Aptus 485A

485APOS 1 aptus485a.htm 485APOS Aptus 485A

Filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 6, 2024

1933 Act Registration File No. 333-179562

1940 Act File No. 811-22668

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-1A


REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933		[X]
Pre-Effective Amendment No.		[ ]
Post-Effective Amendment No.	946	[X]

and


REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940		[X]
Amendment No.	947	[X]

(Check appropriate box or boxes.)

ETF SERIES SOLUTIONS

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

(414) 516-1645

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code)

Kristina R. Nelson, President

ETF Series Solutions

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

777 East Wisconsin Avenue, 10th Floor

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Copy to:

Christopher D. Menconi

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004-2541

As soon as practical after the effective date of this Registration Statement

(Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering)

It is proposed that this filing will become effective


☐			immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
☐			on _____________pursuant to paragraph (b)
☐			60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
☐			on ______________ pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
X			75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
☐			on pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

If appropriate, check the following box

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

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION

Dated March 6, 2024

THE INFORMATION HEREIN IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.

Aptus January Buffer ETF (JANB)

Aptus April Buffer ETF (APRB)

Aptus July Buffer ETF (JULB)

Aptus October Buffer ETF (OCTB)

Listed on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.

PROSPECTUS

[--], 2024

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The following information describes some of the risks associated with investing in each of the Funds listed on the cover page of this Prospectus (each, a “Fund” and, collectively, the “Funds”). Additional information about these and other risks related to the Funds can be found below in this Prospectus.

Each Fund uses a “structured outcome strategy” to seek to produce pre-determined target investment outcomes based upon the performance of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”). The pre-determined structured outcomes sought by the Funds, which include the buffer and cap discussed below, are based upon the performance of the Underlying ETF over a one-year period referred to with respect to a Fund as the initial “Investment Period.” Following a Fund’s initial Investment Period, each subsequent Investment Period will be a one-year period.

•A Fund will not terminate after the conclusion of the Investment Period. After the conclusion of an Investment Period with respect to a Fund, another will begin. There is no guarantee that the structured outcomes for an Investment Period will be realized.

•The structured outcomes may only be realized if you are holding shares on the first day of an Investment Period and continue to hold them on the last day of that Investment Period. If you purchase shares after an Investment Period has begun or sell shares prior to an Investment Period’s conclusion, you may experience investment returns very different from those that the Fund seeks to provide. If the Investment Period has begun and the Fund has increased in value to a level near to the Cap (as defined below), an investor purchasing at that price has little or no ability to achieve gains but remains vulnerable to downside risks. Similarly, if the Investment Period has begun and the Fund has decreased in value beyond the pre-determined buffer (as described below), an investor purchasing shares at that price may not benefit from the buffer. There is no guarantee that a Fund will successfully achieve its investment objective.

•Fund shareholders are subject to an upside return cap (the “Cap”) that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in a Fund for an Investment Period. Therefore, even though the Funds’ returns are based upon the Underlying ETF, if the Underlying ETF experiences returns for an Investment Period in excess of the Cap, you will not experience those excess gains. A Fund’s Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next. There is no guarantee that a Fund’s Cap will remain the same upon the conclusion of its Investment Period.

•Each Fund only seeks to provide shareholders that hold shares for an entire Investment Period with a buffer against a pre-determined percentage of Underlying ETF losses. You will bear all Underlying ETF losses beyond that pre-determined percentage as described below. While each Fund seeks to limit losses for shareholders who hold shares for the entire Investment Period, there is no guarantee it will successfully do so.

•The Funds’ website, [www.aptusetfs.com], provides important information (including Investment Period start and end dates and each Fund’s Cap and buffer), as well information relating to the potential outcomes of an investment in a Fund on a daily basis. If you are contemplating purchasing shares, please visit the website. Investors considering purchasing shares after an Investment Period has begun or selling shares prior to the end of an Investment Period should visit the website to fully understand potential investment outcomes.

•Although each Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective, there is no guarantee that it will do so. The returns that a Fund seeks to provide do not include the costs associated with purchasing shares of that Fund and certain expenses incurred by the Fund. The Funds have characteristics unlike many other traditional investment products and may not be suitable for all investors. The table on the following page provides considerations for determining whether an investment in a Fund is appropriate for you.

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Aptus January Buffer ETF - Fund Summary			2
Aptus April Buffer ETF - Fund Summary			10
Aptus July Buffer ETF - Fund Summary			18
Aptus October Buffer ETF - Fund Summary			26
Additional Information About the Funds			34
Portfolio Holdings Information			38
Management			38
Investment Adviser			38
Portfolio Managers			38
How to Buy and Sell Shares			39
Book Entry			39
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares			39
Determination of Net Asset Value (NAV)			39
Fair Value Pricing			39
Investments by Registered Investment Companies			40
Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding			40
Dividends, Distributions, and Taxes			40
Distribution			43
Premium/Discount Information			43
Additional Notices			43
Financial Highlights			44


APTUS JANUARY BUFFER ETF - FUND SUMMARY

Investment Objective

The Aptus January Buffer ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investors with returns that match those of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside Cap, as defined below, before fees and expenses, while providing a Buffer, as defined below, against a predetermined percentage, before fees and expenses, of Underlying ETF losses over a twelve-month period from January 1 to December 31.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.


Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees			[ ]%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees			[ ]%
Other Expenses1			[ ]%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses			[ ]%

1 Estimated for the current fiscal year.

Expense Example

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


1 Year			3 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 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. Because the Fund is newly organized, portfolio turnover information is not yet available.

Principal Investment Strategy

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that, under normal market conditions, invests substantially all of its assets in FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”) that reference the market price of the Underlying ETF. Due to the unique mechanics of the Fund’s strategy, the return an investor can expect to receive from an investment in the Fund has characteristics that are distinct from many other investment vehicles. It is important that an investor understand these characteristics before making an investment in the Fund.

The Fund uses FLEX Options to employ a “structured outcome strategy.” Structured outcome strategies seek to produce pre-determined target investment outcomes based upon the performance of an underlying security or index. The pre-determined outcomes sought by the Fund are intended to reflect the performance of the Underlying ETF over an approximate one-year period (the “Investment Period”), subject to a buffer (the “Buffer”) against certain Underlying ETF losses and a cap (the “Cap”) as set forth in the following table:

Investment
Period Start

Investment
Period End

Buffer

Cap (before Fund
fees and expenses)

Cap (after Fund
fees and expenses)

January 1

December 31

15%

[14%*]

[ ]

*This is an estimated cap based on an anticipated cap range of 10-18%. This range is subject to variation depending on market conditions and other factors.

In general, the structured outcomes the Fund seeks for investors that hold Fund shares for an entire Investment Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:

•If the Underlying ETF appreciates over the Investment Period, the strategy is intended to provide upside participation that matches the returns of the Underlying ETF, up to the Cap that is determined at the start of the Investment Period.

•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by up to 15%, the strategy is designed to provide a flat return for the Fund (i.e., neither a gain nor a loss), before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 10% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to have a flat return of 0%, before fees and expenses of the Fund.

