence upon the date you sign the Letter. In order to apply purchases towards the intended amount, you must refer to such Letter when placing all orders.

When calculating the applicable sales charge to a purchase pursuant to a Letter of Intent, the amount of investment for purposes of applying the sales load schedule includes: (i) the historical cost (what you actually paid for the shares at the time of purchase, including any sales charges) of all Class A shares acquired during the term of the Letter of Intent; minus the value of any redemptions of Class A shares made during the term of the Letter of Intent. Each investment made during the period receives the reduced sales charge applicable to the total amount of the investment goal. A portion of shares purchased may be held in escrow to pay for any applicable sales charge. If the goal is not achieved within the period, you must pay the difference between the sales charges applicable to the purchases made and the charges previously paid, or an appropriate number of escrowed shares will be redeemed. Please contact your financial intermediary to obtain a Letter of Intent application.

Investment in Fund Shares

Shares of the Fund may be purchased on any business day, which is any day the NYSE is open for business. Generally, the NYSE is closed on weekends and national holidays. The share price you pay depends on when the transfer agent or authorized intermediary receives your order. Orders received before the close of trading on a business day (normally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) will receive that day’s closing share price; otherwise, you will receive the next business day’s price.

Fund shares may be purchased only through a financial intermediary. The Fund has authorized one or more financial intermediaries, or the designees of such intermediaries, to receive purchase and redemption orders on the Fund’s behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized financial intermediary, or the designee of an authorized financial intermediary, receives the order.

A financial intermediary, such as a financial advisor or broker, is paid for providing investment advice and services, either from the Fund sales charges and fees or by charging you a separate fee in lieu of a sales charge. Financial intermediaries may charge a service fee in connection with the purchase or redemption of the Fund shares. Service fees typically are fixed dollar amounts and are in addition to the sales and other charges described in this prospectus and the SAI. For more information, please contact your financial intermediary.

For purposes of the 1940 Act, the Fund is treated as a registered investment company and the acquisition of shares by other registered investment companies and companies relying on Sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and the related rules and interpretations.

Investment Minimums

The minimum initial purchase or exchange into the Fund is $2,500 ($750 for a Traditional/Roth IRA account; $500 for an Education IRA account; and $250 for accounts opened through fee based programs). Subsequent investments must be in amounts of $50 or more. Class I shares are subject to higher minimums for certain investors. There are no minimums for

purchases or exchanges into the Fund through employer-sponsored retirement plans. The Fund reserves the right to reject purchase or exchange orders and to waive or increase the minimum investment requirements.

Account Services

The following is a description of additional account services available to investors at no additional cost. Investors can obtain copies of the necessary forms from their financial advisor.

Exchanging Shares

Shares of the Fund may be exchanged into an identically registered account for the same class of another First Trust Mutual Fund available in your state. The exchange must meet the minimum purchase requirements of the fund into which you are exchanging. You may also, under certain limited circumstances, exchange between certain classes of shares of the same Fund, subject to the payment of any applicable CDSC. Please consult the SAI for details.

The Fund may change or cancel its exchange policy at any time upon 60 days’ notice. The Fund reserves the right to revise or suspend the exchange privilege, limit the amount or number of exchanges, or reject any exchange. See “Frequent Trading and Market Timing” below.

Because an exchange between funds is treated for tax purposes as a purchase and sale, any gain may be subject to tax. An exchange between classes of shares of the Fund may not be considered a taxable event. Please consult a tax advisor about the tax consequences of exchanging your shares.

Reinstatement Privilege

If shares of the Fund are redeemed, you may reinvest all or part of your redemption proceeds in the Fund up to one year later without incurring any additional charges. You may only reinvest into the same share class you redeemed. The reinvestment privilege does not extend to Class A shares or Class C shares, where the redemption of the shares triggered the payment of a CDSC. This reinstatement privilege may be used only once for any redemption.

Redemption of Fund Shares

An investor may redeem shares on any business day. Investors will receive the share price next determined after the Fund has received a redemption request. Redemption requests must be received before the close of trading on the NYSE (normally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) in order to receive that day’s price. The Fund will normally mail a check the next business day after a redemption request is received, but in no event more than seven calendar days after a request is received. Redemption requests for payment by a method other than by check will typically be processed the next business day after a redemption request is received, but in no event more than seven calendar days after a request is received. If you are selling shares purchased recently with a check, your redemption proceeds will not be mailed until your check has cleared, which may take up to ten days from your purchase date. Proceeds from a written redemption request will be sent to you by check unless another form of payment is requested. The Fund typically expects to meet redemption requests through holdings of cash or cash equivalents and the sale of portfolio assets in both regular and stressed market conditions. Under unusual circumstances that make cash payments unwise and for the protection of existing shareholders, the Fund may meet redemption requests in-kind.

Shares of the Fund must be redeemed through your financial intermediary. A financial intermediary may charge a fee for this service.

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

If Class A or Class C shares that are subject to a CDSC are redeemed, an investor may be assessed a CDSC. When an investor is subject to a CDSC, the Fund will first redeem any shares that are not subject to a CDSC, and then redeem the shares owned for the longest period of time, unless requested otherwise. No CDSC is imposed on shares bought through the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. The CDSC holding period is calculated on a monthly basis and begins on the first day of the month in which the purchase was made. When you redeem shares subject to a CDSC, the CDSC is calculated on the lower of your purchase price or redemption proceeds, deducted from your redemption proceeds, and paid to FTP. The CDSC may be waived under certain special circumstances as described below.

Reduction or Elimination of Class A and Class C Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

Class A shares are normally redeemed at net asset value, without any CDSC. However, in the case of Class A shares purchased at net asset value without a sales charge because the purchase amount exceeded $[250,000], a CDSC of 1% may be imposed on any redemption within 12 months of purchase. Class C shares are redeemed at net asset value, without any CDSC, except that a CDSC of __% is imposed upon redemption of Class C shares that are redeemed within 12 months of purchase (except in cases where the shareholder’s financial advisor agreed to waive the right to receive an advance of the first year’s distribution and service fee).

In determining whether a CDSC is payable, the Fund will first redeem shares not subject to any charge and then will redeem shares held for the longest period, unless the shareholder specifies another order. No CDSC is charged on shares purchased as a result of automatic reinvestment of dividends or capital gains paid. In addition, no CDSC will be charged on exchanges of shares into another First Trust non-ETF open-end fund. The holding period is calculated on a monthly basis and begins on the date of purchase. The CDSC is assessed on an amount equal to the lower of the then current market value or the cost of the shares being redeemed. Accordingly, no sales charge is imposed on increases of net asset value above the initial purchase price. FTP receives the amount of any CDSC shareholders pay.

The CDSC may be waived or reduced under the following circumstances: (i) in the event of total disability (as evidenced by a determination by the federal Social Security Administration) of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner) occurring after the purchase of the shares being redeemed; (ii) in the event of the death of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner); (iii) for redemptions made pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan, up to 1% monthly, 3% quarterly, 6% semiannually or 12% annually of an account’s net asset value depending on the frequency of the plan as designated by the shareholder; (iv) involuntary redemptions caused by operation of law; (v) redemptions in connection with a payment of account or plan fees; (vi) redemptions in connection with the exercise of a reinstatement privilege whereby the proceeds of a redemption of the Fund’s shares subject to a sales charge are reinvested in shares of certain funds within a specified number of days; (vii) redemptions in connection with the exercise of the Fund’s right to redeem all shares in an account that does not maintain a certain minimum balance or that the Board of Trustees has determined may have material adverse consequences to the Fund; (viii) in whole or in part for redemptions of shares by shareholders with accounts in excess of specified breakpoints that correspond to the breakpoints under which the up-front sales charge on Class A shares is reduced pursuant to Rule 22d-1 under the Act; (ix) redemptions of shares purchased under circumstances or by a category of investors for which Class A shares could be purchased at net asset value without a sales charge; (x) redemptions of Class A or Class C shares if the proceeds are transferred to an account managed by an affiliated advisor and the advisor refunds the advanced service and distribution fees to FTP; and (xi) redemptions of Class C shares in cases where (a) you purchase shares after committing to hold the shares for less than one year and (b) your advisor consents up front to receiving the appropriate service and distribution fee on the Class C shares on an ongoing basis instead of having the first year’s fees advanced by FTP. If the Fund waives or reduces the CDSC, such waiver or reduction would be uniformly applied to all Fund shares in the particular category. In waiving or reducing a CDSC, the Fund will comply with the requirements of Rule 22d-1 under the 1940 Act.

In addition, the CDSC will be waived in connection with the following redemptions of shares held by an employer-sponsored qualified defined contribution retirement plan: (i) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a distribution without penalty under Section 72(t) of the Code from a retirement plan: (a) upon attaining age 59½, (b) as part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments, or (c) upon separation from service and attaining age 55; (ii) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a qualifying loan or hardship withdrawal; (iii) complete redemptions in connection with termination of employment, plan termination or transfer to another employer’s plan or IRA; and (iv) redemptions resulting from the return of an excess contribution. The CDSC will also be waived in connection with the following redemptions of shares held in an IRA account: (i) for redemptions made pursuant to an IRA systematic withdrawal based on the shareholder’s life expectancy including, but not limited to, substantially equal periodic payments described in Code Section 72(t)(A)(iv) prior to age 59½; and (ii) for redemptions to satisfy required minimum distributions after age 72 from an IRA account (with the maximum amount subject to this waiver being based only upon the shareholder’s First Trust IRA accounts).

Involuntary Redemption

From time to time, the Fund may establish minimum account size requirements. The Fund reserves the right to liquidate your account upon 30 days’ written notice if the value of your account falls below an established minimum. Accounts may be involuntarily redeemed when the value of the account falls below the minimum either because of redemptions or because of market action. The Fund has set a minimum balance of $250. You will not be assessed a CDSC on an involuntary redemption. This policy does not apply to retirement accounts.

From the time to time, certain dealers that do not have dealer agreements with the Fund’s principal underwriter, FTP, may purchase shares of the Fund. Upon 30 days’ written notice to such dealers, the Fund reserves the right to involuntarily redeem these accounts if a dealer agreement is not executed within the 30-day period. The account will not be assessed a CDSC on an involuntary redemption.

Redemptions In-Kind

The Fund generally pays redemption proceeds in cash. Under unusual conditions that make cash payment unwise and for the protection of existing shareholders, the Fund may pay all or a portion of your redemption proceeds in securities or other Fund assets. Although it is unlikely that your shares would be redeemed in-kind, you would probably have to pay brokerage costs to sell the securities distributed to you, as well as taxes on any capital gains from that sale. While the Fund does not intend to effect redemptions in-kind under normal circumstances, if the Fund does so, you may receive a pro-rata share of the Fund’s securities, individual securities held by the Fund, or a representative basket of securities in the Fund’s portfolio. See the SAI for additional information.

Medallion Signature Guarantee Program

Certain transactions, including establishing or modifying certain services such as changing bank information on an account, will require a signature guarantee or signature verification from a Medallion Signature Guarantee Program member or other acceptable form of authentication from a financial institution source. In addition to the situations described above, the Fund reserves the right to require a signature guarantee, or another acceptable form of signature verification, in other instances based on the circumstances of a particular situation.

A signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine and protects shareholders from unauthorized account transfers. Banks, savings and loan associations, trust companies, credit unions, broker-dealers and member firms of a national securities exchange may guarantee signatures. Call your financial intermediary to determine if it has this capability. A notary public is not an acceptable signature guarantor. Proceeds from a written redemption request will be sent to you by check unless another form of payment is requested.

Dividends, Distributions and Taxes

Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared daily and paid monthly by the Fund. The Fund distributes its net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders at least annually.

Unless you request otherwise, the Fund reinvests your dividends and capital gain distributions in additional Fund shares of the same class of shares with respect to which such dividends or distributions are paid. If you do not want your dividends and capital gain distributions reinvested in Fund shares in this manner, you may contact your financial advisor to request that your dividends and capital gain distributions be paid to you by check or deposited directly into your bank account. If adequate information is not received from a shareholder or its financial advisor to permit the Fund to direct reinvestment proceeds into the account from which they were paid, the Fund reserves the right to redirect such amounts into the appropriate account at a later date. For further information, contact your financial advisor.

Federal Tax Matters

This section summarizes some of the main U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning shares of the Fund. This section is current as of the date of this prospectus. Tax laws and interpretations change frequently, and these summaries do not describe all of the tax consequences to all taxpayers. For example, these summaries generally do not describe your situation if you are a corporation, a non-U.S. person, a broker-dealer, or other investor with special circumstances. In addition, this section does not describe your state, local or non-U.S. tax consequences.

This federal income tax summary is based in part on the advice of counsel to the Fund. The Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") could disagree with any conclusions set forth in this section. The following disclosure may not be sufficient for you to use for the purpose of avoiding penalties under federal tax law.

As with any investment, you should seek advice based on your individual circumstances from your own tax advisor.

Fund Status

The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated investment company” (a “RIC”) under the federal tax laws. If the Fund qualifies as a RIC and distributes its income as required by the tax law, the Fund generally will not pay federal income taxes.

Distributions

The Fund's distributions are generally taxable. After the end of each year, you will receive a tax statement that separates the distributions of the Fund into two categories: ordinary income distributions and capital gain dividends. Ordinary income distributions are generally taxed at your ordinary tax rate, however, certain ordinary income distributions received from the Fund may be taxed at the capital gains tax rates. Generally, you will treat all capital gain dividends as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares.

To determine your actual tax liability for your capital gain dividends, you must calculate your total net capital gain or loss for the tax year after considering all of your other taxable transactions, as described below. In addition, the Fund may make distributions that represent a return of capital for tax purposes and thus will generally not be taxable to you; however, such distributions may reduce your tax basis in your shares, which could result in you having to pay higher taxes in the future when shares are sold, even if you sell the shares at a loss from your original investment A “return of capital” is a return, in whole or in part, of the funds that you previously invested in the Fund. A return of capital distribution should not be considered part of the Fund’s dividend yield or total return of an investment in Fund shares. The tax status of your distributions from the Fund is not affected by whether you reinvest your distributions in additional shares or receive them in cash. The tax laws may require you to treat distributions made to you in January as if you had received them on December 31 of the previous year.

Income from the Fund may also be subject to a 3.8% “Medicare tax.” This tax generally applies to your net investment income if your adjusted gross income exceeds certain threshold amounts, which are $250,000 in the case of married couples filing joint returns and $200,000 in the case of single individuals.

Dividends Received Deduction

A corporation that owns shares generally will not be entitled to the dividends received deduction with respect to many dividends received from the Fund because the dividends received deduction is generally not available for distributions from RICs.

Capital Gains and Losses and Certain Ordinary Income Dividends

If you are an individual, the maximum marginal stated federal tax rate for net capital gain is generally 20% (15% or 0% for taxpayers with taxable incomes below certain thresholds). Some capital gains, including some portion of your capital gain dividends, may be taxed at a higher maximum stated tax rate. Capital gains may also be subject to the Medicare tax described above.

Net capital gain equals net long-term capital gain minus net short-term capital loss for the taxable year. Capital gain or loss is long-term if the holding period for the asset is more than one year and is short-term if the holding period for the asset is one year or less. You must exclude the date you purchase your shares to determine your holding period. If you hold a share for six months or less, any loss incurred by you related to the disposition of such share will be disallowed to the extent of the exempt-interest dividends you received, except in the case of a regular dividend paid by the Fund if the Fund declares exempt-interest dividends on a daily basis in an amount equal to at least 90 percent of its net tax-exempt interest and distributes such dividends on a monthly or more frequent basis. To the extent, if any, it is not disallowed, it will be recharacterized as long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividend received. The tax rates for capital gains realized from assets held for one year or less are generally the same as for ordinary income. The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, treats certain capital gains as ordinary income in special situations.

An election may be available to you to defer recognition of the gain attributable to a capital gain dividend if you make certain qualifying investments within a limited time. You should talk to your tax advisor about the availability of this deferral election and its requirements.

Sale of Shares

If you sell or redeem your shares, you will generally recognize a taxable gain or loss. To determine the amount of this gain or loss, you must subtract your tax basis in your shares from the amount you receive in the transaction. Your tax basis in your shares is generally equal to the cost of your shares, generally including brokerage fees, if any. In some cases, however, you

may have to adjust your tax basis after you purchase your shares. Further, if you hold your shares for six months or less, any loss incurred by you related to the disposition of such a share will be disallowed to the extent of the exempt-interest dividends you received, except as otherwise described in the prior section. An election may be available to you to defer recognition of capital gain if you make certain qualifying investments within a limited time. You should talk to your tax advisor about the availability of this deferral election and its requirements.

Treatment of Fund Expenses

Expenses incurred and deducted by the Fund will generally not be treated as income taxable to you. In some cases, however, you may be required to treat your portion of these Fund expenses as income. You may not be able to deduct some or all of these expenses. Further, because the Fund pays exempt-interest dividends, which are treated as exempt interest for federal income tax purposes, you will not be able to deduct some of your interest expense for debt that you incur or continue to purchase or carry your shares.

Non-U.S. Tax Credit

If the Fund invests in non-U.S. securities, the tax statement that you receive may include an item showing non-U.S. taxes the Fund paid to other countries. In this case, dividends taxed to you will include your share of the taxes the Fund paid to other countries. You may be able to deduct or receive a tax credit for your share of these taxes.

Non-U.S. Investors

If you are a non-U.S. investor (i.e., an investor other than a U.S. citizen or resident or a U.S. corporation, partnership, estate or trust), you should be aware that, generally, subject to applicable tax treaties, distributions from the Fund will be characterized as dividends for federal income tax purposes (other than dividends which the Fund properly reports as capital gain dividends) and, other than exempt interest dividends, will be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes, subject to certain exceptions described below. However, distributions received by a non-U.S. investor from the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends may not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes, provided that the Fund makes certain elections and certain other conditions are met. Distributions from the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as an interest-related dividend attributable to certain interest income received by the Fund or as a short-term capital gain dividend attributable to certain net short-term capital gain income received by the Fund may not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes when received by certain non-U.S. investors, provided that the Fund makes certain elections and certain other conditions are met. For tax years after December 31, 2022, amounts paid to or recognized by a non-U.S. affiliate that are excluded from tax under the portfolio interest, capital gain dividends, short-term capital gains or tax-exempt interest dividend exceptions or applicable treaties, may be taken into consideration in determining whether a corporation is an “applicable corporation” subject to a 15% minimum tax on adjusted financial statement income.

Distributions may be subject to a U.S. withholding tax of 30% in the case of distributions to (i) certain non-U.S. financial institutions that have not entered into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury to collect and disclose certain information and are not resident in a jurisdiction that has entered into such an agreement with the U.S. Treasury and (ii) certain other non-U.S. entities that do not provide certain certifications and information about the entity’s U.S. owners. This withholding tax is also currently scheduled to apply to the gross proceeds from the disposition of securities that produce U.S. source interest or dividends. However, proposed regulations may eliminate the requirement to withhold on payments of gross proceeds from dispositions.

Investments in Certain Non-U.S. Corporations

If the Fund holds an equity interest in any “passive foreign investment companies” (“PFICs”), which are generally certain non-U.S. corporations that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties or capital gains) or that hold at least 50% of their assets in investments producing such passive income, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and additional interest charges on gains and certain distributions with respect to those equity interests, even if all the income or gain is timely distributed to its shareholders. The Fund will not be able to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for such taxes. The Fund may be able to make an election that could ameliorate these adverse tax consequences. In this case, the Fund would recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of such PFIC shares, and as ordinary loss any decrease in such value to the extent it did not exceed prior increases included in income. Under this election, the Fund might be required to recognize in a year income in excess of its distributions from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock during that year, and such income would nevertheless be subject

to the distribution requirement and would be taken into account for purposes of the 4% excise tax. Dividends paid by PFICs are not treated as qualified dividend income.

Distribution and Service Plan

FTP serves as the selling agent and distributor of the Fund’s shares. In this capacity, FTP manages the offering of the Fund’s shares and is responsible for all sales and promotional activities. In order to reimburse FTP for its costs in connection with these activities, including compensation paid to financial intermediaries, the Fund has adopted a distribution and service plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. See “Share Classes” for a description of the distribution and service fees paid under this plan.

FTP receives a service fee for Class A and Class C shares to compensate financial intermediaries, including FTP, for providing ongoing account services to shareholders. These services may include establishing and maintaining shareholder accounts, answering shareholder inquiries, and providing other personal services to shareholders.Under the plan, FTP receives a distribution fee for Class C shares for providing compensation to financial intermediaries, including FTP, in connection with the distribution of shares. These fees also compensate FTP for other expenses, including printing and distributing prospectuses to persons other than shareholders, and preparing, printing and distributing advertising and sales literature and reports to shareholders used in connection with the sale of shares. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. Long-term holders of Class C shares may pay more in Rule 12b-1 fees than the economic equivalent of the maximum front-end sales charge permitted under the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Conduct Rules.