•If the Underlying ETF declines in value over the Investment Period by more than 15%, the strategy is designed to protect the Fund from the first 15% of Underlying ETF losses, while experiencing losses greater than 15% on a one-to-one basis with the Underlying ETF, before fees and expenses of the Fund. For example, if the Underlying ETF loses 20% over the Investment Period, the strategy is designed for the Fund to have losses of 5% (20% less the Buffer of 15%), before Fund fees and expenses.

The following charts illustrate the hypothetical returns that the FLEX Options seek to provide with respect to the performance of the Underlying ETF in certain illustrative scenarios over the course of the Investment Period. These charts do not take into account payment by the Fund of fees and expenses. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in providing these investment outcomes for any Investment Period.

Investors purchasing Shares during an Investment Period will experience different results. The Fund’s website, [www.aptusetfs.com/funds/janb], provides information relating to the possible outcomes for an investor of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and Buffer. Before purchasing Shares, an investor should visit the Fund’s website to review this information and understand the possible outcomes of an investment in Shares on a particular day.

The Fund is a continuous investment vehicle that will be perpetually offered. It does not terminate and distribute its assets at the conclusion of an Investment Period. Subsequent Investment Periods will begin on the day the prior Investment Period ends and will end on the approximate one-year anniversary of that new Investment Period. On the first day of each new Investment Period, the Fund resets by investing in a new set of FLEX Options that will provide a new Cap for the new Investment Period. This means that the Cap will change for each Investment Period based upon prevailing market conditions at the beginning of each Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer, and the Fund’s position relative to each, should be considered before investing in the Fund.

Purchases During an Investment Period

An investor that purchases Shares other than on the first day of an Investment Period and/or sells Shares prior to the end of an Investment Period may experience results that are very different from the outcomes sought by the Fund for that Investment Period.

Both the Cap and Buffer are fixed levels that are calculated in relation to the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) at the start of an Investment Period. While the Cap and Buffer reference the performance of the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, the Fund expects its NAV to experience the same general price movement, Cap, and Buffer as a percentage gain or loss by the Underlying ETF over the Investment Period, before fees and expenses of the Fund.

Because the Underlying ETF’s market price and the Fund’s NAV change over the Investment Period, an investor acquiring Shares after the start of the Investment Period will likely have a different return potential than an investor who purchased Shares at the start of the Investment Period. This is because, while the Cap and Buffer for the Investment Period are fixed levels that remain constant throughout the Investment Period, an investor purchasing Shares at market value during the Investment Period likely purchased Shares at a price that is different from the Fund’s NAV at the start of the Investment Period (i.e., the NAV that the Cap and Buffer reference). In addition, the price of the Underlying ETF during the Investment Period is likely to be different from the price of the Underlying ETF at the start of the Investment Period. To achieve the structured outcomes sought by the Fund for an Investment Period, an investor must hold Shares for that entire Investment Period.

Buffer

The Fund seeks to provide a Buffer of Underlying ETF losses of 15% over each Investment Period. After the Underlying ETF has decreased in value by more than 15%, the Fund will experience subsequent losses on a one-to-one basis. The Buffer is before taking into account the fees and expenses of the Fund charged to shareholders.

If an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already decreased in value by an amount equal to or greater than 15% from the value of the Fund on the first day of the Investment Period (the “Initial Fund Value”), an investor purchasing Shares at that price will have increased gains available prior to reaching the Cap but may not benefit from the Buffer that the Fund seeks to offer for the remainder of the Investment Period. The Cap and Buffer relative to the Initial Fund Value, however, will not change over the Investment Period.

Conversely, if an investor is considering purchasing Shares during the Investment Period and the Fund has already increased in value, an investor purchasing Shares at that price may experience losses prior to gaining the protection offered by the Buffer, which is not guaranteed.

Cap

The returns of the Fund are subject to the Cap set forth in the above table for the Investment Period. Unlike other investment products, the potential returns an investor can receive from the Fund are subject to a pre-determined upside return Cap that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for an entire Investment Period. In the event the Underlying ETF experiences gains over an Investment Period, the Fund seeks to provide investment returns that match the percentage increase of the Underlying ETF, but any percentage gains over the amount of the Cap will not be experienced by the Fund. This means that, if the Underlying ETF experiences gains for an Investment Period in excess of the Cap for that Investment Period, the Fund will not benefit from those excess gains. Therefore, regardless of the performance of the Underlying ETF, the Cap is the maximum return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund for that Investment Period.

The Cap is set on the first day of each Investment Period. The defined Cap applicable to an Investment Period will vary based on prevailing market conditions at the time, including then-current interest rate levels, Underlying ETF volatility, and the relationship of puts and calls on the underlying FLEX Options. Following the close of business on the last day of the Investment Period, the Fund will supplement its prospectus by filing and mailing to shareholders a notice disclosing the Fund’s Cap for the next Investment Period if such Cap is lower than the Cap for the prior Investment Period. The information will also be available on the Fund’s website at [www.aptusetfs.com/funds/janb].

The Cap is determined prior to taking into account annual operating expenses of the Fund, which are disclosed above under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund,” as well as brokerage commissions, trading fees, taxes, and any extraordinary expenses incurred by the Fund. Such extraordinary expenses (incurred outside of the ordinary operation of the Fund) may include, for example, unexpected litigation, regulatory, or tax expenses.

The Cap level is a result of the design of the Fund’s principal investment strategy. To provide the Buffer, the Fund purchases a series of put and call FLEX Options on the first day of an Investment Period. As the purchaser of these FLEX Options, the Fund is obligated to pay a premium to the seller of those FLEX Options. The portfolio manager will calculate the amount of premiums that the Fund will owe on the put options acquired and sold to provide the Buffer and will then go into the market and sell call options with terms that entitle the Fund to receive premiums such that the net amount of premiums paid per unit of the Underlying ETF is approximately equal to the price per unit of shares of the Underlying ETF. The Cap is the strike price of those sold FLEX Options.

The Cap, and the Fund’s position relative to it on any given day, should be considered before investing in the Fund. If an investor purchases Shares during an Investment Period, and the Fund has already increased in value above its Initial Fund Value for that Investment Period to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing Shares will have limited to no gain potential for the remainder of the Investment Period. However, the investor will remain vulnerable to significant downside risk because the investor will bear the losses between the price at which it purchased its Shares and the Initial Fund Value for the Investment Period before subsequent losses will be protected by the Buffer.

General Information about FLEX Options

FLEX Options are exchange-traded options contracts with uniquely customizable terms like exercise price, style, and expiration date. The Underlying ETF is an exchange-traded unit investment trust that seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index. The Underlying ETF uses a full replication strategy, meaning it invests in all of the component securities of the S&P 500® Index in the same approximate proportions as in the S&P 500® Index.

The FLEX Options that the Fund will hold that reference the Underlying ETF will give the Fund the right to receive or deliver shares of the Underlying ETF on the option expiration date at a strike price, depending on whether the option is a put or call option and whether the Fund purchases or sells the option. The FLEX Options held by the Fund are European-style options, which are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date.

payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Investment Period will have the same terms, such as strike price and expiration date, as the FLEX Options purchased and sold on the first day of the Investment Period.