Other Payments to Financial Intermediaries

In addition to the sales commissions and certain payments related to 12b-1 distribution and service fees paid by FTP to financial intermediaries as previously described, First Trust or its affiliates may from time to time make additional payments, out of their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries that sell shares of First Trust Mutual Funds in order to promote the sales and retention of fund shares by those firms and their customers. The amounts of these payments vary by financial intermediary and, with respect to a given firm, are typically calculated by reference to the amount of the firm’s recent gross sales of First Trust Mutual Fund shares and/or total assets of First Trust Mutual Funds held by the firm’s customers. The level of payments that First Trust is willing to provide to a particular financial intermediary may be affected by, among other factors, the firm’s total assets held in and recent net investments into First Trust Mutual Funds, the firm’s level of participation in First Trust Mutual Fund sales and marketing programs, the firm’s compensation program for its registered representatives who sell fund shares and provide services to fund shareholders, and the asset class of the First Trust Mutual Funds for which these payments are provided. First Trust or its affiliates may also make payments to financial intermediaries in connection with sales meetings, due diligence meetings, prospecting seminars and other meetings at which First Trust or its affiliates promotes its products and services. First Trust may also make payments to certain financial intermediaries for certain administrative services, including record keeping and sub-accounting of shareholder accounts pursuant to a sub-transfer agency, omnibus account service or sub-accounting agreement. All fees payable by First Trust under this category of services may be charged back to the Fund, subject to approval by the Board.

In connection with the availability of First Trust Mutual Funds within selected mutual fund no transaction fee institutional platforms and fee based wrap programs (together, “Platform Programs”) at certain financial intermediaries, First Trust or an affiliate also makes payments out of its own assets to those firms as compensation for certain recordkeeping, shareholder communications and other account administration services provided to First Trust Mutual Fund shareholders who own their fund shares in these Platform Programs. These payments are in addition to the 12b-1 service fee and any applicable omnibus sub-accounting fees paid to these firms with respect to these services by the First Trust Mutual Funds out of Fund assets.

Net Asset Value

The Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) is determined as of the close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for trading. If the NYSE closes early on a valuation day, the Fund’s NAV will be determined as of that time. The Fund’s NAV is calculated by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of outstanding shares of the Fund, generally rounded to the nearest cent.

Section 2(a)(41) of the 1940 Act provides that when a market quotation is readily available for a fund’s portfolio investment, it must be valued at the market value. Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act (“Rule 2a-5”) defines a readily available market quotation as “a quoted price (unadjusted) in active markets for identical investments that the fund can access at the measurement date, provided that a quotation will not be readily available if it is not reliable.” If a market quotation is not “readily available,” then the portfolio investment must be fair valued as determined in good faith by a fund’s board of trustees.

Rule 2a-5 permits a fund’s board of trustees to designate the fund’s investment adviser as its “valuation designee” to perform fair value determinations, subject to certain conditions. Accordingly, the Fund’s Board has designated First Trust as its valuation designee (the “Valuation Designee”) pursuant to Rule 2a-5 and has directed the Valuation Designee to perform the functions required in Rule 2a-5(a) subject to the requirements of Rule 2a-5(b) on behalf of all portfolio investments of the Fund, subject to the Board’s oversight. First Trust has established a pricing committee (the “Pricing Committee”) to assist in the administration of the duties of the Valuation Designee. The Valuation Designee has adopted valuation procedures for the First Trust Funds (the “Valuation Procedures”), a brief summary of which is set forth below.

The Pricing Committee has identified certain portfolio investments that are routinely categorized as having a readily available market quotation. The market value of an investment with a readily available market quotation is typically determined on the basis of official closing prices or last reported sale prices or equivalent price, although this can vary based on investment type and/or the availability of such prices.

The Pricing Committee has also identified certain portfolio investments that are routinely categorized as fair valued investments. In general, for such investments, the Fund’s accounting agent will obtain all pricing data for use in valuing such investments from a pricing service provider approved by the Pricing Committee (each, a “Pricing Service Provider”), subject to the oversight of the Pricing Committee. Pricing Service Providers typically value non-exchange-traded instruments utilizing a range of market-based inputs and assumptions. For example, when available, Pricing Service Providers may utilize inputs such as benchmark yields, reported trades, broker-dealer quotes, spreads, and transactions for comparable instruments. In pricing certain instruments, a Pricing Service Provider may consider information about an instrument’s issuer or market activity. Pricing Service Provider valuations of non-exchange-traded instruments generally represent the service’s good faith opinion as to what the holder of an instrument would receive in an orderly transaction for an institutional round lot position under current market conditions.

Portfolio investments trading on foreign exchanges or over-the-counter markets that close prior to the close of the NYSE may be fair valued using a systematic fair valuation model provided by a Pricing Service Provider. If these foreign securities meet certain criteria in relation to the valuation model, their valuation is systematically adjusted to reflect the impact of movement in the U.S. market after the close of certain foreign markets.

If no price is available from a Pricing Service Provider or if the Pricing Committee has reason to question the accuracy or the reliability of a price supplied for a portfolio investment or the use of amortized cost, the Pricing Committee will determine the fair value of such portfolio investment in a manner that it believes most appropriately reflects the fair value of the portfolio investment on the valuation date (a “Special Fair Value Pricing Situation”). In a Special Fair Value Pricing Situation, the Pricing Committee will determine a fair value price subject to the process outlined in the Valuation Procedures and based on a consideration of all available information to the Pricing Committee at the time of the determination.

Additionally, for foreign securities, if an extraordinary market event occurs between the time the last “current” market quotation is available for a security in the Fund’s portfolio and the time the Fund’s NAV is determined that calls into doubt whether that earlier market quotation represents fair value at the time the Fund’s NAV is determined, the Pricing Committee will determine the fair valuation as set forth in the Valuation Procedures.

Fair value represents a good faith approximation of the value of a portfolio investment and is the amount the Fund might reasonably expect to receive from the current sale of that investment in an arm’s-length transaction. Valuing the Fund’s investments using fair value pricing will result in prices that may differ from current market valuations, if any, and that may not be the prices at which those investments could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair values were used. While the Valuation Procedures and Valuation Designee’s processes are intended to result in the Fund’s NAV calculation that fairly reflects the values as of the time of pricing, the fair value determined for a portfolio instrument may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that instrument.

Foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate of such currencies against the U.S. dollar as provided by a Pricing Service Provider. All assets denominated in foreign currencies will be converted into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates in effect at the time of valuation.

Fund Service Providers

The Bank of New York Mellon is the custodian, administrator and fund accounting agent for the Fund. BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. is the transfer agent for the Fund. Chapman and Cutler LLP, 320 South Canal Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as legal counsel to the Fund.

Shareholder Inquiries

All inquiries regarding the Fund should be directed your financial advisor who can contact the Fund on your behalf by calling (888) 373-5776, or by mail to the Trust, c/o BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc., P.O. Box 534451, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15253-4451.

Frequent Trading and Market Timing

The Fund is intended for long-term investment and should not be used for excessive trading. Excessive trading in the Fund’s shares can disrupt portfolio management, lead to higher operating costs and cause other operating inefficiencies for the Fund. However, the Fund is also mindful that shareholders may have valid reasons for periodically purchasing and redeeming the Fund shares.

Accordingly, the Trust has adopted a Frequent Trading Policy that seeks to balance the Fund’s need to prevent excessive trading in Fund shares while offering investors the flexibility in managing their financial affairs to make periodic purchases and redemptions of the Fund’s shares.

The Trust’s Frequent Trading Policy generally limits an investor to two “round trip” trades within a 90-day period. A “round trip” is the purchase and subsequent redemption of the Fund’s shares, including by exchange. Each side of a round trip may be comprised of either a single transaction or a series of closely spaced transactions. The Trust may also suspend the trading privileges of any investor who makes a round trip within a 30-day period if the purchase and redemption are of substantially similar dollar amounts.

The Fund primarily receives share purchase and redemption orders through third party financial intermediaries, some of whom rely on the use of omnibus accounts. An omnibus account typically includes multiple investors and provides the Fund only with a net purchase or redemption amount on any given day where multiple purchases, redemptions and exchanges of shares occur in the account. The identity of individual purchasers, redeemers and exchangers whose orders are aggregated in omnibus accounts, and the size of their orders, will generally not be known by the Fund. Despite the Fund’s efforts to detect and prevent frequent trading, the Fund may be unable to identify frequent trading because the netting effect in omnibus accounts often makes it more difficult to identify frequent traders. FTP, the Fund’s distributor, has entered into agreements with financial intermediaries that maintain omnibus accounts with the Fund’s transfer agent. Under the terms of these agreements, the financial intermediaries undertake to cooperate with FTP in monitoring purchase, exchange and redemption orders by their customers in order to detect and prevent frequent trading in the Fund through such accounts. Technical limitations in operational systems at such intermediaries or at FTP may also limit the Fund’s ability to detect and prevent frequent trading. In addition, the Trust may permit certain financial intermediaries, including broker-dealer and retirement plan administrators, among others, to enforce their own internal policies and procedures concerning frequent trading. Such policies may differ from the Trust’s Frequent Trading Policy and may be approved for use in instances where the Fund reasonably believes that the intermediary’s policies and procedures effectively discourage inappropriate trading activity. Shareholders holding their accounts with such intermediaries may wish to contact the intermediary for information regarding its frequent trading policy. Although the Trust does not knowingly permit frequent trading, it cannot guarantee that it will be able to identify and restrict all frequent trading activity.

The Trust reserves the right in its sole discretion to waive unintentional or minor violations (including transactions below certain dollar thresholds) if it determines that doing so would not harm the interests of the respective Fund’s shareholders. In addition, certain categories of redemptions may be excluded from the application of the Frequent Trading Policy, as described in more detail in the statement of additional information. These include, among others, redemptions pursuant to systematic withdrawal plans, redemptions in connection with the total disability or death of the investor, involuntary redemptions by operation of law, redemptions in payment of account or plan fees, and certain redemptions by retirement plans, including redemptions in connection with qualifying loans or hardship withdrawals, termination of plan participation, return of excess contributions, and required minimum distributions. The Trust may also modify or suspend the Frequent Trading Policy without notice during periods of market stress or other unusual circumstances.

The Trust reserves the right to impose restrictions on purchases or exchanges that are more restrictive than those stated above if it determines, in its sole discretion, that a transaction or a series of transactions involves market timing or excessive trading that may be detrimental to Fund shareholders. The Trust also reserves the right to reject any purchase order, including exchange purchases, for any reason. For example, the Trust may refuse purchase orders if the Fund would be unable to invest the proceeds

FT Vest Laddered Autocallable Barrier & Income Fund (the "Fund")

For More Information

For more detailed information on the Fund, several additional sources of information are available to you. The SAI, incorporated by reference into this prospectus, contains detailed information on the Fund's policies and operation. Additional information about the Fund's investments is available in the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and in Form N-CSR. In the Fund's annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly impacted the Fund's performance during the last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Fund’s annual and semi-annual financial statements. The Fund's most recent SAI, annual and semi-annual reports and certain other information such as Fund financial statements are available free of charge by calling the Fund at (800) 621-1675, on the Fund's website at http://www.ftportfolios.com or through your financial advisor. Shareholders may call the toll-free number above with any inquiries.

You may obtain this and other information regarding the Fund, including the SAI and the Codes of Ethics adopted by First Trust, FTP and the Trust, directly from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Information on the SEC’s website is free of charge. Visit the SEC’s online EDGAR database at http://www.sec.gov. You may also request information regarding the Fund by sending a request (along with a duplication fee) to the SEC by sending an electronic request to publicinfo@sec.gov.

First Trust Portfolios L.P.
120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400
Wheaton, Illinois 60187
(888) 373-5776

http://www.ftportfolios.com

SEC File #: 333-168727

811-22452

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Investment Company Act File No. 811-22452

First Trust Series Fund

Preliminary Statement of Additional Information
Dated April 4, 2025
Subject to Completion

FT Vest Laddered Autocallable Barrier & Income Fund	TICKER SYMBOL
Class A	_____
Class C	_____
Class I	_____

DATED ____________, 20__

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the prospectus dated ____________, 20__, as it may be revised from time to time (the “Prospectus”), for FT Vest Laddered Autocallable Barrier & Income Fund (the “Fund”), a series of First Trust Series Fund (the “Trust”). Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by writing to the Trust’s distributor, First Trust Portfolios L.P., 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, or by calling toll free at (800) 621-1675.

The information in this Statement of Additional Information 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 Statement of Additional Information is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer of sale is not permitted.

General Description of the Trust and the Fund

The Trust was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on July 9, 2010 and is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares in one or more series. The Trust is an open-end management investment company, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). This SAI relates to the Fund, which is a non-diversified series.

The Fund, as a series of the Trust, represents a beneficial interest in a separate portfolio of securities and other assets, with its own objective and policies.

The Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board,” “Board of Trustees” or “Trustees”) has the right to establish additional series in the future, to determine the preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges thereof and to modify such preferences, voting powers, rights and privileges without shareholder approval. Shares of any series may also be divided into one or more classes at the discretion of the Trustees.

The Trust or any series or class thereof may be terminated at any time by the Board of Trustees upon written notice to the shareholders.

Each share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a shareholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Shares of all series of the Trust vote together as a single class except as otherwise required by the 1940 Act or if the matter being voted on affects only a particular series, and, if a matter affects a particular series differently from other series, the shares of that series will vote separately on such matter. The Trust’s Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration”) requires a shareholder vote only on those matters where the 1940 Act requires a vote of shareholders and otherwise permits the Trustees to take actions without seeking the consent of shareholders. For example, the Declaration gives the Trustees broad authority to approve reorganizations between the Fund and another entity or the sale of all or substantially all of the Fund's assets, or the termination of the Trust or the Fund without shareholder approval if the 1940 Act would not require such approval.

The Declaration provides that by becoming a shareholder of the Fund, each shareholder shall be expressly held to have agreed to be bound by the provisions of the Declaration and to any By-laws adopted by the Trust. The Declaration provides that, except as set forth therein and authorized by the Trustees, shareholders have no rights, privileges, claims or remedies under any contract or agreement entered into by the Trust or the Fund with any service provider or other agent to or contractor with the Trust or the Fund including, without limitation, any third party beneficiary rights.

The Declaration may, except in limited circumstances, be amended by the Trustees in any respect without a shareholder vote. The Declaration provides that the Trustees may establish the number of Trustees and that vacancies on the Board of Trustees may be filled by the remaining Trustees, except when election of Trustees by the shareholders is required under the 1940 Act. Trustees are then elected by a plurality of votes cast by shareholders at a meeting at which a quorum is present. The Declaration also provides that Trustees may be removed, with or without cause, by a vote of shareholders holding at least two-thirds of the voting power of the Trust, or by a vote of two-thirds of the remaining Trustees. The provisions of the Declaration relating to the election and removal of Trustees may not be amended without the approval of two-thirds of the Trustees.

The holders of Fund shares are required to disclose information on direct or indirect ownership of Fund shares as may be required to comply with various laws applicable to the Fund or as the Trustees may determine, and ownership of Fund shares may be disclosed by the Fund if so required by law or regulation. In addition, pursuant to the Declaration, the Trustees may, in their discretion, require the Trust to redeem shares held by any shareholder for any reason under terms set by the Trustees.

The Declaration provides a detailed process for the bringing of derivative actions by shareholders in order to permit legitimate inquiries and claims while avoiding the time, expense, distraction and other harm that can be caused to the Fund or its shareholders as a result of spurious shareholder demands and derivative actions. In addition, the Declaration provides that actions that are derivative in nature may not be brought directly. Prior to bringing a derivative action, a demand must first be made on the Trustees. The Declaration details various information, certifications, undertakings and acknowledgements that must be included in the demand. Following receipt of the demand, the Trustees have a period of 90 days, which may be extended by an additional 60 days, to consider the demand. If a majority of the Trustees who are considered independent for the purposes of considering the demand determine that maintaining the suit would not be in the best interests of the Fund, the Trustees are required to reject the demand and the complaining shareholder may not proceed with the derivative action unless the shareholder is able to sustain the burden of proof to a court that the decision of the

Trustees not to pursue the requested action was not a good faith exercise of their business judgment on behalf of the Fund. In making such a determination, a Trustee is not considered to have a personal financial interest by virtue of being compensated for his or her services as a Trustee. If a demand is rejected, the complaining shareholder will be responsible for the costs and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by the Fund in connection with the consideration of the demand under a number of circumstances. In addition, if a court determines that a derivative action was made without reasonable cause or for an improper purpose, or if a derivative or direct action is dismissed on the basis of a failure to comply with the procedural provisions relating to shareholder actions as set forth in the Declaration, or if a direct action is dismissed by a court for failure to state a claim, the shareholder bringing the action may be responsible for the Fund’s costs, including attorneys’ fees.

The provisions of the Declaration provide that any direct or derivative action commenced by a shareholder must be brought only in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Boston Division) or if any such action may not be brought in that court, then in the Business Litigation Session of Suffolk Superior Court in Massachusetts (the “Chosen Courts”). Except as prohibited by applicable law, if a shareholder commences an applicable action in a court other than a Chosen Court without the consent of the Fund, then such shareholder may be obligated to reimburse the Fund and any applicable Trustee or officer of the Fund made party to such proceeding for the costs and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred in connection with any successful motion to dismiss, stay or transfer of the action. The Declaration also provides that any shareholder bringing an action against the Fund waives the right to trial by jury to the fullest extent permitted by law.

The Trust is not required to and does not intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders.

Under Massachusetts law applicable to Massachusetts business trusts, shareholders of such a trust may, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable as partners for its obligations. However, the Declaration contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of this disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by the Trust or the Trustees. The Declaration further provides for indemnification out of the assets and property of the Trust for all losses and expenses of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which both inadequate insurance existed and the Trust or the Fund itself was unable to meet its obligations.

The Declaration provides that a Trustee acting in his or her capacity as Trustee is liable to the Trust for his or her own bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of his or her duties involved in the conduct of the individual’s office, and for nothing else and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Declaration also provides that the Trustees of the Trust will be subject to the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts relating to Massachusetts business trusts, but not to the laws of Massachusetts relating to the trustees of common law trusts, such as donative or probate type trusts.

The Declaration further provides that a Trustee acting in his or her capacity as Trustee is not personally liable to any person other than the Trust, for any act, omission, or obligation of the Trust. The Declaration requires the Trust to indemnify any persons who are or who have been Trustees, officers or employees of the Trust for any liability for actions or failure to act except to the extent prohibited by applicable federal law. In making any determination as to whether any person is entitled to the advancement of expenses in connection with a claim for which indemnification is sought, such person is entitled to a rebuttable presumption that he or she did not engage in conduct for which indemnification is not available. The Declaration provides that any Trustee who serves as chair of the Board of Trustees or of a committee of the Board of Trustees, as lead independent Trustee or as audit committee financial expert, or in any other similar capacity will not be subject to any greater standard of care or liability because of such position.

These provisions are not intended to restrict any shareholder rights under the federal securities laws and the Declaration specifically provides that no provision of the Declaration will restrict any shareholder rights expressly granted by the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”), as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”), as amended, or the 1940 Act, or any valid rule, regulation or order of the Securities Exchange Commission thereunder.

The Fund is advised by First Trust Advisors L.P. (the “Advisor” or “First Trust”) and is sub-advised by Vest Financial LLC ("Vest" or the "Sub-Advisor").

Investment Objective and Policies

The Prospectus describes the investment objective and certain policies of the Fund. The following supplements the information contained in the Prospectus concerning the investment objective and policies of the Fund.

The Fund is subject to the following fundamental policies, which may not be changed without approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund:

(1)

The Fund may not issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act.

(2)

The Fund may not borrow money, except as permissible under the 1940 Act.

(3)

The Fund will not underwrite the securities of other issuers except to the extent the Fund may be considered an underwriter under the 1933 Act, in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.

(4)

The Fund will not purchase or sell real estate or interests therein, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prohibit the Fund from purchasing or selling securities or other instruments backed by real estate or of issuers engaged in real estate activities).

(5)

The Fund may not make loans to other persons, except through (i) the purchase of debt securities permissible under the Fund’s investment policies, (ii) repurchase agreements, or (iii) the lending of portfolio securities, provided that no such loan of portfolio securities may be made by the Fund if, as a result, the aggregate of such loans would exceed 33⅓% of the value of the Fund’s total assets.

(6)

The Fund may not purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options, futures contracts, forward contracts or other derivative instruments, or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).

(7)

The Fund will not invest 25% or more of the value of its total assets in securities of issuers in any one industry or group of industries except to the extent that the underlying referenced indices of the Synthetic Autocallable Contracts invest more than 25% of their assets in an industry or group of industries. This restriction does not apply to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or securities of other investment companies.

For purposes of applying restriction (1) above, under the 1940 Act as currently in effect, the Fund is not permitted to issue senior securities, except that the Fund may borrow from any bank if, immediately after such borrowing and at all times thereafter, the value of the Fund’s total assets is at least 300% of the principal amount of all of the Fund’s borrowings (i.e., the principal amount of the borrowings may not exceed 33⅓% of the Fund's total assets). In the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300% the Fund shall, within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays), reduce the amount of its borrowings to an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowings shall be at least 300%.

Except for restriction (2) above, if a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of investment, a later increase in percentage resulting from a change in market value of the investment or the total assets will not constitute a violation of that restriction. With respect to restriction (2), if the limitations are exceeded as a result of a change in market value then the Fund will reduce the amount of borrowings within three days thereafter to the extent necessary to comply with the limitations (not including Sundays and holidays).

Notwithstanding restriction (7) above, to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies, it will consider, to the extent practicable, the industry concentration of the underlying investments when determining compliance with the limitations set forth in restriction (7) above.

The fundamental investment limitations set forth above limit the Fund's ability to engage in certain investment practices and purchase securities or other instruments to the extent permitted by, or consistent with, applicable law. As such, these limitations will change as the statute, rules, regulations or orders (or, if applicable, interpretations) change, and no shareholder vote will be required or sought.

The Fund's investment objective and the foregoing fundamental policies of the Fund may not be changed without the affirmative vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The 1940 Act defines a majority vote as the vote of the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the voting securities represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of the

outstanding securities are represented; or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities. Certain matters under the 1940 Act which must be submitted to a vote of the holders of the outstanding voting securities of a series or class, shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of each series or class affected by such matter.

In addition to the foregoing fundamental policies, the Fund is also subject to strategies and policies discussed herein which, unless otherwise noted, are non-fundamental restrictions and policies and may be changed by the Board of Trustees.

Investment Strategies

The following information supplements the discussion of the Fund’s investment objective, policies and strategies that appears in the Prospectus.

Types of Investments

Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments. The Fund may invest in securities with maturities of less than one year or cash equivalents, or may hold cash. The percentage of the Fund invested in such holdings varies and depends on several factors, including market conditions. For temporary defensive purposes and during periods of high cash inflows or outflows, the Fund may depart from its principal investment strategies and invest all of its assets in these securities, or it may hold cash. During such periods, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective. The Fund may adopt a temporary defensive strategy when the portfolio managers believe securities in which the Fund normally invests have elevated risks due to political or economic factors and in other extraordinary circumstances.

(1)

The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities, including bills, notes and bonds differing as to maturity and rates of interest, which are either issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. government securities include securities that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury, by various agencies of the U.S. government, or by various instrumentalities that have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government. U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the United States. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Some of the U.S. government agencies that issue or guarantee securities include the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Farmers Home Administration, the Federal Housing Administration, the Maritime Administration, the Small Business Administration and The Tennessee Valley Authority. An instrumentality of the U.S. government is a government agency organized under federal charter with government supervision. Instrumentalities issuing or guaranteeing securities include, among others, the Federal Home Loan Banks, the Federal Land Banks, the Central Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks and the FNMA. In the case of those U.S. government securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the security for ultimate repayment and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event that the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. The U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market value of their securities; consequently, the value of such securities may fluctuate. In addition, the Fund may invest in sovereign debt obligations of non-U.S. countries. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and interest in a timely manner may be affected by a number of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its non-U.S. reserves, the availability of sufficient non-U.S. 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 it may be subject.

(2)

The Fund may invest in certificates of deposit issued against funds deposited in a bank or savings and loan association. Such certificates are for a definite period of time, earn a specified rate of return and are normally negotiable. If such certificates of deposit are non-negotiable, they will be considered illiquid investments and be subject to the Fund's 15% restriction on investments in illiquid investments. Pursuant to the certificate of deposit, the issuer agrees to pay the amount deposited plus interest to the bearer of the certificate on the date specified thereon. Under current FDIC regulations, the maximum insurance payable as to any one certificate of deposit is $250,000; therefore, certificates of deposit purchased by the Fund may not be fully insured. The Fund may only invest in certificates of deposit issued by U.S. banks with at least $1 billion in assets.

(3)

The Fund may invest in bankers’ acceptances, which are short-term credit instruments used to finance commercial transactions. Generally, an acceptance is a time draft drawn on a bank by an exporter or an importer to obtain a stated amount of funds to pay for specific merchandise. The draft is then “accepted” by a bank that, in effect, unconditionally guarantees to pay the face value of the instrument on its maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an asset or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of interest for a specific maturity.

(4)

The Fund may invest in repurchase agreements, which involve purchases of debt securities with counterparties that are deemed by the Advisor to present acceptable credit risks. In such an action, at the time the Fund purchases the security, it simultaneously agrees to resell and redeliver the security to the seller, who also simultaneously agrees to buy back the security at a fixed price and time. This assures a predetermined yield for the Fund during its holding period since the resale price is always greater than the purchase price and reflects an agreed-upon market rate. Such actions afford an opportunity for the Fund to invest temporarily available cash. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements only with respect to obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, certificates of deposit or bankers’ acceptances in which the Fund may invest. Repurchase agreements may be considered loans to the seller, collateralized by the underlying securities. The risk to the Fund is limited to the ability of the seller to pay the agreed-upon sum on the repurchase date; in the event of default, the repurchase agreement provides that the Fund is entitled to sell the underlying collateral. If the value of the collateral declines after the agreement is entered into, however, and if the seller defaults under a repurchase agreement when the value of the underlying collateral is less than the repurchase price, the Fund could incur a loss of both principal and interest. The portfolio managers monitor the value of the collateral at the time the action is entered into and at all times during the term of the repurchase agreement. The portfolio managers do so in an effort to determine that the value of the collateral always equals or exceeds the agreed-upon repurchase price to be paid to the Fund. If the seller were to be subject to a federal bankruptcy proceeding, the ability of the Fund to liquidate the collateral could be delayed or impaired because of certain provisions of the bankruptcy laws.

(5)

The Fund may invest in bank time deposits, which are monies kept on deposit with banks or savings and loan associations for a stated period of time at a fixed rate of interest. There may be penalties for the early withdrawal of such time deposits, in which case the yields of these investments will be reduced.

(6)

The Fund may invest in commercial paper, which are short-term unsecured promissory notes, including variable rate master demand notes issued by corporations to finance their current operations. Master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between the Fund and a corporation. There is no secondary market for the notes. However, they are redeemable by the Fund at any time. The Fund's portfolio managers will consider the financial condition of the corporation (e.g., earning power, cash flow and other liquidity ratios) and will regularly monitor the corporation’s ability to meet all of its financial obligations, because the Fund's liquidity might be impaired if the corporation were unable to pay principal and interest on demand. The Fund may invest in commercial paper only if it has received the highest rating from at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization or, if unrated, judged by First Trust to be of comparable quality.

(7)

The Fund may invest in shares of money market funds, as consistent with its investment objective and policies. Shares of money market funds are subject to management fees and other expenses of those funds. Therefore, investments in money market funds will cause the Fund to bear proportionately the costs incurred by the money market funds’ operations. At the same time, the Fund will continue to pay its own management fees and expenses with respect to all of its assets, including any portion invested in the shares of other investment companies. It is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in money market funds.

Illiquid Investments. The Fund may invest in illiquid investments (i.e., any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment). For purposes of this restriction, illiquid investments may include, but are not limited to, certain restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted under the federal securities laws), securities that may only be resold pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, and repurchase agreements with maturities in excess of seven days, among others. However, the Fund will not acquire illiquid investments if, as a result, such investments would comprise more than 15% of the value of the Fund’s net assets. The Advisor, subject to oversight by the Board of Trustees, has the ultimate authority to determine, to the extent permissible under the federal securities laws, which investments are liquid or illiquid for purposes of this 15% limitation under the Fund’s liquidity risk management program, adopted pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act.

Restricted securities may be sold only in privately negotiated transactions or in a public offering with respect to which a registration statement is in effect under the 1933 Act. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and a considerable period may elapse between the time of the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than that which prevailed when it decided to sell. Illiquid investments will be priced at fair value as determined in good faith under procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. If, through the appreciation of illiquid investments or the depreciation of liquid investments, the Fund should be in a position where more than 15% of the value of its net assets are invested in illiquid investments, including restricted securities which are not readily marketable, the Advisor will report such occurrence to the Board of Trustees and take such steps as are deemed advisable to protect liquidity in accordance with the Fund’s liquidity risk management program.

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund buys and sells portfolio securities in the normal course of its investment activities. The proportion of the Fund's investment portfolio that is bought and sold during a year is known as the Fund's portfolio turnover rate. A portfolio turnover rate of 100% would occur, for example, if all of the portfolio securities (other than short-term securities) were replaced once during the fiscal year. A high portfolio turnover rate could result in the payment by the Fund of increased brokerage costs, expenses and taxes.

Investment Risks

The following risk disclosure supplements the discussion of the Fund's investment risks that appears in the Prospectus.

Overview

An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding of the risks that an investment in the Fund's shares entails, including the risk that the financial condition of the issuers of the securities held by the Fund or the general condition of the securities market may worsen and the value of the securities and therefore the value of the Fund may decline. The Fund may not be an appropriate investment for those who are unable or unwilling to assume the risks involved generally with such an investment. The past market and earnings performance of any of the securities included in the Fund is not predictive of their future performance.

Additional Market Disruption Risk

In February 2022, Russia commenced a military attack on Ukraine. In response, various countries, including the United States, issued broad-ranging sanctions on Russia and certain Russian companies and individuals. The hostilities between the two countries may escalate and any existing or future sanctions could have a severe adverse effect on Russia’s economy, currency, companies and region as well as negatively impact other regional and global economic markets of the world (including Europe and the United States), companies in such countries and various sectors, industries and markets for securities and commodities globally, such as oil and natural gas. Accordingly, the hostilities and sanctions may have a negative effect on the Fund’s investments and performance beyond any direct exposure to Russian issuers or those of adjoining geographic regions. Russia may also take retaliatory actions or countermeasures, such as cyberattacks and espionage, which may negatively impact the countries and companies in which the Fund may invest. The extent and duration of the military action or future escalation of such hostilities; the extent and impact of existing and any future sanctions, market disruptions and volatility; and the result of any diplomatic negotiations cannot be predicted. These and any related

events could have a significant negative impact on certain of the Fund’s investments as well as the Fund’s performance, and the value or liquidity of certain securities held by the Fund may decline significantly.

Liquidity Risk

Although the Fund limits its investments in illiquid investments to no more than 15% of its net assets at the time of purchase, securities that are deemed to be liquid at the time of purchase may become illiquid or less liquid. No active trading market may exist for certain securities and certain securities may be subject to restrictions on resale or have a limited secondary market. Certain securities may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. The inability to dispose of certain securities in a timely fashion or at a favorable price could result in losses to the Fund.

Whether or not the securities held by the Fund are listed on a securities exchange, the principal trading market for certain of the securities in the Fund may be in the OTC market. As a result, the existence of a liquid trading market for the securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in the securities.Certain regions, countries or asset types may also suffer periods of relative illiquidity. There can be no assurance that a market will be made for any of the securities, that any market for the securities will be maintained or that there will be sufficient liquidity of the securities in any markets made. The price at which the securities are held by the Fund will be adversely affected if trading markets for the securities are limited or absent.

Market Risk

Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or shares of the Fund in general, may fall in value. Securities are subject to market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic, political, regulatory or market developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in securities prices. Shares of the Fund could decline in value or underperform other investments due to short-term market movements or any longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. In addition, local, regional or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, natural disasters or other events could have a significant negative impact on the Fund and its investments. Such events may affect certain geographic regions, countries, sectors and industries more significantly than others. Such events could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets. Any of such circumstances could have a materially negative impact on the value of the Fund’s shares and result in increased market volatility. During any such events, the Fund’s shares may trade at increased premiums or discounts to their net asset value and the bid/ask spread on the Fund’s shares may widen.

Health crises caused by the outbreak of infectious diseases or other public health issues, may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social, economic, market and financial risks. The impact of any such events, could negatively affect the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries or regions, the financial performance of individual companies, sectors and industries, and the markets in general in significant and unforeseen ways. Any such impact could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the securities and other instruments in which the Fund invests and negatively impact the Fund’s investment return. For example, an outbreak of a respiratory disease designated as COVID-19 was first detected in China in December 2019 and subsequently spread internationally. The ensuing policies enacted by governments and central banks have caused and may continue to cause significant volatility and uncertainty in global financial markets, negatively impacting global growth prospects. While vaccines have been developed, there is no guarantee that vaccines will be effective against future variants of the disease.

In addition, the operations of the Fund, the Advisor and the Fund’s other service providers may be significantly impacted, or even temporarily or permanently halted, as a result of government quarantine measures, voluntary and precautionary restrictions on travel or meetings and other factors related to a public health emergency, including its potential adverse impact on the health of any such entity’s personnel.

Securities Lending Risk

Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including counterparty risk, collateral risk and operational risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. As a result, a First Trust Fund engaged in securities lending transactions may suffer a loss and there may be a delay in recovering the lent securities. Any delay in the return of securities on loan may restrict the ability of the Fund to meet delivery or payment obligations. Collateral risk is the risk that the collateral received may be realized at a value lower than the value of the securities lent, whether due to inaccurate pricing of the collateral, adverse market movements in the value of the collateral, intra-day increases in the value of the securities lent, a deterioration in the credit rating of the collateral issuer, or the

illiquidity of the market in which the collateral is traded. Securities lending also entails operational risks, such as settlement failures or delays in the settlement of instructions. Such failures or delays may restrict the ability of the Fund to meet delivery or payment obligations. Lastly, securities lending activities may result in adverse tax consequences for the Fund and its shareholders. For instance, substitute payments for dividends received by the Fund for securities loaned out by the Fund will not be considered qualified dividend income. The Fund could lose money if its short-term investment of the collateral declines in value over the period of the loan.

Management of the Fund

Trustees and Officers

The general supervision of the duties performed for the Fund under the investment management agreement is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees. There are seven Trustees of the Trust, one of whom is an “interested person” (as the term is defined in the 1940 Act) and six of whom are Trustees who are not officers or employees of First Trust or any of its affiliates (“Independent Trustees”). The Trustees set broad policies for the Fund, choose the Trust’s officers and hire the Trust’s investment advisor. The officers of the Trust manage its day-to-day operations and are responsible to the Board of Trustees. The following is a list of the Trustees and executive officers of the Trust and a statement of their present positions and principal occupations during the past five years, the number of portfolios each Trustee oversees and the other directorships they have held during the past five years, if applicable. Each Trustee has been elected for an indefinite term. The officers of the Trust serve indefinite terms. Each Trustee, except for James A. Bowen, is an Independent Trustee. Mr. Bowen is deemed an “interested person” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) (“Interested Trustee”) of the Trust due to his position as Chief Executive Officer of First Trust, investment advisor to the Fund. The following table identifies the Trustees and Officers of the Trust. Unless otherwise indicated, the address of all persons below is c/o First Trust Advisors L.P., 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, IL 60187.

Name and Year of Birth	Position and Offices with Trust	Term of Office and Year First Elected or Appointed	Principal Occupations During Past 5 Years	Number of Portfolios in the First Trust Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee	Other Trusteeships or Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past 5 Years
TRUSTEE WHO IS AN INTERESTED PERSON OF THE TRUST
James A. Bowen (1) 1955	Chairman of the Board and Trustee	●Indefinite term ●Since inception	Chief Executive Officer, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P.; Chairman of the Board of Directors, BondWave LLC (Software Development Company) and Stonebridge Advisors LLC (Investment Advisor)	___ Portfolios	None
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES
Richard E. Erickson 1951	Trustee	●Indefinite term ●Since inception	Retired; Physician, Edward-Elmhurst Medical Group (2021 to September 2023); Physician and Officer, Wheaton Orthopedics (1990 to 2021)	___ Portfolios	None
Thomas R. Kadlec 1957	Trustee	●Indefinite term ●Since inception	Retired; President, ADM Investor Services, Inc. (Futures Commission Merchant) (2010 to July 2022)	___ Portfolios	Director, National Futures Association; formerly, Director of ADM Investor Services, Inc., ADM Investor Services International, ADMIS Hong/Kong Ltd., ADMIS Singapore Ltd. and Futures Industry Association

Name and Year of Birth	Position and Offices with Trust	Term of Office and Year First Elected or Appointed	Principal Occupations During Past 5 Years	Number of Portfolios in the First Trust Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee	Other Trusteeships or Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past 5 Years
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES
Denise M. Keefe 1964	Trustee	●Indefinite term ●Since 2021	Executive Vice President, Advocate Aurora Health and President, Advocate Aurora Continuing Health Division (Integrated Healthcare System)	___ Portfolios	Director and Board Chair of Advocate Home Health Services, Advocate Home Care Products and Advocate Hospice; Director and Board Chair of Aurora At Home (since 2018); Director of Advocate Physician Partners Accountable Care Organization; Director of RML Long Term Acute Care Hospitals; Director of Senior Helpers (since 2021); and Director of MobileHelp (since 2022)
Robert F. Keith 1956	Trustee	●Indefinite term ●Since inception	President, Hibs Enterprises (Financial and Management Consulting)	___ Portfolios	Formerly, Director of Trust Company of Illinois
Niel B. Nielson 1954	Trustee	●Indefinite term ●Since inception	Senior Advisor (2018 to present), Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer (2015 to 2018), Pelita Harapan Educational Foundation (Educational Products and Services)	___ Portfolios	None
Bronwyn Wright 1971	Trustee	●Indefinite term ●Since 2023	Independent Director to a number of Irish collective investment funds (2009 to present); Various roles at international affiliates of Citibank (1994 to 2009), including Managing Director, Citibank Europe plc and Head of Securities and Fund Services, Citi Ireland (2007 to 2009)	278 Portfolios	None

Name and Year of Birth	Position and Offices with Trust	Term of Office and Length of Service	Principal Occupations During Past 5 Years
OFFICERS OF THE TRUST
James M. Dykas 1966	President and Chief Executive Officer	●Indefinite term ●Since 2016	Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P.; Chief Financial Officer, BondWave LLC (Software Development Company) and Stonebridge Advisors LLC (Investment Advisor)
W. Scott Jardine 1960	Secretary and Chief Legal Officer	●Indefinite term ●Since inception	General Counsel, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P.; Secretary and General Counsel, BondWave LLC; and Secretary, Stonebridge Advisors LLC
Daniel J. Lindquist 1970	Vice President	●Indefinite term ●Since inception	Managing Director, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P.
Kristi A. Maher 1966	Chief Compliance Officer and Assistant Secretary	●Indefinite term ●Chief Compliance Officer since January 2011 ●Assistant Secretary since inception	International General Counsel, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P., February 2025 – present. Previously, Deputy General Counsel, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P.

Name and Year of Birth	Position and Offices with Trust	Term of Office and Length of Service	Principal Occupations During Past 5 Years
Derek D. Maltbie 1972	Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer	●Indefinite term ●Since 2023	Senior Vice President, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P., July 2021 – present. Previously, Vice President, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P., 2014 –2021.
Roger F. Testin 1966	Vice President	●Indefinite term ●Since inception	Senior Vice President, First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P.

(1)

Mr. Bowen is deemed an “interested person” of the Trust due to his position as Chief Executive Officer of First Trust, investment advisor of the Fund.

Unitary Board Leadership Structure

Except in certain circumstances (as noted below) under which a Trustee is unable to sit on all the boards of all the funds in the First Trust Fund Complex (as defined below), each Trustee serves as a trustee of all open-end and closed-end funds in the First Trust Fund Complex (as defined below), which is known as a “unitary” board leadership structure. Each Trustee (except as noted below) currently serves as a trustee of First Trust Series Fund and First Trust Variable Insurance Trust, open-end funds with 12 portfolios advised by First Trust; First Trust Senior Floating Rate Income Fund II, First Trust Enhanced Equity Income Fund, First Trust Mortgage Income Fund, First Trust Specialty Finance and Financial Opportunities Fund, First Trust Intermediate Duration Preferred & Income Fund and First Trust High Yield Opportunities 2027 Term Fund, closed-end funds advised by First Trust; and First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund II, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund III, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund IV, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund V, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VI, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VII, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII, First Trust Exchange-Traded AlphaDEX® Fund and First Trust Exchange-Traded AlphaDEX® Fund II, exchange-traded funds with ___ portfolios advised by First Trust (each a “First Trust Fund” and collectively, the “First Trust Fund Complex”). Ms. Wright also serves as director of First Trust Global Funds, a public limited company established in Ireland and an open-end umbrella fund representing 39 exchange-traded funds and one mutual fund, and advised by First Trust (collectively, the “First Trust UCITS”). In addition, Ms. Wright had previously served on the board of directors of First Trust Global Portfolios Management Limited, the manager to the First Trust UCITS and an affiliate of First Trust, but resigned such position effective March 6, 2023. Except as noted above, none of the Independent Trustees nor their immediate family members has ever been a director, officer or employee of, or consultant to, First Trust, First Trust Portfolios L.P. or their affiliates. Due to certain restrictions resulting from the 1940 Act, Ms. Wright does not serve as a Trustee of First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund, with, in the aggregate, 26 portfolios.