On the FLEX Options’ expiration date, the Fund intends to sell the FLEX Options prior to their expiration and use the resulting proceeds to purchase new FLEX Options for the next Investment Period.

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

Principal Investment Risks

The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. As with any investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s NAV, trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s Prospectus titled “Additional Information About the Funds.”

•Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to buffer against Underlying ETF losses if the Underlying ETF’s share price decreases by 15% or less over the duration of the Investment Period. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available and the investor may not get the full benefit of the Buffer. The Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Fund does not provide principal protection and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.

•Cap Change Risk. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Investment Periods.

•Capped Upside Risk. The Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the Underlying ETF for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside Cap. If an investor does not hold its Shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Fund seeks to achieve. If the Underlying ETF experiences gains during an Investment Period, the Fund will not participate in those gains beyond the Cap. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period and the Fund has risen in value to a level near to the Cap, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their Shares.

•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 Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”) acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to FLEX 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.

•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:

or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

◦Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.

◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of the Fund. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of the Fund, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of the Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of the Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

◦Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of the Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The price of shares of the Fund, like the price of all traded securities, will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the Fund will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of the shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount). This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.

◦Trading. Although shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that shares of the Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of the Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the Fund.

•FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options, other than changes in the value of the Underlying ETF, may include interest rate changes, changing supply and demand, decreased liquidity of the FLEX Options, and changing volatility levels of the Underlying ETF.

•FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, no one can guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective. The trading in FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than the market for certain other securities. FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and the value of your investment.

•FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data.

first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying ETF and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying ETF up to the Cap for the investor’s investment period.

•Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The Fund invests in FLEX Options that reference the market price of the Underlying ETF, which is comprised of the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, the Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion.

•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 manager will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not 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 security, or Shares 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 could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, 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.

•No Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.

•Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

•Sector Risk. To the extent the Underlying ETF invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors. The Underlying ETF may invest a significant portion of its assets in the following sector and, therefore, the performance of the Fund, which invests substantially in FLEX Options that reference the market price of the Underlying ETF, could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector.

◦Information Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.

•Special Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company” (“RIC”); however, the federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund’s options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the “straddle” rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. 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. Certain options on an ETF may not qualify as “Section 1256 contracts” under Section 1256 of the Code, and disposition of such options will likely result in short-term or long-term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period.

In the event that a shareholder purchases Shares 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.

changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. In addition, ETFs are subject to authorized participant concentration risk, market maker risk, premium/discount risk, tracking error risk and trading issues risk. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of the Underlying ETF and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s shares. An ETF that tracks an index may not exactly match the performance of the index due to cash drag, differences between the portfolio of the ETF and the components of the index, expenses, and other factors.

Performance

Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund had not yet commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information is available on the Fund’s website at [www.aptusetfs.com/funds/janb].

Management

Investment Adviser

Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC serves as investment adviser to the Fund.

Portfolio Managers

Mark Callahan, Portfolio Manager and Head of Trading at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

John D. (“JD”) Gardner, CFA, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Member at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

Brad Rapking, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst at the Adviser, has been portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

John Luke Tyner, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

David Wagner III, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

Purchase and Sale of Shares

Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).

The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.

Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at [www.aptusetfs.com/funds/janb].

Tax Information

Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.

Financial Intermediary Compensation

If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.


APTUS APRIL BUFFER ETF - FUND SUMMARY

Investment Objective

The Aptus April Buffer ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investors with returns that match those of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside Cap, as defined below, before fees and expenses, while providing a Buffer, as defined below, against a predetermined percentage, before fees and expenses, of Underlying ETF losses over a twelve-month period from April 1 to March 31 of the following year.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund


Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees			[ ]%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees			[ ]%
Other Expenses			[ ]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses			[ ]%

1 Estimated for the current fiscal year.

Expense Example


1 Year			3 Years
$[ ]			$[ ]

Portfolio Turnover

Principal Investment Strategy

Investment
Period Start

Investment
Period End

Buffer

Cap (before Fund
fees and expenses)

Cap (after Fund
fees and expenses)

April 1

March 31

15%

[14%*]

[ ]

*This is an estimated cap based on an anticipated cap range of 10-18%. This range is subject to variation depending on market conditions and other factors.

In general, the structured outcomes the Fund seeks for investors that hold Fund shares for an entire Investment Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:

Investors purchasing Shares during an Investment Period will experience different results. The Fund’s website, [www.aptusetfs.com/funds/aprb], provides information relating to the possible outcomes for an investor of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and Buffer. Before purchasing Shares, an investor should visit the Fund’s website to review this information and understand the possible outcomes of an investment in Shares on a particular day.

Purchases During an Investment Period

Buffer

Cap

General Information about FLEX Options

The Fund will generally, under normal conditions, hold four kinds of FLEX Options for each Investment Period. The Fund will purchase a call option (giving the Fund the right to receive shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the right to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF), while simultaneously selling (i.e., writing) a call option (giving the Fund the obligation to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the obligation to receive shares of the Underlying ETF). The Fund intends to structure the FLEX Options so that any amount owed by the Fund on the written FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Investment Period will have the same terms, such as strike price and expiration date, as the FLEX Options purchased and sold on the first day of the Investment Period.

On the FLEX Options’ expiration date, the Fund intends to sell the FLEX Options prior to their expiration and use the resulting proceeds to purchase new FLEX Options for the next Investment Period.

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

Principal Investment Risks

•Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in its strategy to buffer against Underlying ETF losses. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. The Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available and the investor may not get the full benefit of the Buffer. The Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Fund does not provide principal protection and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.

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.

•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:

◦Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of the Fund may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data.

•Investment Period Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of an Investment Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying ETF and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying ETF up to the Cap for the investor’s investment period.

•Special Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company” (“RIC”), however, the federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Fund are not entirely clear. This includes the tax aspects of the Fund’s options strategy, its hedging strategy, the possible application of the “straddle” rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. 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. Certain options on an ETF may not qualify as “Section 1256 contracts” under Section 1256 of the Code, and disposition of such options will likely result in short-term or long-term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period.

•Underlying ETF Risk. The Fund invests in FLEX Options that reference an ETF, which subjects the Fund to certain of the risks of owning shares of an ETF, as well as the types of instruments in which the Underlying ETF invests. The value of an ETF will fluctuate over time based on fluctuations in the values of the securities held by the ETF, which may be affected by changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. In addition, ETFs are subject to authorized participant concentration risk, market maker risk, premium/discount risk, tracking error risk and trading issues risk. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of the Underlying ETF and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s shares. An ETF that tracks an index may not exactly match the performance of the index due to cash drag, differences between the portfolio of the ETF and the components of the index, expenses, and other factors.

Performance

Management

Investment Adviser

Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC serves as investment adviser to the Fund.