The management of the Fund, including general supervision of the duties performed for the Fund under the investment management agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Advisor, is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees. The Trustees set broad policies for the Fund, choose the Trust’s officers and hire the Fund's investment advisor, sub-advisors and other service providers. The officers of the Trust manage the day-to-day operations and are responsible to the Board. The Board is composed of six Independent Trustees and one Interested Trustee. The Interested Trustee, James A. Bowen, serves as the Chairman of the Board for each fund in the First Trust Fund Complex.

The unitary board structure was adopted for the First Trust Funds because of the efficiencies it achieves with respect to the governance and oversight of the First Trust Funds. Each First Trust Fund is subject to the rules and regulations of the 1940 Act (and other applicable securities laws), which means that many of the First Trust Funds face similar issues with respect to certain of their fundamental activities, including risk management, portfolio liquidity, portfolio valuation and financial reporting. Because of the similar and often overlapping issues facing the First Trust Funds, the Board of the First Trust Funds believes that maintaining a unitary board structure promotes efficiency and consistency in the governance and oversight of all First Trust Funds and reduces the costs, administrative burdens and possible conflicts that may result from having multiple boards. In adopting a unitary board structure, the Trustees seek to provide effective governance through establishing a board the overall composition of which will, as a body, possess the appropriate skills, diversity, independence and experience to oversee the Fund's business.

Annually, the Board reviews its governance structure and the committee structures, their performance and functions, and it reviews any processes that would enhance Board governance over the Fund's business. The Board has determined that its leadership structure, including the unitary board and committee structure, is appropriate based on the characteristics of the funds it serves and the characteristics of the First Trust Fund Complex as a whole.

In order to streamline communication between the Advisor and the Independent Trustees and create certain efficiencies, the Board has a Lead Independent Trustee who is responsible for: (i) chairing all meetings of the Independent Trustees; (ii) working with the Advisor, Fund counsel and the independent legal counsel to the Independent Trustees to determine the agenda for Board meetings; (iii) serving as the principal contact for and facilitating communication between the Independent Trustees and the Fund's service providers, particularly the Advisor; and (iv) any other duties that the Independent Trustees may delegate to the Lead Independent Trustee. The Lead Independent Trustee is selected by the Independent Trustees and serves for such term as approved by the Independent Trustees or until his or her successor is selected. Robert F. Keith currently serves as the Lead Independent Trustee.

Effective March 12, 2024, the Independent Trustees may select one Independent Trustee to serve as a Vice Lead Independent Trustee for such term as approved by the Independent Trustees or until his or her successor is selected. The Vice Lead Independent Trustee assists the Lead Independent Trustee in the performance of his or her responsibilities and, in the absence of the Lead Independent Trustee, may act in the place of the Lead Independent Trustee. The Vice Lead Independent Trustee is also responsible for any other duties that the Independent Trustees may delegate to him or her. Thomas R. Kadlec was appointed to serve as the Vice Lead Independent Trustee, effective March 12, 2024.

The Board has established five standing committees (as described below) and has delegated certain of its responsibilities to those committees. The Board and its committees meet frequently throughout the year to oversee the Fund's activities, review contractual arrangements with and performance of service providers, oversee compliance with regulatory requirements and review Fund performance. The Independent Trustees are represented by independent legal counsel at all Board and committee meetings (other than meetings of the Dividend Committee). Generally, the Board acts by majority vote of all the Trustees, including a majority vote of the Independent Trustees if required by applicable law.

The five standing committees of the Board are: the Executive Committee, the Dividend Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee, the Valuation Committee and the Audit Committee. The Dividend Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee, the Valuation Committee and the Audit Committee each have a Chair and, since March 12, 2024, the Audit Committee has had a Vice Chair. The Committee Chairs, the Audit Committee Vice Chair, the Lead Independent Trustee and the Vice Lead Independent Trustee rotate periodically in serving in such capacities. The next rotation is currently scheduled to be effective January 1, 2026. In addition, the Lead Independent Trustee and the Vice Lead Independent Trustee currently serve on the Executive Committee with the Interested Trustee.

The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for appointing and nominating non-interested persons to the Board of Trustees. Messrs. Erickson, Kadlec, Keith, Nielson and Mses. Keefe and Wright are members of the Nominating and Governance Committee. If there is no vacancy on the Board of Trustees, the Board will not actively seek recommendations from other parties, including shareholders. The Board of Trustees has adopted a mandatory retirement age of 75 for Independent Trustees, beyond which age Independent Trustees are ineligible to serve. The Committee will not consider new trustee candidates who are 72 years of age or older or will turn 72 years old during the initial term. When a vacancy on the Board of Trustees occurs or is anticipated to occur and nominations are sought to fill such vacancy, the Nominating and Governance Committee may seek nominations from those sources it deems appropriate in its discretion, including shareholders of the Fund. To submit a recommendation for nomination as a candidate for a position on the Board of Trustees, shareholders of the Fund should mail such recommendation to W. Scott Jardine, Secretary, at the Trust’s address, 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, Illinois 60187. Such recommendation shall include the following information: (i) evidence of Fund ownership of the person or entity recommending the candidate (if a Fund shareholder); (ii) a full description of the proposed candidate’s background, including education, experience, current employment and date of birth; (iii) names and addresses of at least three professional references for the candidate; (iv) information as to whether the candidate is an “interested person” in relation to the Fund, as such term is defined in the 1940 Act, and such other information that may be considered to impair the candidate’s independence; and (v) any other information that may be helpful to the Committee in evaluating the candidate. If a recommendation is received with satisfactorily completed information regarding a candidate during a time when a vacancy exists on the Board or during such other time as the Nominating and Governance Committee is accepting recommendations, the recommendation will be forwarded to the Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee and to counsel to the Independent Trustees.

The Valuation Committee is responsible for the oversight of the Advisor as the “Valuation Designee” under Rule 2a-5 of the 1940 Act and its implementation of the valuation of the securities held in the Fund's portfolio. Messrs. Erickson, Kadlec, Keith, Nielson and Mses. Keefe and Wright are members of the Valuation Committee.

The Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing the Fund’s accounting and financial reporting process, the system of internal controls and audit process and for evaluating and appointing independent auditors (subject also to Board

approval). Messrs. Erickson, Kadlec, Keith, Nielson and Mses. Keefe and Wright serve on the Audit Committee. Ms. Keefe was appointed to serve as the Vice Chair of the Audit Committee, effective March 12, 2024.

The Executive Committee, which meets between Board meetings, is authorized to exercise all powers of and to act in the place of the Board to the extent permitted by each Fund’s Declaration of Trust and By-Laws. Mr. Bowen, Mr. Keith and Mr. Kadlec are members of the Executive Committee.

The Dividend Committee is responsible for assisting the Board in, or assuming the authority and power of the Board with respect to, the declaration and setting of the Fund's dividends. Messrs. Keith and Kadlec serve on the Dividend Committee.

Executive Officers

The executive officers of the Trust hold the same positions with each fund in the First Trust Fund Complex (representing ___ portfolios) as they hold with the Trust, except Mr. Testin who is an executive officer of only the ETFs and open-end funds advised by First Trust.

Risk Oversight

As part of the general oversight of the Fund, the Board is involved in the risk oversight of the Fund. The Board has adopted and periodically reviews policies and procedures designed to address the Fund’s risks. Oversight of investment and compliance risk is performed primarily at the Board level in conjunction with the Advisor’s investment oversight group and the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”). Oversight of other risks also occurs at the committee level. The Advisor’s investment oversight group reports to the Board at quarterly meetings regarding, among other things, Fund performance and the various drivers of such performance. The Board reviews reports on the Fund's and the service providers’ compliance policies and procedures at each quarterly Board meeting and receives an annual report from the CCO regarding the operations of the Fund's and the service providers’ compliance programs. In addition, the Independent Trustees meet privately each quarter with the CCO. The Audit Committee reviews, with the Advisor and the Fund's independent auditors, the Fund’s major financial risk exposures and the steps the Advisor has taken to monitor and control these exposures, including the Fund’s risk assessment and risk management policies and guidelines. The Audit Committee also, as appropriate, reviews in a general manner the processes other Board committees have in place with respect to risk assessment and risk management. The Nominating and Governance Committee monitors all matters related to the corporate governance of the Trust. The Valuation Committee monitors valuation risk and oversees the Advisor's performance as Valuation Designee.

Not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified nor can controls be developed to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. It may not be practical or cost effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, the processes and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness, and some risks are simply beyond the reasonable control of the Fund or the Advisor or other service providers. For instance, as the use of Internet technology has become more prevalent, the Fund and its service providers have become more susceptible to potential operational risks through breaches in cyber security (generally, intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund or a service provider to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption or lose operational capacity). There can be no guarantee that any risk management systems established by the Fund, its service providers, or issuers of the securities in which the Fund invests to reduce cyber security risks will succeed, and the Fund cannot control such systems put in place by service providers, issuers or other third parties whose operations may affect the Fund and/or its shareholders. Moreover, it is necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Fund's goals. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Fund's ability to manage risk is subject to substantial limitations.

Board Diversification and Trustee Qualifications

As described above, the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board oversees matters related to the selection and nomination of Trustees. The Nominating and Governance Committee seeks to establish an effective Board with an appropriate range of skills and diversity, including, as appropriate, differences in background, professional experience, education, vocation, and other individual characteristics and traits in the aggregate. Each Trustee must meet certain basic requirements, including relevant skills and experience, time availability and, if qualifying as an Independent Trustee, independence from the Advisor, Sub-Advisor, underwriters or other service providers, including any affiliates of these entities.

Listed below for each current Trustee are the experiences, qualifications and attributes that led to the conclusion, as of the date of this SAI, that each current Trustee should serve as a Trustee in light of the Trust’s business and structure.

Richard E. Erickson, M.D., was previously an orthopedic surgeon with Edward-Elmhurst Medical Group from 2021 to September 2023. Prior thereto, he was President of Wheaton Orthopedics (from 1990 to 2021), a co-owner and director of a fitness center and a limited partner of two real estate companies. Dr. Erickson has served as a Trustee of each First Trust Fund since its inception and of the First Trust Funds since 1999. Dr. Erickson has also served as the Lead Independent Trustee (2008–2009 and 2017–2019) and on the Executive Committee (2008–2009 and 2017–2022), Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee (2003–2007 and 2014–2016), Chairman of the Audit Committee (2012–2013) and Chairman of the Valuation Committee (June 2006–2007; 2010–2011 and 2020–2022) of the First Trust Funds. He currently serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee (since January 1, 2023) of the First Trust Funds.

Thomas R. Kadlec was previously President of ADM Investor Services Inc. (“ADMIS”), a futures commission merchant and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Archer Daniels Midland Company (“ADM”) from 2010 to July 2022. Mr. Kadlec was employed by ADMIS and its affiliates since 1990 in various accounting, financial, operations and risk management capacities. Mr. Kadlec served on the boards of several international affiliates of ADMIS until July 2022 and served as a member of ADM’s Integrated Risk Committee from 2008–2018, which was tasked with the duty of implementing and communicating enterprise-wide risk management. From 2014 to 2022, Mr. Kadlec was on the board of the Futures Industry Association. In 2017, Mr. Kadlec was elected to the board of the National Futures Association. Mr. Kadlec has served as a Trustee of each First Trust Fund since its inception. Mr. Kadlec also served on the Executive Committee from the organization of the first First Trust closed-end fund in 2003 through 2005 (and 2014–2019) until he was elected as the first Lead Independent Trustee in December 2005, serving as such through 2007 (and 2014–2016). He also served as Chairman of the Valuation Committee (2008–2009 and 2017–2019), Chairman of the Audit Committee (2010–2011 and 2020–2022) and Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee (2012–2013). He currently serves as Vice Lead Independent Trustee (since March 12, 2024), on the Executive Committee (since March 12, 2024), on the Dividend Committee (since March 12, 2024) and as Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee (since January 1, 2023) of the First Trust Funds.

Denise M. Keefe has been Senior Vice President of Advocate Health, Continuing Health Division since 2023, and from 2018 to 2023 was Executive Vice President of Advocate Aurora Health (together, with Advocate Health, “Advocate”). Advocate is one of the largest integrated healthcare systems in the U.S. serving Illinois and Wisconsin. Ms. Keefe has been employed by Advocate since 1993 and is responsible for the Continuing Health Division’s strategic direction, fiscal management, business development, revenue enhancement, operational efficiencies, and human resource management of 4,000 employees. Ms. Keefe also currently serves on the boards of several organizations within the Advocate Aurora Continuing Health Division and other health care organizations, including RML Long Term Acute Care Hospitals (since 2014). Prior thereto, Ms. Keefe was Corporate Vice President, Marketing and Business Development for the Visiting Nurse Association of Chicago (1989–1992) and a former Board Member of Sherman West Court Skilled Nursing Facility. Ms. Keefe has served as a Trustee of the First Trust Funds and on the Audit Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee and Valuation Committee of the First Trust Funds since November 1, 2021. In addition, she currently serves as Audit Committee Vice Chair (since March 12, 2024) of the First Trust Funds.

Robert F. Keith is President of Hibs Enterprises, a financial and management consulting firm. Mr. Keith has been with Hibs Enterprises since 2003. Prior thereto, Mr. Keith spent 18 years with ServiceMaster and Aramark, including three years as President and COO of ServiceMaster Consumer Services, where he led the initial expansion of certain products overseas; five years as President and COO of ServiceMaster Management Services; and two years as President of Aramark ServiceMaster Management Services. Mr. Keith is a certified public accountant and also has held the positions of Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of ServiceMaster, at which time he oversaw the financial aspects of ServiceMaster’s expansion of its Management Services division into Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Mr. Keith has served as a Trustee of the First Trust Funds since 2006. Mr. Keith has also served as the Chairman of the Audit Committee (2008–2009 and 2017–2019), Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee (2010–2011 and 2020–2022) and Chairman of the Valuation Committee (2014–2016) of the First Trust Funds. He served as Lead Independent Trustee and on the Executive Committee (2012–2016). He currently serves as Lead Independent Trustee and on the Executive Committee (since January 1, 2023) and as Chairman of the Dividend Committee (since January 1, 2023) of the First Trust Funds.

Niel B. Nielson, Ph.D., has been the Senior Advisor of Pelita Harapan Educational Foundation, a global provider of educational products and services since 2018. Prior thereto, Mr. Nielson served as the Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Pelita Harapan Educational Foundation for three years. Mr. Nielson formerly served as the President and

Chief Executive Officer of Dew Learning LLC from 2012 through 2014. Mr. Nielson formerly served as President of Covenant College (2002–2012), and as a partner and trader (of options and futures contracts for hedging options) for Ritchie Capital Markets Group (1996–1997), where he held an administrative management position at this proprietary derivatives trading company. He also held prior positions in new business development for ServiceMaster Management Services Company and in personnel and human resources for NationsBank of North Carolina, N.A. and Chicago Research and Trading Group, Ltd. (“CRT”). His international experience includes serving as a director of CRT Europe, Inc. for two years, directing out of London all aspects of business conducted by the U.K. and European subsidiary of CRT. Prior to that, Mr. Nielson was a trader and manager at CRT in Chicago. Mr. Nielson has served as a Trustee of each First Trust Fund since its inception and of the First Trust Funds since 1999. Mr. Nielson has also served as Chairman of the Audit Committee (2003–2007 and 2014–2016), Chairman of the Valuation Committee (2012–2013), Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee (2008–2009 and 2017–2019), Chairman of the Dividend Committee (2020–2022), and Lead Independent Trustee (2010–2011 and 2020–2022) of the First Trust Funds. Further, he has served as a member of the Executive Committee (2010–2011 and January 1, 2020 – March 12, 2024) and the Dividend Committee (October 19, 2020 – March 12, 2024) of the First Trust Funds. He currently serves as Chairman of the Valuation Committee (since January 1, 2023) of the First Trust Funds.

Bronwyn Wright has acted as an independent director to a number of Irish collective investment funds since 2009. Ms. Wright is a former Managing Director of Citibank Europe plc and Head of Securities and Fund Services for Citi Ireland. In these positions, she was responsible for the management and strategic direction of Citi Ireland’s securities and fund services business which included funds, custody, security finance/lending and global agency and trust. She also had responsibility for leading, managing and growing the Trustee, Custodian and Depositary business in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Jersey and Cayman. Ms. Wright has served as a Trustee of the First Trust Funds and on the Audit Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee and Valuation Committee of the First Trust Funds since September 10, 2023.

James A. Bowen is Chief Executive Officer of First Trust Advisors L.P. and First Trust Portfolios L.P. Mr. Bowen is involved in the day-to-day management of the First Trust Funds and serves on the Executive Committee. He has over 35 years of experience in the investment company business in sales, sales management and executive management. Mr. Bowen has served as a Trustee of each First Trust Fund since its inception and of the First Trust Funds since 1999.

Effective January 1, 2024, the fixed annual retainer paid to the Independent Trustees is $285,000 per year and an annual per fund fee of $7,500 for each closed-end fund, $2,000 for each actively managed fund, $750 for each target outcome fund and $500 for each index fund. The fixed annual retainer is allocated equally among each fund in the First Trust Fund Complex rather than being allocated pro rata based on each fund’s net assets. Additionally, the Lead Independent Trustee is paid $30,000 annually, the Vice Lead Independent Trustee is paid up to $25,000 annually (effective March 12, 2024), the Chairman of the Audit Committee is paid $25,000 annually, the Chairman of the Valuation Committee is paid $20,000 annually, the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee is paid $20,000 annually and the Vice Chair of the Audit Committee is paid $15,000 annually (effective March 12, 2024) to serve in such capacities with compensation allocated pro rata among each fund in the First Trust Fund Complex based on its net assets. Trustees are also reimbursed by the funds in the First Trust Fund Complex for travel and out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with all meetings. Each Committee Chair, the Audit Committee Vice Chair, the Lead Independent Trustee and the Vice Lead Independent Trustee rotate in accordance with the rotation periods established by the Board.

The following table sets forth the estimated compensation (including reimbursement for travel and out-of-pocket expenses) to be paid by the Fund for one fiscal year and the actual compensation paid by the First Trust Fund Complex to each of the Independent Trustees for the calendar year ended December 31, 2024, respectively. The Trust has no retirement or pension plans. The officers and Trustee who are “interested persons” as designated above serve without any compensation from the Trust. The Trust has no employees. Its officers are compensated by First Trust.

Name of Trustee	Estimated Compensation from the Fund (1)	Total Compensation from the First Trust Fund Complex (2)
Richard E. Erickson	$_____	$653,176
Thomas R. Kadlec	$_____	$666,676
Denise M. Keefe	$_____	$636,112
Robert F. Keith	$_____	$657,442
Niel B. Nielson	$_____	$644,660
Bronwyn Wright	$_____	$617,975

(1)

The estimated compensation to be paid by the Fund to the Independent Trustees for one fiscal year for services to the Fund.

(2)

The total compensation paid to the Independent Trustees for the calendar year ended December 31, 2024 for services to the 307 portfolios existing in 2024, which consisted of 12 open-end mutual funds, 13 closed-end funds and 282 exchange-traded funds.

The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the Trustees in the Fund and in other funds overseen by the Trustees in the First Trust Fund Complex as of December 31, 2024:

Trustee	Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund (Number of Shares Held)	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Trustee in the First Trust Fund Complex
Interested Trustee
James A. Bowen	None	Over $100,000
Independent Trustees
Richard E. Erickson	None	Over $100,000
Thomas R. Kadlec	None	Over $100,000
Denise M. Keefe	None	Over $100,000
Robert F. Keith	None	Over $100,000
Niel B. Nielson	None	Over $100,000
Bronwyn Wright	None	None

As of __________, 20__, the Independent Trustees of the Trust and their immediate family members did not own beneficially or of record any class of securities of an investment advisor or principal underwriter of the Fund or any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with an investment advisor or principal underwriter of the Fund.

As of __________, 20__, the officers and Trustees, in the aggregate, owned less than 1% of the shares of the Fund.

As of __________, 20__, First Trust Portfolios was the sole shareholder of the Fund. As sole shareholder, First Trust Portfolios has the ability to control the outcome of any item presented to shareholders for approval.

As of __________, 20__, the Advisor did not own any shares of the Fund.