Portfolio Managers

Mark Callahan, Portfolio Manager and Head of Trading at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

John D. (“JD”) Gardner, CFA, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Member at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

Brad Rapking, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst at the Adviser, has been portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

John Luke Tyner, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

David Wagner III, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

Purchase and Sale of Shares

Tax Information

Financial Intermediary Compensation


APTUS JULY BUFFER ETF - FUND SUMMARY

Investment Objective

The Aptus July Buffer ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investors with returns that match those of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside Cap, as defined below, before fees and expenses, while providing a Buffer, as defined below, against a predetermined percentage, before fees and expenses, of Underlying ETF losses over a twelve-month period from April 1 to March 31 of the following year.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund


Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees			[ ]%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees			[ ]%
Other Expenses			[ ]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses			[ ]%

1 Estimated for the current fiscal year.

Expense Example


1 Year			3 Years
$[ ]			$[ ]

Portfolio Turnover

Principal Investment Strategies

Investment
Period Start

Investment
Period End

Buffer

Cap (before Fund
fees and expenses)

Cap (after Fund
fees and expenses)

July 1

June 30

15%

[14%*]

[ ]

*This is an estimated cap based on an anticipated cap range of 10-18%. This range is subject to variation depending on market conditions and other factors.

In general, the structured outcomes the Fund seeks for investors that hold Fund shares for an entire Investment Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:

Investors purchasing Shares during an Investment Period will experience different results. The Fund’s website, [www.aptusetfs.com/funds/julb], provides information relating to the possible outcomes for an investor of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and Buffer. Before purchasing Shares, an investor should visit the Fund’s website to review this information and understand the possible outcomes of an investment in Shares on a particular day.

Purchases During an Investment Period

Buffer

Cap

General Information about FLEX Options

to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF), while simultaneously selling (i.e., writing) a call option (giving the Fund the obligation to deliver shares of the Underlying ETF) and a put option (giving the Fund the obligation to receive shares of the Underlying ETF). The Fund intends to structure the FLEX Options so that any amount owed by the Fund on the written FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. Each of the FLEX Options purchased and sold throughout the Investment Period will have the same terms, such as strike price and expiration date, as the FLEX Options purchased and sold on the first day of the Investment Period.

On the FLEX Options’ expiration date, the Fund intends to sell the FLEX Options prior to their expiration and use the resulting proceeds to purchase new FLEX Options for the next Investment Period.

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

Principal Investment Risks

•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:

held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying ETF and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying ETF up to the Cap for the investor’s investment period.

Performance

Management

Investment Adviser

Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC serves as investment adviser to the Fund.

Portfolio Managers

Mark Callahan, Portfolio Manager and Head of Trading at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

John D. (“JD”) Gardner, CFA, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Member at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

Brad Rapking, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst at the Adviser, has been portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

John Luke Tyner, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

David Wagner III, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

Purchase and Sale of Shares

Tax Information

Financial Intermediary Compensation


APTUS OCTOBER BUFFER ETF - FUND SUMMARY

Investment Objective

The Aptus October Buffer ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to provide investors with returns that match those of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (the “Underlying ETF”) up to a predetermined upside Cap, as defined below, before fees and expenses, while providing a Buffer, as defined below, against a predetermined percentage, before fees and expenses, of Underlying ETF losses over a twelve-month period from April 1 to March 31 of the following year.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund


Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees			[ ]%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees			[ ]%
Other Expenses			[ ]%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses			[ ]%

Expense Example


1 Year			3 Years
$[ ]			$[ ]

Portfolio Turnover

Principal Investment Strategies

Investment
Period Start

Investment
Period End

Buffer

Cap (before Fund
fees and expenses)

Cap (after Fund
fees and expenses)

October 1

September 30

15%

[14%*]

[ ]

*This is an estimated cap based on an anticipated cap range of 10-18%. This range is subject to variation depending on market conditions and other factors.

In general, the structured outcomes the Fund seeks for investors that hold Fund shares for an entire Investment Period are as follows, though there can be no guarantee these results will be achieved:

Investors purchasing Shares during an Investment Period will experience different results. The Fund’s website, [www.aptusetfs.com/funds/octb], provides information relating to the possible outcomes for an investor of an investment in the Fund on a daily basis, including the Fund’s position relative to the Cap and Buffer. Before purchasing Shares, an investor should visit the Fund’s website to review this information and understand the possible outcomes of an investment in Shares on a particular day.

Purchases During an Investment Period

Buffer

Cap

General Information about FLEX Options

On the FLEX Options’ expiration date, the Fund intends to sell the FLEX Options prior to their expiration and use the resulting proceeds to purchase new FLEX Options for the next Investment Period.

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

Principal Investment Risks

•ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:

Performance

Management

Investment Adviser

Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC serves as investment adviser to the Fund.

Portfolio Managers

Mark Callahan, Portfolio Manager and Head of Trading at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

John D. (“JD”) Gardner, CFA, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Member at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

Brad Rapking, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst at the Adviser, has been portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

John Luke Tyner, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

David Wagner III, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.

Purchase and Sale of Shares

Tax Information

Financial Intermediary Compensation

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS

Investment Objective. Each Fund’s investment objective has been adopted as a non-fundamental investment policy and may be changed without shareholder approval upon written notice to shareholders.

General Information about FLEX Options

Each Fund invests substantially all of its assets in FLEX Options. For each Investment Period, the applicable Fund will invest in both purchased and written put and call FLEX Options that reference the Underlying ETF. FLEX Options are customizable exchange-traded option contracts guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The OCC guarantees performance by each of the counterparties to the FLEX Options, becoming the “buyer for every seller and the seller for every buyer,” protecting clearing members and options traders from counterparty risk. The OCC may make adjustments to FLEX Options for certain significant events, as more fully described in the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information. Although guaranteed for settlement by the OCC, FLEX Options are still subject to counterparty risk with the OCC and subject to the risk that the OCC may fail to perform the settlement of the FLEX Options due to bankruptcy or other adverse reasons.

The OCC and securities exchanges on which the FLEX Options are listed do not charge ongoing fees to writers or purchasers of the FLEX Options during their life for continuing to hold the option contracts, but may charge transaction fees.

Additional Information about the Principal Risks of Investing in the Funds

This section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described under “Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” in each of the Fund Summaries. Each of the factors below could have a negative impact on a Fund’s performance and trading prices. As in each Fund Summary above, the principal risks below are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk described below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the applicable Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.

•Buffered Loss Risk. There can be no guarantee that a strategy to buffer against Underlying ETF losses will be successful. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. Each Fund’s strategy seeks to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF (up to the Cap), while limiting downside losses, if Shares are bought on the day on which a Fund enters into the FLEX Options and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of each Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the date on which the FLEX Options were entered into or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the FLEX Options, the Buffer that the Fund seeks to provide may not be available and the investor may not get the full benefit of the Buffer. A Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances. The Funds do not provide principal protection and an investor may experience significant losses on its investment, including loss of its entire investment.

•Cap Change Risk. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. As a result, the cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next and is unlikely to remain the same for consecutive Investment Periods.