Investment Advisor. First Trust, 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, is the investment advisor to the Fund. First Trust is a limited partnership with one limited partner, Grace Partners of DuPage L.P., and one general partner, The Charger Corporation. Grace Partners of DuPage L.P. is a limited partnership with one general partner, The Charger Corporation, and a number of limited partners. The Charger Corporation is an Illinois corporation controlled by James A. Bowen, the Chief Executive Officer of First Trust. First Trust discharges its responsibilities to the Fund subject to the policies of the Fund.

First Trust provides investment tools and portfolios for advisors and investors. First Trust is committed to theoretically sound portfolio construction and empirically verifiable investment management approaches. Its asset management philosophy and investment discipline are deeply rooted in the application of intuitive factor analysis and model implementation to enhance investment decisions.

As the Fund's investment advisor, First Trust supervises the Sub-Advisor's investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund. First Trust also administers the Trust’s business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services, and permits any of its officers or employees to serve without compensation as Trustees or officers of the Trust if elected to such positions.

Pursuant to an investment management agreement between First Trust and the Trust, on behalf of the Fund (the “Investment Management Agreement”), the Fund has agreed to pay First Trust an annual management fee equal to ____% of its average daily net assets. First Trust also provides fund reporting services to the Fund for a flat annual fee in the amount of $9,250, which is included in the annual management fee.

The Fund is responsible for all its expenses, including the investment advisory fees, costs of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with executions of portfolio transactions, any distribution fees or expenses and extraordinary expenses. First Trust has agreed to limit fees and/or pay expenses to the extent necessary through _________, 20__, to prevent the Fund’s Total Annual Operating Expenses (excluding 12b-1 distribution and service fees, interest expense, taxes, fees incurred in acquiring and disposing of portfolio securities, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding ___% of the average daily net assets of any class of shares of the Fund. Expenses borne by First Trust and the sub-advisor are subject to reimbursement by the Fund for up to three years from the date the fee or expense was incurred, but no reimbursement payment will be made by the Fund at any time if it would result in the Fund’s expenses exceeding (i) the applicable expense limitation in place for the most recent fiscal year for which such expense limitation was in place, (ii) the applicable expense limitation in place at the time the fees were waived, or (iii) the current expense limitation.

Under the Investment Management Agreement, First Trust shall not be liable for any loss sustained by reason of the purchase, sale or retention of any security, whether or not such purchase, sale or retention shall have been based upon the investigation and research made by any other individual, firm or corporation, if such recommendation shall have been selected with due care and in good faith, except loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence on the part of First Trust in the performance of its obligations and duties, or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties. The Investment Management Agreement continues until two years after the initial issuance of Fund shares, and thereafter only if approved annually by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Investment Management Agreement terminates automatically upon assignment and is terminable at any time without penalty as to the Fund by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, or by vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities on 60 days’ written notice to First Trust, or by First Trust on 60 days’ written notice to the Fund.

Sub-Advisor

The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and First Trust have retained Vest Financial LLC ("Vest" or the "Sub-Advisor"), to serve as investment sub-advisor to the Fund pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement (the "Sub-Advisory Agreement"). In this capacity, Vest is responsible for the selection and ongoing monitoring of the securities in the Fund’s investment portfolios. Vest, with principal offices at 8350 Broad Street, Suite 240, McLean, VA 22102, was founded in 2012, and is a Delaware LLC. Vest had approximately $39.3 billion under management or committed to management as of February 28, 2025.

The Sub-Advisor is a subsidiary of Vest Group, Inc. (“VG”). First Trust Capital Partners, LLC (“FTCP”), an affiliate of First Trust, is the largest single holder of voting shares in VG.

Karan Sood and Trevor Lack are the Fund’s portfolio managers and are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s investment portfolio.

●

Mr. Sood has over 10 years of experience in derivative based investment strategy design and trading. Mr. Sood joined Vest in 2012. Prior to joining Vest, Mr. Sood worked at ProShare Advisors LLC. Prior to ProShare, Mr. Sood worked as a Vice President at Barclays Capital. Last based in New York, he was responsible for using derivatives to design structured investment strategies and solutions for the firm’s institutional clients in the Americas. Prior to his role in New York, Mr. Sood worked in similar capacity in London with Barclays Capital’s European clients. Mr. Sood received a master’s degree in Decision Sciences & Operations Research from London School of Economics & Political Science. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

●

Mr. Lack, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager. Mr. Lack has over 10 years of experience as a Portfolio Manager. Mr. Lack joined the Sub-Advisor in 2019. Prior to joining the Sub-Advisor, Mr. Lack worked at ProShare Advisors LLC from 2011 to 2019. Mr. Lack received a master’s degree in finance from Johns Hopkins University. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Northeastern University.

As of __________, 20__, the portfolio managers did not beneficially own any shares of the Fund.

Compensation. The Portfolio Managers do not receive compensation that is based upon the Fund, any separate account strategy, partnership or any other commingled account’s, or any private account’s pre- or after-tax performance, or the value of the assets held by such entities. The Portfolio Managers do not receive any special or additional compensation from the Sub-Advisor for their service as Portfolio Managers. The Portfolio Managers receive a salary from the Sub-Advisor. In addition to base salary, the Portfolio Managers may receive additional bonus compensation which is tied to the overall financial operating results of the Sub-Advisor's parent company, VG.

Accounts Managed by Portfolio Managers

In addition to the Fund, as of _________, 2025, the portfolio managers are also primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the following accounts:

Portfolio Managers	Registered Investment Companies Number of Accounts ($ Assets)	Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Number of Accounts ($ Assets)	Other Accounts Number of Accounts ($ Assets)	Registered Investment Companies With Performance Fees Number of Accounts ($ Assets)	Other Pooled Investment Vehicles With Performance Fees Number of Accounts ($ Assets)	Other Accounts With Performance Fees Number of Accounts ($ Assets)
Karan Sood	__ ($_________)	__ ($_________)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Trevor Lack	__ ($_________)	__ ($_________)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Conflicts of Interest. Each Portfolio Manager’s management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with his management of the Fund's investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objectives as the Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby a Portfolio Manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the Portfolio Manager’s knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby a Portfolio Manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund. However, the Sub-Advisor has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated.

The Sub-Advisory Agreement. The Sub-Advisor, subject to the Board of Trustees’ and Advisor’s supervision, provides the Fund with discretionary investment services. Specifically, the Sub-Advisor is responsible for managing the investments of the Fund in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions as provided in the Prospectus and this SAI, as may be subsequently changed by the Board of Trustees and communicated to the Sub-Advisor in writing. The Sub-Advisor further agrees to conform to all applicable laws and regulations of the SEC in all material respects and to conduct its activities under the Sub-Advisory Agreement in all material respects in accordance with applicable regulations of any governmental authority pertaining to its investment advisory services. In the performance of its duties, the Sub-Advisor will in all material respects satisfy any applicable fiduciary duties it may have to the Fund, will monitor the Fund’s investments and will comply with the provisions of the Trust’s Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, as amended from time to time, and the stated investment objective, policies and restrictions of the Fund. The Sub-Advisor is responsible for effecting all security transactions for the Fund’s assets. The Sub-Advisory Agreement provides that the Sub-Advisor shall generally not be liable for any loss suffered by the Fund or the Advisor (including, without limitation, by reason of the purchase, sale or retention of any security) in connection with the performance of the Sub-Advisor’s duties under the Sub-Advisory Agreement, except for a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Sub-Advisor in performance of its duties under the Sub-Advisory Agreement, or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Sub-Advisory Agreement.

[Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Advisor has agreed to pay for the services and facilities provided by the Sub-Advisor through sub-advisory fees. The Sub-Advisor’s fees are paid by the Advisor out of the Advisor’s management fee. For the Fund, the Sub-Advisor receives a sub-advisory fee equal to 50% of the monthly unitary management fee paid to the Advisor, but shall be reduced as follows. The Sub-Advisor has agreed with the Advisor that it will pay one-half of all expenses of the Fund, excluding the fee payments under the sub-advisory agreement and the Investment Management Agreement, the Advisor’s management fee, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio transactions, distribution and service fees payable pursuant to a Rule 12b-1 plan, if any, and extraordinary expenses. The sub-advisory fees shall be reduced by the Sub-Advisor’s share of such expenses, and in the event the Sub-Advisor’s share of the expenses exceeds the amount of the sub-advisory fee in any month, the Sub-Advisor will pay the difference to the Advisor. ]

The Sub-Advisory Agreement may be terminated without the payment of any penalty by First Trust, the Board of Trustees, or a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act), upon 60 days’ written notice to the Sub-Advisor.

All fees and expenses are accrued daily and deducted before payment of dividends to investors. The Sub-Advisory Agreement has been approved by the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees of the Fund, and the common shareholders of the Fund.

Brokerage Allocations

First Trust is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities for the Fund and for the placement of the Fund's securities business, the negotiation of the commissions to be paid on brokered transactions, the prices for principal trades in securities, and the allocation of portfolio brokerage and principal business. It is the policy of First Trust to seek the best execution at the best security price available with respect to each transaction, and with respect to brokered transactions in light of the overall quality of brokerage and research services provided to First Trust and its clients. The best price to the Fund means the best net price without regard to the mix between purchase or sale price and commission, if any. Purchases may be made from underwriters, dealers and, on occasion, the issuers. Commissions will be paid on the Fund's futures and options transactions, if any. The purchase price of portfolio securities purchased from an underwriter or dealer may include underwriting commissions and dealer spreads. The Fund may pay markups on principal transactions. In selecting broker-dealers and in negotiating commissions, First Trust considers, among other things, the firm’s reliability, the quality of its execution services on a continuing basis and its financial condition. Fund portfolio transactions may be effected with broker-dealers who have assisted investors in the purchase of shares.

Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act permits an investment advisor, under certain circumstances, to cause an account to pay a broker or dealer who supplies brokerage and research services a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction. Brokerage and research services include (a) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (b) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy and the performance of accounts; and (c) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement and custody). Such brokerage and research services are often referred to as “soft dollars” or “commission sharing agreements.” Currently First Trust does not use soft dollars or commission sharing agreements, but may do so in the future.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in selecting brokers, First Trust may in the future consider investment and market information and other research, such as economic, securities and performance measurement research, provided by such brokers, and the quality and reliability of brokerage services, including execution capability, performance and financial responsibility. Accordingly, the commissions charged by any such broker may be greater than the amount another firm might charge if First Trust determines in good faith that the amount of such commissions is reasonable in relation to the value of the research information and brokerage services provided by such broker to First Trust or the Trust. In addition, First Trust must determine that the research information received in this manner provides the Fund with benefits by supplementing the research otherwise available to the Fund. The Investment Management Agreement provides that such higher commissions will not be paid by the Fund unless the Advisor determines in good faith that the amount is reasonable in relation to the services provided. The investment advisory fees paid by the Fund to First Trust under the Investment Management Agreement would not be reduced as a result of receipt by First Trust of research services.

First Trust places portfolio transactions for other advisory accounts advised by it, and research services furnished by firms through which the Fund effects its securities transactions may be used by First Trust in servicing all of its accounts; not all of such services may be used by First Trust in connection with the Fund. First Trust believes it is not possible to measure separately the benefits from research services to each of the accounts (including the Fund) advised by it. Because the volume and nature of the trading activities of the accounts are not uniform, the amount of commissions in excess of those charged by another broker paid by each account for brokerage and research services will vary. However, First Trust believes such costs to the Fund will not be disproportionate to the benefits received by the Fund on a continuing basis. First Trust seeks to allocate portfolio transactions equitably whenever concurrent decisions are made to purchase or sell securities by the Fund and another advisory account. In some cases, this procedure could have an adverse effect on the price or the amount of securities available to the Fund. In making such allocations between the Fund and other advisory accounts, the main factors considered by First Trust are the respective investment objective, the relative size of portfolio holding of the same or comparable securities, the availability of cash for investment and the size of investment commitments generally held.

Administrator, Fund Accountant, Custodian, Transfer Agent and Distributor

Administrator and Fund Accountant. The Fund has appointed The Bank of New York Mellon ("BNY"), located at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286, to serve as the Fund's administrator and provide the Fund with accounting services pursuant to a fund administration and accounting agreement (the “Administration and Accounting Agreement”). Under the Administration and Accounting Agreement, BNY is obligated, on a continuous basis, to provide such administrative services as the Board reasonably deems necessary for the proper administration of the Trust and the Fund. BNY generally will assist in many aspects of the Trust’s and the Fund's operations, including accounting, bookkeeping and record keeping services (including, without limitation, the maintenance of such books and records as are required under the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder, except as maintained by other service providers), assist in preparing reports to shareholders or investors, prepare and file tax returns, supply financial information and supporting data for reports to and filings with the SEC and various state Blue Sky authorities and supply supporting documentation for meetings of the Board.

Pursuant to the Administration and Accounting Services Agreement, the Trust on behalf of the Fund has agreed to indemnify the Administrator for certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the federal securities laws, unless such loss or liability results from negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties.

Pursuant to the Administration and Accounting Services Agreement, the Trust on behalf of the Fund has agreed to pay such compensation as is mutually agreed from time to time and such out-of-pocket expenses as incurred by BNY in the performance of its duties.

Custodian. The Trust has appointed BNY to serve as the Fund's custodian pursuant to a custody agreement (the “Custody Agreement”). Pursuant to the terms of the Custody Agreement, BNY is generally responsible for the safekeeping of the Fund's assets and performing various other administrative duties set forth in the agreement.

Transfer Agent. BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (“BNYM IS”) serves as the Fund’s transfer agent pursuant to a Transfer Agency and Shareholder Services Agreement. As transfer agent, BNYM IS is responsible for maintaining shareholder records for the Fund. Its principal address is 301 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809.

Shares of the Fund may be purchased through certain financial companies who are agents of the Fund for the limited purpose of completing purchases and sales. For services provided by such a company with respect to Fund shares held by that company on behalf of its customers pursuant to a sub-transfer agency, omnibus account service or sub-accounting agreement, the Fund may pay a fee to such financial service companies for record keeping and sub-accounting services provided to their customers.

Distributor. First Trust Portfolios L.P., an affiliate of First Trust, is the distributor (“FTP” or the “Distributor”) and principal underwriter of the shares of the Fund. Its principal address is 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, Illinois 60187. First Trust Portfolios also receives compensation pursuant to a distribution plan adopted by the Trust pursuant to Rule 12b-1 and described herein under “Distribution and Service Plan.” FTP receives any contingent deferred sales charges (“CDSCs”) imposed on redemptions of shares, but any amounts as to which a reinstatement privilege is not exercised are set off against and reduce amounts otherwise payable to FTP pursuant to the distribution plan.

FTP serves as the principal underwriter of the shares of the Fund pursuant to a “best efforts” arrangement as provided by a distribution agreement with the Trust (the “Distribution Agreement”). Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement,

the Trust appointed FTP to be its agent for the distribution of the Fund’s shares on a continuous offering basis. FTP sells shares to or through brokers, dealers, banks or other qualified financial intermediaries (collectively referred to as “Dealers”), or others, in a manner consistent with the then effective registration statement of the Trust for the Fund. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, FTP, at its own expense, finances certain activities incident to the sale and distribution of the Fund’s shares, including printing and distributing of prospectuses and statements of additional information to other than existing shareholders, the printing and distributing of sales literature, advertising and payment of compensation and giving of concessions to Dealers. FTP receives for its services the excess, if any, of the sales price of the Fund’s shares less the net asset value of those shares, and remits a majority or all of such amounts to the Dealers who sold the shares; FTP may act as such a Dealer.

The Advisor may, from time to time and from its own resources, pay, defray or absorb costs relating to distribution, including payments out of its own resources to the Distributor, or to otherwise promote the sale of shares. The Advisor’s available resources to make these payments may include profits from advisory fees received from the Fund. The services the Advisor may pay for include, but are not limited to, advertising and attaining access to certain conferences and seminars, as well as being presented with the opportunity to address investors and industry professionals through speeches and written marketing materials.

Additional Payments to Financial Intermediaries

First Trust or its affiliates may from time to time make payments, out of their own resources, to certain broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, banks or other intermediaries (collectively, “intermediaries”) that sell shares of First Trust mutual funds and ETFs (“First Trust Funds”) to promote the sales and retention of Fund shares by those firms and their customers. The amounts of these payments vary by intermediary. The level of payments that First Trust is willing to provide to a particular intermediary may be affected by, among other factors, (i) the firm’s total assets or Fund shares held in and recent net investments into First Trust Funds, (ii) the value of the assets invested in the First Trust Funds by the intermediary’s customers, (iii) redemption rates, (iv) its ability to attract and retain assets, (v) the intermediary’s reputation in the industry, (vi) the level and/or type of marketing assistance and educational activities provided by the intermediary, (vii) the firm’s level of participation in First Trust Funds’ sales and marketing programs, (viii) the firm’s compensation program for its registered representatives who sell Fund shares and provide services to Fund shareholders, and (ix) the asset class of the First Trust Funds for which these payments are provided. Such payments are generally asset-based but also may include the payment of a lump sum.

First Trust may also make payments to certain intermediaries for certain administrative services and shareholder processing services, including record keeping and sub-accounting of shareholder accounts pursuant to a sub-transfer agency, omnibus account service or sub-accounting agreement. All fees payable by First Trust under this category of services may be charged back to the Fund, subject to approval by the Board.

First Trust and/or its affiliates may make payments, out of its own assets, to those firms as compensation and/or reimbursement for marketing support and/or program servicing to selected intermediaries that are registered as holders or dealers of record for accounts invested in one or more of the First Trust Funds or that make First Trust Fund shares available through certain selected Fund no-transaction fee institutional platforms and fee-based wrap programs at certain financial intermediaries. Program servicing payments typically apply to employee benefit plans, such as retirement plans, or fee-based advisory programs but may apply to retail sales and assets in certain situations. The payments are based on such factors as the type and nature of services or support furnished by the intermediary and are generally asset-based. Services for which an intermediary receives marketing support payments may include, but are not limited to, business planning assistance, advertising, educating the intermediary’s personnel about First Trust Funds in connection with shareholder financial planning needs, placement on the intermediary’s preferred or recommended fund list, and access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the intermediary. In addition, intermediaries may be compensated for enabling representatives of First Trust and/or its affiliates to participate in and/or present at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other employees, client and investor events and other events sponsored by the intermediary. Services for which an intermediary receives program servicing payments typically include, but are not limited to, record keeping, reporting or transaction processing and shareholder communications and other account administration services, but may also include services rendered in connection with Fund/investment selection and monitoring, employee enrollment and education, plan balance rollover or separation, or other similar services. An intermediary may perform program services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform program services. These payments, if any, are in addition to the service fee and any applicable omnibus sub-accounting fees paid to these firms with respect to these services by the First Trust Funds out of Fund assets.

From time to time, First Trust and/or its affiliates, at its expense, may provide other compensation to intermediaries that sell or arrange for the sale of shares of the First Trust Funds, which may be in addition to marketing support and program servicing payments described above. For example, First Trust and/or its affiliates may: (i) compensate intermediaries for National Securities Clearing Corporation networking system services (e.g., shareholder communication, account statements, trade confirmations and tax reporting) on an asset-based or per-account basis; (ii) compensate intermediaries for providing Fund shareholder trading information; (iii) make one-time or periodic payments to reimburse selected intermediaries for items such as ticket charges (i.e., fees that an intermediary charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or exchange order, operational charges (e.g., fees that an intermediary charges for establishing the Fund on its trading system), and literature printing and/or distribution costs; (iv) at the direction of a retirement plan’s sponsor, reimburse or pay direct expenses of an employee benefit plan that would otherwise be payable by the plan; (v) provide payments to broker-dealers to help defray their technology or infrastructure costs; and (vi) make payments for expenses associated with intermediaries’ use of First Trust Funds including, but not limited to, the use of First Trust Funds in model portfolios.

When not provided for in a marketing support or program servicing agreement, First Trust and/ or its affiliates may also pay intermediaries for enabling First Trust and/or its affiliates to participate in and/or present at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other intermediary employees, client and investor events and other intermediary-sponsored events, and for travel expenses, including lodging incurred by registered representatives and other employees in connection with prospecting, asset retention and due diligence trips. These payments may vary depending upon the nature of the event. First Trust and/or its affiliates make payments for such events as it deems appropriate, subject to its internal guidelines and applicable law.

First Trust and/or its affiliates occasionally sponsor due diligence meetings for registered representatives during which they receive updates on various First Trust Funds and are afforded the opportunity to speak with portfolio managers. Although invitations to these meetings are not conditioned on selling a specific number of shares, those who have shown an interest in First Trust Funds are more likely to be considered. To the extent permitted by their firm’s policies and procedures, all or a portion of registered representatives’ expenses in attending these meetings may be covered by First Trust and/or its affiliates.