•Capped Upside Risk. Each Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of the Underlying ETF for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period, subject to a pre-determined upside Cap. If an investor does not hold its Shares for an entire Investment Period, the returns realized by that investor may not match those the Fund seeks to achieve. If the Underlying ETF experiences gains during an Investment Period, the Fund will not participate in those gains beyond the Cap. A new Cap is established at the beginning of each Investment Period and is dependent on prevailing market conditions. The Cap may rise or fall from one Investment Period to the next. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period and the Fund has risen in value to a level near to the Cap, there may be little ability for that investor to experience an investment gain on their Shares, however, the investor will remain vulnerable to downside risks. If an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period when the price exceeds the Cap, an investor will not experience nay gain regardless of the performance of the Underlying ETF. The return of the Fund may represent a return that is worse than the performance of the Underlying ETF, including as a result of its returns being subject to a Cap.

•Cash Transaction Risk. The Fund may effect all or a portion of its creations and redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind securities. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used. The use of cash creations and redemptions may also cause the Fund’s shares to trade in the market at wider bid-ask spreads or greater premiums or discounts to the Fund’s NAV. As a practical matter, only institutions and large investors, such as market makers or other large broker dealers, create or redeem shares directly through the Fund. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund on an exchange through a broker-dealer. Furthermore, the Fund may not be able to execute cash transactions for creation and redemption purposes at the same price used to determine the Fund’s NAV. To the extent that the maximum additional charge for creation or redemption transactions is insufficient to cover the execution shortfall, the Fund’s performance could be negatively impacted.

•Counterparty Risk. If a 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 counterparty to perform its obligations. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, a Fund may be unable to terminate or realize any gain on the investment or transaction, resulting in a loss to the Fund. A 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.

•Downside Risk. Each Fund’s strategy seeks to provide returns that match those of an Underlying ETF for Shares purchased on the first day of an Investment Period and held for the entire Investment Period while limiting, or providing a Buffer against, downside losses. Despite the intended Buffer, a shareholder could lose their entire investment. In the event an investor purchases Fund shares after the first day of an Investment Period, the buffer such Fund seeks to provide may not be available. A Fund might not achieve its objective in certain circumstances.

•ETF Risks. Each Fund is an ETF and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, is exposed to the following risks:

◦APs, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund may have a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, shares of a Fund may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

◦Cash Redemption Risk. To the extent the Fund’s investment strategy requires it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds, the Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the in-kind redemption process was used.

◦Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of a Fund. Investors buying or selling shares of a Fund in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of shares of a Fund. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy shares of a Fund (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell shares of a Fund (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for shares of a Fund based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if shares of a Fund have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if shares of a Fund have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of a Fund, including bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of a Fund may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of a Fund may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

◦Shares of a Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, shares of a Fund may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of a Fund will approximate a Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly, including due to supply and demand of a Fund’s Shares and/or during periods of market volatility. Thus, you may pay more (or less) than NAV intra-day when you buy Shares in the secondary market, and you may receive more (or less) than NAV when you sell those Shares in the secondary market. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.

◦Trading. Although shares of a Fund are listed for trading on its applicable Exchange and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than its applicable Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares of the Fund will develop or be maintained. Trading in shares of a Fund may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of its applicable Exchange, make trading in shares of such Fund inadvisable. In addition, trading in shares of a Fund on its applicable Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant each Exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules, which temporarily halt trading on such Exchange when a decline in the S&P 500 Index during a single day reaches certain thresholds (e.g., 7%, 13%, and 20%). Additional rules applicable to each Exchange may halt trading in shares of a Fund when extraordinary volatility causes sudden, significant swings in the market price of shares of such Fund. There can be no assurance that shares of a Fund will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of a Fund may begin to mirror the liquidity of a Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of such Fund.

•FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by a Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options include interest rate changes and implied volatility levels of the Underlying ETF, among others.

•FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, there is no guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. Trading in the FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than certain other securities such as standardized options. The FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and a Fund’s shares and result in such Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective.

•FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options include interest rate changes and implied volatility levels of the Underlying ETF, among others. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of that Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data. Consequently, while such determinations may be made in good faith, it may nevertheless be more difficult for the Fund to accurately assign a daily value. Under those circumstances, the value of the FLEX Options will require more reliance on the investment adviser’s judgment than that required for securities for which there is an active trading market. This creates a risk of mispricing or improper valuation of the FLEX Options which could impact the value paid for shares of the Fund.

•Investment Period Risk. Each Fund’s investment strategy is designed to deliver returns that match the Underlying ETF if Shares are bought on the day on which the Fund enters into the FLEX Options (i.e., the first day of an Investment Period) and held until those FLEX Options expire at the end of the Investment Period. In the event an investor purchases Shares after the first day of an Investment Period or sells Shares prior to the expiration of the Investment Period, the value of that investor’s investment in such Shares may not be buffered against a decline in the value of the Underlying ETF and may not participate in a gain in the value of the Underlying ETF up to the cap for the investor’s investment period.

•Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. Each Fund invests in FLEX Options that reference the market price of the Underlying ETF, which is comprised of the securities of large-capitalization companies. As a result, each Fund’s performance may be adversely affected if securities of large-capitalization companies underperform securities of smaller-capitalization companies or the market as a whole. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes.

•Management Risk. The Funds are subject to management risk because they are an actively managed portfolios. In managing a Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio manager will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that a Fund will meet its investment objective(s), meet relevant benchmarks or perform as well as other funds with similar objectives.

•Market Risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular security, or Shares 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 could decline in value or underperform other investments. In addition, local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, spread of infectious diseases or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant negative impact on a 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 a Fund’s portfolio securities or other instruments and could result in disruptions in the trading markets.

Beginning in the first quarter of 2020, financial markets in the United States and around the world experienced extreme and in many cases unprecedented volatility and severe losses due to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, a novel coronavirus. The pandemic has resulted in a wide range of social and economic disruptions, including closed borders, voluntary or compelled quarantines of large populations, stressed healthcare systems, reduced or prohibited domestic or international travel, supply chain disruptions, and so-called “stay-at-home” orders throughout much of the United States and many other countries. The fall-out from these disruptions has included the rapid closure of businesses deemed “non-essential” by federal, state, or local governments and rapidly increasing unemployment, as well as greatly reduced liquidity for certain instruments at times. Some sectors of the economy and individual issuers have experienced particularly large losses. Such disruptions may continue for an extended period of time or reoccur in the future to a similar or greater extent. It is unknown how long circumstances related to the pandemic will persist, whether they will reoccur in the future, whether efforts to support the economy and financial markets will be successful, and what additional implications may follow from the pandemic. The impact of these events and other epidemics or pandemics in the future could adversely affect Fund performance.

•Non-Diversification Risk. Each Fund is considered to be non-diversified. This means that a Fund may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified Fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase a Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.

•No Operating History. Each Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.

•Options Risk. The Funds may utilize options. 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 manager to forecast market movements correctly. The prices of options 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. As a seller (writer) of a put option, the seller will tend to lose money if the value of the reference index or security falls below the strike price. As the seller (writer) of a call option, the seller will tend to lose money if the value of the reference index or security rises above the strike price. As the buyer of a put or call option, the buyer risks losing the entire premium invested in the option if the buyer does not exercise the option. 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. Options may also involve the use of leverage, which could result in greater price volatility than other markets.