The amounts of payments referenced above made by First Trust and/or its affiliates could be significant and may create an incentive for an intermediary or its representatives to recommend or offer shares of the First Trust Funds to its customers. The intermediary may elevate the prominence or profile of the First Trust Funds within the intermediary’s organization by, for example, placing the First Trust Funds on a list of preferred or recommended funds and/or granting First Trust and/or its affiliates preferential or enhanced opportunities to promote the First Trust Funds in various ways within the intermediary’s organization. These payments are made pursuant to negotiated agreements with intermediaries. The payments do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of a share or the amount the Fund will receive as proceeds from such sales. Furthermore, many of these payments are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fee table section of the Fund's Prospectus because they are not paid by the Fund. The types of payments described herein are not mutually exclusive, and a single intermediary may receive some or all types of payments as described.

Other compensation may be offered to the extent not prohibited by state laws or any self-regulatory agency, such as FINRA. Investors can ask their intermediaries for information about any payments they receive from First Trust and/or its affiliates and the services it provides for those payments. Investors may wish to take intermediary payment arrangements into account when considering and evaluating any recommendations relating to Fund shares.

Payments to intermediaries, in certain circumstances, may also be made in connection with the distribution of model portfolios developed by First Trust, such as the inclusion of such model portfolios on an intermediary’s platform, as well as in connection with the marketing and sale of, and/or product training regarding such model portfolios, or servicing of accounts tracking such model portfolios. Such payments may be variable or fixed fee payments for platform support, or other payments in the form of a variable or fixed fee or a per position fee, or may relate to the amount of assets an intermediary’s clients have invested in the First Trust Funds in such models developed by First Trust, the management fee, the total expense ratio, or sales of the First Trust Funds in such models developed by First Trust. Some intermediaries also provide related data regarding transactions in specific model portfolios, First Trust Funds and investment strategies to First Trust in exchange for a fee.

First Trust and/or its affiliates may enter into arrangements with third parties, such as a software provider, whereby First Trust may license certain technology or other services from such entity in exchange for licensing or other fees which may be, in whole or in part, dependent on the value of First Trust mutual funds or ETFs held through such software or other

service. Such third party may also offer price concessions to broker dealers, investment advisers or other financial intermediaries that license technology or other services that may be dependent, in whole or in part, on the value of First Trust mutual funds or ETFs held through such software or other service.

Additional Information

Book Entry Only System. The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus.

DTC Acts as Securities Depository for Fund Shares. Shares of the Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.

DTC, a limited-purpose trust company, was created to hold securities of its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the NYSE and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the “Indirect Participants”).

Beneficial ownership of shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase and sale of shares.

Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to a letter agreement between DTC and the Trust, DTC is required to make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a listing of the shares of the Fund held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participants a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Fund distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, as the registered holder of all Fund shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall immediately credit DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in shares of the Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

DTC may decide to discontinue providing its service with respect to shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take action to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost.

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

The Board of Trustees has delegated to Vest the proxy voting responsibilities for the Fund and has directed Vest to vote proxies consistent with the Fund’s best interests. Vest’s Proxy Voting Guidelines are set forth in Exhibit A.

Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available upon request and without charge on the Fund’s website at http://www.ftportfolios.com, by calling (800) 621-1675 or by accessing the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

Portfolio Schedule. The Fund files portfolio holdings information for each month in a fiscal quarter within 60 days after the end of the relevant fiscal quarter on Form N-PORT. Portfolio holdings information for the third month of each fiscal quarter will be publicly available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Fund’s complete schedule of portfolio holdings for the second and fourth quarters of each fiscal year is included in the semi-annual and annual financial statements and other information provided to shareholders, respectively, and is filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR. A semi-annual or annual financial statement and other information provided for the Fund will become available to investors within 60 days after the period to which it relates. The Fund’s Forms N-PORT and Forms N-CSR are available on the SEC’s website listed above.

Policy Regarding Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings. The Trust has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of portfolio holdings (the “Disclosure Policy”). The purpose of the Disclosure Policy is to outline the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings in order to comply with SEC requirements.

A listing of the portfolio holdings of the Fund generally shall not be provided to any person, including any investor of the Fund, until such time as the portfolio holdings have been filed with the SEC on Form N-Q or Form N-CSR, as applicable, and posted on the Fund’s website. Any person, including any investor of the Fund that requests a listing of the Fund’s portfolio holdings, shall be provided with the portfolio holdings list most recently made publicly available pursuant to this Disclosure Policy (and/or portfolio holdings as of earlier periods that previously have been made publicly available, if requested).

Neither the Fund, the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor nor any other party shall receive any compensation whatsoever in connection with the disclosure of information about the Fund’s portfolio securities.

The Fund may on occasion release certain nonpublic portfolio information to selected parties if (i) the Trust’s CCO determines such disclosure is consistent with a legitimate business purpose of the Fund; and (ii) the recipient is subject to a duty of confidentiality with respect to the information, including a duty not to trade on the nonpublic information. In this connection, selective disclosure of portfolio holdings will be made on an ongoing basis in the normal course of investment and administrative operations to service providers, which, to the best of the Fund’s knowledge, include proxy voting services, fund administrators, fund accountants, custodians (including BNY) and transfer agents (including BNYM IS), as well as their financial printers and mailing service (including GComm, Fitzgerald Marketing and Communications, LLC and Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.), performance attribution vendors (including Factset Research Systems), tracking agencies (including Lipper, Inc., Morningstar, Inc., Standard & Poor’s and Thomson Financial), accounting and auditing services (including Deloitte & Touche LLP) and legal counsel to the Fund, the Independent Trustees or investment advisor (including Vedder Price P.C. and Chapman and Cutler LLP). All such third parties shall be bound by a Code of Ethics or similar insider trading policy or confidentiality agreement or duty prohibiting their use of any portfolio holdings information in an improper manner.

The Disclosure Policy will be monitored by the Trust’s CCO. Any violations of the Disclosure Policy will be reported by the Trust’s CCO to the Trust’s Board of Trustees at the next regularly scheduled board meeting.

These procedures were designed to ensure that disclosure of information about portfolio securities is in the best interests of the Fund, including the procedures to address conflicts between the interests of Fund shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Fund’s Advisor; Sub-Advisor; Distributor; or any affiliated person of the Fund, the Advisor, or the principal underwriter, on the other.

Codes of Ethics. In order to mitigate the possibility that the Fund will be adversely affected by personal trading, the Trust, First Trust, the Sub-Advisor and the Distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These Codes of Ethics contain policies restricting securities trading in personal accounts of the officers, Trustees and others who normally come into possession of information on portfolio transactions. Personnel subject to the Codes of Ethics may

invest in securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund; however, the Codes of Ethics require that each transaction in such securities be reviewed by the CCO or his or her designee. These Codes of Ethics are on public file with, and are available from, the SEC.

Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares

As described in the Prospectus, the Fund provides you with alternative ways of purchasing Fund shares based upon your individual investment needs and preferences.

Each class of shares of the Fund represents an interest in the same portfolio of investments. Each class of shares is identical in all respects except that each class bears its own class expenses, including distribution and service expenses, and each class has exclusive voting rights with respect to any distribution or service plan applicable to its shares. As a result of the differences in the expenses borne by each class of shares, net income per share, dividends per share and net asset value per share will vary among the Fund’s classes of shares. There are no conversion, preemptive or other subscription rights.

Shareholders of each class will share expenses proportionately for services that are received equally by all shareholders. A particular class of shares will bear only those expenses that are directly attributable to that class, where the type or amount of services received by a class varies from one class to another. For example, class-specific expenses generally will include distribution and service fees for those classes that pay such fees.

The minimum initial investment is $2,500 per Fund share class ($750 for a Traditional/Roth IRA account, $500 for an Education IRA account and $250 for accounts opened through fee-based programs). Subsequent investments have a minimum of $50. There are no minimums for purchases or exchanges into the Fund through employer-sponsored retirement plans. Class I shares have a minimum investment of $1 million for certain investors. Class I shares are also available for purchase in minimum amounts of $250 or more for accounts of clients of financial intermediaries who charge an ongoing fee for advisory, investment, consulting or similar services (“wrap” accounts). The Fund reserves the right to reject purchase orders and to waive or increase the minimum investment requirements.

The expenses to be borne by specific classes of shares may include (i) transfer agency fees attributable to a specific class of shares, (ii) printing and postage expenses related to preparing and distributing materials such as shareholder reports, prospectuses and proxy statements to current shareholders of a specific class of shares, (iii) SEC and state securities registration fees incurred by a specific class of shares, (iv) the expense of administrative personnel and services required to support the shareholders of a specific class of shares, (v) litigation or other legal expenses relating to a specific class of shares, (vi) Trustees’ fees or expenses incurred as a result of issues relating to a specific class of shares, (vii) accounting expenses relating to a specific class of shares and (viii) any additional incremental expenses subsequently identified and determined to be properly allocated to one or more classes of shares.

Shares will be registered in the name of the investor’s financial advisor. A change in registration or transfer of shares held in the name of a financial advisor may only be made by an order in good form from the financial advisor acting on the investor’s behalf.

For more information on the procedure for purchasing shares of the Fund and on the special purchase programs available thereunder, see the sections entitled “Investment in Fund Shares” and “Account Services” in the Fund’s Prospectus.

The Fund does not issue share certificates.

Class A Shares

Class A shares may be purchased at a public offering price equal to the applicable net asset value per share plus an up-front sales charge imposed at the time of purchase as set forth in the Prospectus.

Shareholders may qualify for a reduced sales charge, or the sales charge may be waived in its entirety, as described below. Class A shares also are subject to an annual service fee of __%. See the section entitled “Distribution and Service Plan.” Set forth below is an example of the method of computing the offering price of the Class A shares of the Fund. The example assumes a purchase of Class A shares of the Fund aggregating less than $50,000 subject to the schedule of sales charges set forth in the Prospectus at a price based upon the net asset value of the Class A shares. The example below is for illustrative purposes only and does not reflect the Fund's current net asset value or public offering price.

FT Vest Laddered Autocallable Barrier & Income Fund

Net Asset Value per Share	$_____
Per Share Sales Charge—____% of public offering price	_____
Per Share Offering Price to the Public	$_____

The Fund receives the entire net asset value of all Class A shares that are sold.

Elimination of Up-Front Sales Charge on Class A Shares

Class A shares of the Fund may be purchased at net asset value without a sales charge by the following categories of investors:

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investors purchasing $[250,000] or more (FTP may pay financial intermediaries on Class A sales of $[250,000] and above up to ___% of the purchase amounts);

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reinvestment of distributions from Class A Shares of the Fund;

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officers, trustees and former trustees of the First Trust non-ETF open-end funds;

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bona fide, full-time and retired employees of First Trust, and FTP, and subsidiaries thereof, or their immediate family members (“immediate family members” are defined as their spouses, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, parents-in-law, sons-and daughters-in-law, siblings, a sibling’s spouse, and a spouse’s siblings);

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any person who, for at least the last 90 days, has been an officer, director or bona fide employee of any financial intermediary, or their immediate family members;

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bank or broker-affiliated trust departments investing funds over which they exercise exclusive discretionary investment authority and that are held in a fiduciary, agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity;

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investors purchasing on a periodic fee, asset-based fee or no transaction fee basis through a broker-dealer sponsored mutual fund purchase program; and

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clients of investment advisors, financial planners or other financial intermediaries that charge periodic or asset-based fees for their services.

Intermediary-Defined Sales Charge Waiver Policies

Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales load waivers or contingent deferred (back-end) sales load (“CDSC”) waivers, which are discussed below. In all instances, it is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify the Fund or the purchaser’s financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts. For waivers and discounts not available through a particular intermediary, shareholders will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary to receive these waivers or discounts.

Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., & Raymond James affiliates (“Raymond James”)

Front-end sales load waivers on Class A shares available at Raymond James

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Shares purchased in an investment advisory program.

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Shares purchased within the family of First Trust Mutual Funds through a systematic reinvestment of capital gains and dividend distributions.

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Employees and registered representatives of Raymond James or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Raymond James.

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CDSC Waivers on Classes A and C shares available at Raymond James

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Death or disability of the shareholder.

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Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus.

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Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account.

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Shares sold to pay Raymond James fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Raymond James.

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Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.

Front-end load discounts available at Raymond James: breakpoints, rights of accumulation, and/or letters of intent

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Breakpoints as described in the prospectus.

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Janney Montgomery Scott LLC (“Janney”)

Effective May 1, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Janney brokerage account, will only be eligible for the following load waivers (front-end sales load waivers and CDSC waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s Prospectus or SAI.

Any Class A shares purchased pursuant to a special sales charge waiver must be acquired for investment purposes and on the condition that they will not be transferred or resold except through redemption by the Fund. You or your financial advisor must notify FTP or the Fund’s transfer agent whenever you make a purchase of Class A shares of any Fund that you wish to be covered under these special sales charge waivers.

Class A shares of the Fund may be issued at net asset value without a sales charge in connection with the acquisition by the Fund of another investment company. All purchases under the special sales charge waivers will be subject to minimum purchase requirements as established by the Fund.

The reduced sales charge programs may be modified or discontinued by the Fund at any time. For more information about the purchase of Class A shares or the reduced sales charge program, or to obtain the required application forms, call First Trust toll-free at (800) 621-1675.

Robert W. Baird & Co. (“Baird”)

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers on Class A shares Available at Baird

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Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same Fund

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Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Baird or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Baird

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CDSC Waivers on Class A and C shares Available at Baird

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Shares sold due to death or disability of the shareholder

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Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in your Fund’s prospectus

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Shares bought due to returns of excess contributions from an IRA Account

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Shares sold to pay Baird fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Baird

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Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement

Front-End Sales Charge Discounts Available at Baird: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulations and Letters of Intent

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Breakpoints as described in your Fund’s prospectus

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Letters of Intent (LOI) allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases of First Trust Mutual Funds through Baird, over a 13-month period of time

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc (“OPCO”)

Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A shares available at OPCO

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Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan

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Shares purchased through a OPCO affiliated investment advisory program

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Employees and registered representatives of OPCO or its affiliates and their family members

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Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund’s investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in the prospectus

CDSC Waivers on A and C Shares available at OPCO

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Death or disability of the shareholder

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Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus

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Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account

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Shares sold to pay OPCO fees but only if the transaction is initiated by OPCO

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Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement

Front-end load Discounts Available at OPCO: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent

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Breakpoints as described in the prospectus

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Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (“Stifel”) and its broker dealer affiliates

Class A Shares

As described elsewhere in the prospectus, Stifel may receive compensation out of the front-end sales charge if you purchase Class A shares through Stifel.

Rights of accumulation

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Front-end sales charge waivers on Class A shares available at Stifel

Sales charges may be waived for the following shareholders and in the following situations:

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Class C shares that have been held for more than seven (7) years may be converted to Class A or other Front-end share class(es) shares of the same fund pursuant to Stifel’s policies and procedures. To the extent that this prospectus elsewhere provides for a waiver with respect to the exchange or conversion of such shares following a shorter holding period, those provisions shall continue to apply.

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Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Stifel or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Stifel.

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Shares purchased in a Stifel fee-based advisory program, often referred to as a “wrap” program.

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Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same or other fund within the fund family.

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Shares from rollovers into Stifel from retirement plans to IRAs.

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Purchases of Class 529-A shares through a rollover from another 529 plan.

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Purchases of Class 529-A shares made for reinvestment of refunded amounts.

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Contingent Deferred Sales Charges Waivers on Class A and C Shares

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Death or disability of the shareholder or, in the case of 529 plans, the account beneficiary.

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Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan not to exceed 12% annually.

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Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account.

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Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations.

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Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.

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Shares sold to pay Stifel fees or costs in such cases where the transaction is initiated by Stifel.

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Shares exchanged or sold in a Stifel fee-based program.

Share Class Conversions in Advisory Accounts

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Class C Shares

You may purchase Class C shares at a public offering price equal to the applicable net asset value per share without any up-front sales charge. Class C shares are subject to an annual distribution fee of ___% to compensate FTP for paying your financial advisor an ongoing sales commission. Class C shares are also subject to an annual service fee of ___% to compensate financial intermediaries for providing you with ongoing financial advice and other account services. FTP compensates financial intermediaries for sales of Class C shares at the time of the sale at a rate of __% of the amount of Class C shares purchased, which represents an advance of the first year’s distribution fee of ___% plus an advance on the first year’s annual service fee of ___%. See the section entitled “Distribution and Service Plan.” Purchase orders for shares on behalf of a single purchaser which equal or exceed $500,000 should be placed only for Class A shares, unless the purchase of another class of shares is determined to be suitable for the purchaser by the financial intermediary. It is the responsibility of the financial intermediary to review and approve as suitable purchases of Class C shares which equal or exceed this limit.

Automatic Conversion of Class C Shares to Class A Shares After 8-Year Holding Period. Beginning on August 30, 2021, Class C shares of the Fund that have been held for 8 years or more will automatically convert into Class A shares of the Fund and will be subject to Class A shares’ lower distribution and service (12b-1) fees. The conversion will occur on the basis of the relative net asset values of the two classes, meaning the value of your investment will not change, but the number of shares that you own may be higher or lower after the conversion.

After August 30, 2021, Class C shares of the Fund will convert automatically to Class A shares of the Fund on a monthly basis in the month of, or the month following, the 8-year anniversary of the Class C shares’ purchase date. Class C shares of the Fund acquired through automatic reinvestment of dividends or distributions will convert to Class A shares of the Fund on the conversion date pro rata with the converting Class C shares of the Fund that were not acquired through reinvestment of dividends or distributions.

Class C shares held through a financial intermediary in an omnibus account will be automatically converted into Class A shares only if the intermediary can document that the shareholder has met the required holding period. In certain circumstances, when shares are invested through retirement plans, omnibus accounts, and in certain other instances, the Fund and its agents may not have transparency into how long a shareholder has held Class C shares for purposes of determining whether such Class C shares are eligible for automatic conversion into Class A shares and the financial intermediary may not have the ability to track purchases to credit individual shareholders’ holding periods. This primarily occurs when shares are invested through certain record keepers for group retirement plans, where the intermediary cannot track share aging at the participant level. In these circumstances, the Fund will not be able to automatically convert Class C shares into Class A shares as described above. In order to determine eligibility for conversion in these circumstances, it is the responsibility of the shareholder or their financial intermediary to notify the Fund that the shareholder is eligible for the conversion of Class C shares to Class A shares, and the shareholder or their financial intermediary may be required to maintain and provide the Fund with records that substantiate the holding period of Class C shares. In these circumstances, it is the financial intermediary’s (and not the Fund’s) responsibility to keep records and to ensure that the shareholder is credited with the proper holding period. In circumstances where a financial intermediary is unable to track or substantiate the holding period of a Class C shareholder, such shareholder will remain holding Class C shares and will be ineligible to have their shares converted to Class A pursuant to this automatic conversion program. Please consult with your financial intermediary about your shares’ eligibility for this conversion feature.

Also beginning on August 30, 2021, new accounts or plans may not be eligible to purchase Class C shares of the Fund if it is determined that the intermediary cannot track shareholder holding periods to determine whether a shareholder’s Class C shares are eligible for conversion to Class A shares. Accounts or plans (and their successor, related and affiliated plans) that have Class C shares of the Fund available to participants on or before August 30, 2021, may continue to open accounts for new participants in that share class and purchase additional shares in existing participant accounts. The Fund has no responsibility for overseeing, monitoring or implementing a financial intermediary’s process for determining whether a shareholder meets the required holding period for conversion.

Customers of Raymond James (as defined below) may be eligible for an exchange of Class C Shares for Class A shares, less the applicable sales charge, shares after holding their Class C Shares for eight (8) years. Please consult with your financial intermediary if you have any questions regarding your shares’ conversion from Class C shares to Class A shares.

Reduction or Elimination of Class A and Class C Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

Class A shares are normally redeemed at net asset value, without any CDSC. However, in the case of Class A shares purchased at net asset value without a sales charge because the purchase amount exceeded $[250,000], a CDSC of __% may be imposed on any redemption within 12 months of purchase. Class C shares are redeemed at net asset value, without any CDSC, except that a CDSC of __% is imposed upon redemption of Class C shares that are redeemed within 12 months of purchase (except in cases where the shareholder’s financial advisor agreed to waive the right to receive an advance of the first year’s distribution and service fee).

Class I Shares

Class I shares are available for purchases of $1 million or more directly from the Fund and for purchases using dividends and capital gains distributions on Class I shares. Class I shares may also be available for purchase in amounts of less than $1 million by the following categories of investors:

●

officers, trustees and former trustees of any First Trust non-ETF open-end fund and their immediate family members and officers, directors and former directors of any parent company of First Trust or FTP, affiliates and subsidiaries thereof and their immediate family members (“immediate family members” are defined as spouses, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, parents-in-law, sons- and daughters-in-laws, siblings, a sibling’s spouse and a spouse’s siblings);

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certain employees, officers, directors and affiliates of the Sub-Advisor;

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bona fide, full-time and retired employees of First Trust or FTP, and subsidiaries thereof, or their immediate family members;

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any person who, for at least the last 90 days, has been an officer, director or bona fide employee of any financial intermediary, or their immediate family members;

(Any shares purchased by investors falling within any of the first three categories listed above must be acquired for investment purposes and on the condition that they will not be transferred or resold except through redemption by the applicable Fund.)

●

investors purchasing through a periodic fee or asset-based fee program which is sponsored by a registered broker-dealer or other financial institution that has entered into an agreement with FTP;

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fee paying clients of a registered investment advisor (“RIA”) who invest in First Trust non-ETF open-end funds through a fund “supermarket” or other mutual fund trading platform sponsored by a broker-dealer or trust company with which the RIA is not affiliated and which has not entered into an agreement with FTP; and

●

employer-sponsored retirement plans, except SEPs, SAR-SEPs, SIMPLE IRAs and KEOGH plans.

If you are eligible to purchase either Class A or Class I shares without a sales charge at net asset value, you should be aware of the differences between these classes of shares. Class A shares are subject to an annual service fee to compensate financial intermediaries for providing you with ongoing account services. Class I shares are not subject to a distribution or service fee and, consequently, holders of Class I shares may not receive the same types or levels of services from financial intermediaries. In choosing between Class A shares and Class I shares, you should weigh the benefits of the services to be provided by financial intermediaries against the annual service fee imposed upon the Class A shares.

Shareholder Programs

Exchange Privilege. You may exchange shares of a class of the Fund for shares of the same class of any other First Trust non-ETF open-end fund with reciprocal exchange privileges, at net asset value without a sales charge, by either sending a written request to the Fund, c/o First Trust Portfolios L.P., 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, or by calling First Trust toll free (888) 373-5776. You may also, under certain limited circumstances, exchange between certain classes of shares of the Fund if, after you purchased your shares, you became eligible to purchase a different

class of shares; however, the Advisor, the Distributor or any of their affiliates may exchange between classes of shares of the Fund at any time. An exchange between classes of shares of the Fund may not be considered a taxable event; please consult your own tax advisor for further information. An exchange between classes of shares of the Fund may be done in writing to the address stated above.

If you exchange shares between different First Trust non-ETF open-end funds and your shares are subject to a CDSC, no CDSC will be charged at the time of the exchange. However, if you subsequently redeem the shares acquired through the exchange, the redemption may be subject to a CDSC, depending on when you purchased your original shares and the CDSC schedule of the fund from which you exchanged your shares. If you exchange between classes of shares of the Fund and your original shares are subject to a CDSC, the CDSC will be assessed at the time of the exchange.

In addition, you may exchange Class I shares of the Fund for Class A shares of the Fund or Class A shares of a fund which is a series of the Trust, without a sales charge if the current net asset value of those Class I shares is at least $5,000 or you already own Class A shares of the Fund or other series of the Trust.

The shares to be purchased through an exchange must be offered in your state of residence. The total value of exchanged shares must at least equal the minimum investment requirement of the First Trust non-ETF open-end fund being purchased. For federal income tax purposes, an exchange between different First Trust non-ETF open-end funds constitutes a sale and purchase of shares and may result in capital gain or loss. Before making any exchange, you should obtain the Prospectus for the First Trust non-ETF open-end fund you are purchasing and read it carefully. If the registration of the account for the Fund you are purchasing is not exactly the same as that of the fund account from which the exchange is made, written instructions from all holders of the account from which the exchange is being made must be received, with signatures guaranteed by a member of an approved Medallion Guarantee Program or in such other manner as may be acceptable to the Fund. The exchange privilege may be modified or discontinued by the Fund at any time.

The exchange privilege is not intended to permit the Fund to be used as a vehicle for short-term trading. Excessive exchange activity may interfere with portfolio management, raise expenses, and otherwise have an adverse effect on all shareholders. In order to limit excessive exchange activity and in other circumstances where Fund management believes doing so would be in the best interest of the Fund, the Fund reserves the right to revise or terminate the exchange privilege, or limit the amount or number of exchanges or reject any exchange. Shareholders would be notified of any such action to the extent required by law. See the section entitled “Frequent Trading Policy” below.

Reinstatement Privilege. If you redeemed Class A or Class C shares of the Fund or any other First Trust non-ETF open-end fund that were subject to a sales charge or a CDSC, you have up to one year to reinvest all or part of the full amount of the redemption in the same class of shares of the Fund at net asset value. This reinstatement privilege can be exercised only once for any redemption, and reinvestment will be made at the net asset value next calculated after reinstatement of the appropriate class of Fund shares. If you reinstate shares that were subject to a CDSC, your holding period as of the redemption date also will be reinstated for purposes of calculating a CDSC and the CDSC paid at redemption will be refunded. The federal income tax consequences of any capital gain realized on a redemption will not be affected by reinstatement, but a capital loss may be disallowed in whole or in part depending on the timing, the amount of the reinvestment and the fund from which the redemption occurred.

Suspension of Right of Redemption. The Fund may suspend the right of redemption of Fund shares or delay payment more than seven days (a) during any period when the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), (b) when trading in the markets the Fund normally utilizes is restricted, or an emergency exists as determined by the SEC so that trading of the Fund’s investments or determination of its net asset value is not reasonably practicable, or (c) for any other periods that the SEC by order may permit for protection of Fund shareholders.

Redemption In-Kind. The Fund has reserved the right to redeem in-kind (that is, to pay redemption requests in cash and portfolio securities, or wholly in portfolio securities), although the Fund have no present intention to redeem in-kind.

Frequent Trading Policy

The Fund is intended as a long-term investment and not as a short-term trading vehicle. At the same time, the Fund recognizes the need of investors to periodically make purchases and redemptions of Fund shares when rebalancing their portfolios and as their financial needs or circumstances change. The Trust has adopted the following frequent trading policy

(the “Frequent Trading Policy” or the “Policy”) that seeks to balance these needs against the potential for higher operating costs, portfolio management disruption and other inefficiencies that can be caused by excessive trading of Fund shares.

Definition of Round Trip. A “Round Trip” trade is the purchase and subsequent redemption of Fund shares, including by exchange. Each side of a Round Trip trade may be comprised of either a single transaction or a series of closely-spaced transactions.

Round Trip Trade Limitations. The Trust limits the frequency of Round Trip trades that may be placed in the Fund. Subject to certain exceptions noted below, the Fund limits an investor to two Round Trips per trailing 90-day period and may also restrict the trading privileges of an investor who makes a Round Trip within a 30-day period where the purchase and redemption are of substantially similar dollar amounts.

Enforcement. Trades placed in violation of the foregoing policies are subject to rejection or cancellation by the Trust. The Trust may also bar an investor (and/or an investor’s financial advisor) who has violated these policies from opening new accounts with the Fund and may restrict the investor’s existing account(s) to redemptions only. The Trust reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to (a) interpret the terms and application of this Policy, (b) waive unintentional or minor violations (including transactions below certain minimum thresholds) if it determines that doing so does not harm the interests of Fund Shareholders, and (c) exclude certain classes of redemptions from the application of the trading restrictions set forth above.

The Trust reserves the right to impose restrictions on purchases or exchanges that are more restrictive than those stated above if it determines, in its sole discretion that a proposed transaction or series of transactions involve market timing or excessive trading that is likely to be detrimental to the Fund. The Trust may modify or suspend the Frequent Trading Policy without notice during periods of market stress or other unusual circumstances.

The ability of the Trust to implement the Frequent Trading Policy for omnibus accounts at certain financial intermediaries may be dependent on receiving from those intermediaries sufficient shareholder information to permit monitoring of trade activity and enforcement of the Trust’s Frequent Trading Policy. In addition, the Trust may rely on a financial intermediary’s policy to restrict market timing and excessive trading if the Trust believes that the policy is reasonably designed to prevent market timing that is detrimental to the Fund. Such policy may be more or less restrictive than the Trust’s Policy. The Trust cannot ensure that these financial intermediaries will in all cases apply the Trust’s policy or their own policies, as the case may be, to accounts under their control.

The CCO is authorized to set and modify the above-described parameters at any time as required to prevent adverse impact of frequent trading activity on Fund shareholders.

Exclusions from the Frequent Trading Policy

As stated above, certain redemptions are eligible for exclusion from the Frequent Trading Policy, including: (i) redemptions or exchanges by shareholders investing through the fee-based platforms of certain financial intermediaries (where the intermediary charges an asset-based or comprehensive “wrap” fee for its services) that are effected by the financial intermediaries in connection with systematic portfolio rebalancing; (ii) when there is a verified trade error correction, which occurs when a dealer firm sends a trade to correct an earlier trade made in error and then the firm sends an explanation to the Trust confirming that the trade is actually an error correction; (iii) in the event of total disability (as evidenced by a determination by the federal Social Security Administration) of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner) occurring after the purchase of the Fund shares being redeemed; (iv) in the event of the death of the shareholder (including a registered joint owner); (v) redemptions made pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan, up to 1% monthly, 3% quarterly, 6% semiannually or 12% annually of an account’s net asset value depending on the frequency of the plan as designated by the shareholder; (vi) redemptions of Fund shares that were purchased through a systematic investment program; (vii) involuntary redemptions caused by operation of law or Fund Policy; (viii) redemptions in connection with a payment of account or plan fees; (ix) redemptions or exchanges by any “fund of funds” advised by First Trust; and (x) redemptions in connection with the exercise of the Fund’s right to redeem all shares in an account that does not maintain a certain minimum balance or that the Board has determined may have material adverse consequences to the shareholders of the Fund.

In addition, the following redemptions of shares by an employer-sponsored qualified defined contribution retirement plan are excluded from the Frequent Trading Policy: (i) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a distribution without penalty under Section 72(t) of the Code from a retirement plan: (a) upon attaining age 59½; (b) as part

of a series of substantially equal periodic payments, or (c) upon separation from service and attaining age 55; (ii) partial or complete redemptions in connection with a qualifying loan or hardship withdrawal; (iii) complete redemptions in connection with termination of employment, plan termination, transfer to another employer’s plan or IRA or changes in a plan’s recordkeeper; and (iv) redemptions resulting from the return of an excess contribution. Also, the following redemptions of shares held in an IRA account are excluded from the application of the Frequent Trading Policy: (i) redemptions made pursuant to an IRA systematic withdrawal based on the shareholder’s life expectancy including, but not limited to, substantially equal periodic payments described in Code Section 72(t)(A)(iv) prior to age 59½; and (ii) redemptions to satisfy required minimum distributions after age 72 from an IRA account.

General Matters

The Fund may encourage registered representatives and their firms to help apportion their assets among bonds, stocks and cash, and may seek to participate in programs that recommend a portion of their assets be invested in equity securities, equity and debt securities, or equity and municipal securities.

To help advisors and investors better understand and more efficiently use the Fund to reach their investment goals, the Fund may advertise and create specific investment programs and systems. For example, this may include information on how to use the Fund to accumulate assets for future education needs or periodic payments such as insurance premiums. The Fund may produce software, electronic information sites, or additional sales literature to promote the advantages of using the Fund to meet these and other specific investor needs.

The Fund has authorized one or more brokers to accept on its behalf purchase and redemption orders. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to accept purchase and redemption orders on the Fund’s behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a broker’s authorized designee accepts the order. Customer orders received by such broker (or their designee) will be priced at the Fund’s net asset value next computed after they are accepted by an authorized broker (or their designee). Orders accepted by an authorized broker (or their designee) before the close of regular trading on the NYSE will receive that day’s share price; orders accepted after the close of trading will receive the next business day’s share price.

[TO BE CONFIRMED]

Distribution and Service Plan

The Fund has adopted a plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which provides that Class A shares are subject to an annual service fee. Class I shares are not subject to either distribution or service fees.

The Fund incurred 12b-1 fees pursuant to the Plan in the amounts set forth in the table below. 12b-1 fees are calculated and accrued daily and paid monthly or at such other intervals as the Board of Trustees may determine. As noted above, no 12b-1 fees are paid with respect to Class I shares. For the period below, substantially all of the 12b-1 service fees on Class A shares will be paid out as compensation to financial intermediaries for providing services to shareholders relating to their investments. To compensate for commissions advanced to financial intermediaries, substantially all 12b-1 fees on Class C shares during the first year following a purchase are retained by the Distributor. After the first year following a purchase, 12b-1 fees on Class C shares are paid to financial intermediaries.

12b-1 Fees Incurred by the Fund
Class	Fiscal Period Ended ___________, 20__
Class A	N/A
Class C	N/A
Class I	N/A

The service fee applicable to Class A and Class C shares under the Fund’s Plan will be payable to financial intermediaries in connection with the provision of ongoing account services to shareholders. These services may include establishing and maintaining shareholder accounts, answering shareholder inquiries and providing other personal services to shareholders.

The Fund may pay up to __% of 1% per year of the average daily net assets of Class A shares as a service fee under the Plan as applicable to Class A shares. The Fund may pay up to __% of 1% per year of the average daily net assets of Class C shares as a service fee and up to __% of 1% per year of the average daily net assets of Class C shares under the Plan as applicable to Class C shares as a distribution fee. The distribution fees applicable to Class C shares constitute asset-based sales charges whose purpose is the same as an up-front sales charge.

Under the Fund’s Plan, the Fund will report quarterly to the Board of Trustees for its review all amounts expended per class of shares under the Plan. The Plan may be terminated at any time with respect to any class of shares, without the payment of any penalty, by a vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such class. The Plan may be renewed from year to year if approved by a vote of the Board of Trustees and a vote of the Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Plan. The Plan may be continued only if the trustees who vote to approve such continuance conclude, in the exercise of reasonable business judgment and in light of their fiduciary duties under applicable law, that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plan will benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the cost which a class of shares may bear under the Plan without the approval of the shareholders of the affected class, and any other material amendments of the Plan must be approved by the Independent Trustees by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of considering such amendments. During the continuance of the Plan, the selection and nomination of the Independent Trustees of the Trust will be committed to the discretion of the Independent Trustees then in office.

Federal Tax Matters

[TO BE UPDATED]

This section summarizes some of the main U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning shares of the Fund. This section is current as of the date of the SAI. Tax laws and interpretations change frequently, and these summaries do not describe all of the tax consequences to all taxpayers. For example, these summaries generally do not describe your situation if you are a corporation, a non-U.S. person, a broker-dealer or other investor with special circumstances. In addition, this section does not describe your state, local or foreign tax consequences.

This federal income tax summary is based in part on the advice of counsel to the Fund. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) could disagree with any conclusions set forth in this section. The following disclosure may not be sufficient for prospective investors to use for the purpose of avoiding penalties under federal tax law.

As with any investment, prospective investors should seek advice based on their individual circumstances from their own tax advisor.

The Fund intends to qualify annually and to elect to be treated as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally accorded to RICs, the Fund must, among other things, (i) derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, or net income derived from interests in certain publicly traded partnerships; (ii) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the taxable year, (a) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s assets is represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities, the securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities of any one issuer generally limited for the purposes of this calculation to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, or two or more issuers which the Fund controls which are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more of certain publicly traded partnerships; and (iii) distribute at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (which includes, among other items, dividends,taxable interest and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses) and at least 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income each taxable year. There are certain exceptions for failure to qualify if the failure is for reasonable cause or is de minimis, and certain corrective action is taken and certain tax payments are made by the Fund.

As a RIC, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, that it distributes to shareholders. The Fund intends to distribute to its shareholders, at least annually, substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain. If the Fund retains any net capital gain or investment company taxable income, it will generally be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates on the amount retained. In addition, amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax unless, generally, the Fund distributes during each calendar year an amount equal to the sum of (1) at least 98% of its ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gains or losses) for the calendar year, (2) at least 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the one-year period ending October 31 of the calendar year, and (3) any ordinary income and capital gains for previous years that were not distributed during those years. In order to prevent application of the excise tax, the Fund intends to make its distributions in accordance with the calendar year distribution requirement. A distribution will be treated as paid on December 31 of the current calendar year if it is declared by the Fund in October, November or December with a record date in such a month and paid by the Fund during January of the following calendar year. Such distributions will be taxable to shareholders in the calendar year in which the distributions are declared, rather than the calendar year in which the distributions are received.

Subject to certain reasonable cause and de minimis exceptions, if the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC or fails to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement in any taxable year, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation on its taxable income (even if such income were distributed to its shareholders) and all distributions out of earnings and profits would be taxed to shareholders as ordinary income.

Distributions

Dividends that qualify as “exempt-interest dividends” generally are excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes. Some or all of the exempt-interest dividends, however, may be taken into account in determining the alternative minimum tax on individuals and may have other tax consequences (e.g., they may affect the amount of a shareholder’s social security benefits that are taxed). For tax years beginning after December 31, 2022, exempt-interest dividends may affect the corporate alternative minimum tax for certain corporations. Other dividends paid out of the Fund’s investment company taxable income are generally taxable to a shareholder as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares.

Income from the Fund may also be subject to a 3.8% “Medicare tax.” This tax generally applies to net investment income if the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income exceeds certain threshold amounts, which are $250,000 in the case of married couples filing joint returns and $200,000 in the case of single individuals. Interest that is excluded from gross income and exempt-interest dividends from the Fund are generally not included in net investment income for purposes of this tax.

Distributions of net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, properly reported as capital gain dividends are taxable to a shareholder as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long the shareholder has held Fund shares. An election may be available to you to defer recognition of the gain attributable to a capital gain dividend if you make certain qualifying investments within a limited time. You should talk to your tax advisor about the availability of this deferral election and its requirements. Shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional shares, rather than cash, generally will have a tax basis in each such share equal to the value of a share of the Fund on the reinvestment date. A distribution of an amount in excess of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated by a shareholder as a return of capital which is applied against and reduces the shareholder’s basis in his or her shares. To the extent that the amount of any such distribution exceeds the shareholder’s basis in his or her shares, the excess will be treated by the shareholder as gain from a sale or exchange of the shares.

Certain distributions reported by the Fund as Section 163(j) interest dividends may be treated as interest income by shareholders for purposes of the tax rules applicable to interest expense limitations under Code Section 163(j). The amount that the Fund is eligible to report as a Section 163(j) dividend for a tax year is generally limited to the excess of the Fund’s business interest income over the sum of the Fund’s (i) business interest expense and (ii) other deductions properly allocable to the Fund’s business interest income.

Shareholders will be notified annually as to the U.S. federal income tax status of distributions and shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional shares will receive a report as to the value of those shares.

Sale or Exchange of Fund Shares

Upon the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund, which a shareholder holds as a capital asset, such a shareholder may realize a capital gain or loss which will be long-term or short-term, depending upon the shareholder’s holding period for the shares. Generally, a shareholder’s gain or loss will be a long-term gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. An election may be available to you to defer recognition of capital gain if you make certain qualifying investments within a limited time. You should talk to your tax advisor about the availability of this deferral election and its requirements.

Any loss realized on a sale or exchange will be disallowed to the extent that shares disposed of are replaced (including through reinvestment of dividends) within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after disposition of shares or to the extent that the shareholder, during such period, acquires or enters into an option or contract to acquire, substantially identical stock or securities. In such a case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Any loss realized by a shareholder on a disposition of Fund shares held by the shareholder for six months or less will be disallowed to the extent of the exempt-interest dividends the shareholder received, except in the case of a regular dividend paid by the Fund if the Fund declares exempt-interest dividends on a daily basis in an amount equal to at least 90 percent of its net tax-exempt interest and distributes such dividends on a monthly or more frequent basis. To the extent, if any, it is not disallowed, it will be recharacterized as long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividend received.

The Fund is required to report to each shareholder and to the Internal Revenue Service cost basis information for shares sold by or redeemed from the shareholder. This information includes the adjusted cost basis of the shares, the gross proceeds from disposition and whether the gain or loss is long-term or short-term. The adjusted cost basis of shares will be based on the default cost basis reporting method selected by the Fund, unless a shareholder, before the sale or redemption, informs the Fund that she, he or it has selected a different IRS-accepted method offered by the Fund. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the best cost basis method for their tax situation, and to obtain more information about how these cost basis reporting requirements apply to them.

Nature of Fund Investments

Certain of the Fund's investment practices are subject to special and complex federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions; (ii) convert lower taxed long-term capital gain into higher taxed short-term capital gain or ordinary income; (iii) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited); (iv) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash; (v) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur; and (vi) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions.

Futures Contracts and Options

The Fund's transactions in futures contracts and options will be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital, or short-term or long-term), may accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and may defer Fund losses. These rules could, therefore, affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also (a) will require the Fund to mark-to-market certain types of the positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out); and (b) may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement for qualifying to be taxed as a RIC and the distribution requirements for avoiding excise taxes.

Backup Withholding

The Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax from all taxable distributions and sale proceeds payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number or fail to make required certifications, or who have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. Corporate

shareholders and certain other shareholders specified in the Code generally are exempt from such backup withholding. This withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability.