•Other Investment Companies Risk. A Fund will incur higher and duplicative expenses when it invests in other investment companies such as ETFs. There is also the risk that the Fund may suffer losses due to the investment practices of the underlying funds. When the Fund invests in other investment companies, the Fund will be subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of securities held by such investment companies. Investments in ETFs are also subject to the ETF Risks listed above.

•Special Tax Risk Each Fund intends to qualify as a “regulated Investment company”; however, the federal income tax treatment of certain aspects of the proposed operations of the Funds are not entirely clear. This includes the tax aspects of the Funds’ options strategy, the hedging strategy, the possible application of the “straddle” rules, and various loss limitation provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If, in any year, a Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under the applicable tax laws, the Fund would be taxed as an ordinary corporation. Certain options on an ETF may not qualify as “Section 1256 contracts” under Section 1256 of the Code, and disposition of such options will likely result in short term or long term capital gains or losses depending on the holding period. In the event that a shareholder purchases shares of a Fund shortly before a distribution by such 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.

•Underlying ETF Risk. Each Fund invests, directly or indirectly, in FLEX Options that reference an ETF, which subjects the Fund to certain of the risks of owning shares of an ETF, as well as the types of instruments in which the Underlying ETF invests. The value of an ETF will fluctuate over time based on fluctuations in the values of the securities held by the ETF, which may be affected by changes in general economic conditions, expectations for future growth and profits, interest rates and the supply and demand for those securities. In addition, ETFs are subject to authorized participant concentration risk, market maker risk, premium/discount risk, tracking error risk and trading issues risk. Brokerage, tax and other expenses may negatively impact the performance of the Underlying ETF and, in turn, the value of the Fund’s shares. An ETF that tracks an index may not exactly match the performance of the index due to cash drag, differences between the portfolio of the ETF and the components of the index, expenses, and other factors.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

Information about the Funds’ daily portfolio holdings is available at www.aptusetfs.com. A description of the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio holdings is available in the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

MANAGEMENT

Investment Adviser

Aptus serves as the Funds’ investment adviser and has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Funds. Aptus is a registered investment adviser with offices located at 265 Young Street, Fairhope, Alabama 36532. Aptus provides investment advisory services to separately managed accounts, as well as the Funds. Aptus also arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration, and all other related services necessary for the Funds to operate.

For the services it provides to the Funds, each Fund pays the Adviser a unified management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate based on the applicable Fund’s average daily net assets as set forth in the table below.


Name of Fund			Management Fee
Aptus January Buffer ETF (JANB)			[ ]%
Aptus April Buffer ETF (APRB)			[ ]%
Aptus July Buffer ETF (JULB)			[ ]%
Aptus October Buffer ETF (OCTB)			[ ]%

The basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Fund’s Investment Advisory Agreement will be available in the Fund’s first Annual or Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders.

Portfolio Managers

Each Fund is jointly and primarily managed by Messrs. Callahan, Gardner, Rapking, Tyner, and Wagner.

Mark Callahan is a Portfolio Manager and the Head of Trading at Aptus and has been with Aptus since 2019. In his role as Portfolio Manager, Mr. Callahan has been focused on derivative management, timing, hedging, and trading. Prior to joining Aptus, Mr. Callahan enjoyed a nearly 12-year career on the Sell-Side as an Institutional Equity and Derivatives Trader, as well as a Transition Manager. Mr. Callahan holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Oklahoma, and a MSc. of Real Estate from the University of Texas at Arlington.

JD Gardner, CFA, CMT, is the Managing Member and Chief Investment Officer at Aptus and has been with Aptus since founding the firm in 2013. Prior to Aptus, Mr. Gardner was a research analyst at Cornerstone Investment Management and an Associated Person for a commodity trading advisor. Mr. Gardner previously held roles in wealth and asset management for UBS and Morgan Stanley.

Brad Rapking, CFA, is a Portfolio Manager and Analyst at Aptus and joined the firm in 2020. In his role as Portfolio Manager, Mr. Rapking is focused on portfolio construction, fundamental research, idea generation and buy/sell decisions. Mr. Rapking graduated from Xavier University in 2015 with a BSBA in Finance. Mr. Rapking is a CFA Charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute and CFA Society of Alabama. Prior to joining Aptus, Mr. Rapking was an Equity Analyst for the Driehaus Capital Value Equities team responsible for fundamental research and idea generation in the Small Cap Value, Micro Cap Value, and International Small Cap Value strategies. Mr. Rapking has more than five years of experience in institutional equity research, trading and operations.

John Luke Tyner, CFA, is a Portfolio Manager and Analyst at Aptus and he has been with Aptus since 2019. In his role as Portfolio Manager, Mr. Tyner has been focused on custom research, and he was heavily involved in the Fund’s strategy. In addition, he also builds and maintains asset allocation models for individual investors in separately managed accounts. Mr. Tyner is CFA Charterholder. Prior to joining Aptus, Mr. Tyner worked in Industrial Sales at Duncan-Williams, Inc. since 2015. He earned a B.A. in Accounting from the University of Memphis and was a member of the golf team.

David Wagner III, CFA, is a Portfolio Manager and Analyst at Aptus and joined the firm in 2020. In his role as Portfolio Manager, he is responsible for portfolio construction, risk management, and buy/sell decisions. Additionally, he is responsible for implementation

of the investment philosophy and idea generation, as well as the evaluation of macro-level trends and the market environment. Mr. Wagner began his career at Opus Capital Management in 2013 as an equity research analyst. He was most recently employed by Driehaus Capital Management as an Assistant Portfolio Manager where he was responsible for conducting research and analysis for various small and microcap strategies. Mr. Wagner is a CFA Charterholder and a member of the CFA Society of Cincinnati. He earned his BS in Accounting and BBA in Finance from the University of Kentucky. He also earned his MBA specialized in Finance from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Funds’ SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation structure, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of Shares.

HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES

Each Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in Creation Units. Only APs may acquire Shares directly from a Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to a Fund, at NAV. APs must be a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC and must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor (defined below), and that has been accepted by a Fund’s transfer agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in quantities less than a Creation Unit.

Most investors buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities.

When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offer price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.

Book Entry

Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.

Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. DTC’s participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” through your brokerage account.

Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares

The Funds impose no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly with a Fund, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep Share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Funds accommodate frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains. To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, the Funds employ fair value pricing and may impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by a Fund in effecting trades. In addition, the Funds and the Adviser reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.

Determination of Net Asset Value (NAV)

Each Fund’s NAV is calculated as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, each day the NYSE is open for business. The NAV for each Fund is calculated by dividing the Fund’s net assets by its Shares outstanding.

In calculating its NAV, each Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. In particular, each Fund generally values equity securities traded on any recognized U.S. or non-U.S. exchange at the last sale price or official closing price on the exchange or system on which they are principally traded. If such information is not available for a security held by a Fund or is determined to be unreliable, the security will be valued at fair value estimates under guidelines established by the Board (as described below).