Non-U.S. Shareholders

U.S. taxation of a shareholder who, as to the United States, is a nonresident alien individual, a foreign trust or estate, a foreign corporation or foreign partnership (“non-U.S. shareholder”) depends on whether the income of the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the shareholder.

In addition to the rules described in this section concerning the potential imposition of withholding on distributions to non-U.S. persons, distributions to non-U.S. persons that are “financial institutions” may be subject to a withholding tax of 30% unless an agreement is in place between the financial institution and the U.S. Treasury to collect and disclose information about accounts, equity investments or debt interests in the financial institution held by one or more U.S. persons or the institution is resident in a jurisdiction that has entered into such an agreement with the U.S. Treasury. For these purposes, a “financial institution” means any entity that (i) accepts deposits in the ordinary course of a banking or similar business; (ii) holds financial assets for the account of others as a substantial portion of its business; or (iii) is engaged (or holds itself out as being engaged) primarily in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities, partnership interests, commodities or any interest (including a futures contract or option) in such securities, partnership interests or commodities. This withholding tax is also currently scheduled to apply to the gross proceeds from the disposition of securities that produce U.S. source interest or dividends. However, proposed regulations may eliminate the requirement to withhold on payments of gross proceeds from dispositions.

Distributions to non-financial non-U.S. entities (other than publicly traded foreign entities, entities owned by residents of U.S. possessions, foreign governments, international organizations or foreign central banks) will also be subject to a withholding tax of 30% if the entity does not certify that the entity does not have any substantial U.S. owners or provide the name, address and TIN of each substantial U.S. owner. This withholding tax is also currently scheduled to apply to the gross proceeds from the disposition of securities that produce U.S. source interest or dividends. However, proposed regulations may eliminate the requirement to withhold on payments of gross proceeds from dispositions.

Income Not Effectively Connected. If the income from the Fund is not “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the non-U.S. shareholder, distributions of investment company taxable income, generally not including exempt-interest dividends, will generally be subject to a U.S. tax of 30% (or lower treaty rate), which tax is generally withheld from such distributions.

Distributions of capital gain dividends and any amounts retained by the Fund which are properly reported by the Fund as undistributed capital gains will not be subject to U.S. tax at the rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate) unless the non-U.S. shareholder is a nonresident alien individual and is physically present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year and meets certain other requirements. However, this 30% tax on capital gains of nonresident alien individuals who are physically present in the United States for more than the 182 day period only applies in exceptional cases because any individual present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year is generally treated as a resident for U.S. income tax purposes; in that case, he or she would be subject to U.S. income tax on his or her worldwide income at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens, rather than the 30% U.S. tax. In the case of a non-U.S. shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual, the Fund may be required to withhold U.S. income tax from distributions of net capital gain unless the non-U.S. shareholder certifies his or her non-U.S. status under penalties of perjury or otherwise establishes an exemption. If a non-U.S. shareholder is a nonresident alien individual, any gain such shareholder realizes upon the sale or exchange of such shareholder’s shares of the Fund in the United States will ordinarily be exempt from U.S. tax unless the gain is U.S. source income and such shareholder is physically present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year and meets certain other requirements.

Distributions from the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as an interest-related dividend attributable to certain interest income received by the Fund or as a short-term capital gain dividend attributable to certain net short-term capital gain income received by the Fund may not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes, including withholding taxes when received by certain non-U.S. shareholders, provided that the Fund makes certain elections and certain other conditions are met. For tax years after December 31, 2022, amounts paid to or recognized by a non-U.S. affiliate that are excluded from tax under the portfolio interest, capital gain dividends, short-term capital gains or tax-exempt interest dividend exceptions or applicable treaties, may be taken into consideration in determining whether a corporation is an “applicable corporation” subject to a 15% minimum tax on adjusted financial statement income.

Income Effectively Connected. If the income from the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a non-U.S. shareholder, then distributions of investment company taxable income, generally not including exempt-interest dividends, and capital gain dividends, any amounts retained by the Fund which are properly reported by the Fund as undistributed capital gains and any gains realized upon the sale or exchange of shares of the Fund will be subject to U.S. income tax at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens, residents and domestic corporations. Non-U.S. corporate shareholders may also be subject to the branch profits tax imposed by the Code. The tax consequences to a non-U.S. shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may differ from those described herein. Non-U.S. shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.

Capital Loss Carry-forward

Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, net capital losses of the Fund incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 may be carried forward indefinitely, and their character is retained as short-term and/or long-term losses. To the extent that these loss carry-forwards are used to offset future capital gains, it is probable that the capital gains so offset will not be distributed to Fund shareholders. The Fund is subject to certain limitations, under U.S. tax rules, on the use of capital loss carry-forwards and net unrealized built-in losses. These limitations generally apply when there has been a 50% change in ownership.

Other Taxation

Fund shareholders may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes on their Fund distributions. Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.

Determination of Net Asset Value

The Fund’s net asset value is determined as set forth in the Prospectus in the section entitled “Net Asset Value.”

Dividends and Distributions

Dividend Reinvestment Service. Unless you request otherwise, the Fund reinvests your dividends and capital gain distributions in additional Fund shares of the same class of shares with respect to which such dividends or distributions are paid. If you do not want your dividends and capital gain distributions reinvested in Fund shares in this manner, you may contact your financial advisor to request that your dividends and capital gain distributions be paid to you by check or deposited directly into your bank account. If adequate information is not received from a shareholder or its financial advisor to permit the Fund to direct reinvestment proceeds into the account from which they were paid, the Fund reserves the right to redirect such amounts into the appropriate account at a later date. For further information, contact your financial advisor or call First Trust Funds at (800) 621-1675.

Miscellaneous Information

Counsel. Chapman and Cutler LLP, 320 South Canal Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606, is counsel to the Trust.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Deloitte & Touche LLP, 111 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, serves as the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm. The firm audits the Fund's financial statements and performs other related audit services.

Exhibit A—Proxy Voting Guidelines

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures of Vest Financial, LLC, the (“Firm”)

Last Amended: October 7, 2022 (firm name updated January 2, 2024)

Background

Vest Financial, LLC (the “Firm” or the “Adviser”) has a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of its clients and must not place its own interests ahead of its clients. The Firm serves as the investment adviser or sub-adviser to open- end mutual funds, Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”), Collective Investment Trusts (“CITs”), and acts as a portfolio consultant and may provide sub-supervisory services for Unit Investment Trusts (“UITs”) (collectively “Clients”).

Investment advisers registered with the SEC, and which exercise voting authority with respect to client securities, are required by Rule 206(4)-6 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 the (“Advisers Act”), as amended, to (a) adopt and implement written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that client securities are voted in the best interests of clients, which must include how an adviser addresses material conflicts that may arise between an adviser’s interests and those of its clients; (b) to disclose to clients how they may obtain information from the adviser with respect to the voting of proxies for their securities; (c) to describe to clients a summary of its proxy voting policies and procedures and, upon request, furnish a copy to its clients; and (d) maintain certain records relating to the adviser’s proxy voting activities when the adviser does have proxy voting authority.

Each Client’s agreement with the Firm describes the Firm’s proxy voting responsibilities with respect to that Client, under which the Firm generally will be granted authority to vote proxies related to the investment portfolio securities in a Client’s account unless a Client has expressly reserved the authority to vote such proxies.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, most of the strategies managed for Clients involves the trading of options, and therefore, do not hold portfolio securities for which any matters relating to such portfolio securities were considered at a shareholder meeting. Where a Client’s portfolio holds securities that would be entitled to vote, the objective of the Client’s strategy is generally to track an index. In these instances, purchase and sale decisions of portfolio securities are based on changes to the underlying index and are not usually based on the Adviser’s positive or negative outlook of the issuer.

Voting Policy

To assist the Firm in carrying out its responsibilities with respect to proxy voting, the Firm has engaged on outside firm, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”), who provides proxy research, advisory, voting, recordkeeping and vote-reporting service. Pursuant to a proxy voting agency service agreement, ISS is responsible for, among other things: obtaining proxies based on companies owned in Client accounts; providing proxy materials, research and analysis; maintaining a proxy voting system that adequately tracks and records votes; and providing proxy voting records required to file Form N-PX on behalf of Clients that are registered investment companies. The Firm also utilizes ISS’s proprietary service, Proxy Exchange, which provides voting services including voting recommendations.

The Firm has adopted ISS’s Proxy Voting Guidelines Benchmark Policy Recommendations (the “ISS Guidelines”) to determine how each issue on proxy ballots is to be voted. The Firm has reviewed the ISS Guidelines and believes it to be the most consistent and compatible with strategies managed by the Firm and to maximize shareholder value. The ISS Guidelines are incorporated hereto by reference, and a copy of the ISS Guidelines, as may be revised from time to time, is maintained with the Firm’s Proxy Voting Policy.

Proxy statements will be voted in accordance with this template unless: (i) the Firm determines that it has a conflict of interest; or (ii) the Firm’s portfolio managers (“Portfolio Managers”) determine that there are other reasons not to follow the ISS Guidelines; or (iii) No input is provided by the ISS Guidelines, in which case the Adviser will independently determine how a particular issue should be voted and such determination will be documented by the Portfolio Manager.

It will generally be the responsibility of the Firm to vote all proxies, where authorized. It is contemplated that the Firm will be active in all proxy voting issues, however, there may be occasions when a vote is missed by Firm personnel. In the event a vote is missed by Firm personnel, for any reason, that vote will be automatically cast in accordance with the ISS Guidelines. Any decisions regarding proxy voting where the Firm determines not to follow the ISS Guidelines shall be determined by the Portfolio Managers. The Firm’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) must be notified of the decision and a memo regarding the reason for not following the ISS Guidelines must be maintained in the proxy voting file. Additionally, the Firm may determine not to vote a particular proxy if the costs and burdens exceed the benefits of voting (e.g., casting a vote on a foreign security that could involve additional costs or when securities are subject to loan or to share blocking restrictions).

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The Firm’s Portfolio Managers and CCO will review, at least annually, the ISS Guidelines for continued relevancy and make a determination that relying on the ISS Guidelines for proxy voting continue to be in the best interest of the Firm’s Clients.

Voting Procedures

Once a Client account is established, the Firm will arrange for the Client’s custodian, as necessary, to forward proxy materials to ISS. The Firm will also confirm that the Client’s custodian provides ISS with a list of Client holdings on a regular basis to enable ISS to track meeting dates and notify the Firm of upcoming meetings.

The voting recommendations are provided by Proxy Exchange for each meeting. Internally, the Firm provides oversight of the proxy voting process. The Firm through a Portfolio Manager or other designated person will review the proxy vote statements and recommendations. In the event a vote is inadvertently missed, the ballot will be cast automatically in accordance with our proxy voting guidelines. A record will be made and maintained of all votes.

The Firm may abstain from voting a proxy if it concludes that the effect on the client’s or shareholder’s economic interests or the value of the portfolio holding is indeterminable or insignificant. The Firm may also abstain from voting if it concludes the cost of voting is disproportionate to the economic impact the vote would have on the portfolio holdings.

The Firm’s CCO or the CCO’s designee will monitor the proxy voting process to ensure that all votes are cast, the proper number of shares are recorded and that the proxy proposals are voted in accordance with the ISS Guidelines or, if there is a vote cast that deviates from such policies, that a rationale is documented.

Conflicts of Interest

The Firm will use commercially reasonable efforts to determine whether a potential conflict may exist, and a potential conflict shall be deemed to exist only if the Portfolio Manager actually knows or should have known of the conflict. The Firm is sensitive to conflicts of interest that may arise in the proxy decision-making process and has identified the following potential conflicts of interest:

●

A principal of the Firm or any person involved in the proxy decision-making process currently serves on the Board of the portfolio company.

●

An immediate family member of a principal of the Firm or any person involved in the proxy decision-making process currently serves as a director or executive officer of the portfolio company.

●

The Firm, or any Client account managed by the Firm any or any affiliate, holds a significant ownership interest in the portfolio company.

Any conflict of interest will be resolved in the best interests of Client’s and fund shareholders. In the event a material conflict of interest is identified or believed to exist, the employee will advise the CCO and the Portfolio Managers will decide whether the Firm should either (1) disclose the conflict to the Client to enable the Client to evaluate the Firm’s proxy voting advice in light of the conflict or (2) disclose to the Client the conflict, with no voting recommendation, and vote in accordance with the Client’s instructions.

The Firm shall also maintain records of any conflicts of interest that were identified with any specific vote, and if so, what action was taken to resolve the conflict with respect to each vote cast.

Due Diligence

The CCO performs the following oversight and assurance functions, among others, over the Firm’s proxy voting: (1) periodically samples proxy votes to ensure that they were cast in compliance with this Proxy Voting Policy; (2) review, no less frequently than annually, the adequacy of this Proxy Voting Policy to make sure that it has been implemented effectively, including whether it continues to be reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interests of the Firm’s clients; (3) at least annually perform due diligence on whether a retained proxy advisory firm has the capacity and competency to adequately analyze proxy issues, including the adequacy and quality of the proxy advisory firm’s staffing and personnel and its policies; and (4) oversee any retained proxy advisory firms and their procedures regarding their capabilities to (i) produce proxy research that is based on current and accurate information (ii) identify and address any conflicts of interest and any other considerations that we believe would be appropriate in considering the nature and quality of the services provided by the proxy advisory firm and (iii) ensure adherence to contractual terms.

Reporting

Upon a client’s written request, the Firm provides information on how portfolio company shares held in the Client’s account were voted. The Firm also furnishes to clients a description of its proxy voting policies and procedures and, upon request, furnish a copy of these policies and procedures to the requesting client. The Firm will also provide required

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disclosures in response to Item 17 of Form ADV Part 2A summarizing these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures, including a statement that clients may request information regarding how the Firm voted client’s proxies.

Proxy Vote Record Retention

The Firm, in conjunction with ISS, will compile and maintain for five (5) years the proxy voting records required by Rule 204-2(c)(2) under the Advisers Act, which include (1) copies of these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures, (2) a copy of each proxy statement received for Client securities (this requirement may be satisfied by a third party who has agreed in writing to do so or by obtaining a copy of the proxy statement from the EDGAR database), (3) a record of each vote cast on behalf of a client (this requirement may be satisfied by a third party who has agreed in writing to do so), (4) a copy of any document created by the Firm that was material to making the voting decision or that memorializes the basis for the decision, and (5) a copy of each written Client request for information on how the Firm voted proxies on the client’s behalf, as well as a copy of any written response to a written or oral client request for such information. All proxy voting records are to be retained for five years, with the first two years in the offices of the Firm. All records may be maintained electronically.

Form N-PX Filing Logistics

The Firm is responsible for ensuring that the third-party proxy vote service maintains the complete proxy log and confirms the timely voting of proxies. The proxy vote log will be maintained in such a manner that the following information is contained within the log in accordance with the requirements of submitting Form N-PX for proxies voted on behalf of the Firm’s Fund:

●

the name of the issuer;

●

the exchange ticker symbol, if available;

●

the CUSIP number, if available;

●

the shareholder meeting date;

●

a brief identification of the matter voted on;

●

whether the matter was proposed by the issuer or a security holder;

●

whether the Firm cast its vote on the matter;

●

how the Firm cast its vote on the matter (for, against, abstain, or withhold regarding the election of directors); and

●

whether the Firm cast its vote for or against management.

The Firm shall provide the information necessary to complete the Form N-PX to the appropriate fund service provider who will submit the filings in a timely manner.

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Section 9.5. Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses. Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in this Section 9.5, every person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, or employee of the Trust, including persons who serve at the request of the Trust as directors, trustees, officers, employees or agents of another organization in which the Trust has an interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (hereinafter referred to as a "Covered Person"), shall be indemnified by the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him or in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been such a Trustee, director, officer, employee or agent and against amounts paid or incurred by him in settlement thereof.

No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person to the extent such indemnification is prohibited by applicable federal law.

The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust, shall be severable, shall not affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be such a Covered Person and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

Subject to applicable federal law, expenses of preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action, suit or proceeding subject to a claim for indemnification under this Section 9.5 shall be advanced by the Trust prior to final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the recipient to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification under this Section 9.5.

To the extent that any determination is required to be made as to whether a Covered Person engaged in conduct for which indemnification is not provided as described herein, or as to whether there is reason to believe that a Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification, the Person or Persons making the determination shall afford the Covered Person a rebuttable presumption that the Covered Person has not engaged in such conduct and that there is reason to believe that the Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.

As used in this Section 9.5, the words "claim," "action," "suit" or "proceeding" shall apply to all claims, demands, actions, suits, investigations, regulatory inquiries, proceedings or any other occurrence of a similar nature, whether actual or threatened and whether civil, criminal, administrative or other, including appeals, and the words "liability" and "expenses" shall include without limitation, attorneys' fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.

First Trust Advisors L.P. (“First Trust”), investment adviser to the Registrant, serves as adviser or sub-adviser to various other open-end and closed-end management investment companies and is the portfolio supervisor of certain unit investment trusts. The principal business of certain of First Trust’s principal executive officers involves various activities in connection with the family of unit investment trusts sponsored by First Trust Portfolios L.P. (“FTP”). The principal address for all these investment companies, First Trust, FTP and the persons below is 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, Illinois 60187.

A description of any business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which the officers of First Trust who serve as officers or trustees of the Registrant have engaged during the last two years for his or her account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee appears under “Management of the Fund” in the Statement of Additional Information. Such information for the remaining senior officers of First Trust appears below:

(a) FTP serves as principal underwriter of the shares of the Registrant, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund II, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund III, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund IV, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund V, First Trust Exchange Traded Fund VI, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VII, First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII, First Trust Exchange-Traded AlphaDEX^®Fund, First Trust Exchange-Traded AlphaDEX^®Fund II and First Trust Variable Insurance Trust. FTP serves as principal underwriter and depositor of the following investment companies registered as unit investment trusts: the First Trust Combined Series, FT Series (formerly known as the First Trust Special Situations Trust), the First Trust Insured Corporate Trust, the First Trust of Insured Municipal Bonds and the First Trust GNMA.

First Trust, 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, maintains the Registrant’s organizational documents, minutes of meetings, contracts of the Registrant and all advisory material of the investment adviser.

The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNY”) maintains all general and subsidiary ledgers, journals, trial balances, records of all portfolio purchases and sales, and all other requirement records not maintained by First Trust.

BNY also maintains all the required records in its capacity as transfer, accounting, dividend payment and interest holder service agent for the Registrant.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Wheaton, and State of Illinois, on the 4th day of April, 2025.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated:

Registration Statement Under the Securities Act of 1933	[ ]
Pre-Effective Amendment No. __	[ ]
Post-Effective Amendment No. 72	[X]
and/or
Registration Statement Under the Investment Company Act of 1940	[ ]
Amendment No. 73	[X]

Name and Position with First Trust	Employment During Past Two Years
Andrew S. Roggensack, President	Managing Director and President, First Trust
R. Scott Hall, Managing Director	Managing Director, First Trust
David G. McGarel, Chief Investment Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director	Managing Director (since July 2012); Senior Vice President, First Trust
Kelly C. Dehler, Chief Compliance Office	Assistant General Counsel, First Trust
Brian Wesbury, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President	Chief Economist and Senior Vice President, First Trust

	First Trust Series Fund
	By:	/s/ James M. Dykas
		James M. Dykas, President and Chief Executive Officer

Signature	Title		Date
/s/ James M. Dykas	President and Chief Executive Officer		April 4, 2025
James M. Dykas
/s/ Derek D. Maltbie	Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer		April 4, 2025
Derek D. Maltbie
James A. Bowen*	) Trustee )
	)
Richard E. Erickson*	) Trustee )
	)
Thomas R. Kadlec*	) Trustee )
	)
Denise M. Keefe*	) Trustee )
	)
Robert F. Keith*	) Trustee )
	)	By:	/s/ W. Scott Jardine
Niel B. Nielson*	) Trustee )		W. Scott Jardine Attorney-In-Fact
	)		April 4, 2025
Bronwyn Wright*	) Trustee )
	)

Name and Principal Business Address*	Positions and Offices with Underwriter	Positions and Offices with Fund
The Charger Corporation	General Partner	None
Grace Partners of DuPage L.P.	Limited Partner	None
James A. Bowen	Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director	Trustee and Chairman of the Board
James M. Dykas	Chief Financial Officer and Managing Director	President and Chief Executive Officer
Frank L. Fichera	Managing Director	None
R. Scott Hall	Managing Director	None
W. Scott Jardine	General Counsel, Secretary and Managing Director	Secretary
Daniel J. Lindquist	Managing Director	Vice President
David G. McGarel	Chief Investment Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director	None
Richard A. Olson	Managing Director	None
Marisa Bowen	Managing Director	None
Andrew S. Roggensack	President and Managing Director	None
Kristi A. Maher	International General Counsel	Chief Compliance Officer and Assistant Secretary
* All addresses are 120 East Liberty Drive, Wheaton, Illinois 60187.