Fair Value Pricing

The Adviser has been designated by the Board as the valuation designee for the Fund pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. In its capacity as valuation designee, the Adviser has adopted procedures and methodologies to fair value Fund securities whose market

prices are not “readily available” or are deemed to be unreliable. For example, such circumstances may arise when: (i) a security has been de-listed or has had its trading halted or suspended; (ii) a security’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; (iii) a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security’s primary trading market. The Board has appointed the Adviser as the Fund’s valuation designee to perform all fair valuations of the Fund’s portfolio investments, subject to the Board’s oversight. Accordingly, the Adviser has established procedures for its fair valuation of the Fund’s portfolio investments. Generally, when fair valuing a security held by the Fund, the Adviser will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer’s business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and/or specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the security. Fair value determinations are made in good faith and in accordance with the fair value methodologies established by the Adviser. Due to the subjective and variable nature of determining the fair value of a security or other investment, there can be no assurance that the Adviser’s fair value will match or closely correlate to any market quotation that subsequently becomes available or the price quoted or published by other sources. In addition, the Fund may not be able to obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.

Investments by Registered Investment Companies

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including Shares. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in the Fund beyond the limits set forth in section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Fund. The relief from Section 12(d)(1), however, may not be available for investments in a Fund if the Fund invests significantly in other ETFs.

Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding

Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Funds. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Funds is available through certain broker-dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.

DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES

Dividends and Distributions

Each Fund intends to pay out dividends, if any, and distribute any net realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually. Each Fund will declare and pay capital gain distributions in cash, if any. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.

Taxes

The following discussion is a summary of some important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Funds. Your investment in a Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws. This summary does not apply to Shares held in an IRA or other tax-qualified plans, which are generally not subject to current tax. Transactions relating to Shares held in such accounts may, however, be taxable at some time in the future. This summary is based on current tax laws, which may change.

Each Fund has elected or intends to elect and intends to qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (“RIC”). If a Fund meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, a Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.

Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when a Fund makes distributions, when you sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and when you purchase or redeem Creation Units (APs only).

Taxes on Distributions

Each Fund intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Shares. Sales of assets held by a Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by a Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and

losses. Distributions of a Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are reported by such Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to tax at reduced rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares.

Distributions reported by a Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that a Fund received in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. Dividends received by a Fund from an underlying fund taxable as a RIC may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such underlying fund. Certain of the Funds’ investment strategies may significantly reduce or eliminate a Fund’s ability to make distributions eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income or for the dividends-received deduction.

Dividends received by the Fund from an ETF or underlying fund taxable as a RIC may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such ETF or underlying fund.

Shortly after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the amount and character of any distributions received from a Fund.

U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.

In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by a Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the Shares’ NAV when you purchased your Shares).

You may wish to avoid investing in a Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment.

If a Fund’s distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made for a taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in Shares and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits in respect of those Shares will be treated as gain from the sale of the Shares.

If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by a Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. Gains from the sale or other disposition of Shares by non-U.S. shareholders generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless you are a nonresident alien individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. A Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if a tax treaty applies.

Each Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage (currently 24%) of the taxable distributions and sale proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that the shareholder is not subject to such withholding.

Taxes When Shares are Sold on the Exchange

Provided that a shareholder holds Shares as capital assets, any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less. However, any capital loss on a sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such Shares. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent Shares of a Fund are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of Shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.

The cost basis of Shares of a Fund acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.

Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units

An AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the exchanging AP’s aggregate basis in the securities delivered, plus the amount of any cash paid for the Creation Units. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanging AP’s basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the securities received, plus any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS may assert, however, that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for an AP who does not mark-to-market its holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. APs exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether the wash sales rule applies and when a loss might be deductible.

Each Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. Such Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause such Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, such Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.

Taxation of Complex Investments

Certain of a Fund’s investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code that, among other things, may affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require a Fund to mark to market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without the Fund receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts sufficient to enable the Fund to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. Each Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve the Fund’s qualification for treatment as a RIC. To the extent a Fund invests in an ETF or underlying fund that is taxable as a RIC, the rules applicable to the tax treatment of complex securities will also apply to such ETF or underlying fund that also invests in such complex securities and investments.

If positions held by a Fund were treated as “straddles” for federal income tax purposes, or the Fund’s risk of loss with respect to a position was otherwise diminished as set forth in Treasury Regulations, dividends on stocks that are a part of such positions would not constitute qualified dividend income subject to such favorable income tax treatment. In addition, generally, straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character and timing of a Fund’s gains and losses with respect to straddle positions by requiring, among other things, that: (1) any loss realized on disposition of one position of a straddle may not be recognized to the extent that the Fund has unrealized gains with respect to the other position in such straddle; (2) the Fund’s holding period in straddle positions be suspended while the straddle exists (possibly resulting in a gain being treated as short-term capital gain rather than long-term capital gain); (3) the losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that are part of a mixed straddle and that are not subject to Section 1256 of the Code be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital loss; (4) losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that would otherwise constitute short-term capital losses be treated as long-term capital losses; and (5) the deduction of interest and carrying charges attributable to certain straddle positions may be deferred.

Net Investment Income Tax

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in each Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.

DISTRIBUTION

The Distributor, Quasar Distributors, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC (d/b/a ACA Group), is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Funds on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Funds or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Funds. The Distributor’s principal address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101.

The Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Plan, each Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year for certain distribution-related activities and shareholder services.

No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Funds, and there are no plans to impose these fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because the fees are paid out of Fund assets, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.

PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION

Information regarding how often Shares traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV per Share is available, free of charge, on the Funds’ websites at www.aptusetfs.com.

ADDITIONAL NOTICES

Shares are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of a Fund. The Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in the determination of, the timing, prices, or quantities of Shares to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which Shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of Shares in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of Shares.

Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.

The Adviser and the Funds make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Financial information is not available because the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.

Aptus January Buffer ETF

Aptus April Buffer ETF

Aptus July Buffer ETF

Aptus October Buffer ETF


Adviser	Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC 265 Young Street Fairhope, Alabama 36532	Custodian	U.S. Bank National Association 1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212
Administrator, Fund Accountant, and Transfer Agent	U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC 615 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202	Distributor	Quasar Distributors, LLC Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm	[ ]	Legal Counsel	Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004-2541

Investors may find more information about the Funds in the following documents:

Statement of Additional Information: The Funds’ SAI provides additional details about the investments and techniques of the Funds and certain other additional information. A current SAI dated [ ], 2024 is on file with the SEC and is herein incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. It is legally considered a part of this Prospectus.

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports: Additional information about each Fund’s investments is available in the respective Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and in Form N-CSR. In the annual report you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Fund’s annual and semi-annual financial statements.

You can obtain free copies of these documents, request other information or make general inquiries about the Funds by contacting the Funds at c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701 or by calling 1-800-617-0004.

Shareholder reports and other information about the Funds are available:

•Free of charge from the SEC’s EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov; or

•Free of charge from the Funds’ Internet website at www.aptusetfs.com; or

•For a fee, by e-mail request to publicinfo@sec.gov.

(SEC Investment Company Act File No. 811-22668)

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION

Dated March 6, 2024

Aptus January Buffer ETF (JANB)

Aptus April Buffer ETF (APRB)

Aptus July Buffer ETF (JULB)

Aptus October Buffer ETF (OCTB)

Listed on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

[--], 2024

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus for the Aptus January Buffer ETF, Aptus April Buffer ETF, Aptus July Buffer ETF, and Aptus October Buffer ETF (each, a “Fund” and, collectively, the “Funds”), each a series of ETF Series Solutions (the “Trust”), dated January [--], 2024 as may be supplemented from time to time (the “Prospectus”). 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 calling the Funds at 1-800-617-0004, visiting www.aptusetfs.com, or writing to the Funds, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701.

The Funds’ audited financial statements for the most recent fiscal year (when available) are incorporated into this SAI by reference to the Funds’ most recent Annual Report to Shareholders (File No. 811-22668). When available, you may obtain a copy of the Funds’ Annual Report at no charge by contacting the Funds at the address or phone number noted above.

TABLE OF CONTENTS


General Description of t he Trust			3
Additional Information About Investment Objectives, Policies, and Related Risks			3
Description of Permitted Investments			5
Investment Restrictions			12
Exchange Listing and Trading			13
Management of the Trust			13
Principal Shareholders, Control Persons, and Management Ownership			17
Proxy Voting Policies			18
Investment Adviser			18
Portfolio Managers			19
The Distributor			19
The Administrator, Custodian, and Transfer Agent			21
Legal Counsel			21
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm			21
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Policies and Procedures			21
Description of Shares			21
Limitation of Trustees’ Liability			22
Brokerage Transactions			22
Portfolio Turnover Rate			23
Book Entry Only System			23
Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units			24
Determination of Net Asset Value			29
Dividends and Distributions			29
Federal Income Taxes			30
Financial Statements			35
Appendix A			A-1

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST

The Trust is an open-end management investment company consisting of multiple investment series. This SAI relates to the Funds. The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on February 9, 2012. The Trust is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (together with the rules and regulations adopted thereunder, as amended, the “1940 Act”), as an open-end management investment company, and the offering of each Fund’s shares (“Shares”) is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the “Board”). Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC (“Aptus” or the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Funds. The investment objective of each Fund is as stated in each Fund’s Prospectus under “Investment Objective”.

Each Fund offers and issues Shares at its net asset value (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of Shares (each, a “Creation Unit”). Each Fund generally offers and issues Shares in exchange for a basket of securities included in its portfolio (“Deposit Securities”) together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (“Cash Component”). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. Shares are listed on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and trade on the Exchange at market prices that may differ from the Shares’ NAV. Shares are also redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, primarily for a basket of Deposit Securities together with a Cash Component. A Creation Unit of each Fund generally consists of 25,000 Shares, though this may change from time to time for a Fund. As a practical matter, only institutions or large investors purchase or redeem Creation Units. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities.

Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash at least equal to a specified percentage of the value of the missing Deposit Securities, as set forth in the Participant Agreement (as defined below). The Trust may impose a transaction fee for each creation or redemption. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers’ commissions on transactions in the secondary market will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, AND RELATED RISKS

Each Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus. For a description of certain permitted investments, see “Description of Permitted Investments” in this SAI.

With respect to each Fund’s investments, unless otherwise noted, if a percentage limitation on investment is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a subsequent increase or decrease as a result of market movement or redemption will not result in a violation of such investment limitation.

Flexible Exchange® Options (FLEX Options). The Funds’ portfolios (either directly or indirectly) include several types of FLEX Options, including both purchased and written put and call options (as further described below). The FLEX Options are all European style options, which means that they are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date. FLEX Options are customized option contracts available through national securities exchanges that are guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”), a market clearinghouse. FLEX Options provide investors with the ability to customize terms of an option, including exercise prices, exercise styles (European style versus American style options which are exercisable any time prior to the expiration date) and expiration dates, while achieving price discovery in competitive, transparent auctions markets and avoiding the counterparty exposure of the over-the-counter option positions.

Each FLEX Option contract entitles the holder thereof (i.e., the purchaser of the FLEX Option) the option to purchase (for the call options) or sell (for the put options) the cash value of the reference asset as of the close of the market on the FLEX Option expiration date at the strike price. The Fund intends to be structured so that any amount owed by the Fund on the written FLEX Options will be covered by payouts at expiration from the purchased FLEX Options. As a result, the FLEX Options will be fully covered and no additional collateral will be necessary during the life of the Fund. The Fund receives premiums in exchange for the written FLEX Options and pays premiums in exchange for the purchased FLEX Options. The OCC and securities exchange that the FLEX Options are listed on do not charge ongoing fees to writers or purchasers of the FLEX Options during their life for continuing to hold the option contracts.

The OCC guarantees performance by each of the counterparties to FLEX Options, becoming the “buyer for every seller and the seller for every buyer,” protecting clearing members and options traders from counterparty risk. Subject to determination by the Securities Committee of the OCC, adjustments may be made to the FLEX Options for certain events (collectively, “Corporate Actions”) specified in the OCC’s by-laws and rules: certain stock dividends or distributions, stock splits, reverse stock splits, rights offerings, distributions, reorganizations, recapitalizations, or reclassifications with respect to an underlying security, or a merger, consolidation, dissolution or liquidation of the issuer of the underlying security. According to the OCC’s by-laws, the nature and extent of any such adjustment is to be determined by the OCC’s Securities Committee, in light of the circumstances known to it at the time such determination is made, based on its judgment as to what is appropriate for the protection of investors and the public interest, taking into account such factors as fairness to holders and writers (or purchasers and sellers) of the affected options, the maintenance of a fair

and orderly market in the affected options, consistency of interpretation and practice, efficiency of exercise settlement procedures, and the coordination with other clearing agencies of the clearance and settlement of transactions in the underlying interest.

Non-Diversification

The Funds are classified as non-diversified investment companies under the 1940 Act. A “non-diversified” classification means that a Fund is not limited by the 1940 Act with regard to the percentage of its total assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer. This means that a Fund may invest a greater portion of its total assets in the securities of a single issuer or a small number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund. This may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s performance or subject Shares to greater price volatility than more diversified investment companies. Moreover, in pursuing its objective, a Fund may hold the securities of a single issuer in an amount exceeding 10% of the value of the outstanding securities of the issuer, subject to restrictions imposed by the Code. In particular, as a Fund’s size grows and its assets increase, it will be more likely to hold more than 10% of the securities of a single issuer if the issuer has a relatively small public float.

Although the Funds are non-diversified for purposes of the 1940 Act, the Funds intend to maintain the required level of diversification and otherwise conduct their operations so as to qualify as a RIC for purposes of the Code. Compliance with the diversification requirements of the Code may limit the investment flexibility of the Funds and may make it less likely that the Funds will meet their investment objectives. To qualify as a RIC under the Code, the Fund must meet the Diversification Requirement described in the section titled “Federal Income Taxes” in this SAI.

General Risks

The value of a Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate with changes in the financial condition of an issuer or counterparty, changes in specific economic or political conditions that affect a particular security or issuer and changes in general economic or political conditions. An investor in a Fund could lose money over short or long periods of time.

There can be no guarantee that a liquid market for the securities held by a Fund will be maintained. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for a Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid-ask spreads are wide.

Cyber Security Risk. Investment companies, such as the Funds, and their service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber attacks. Cyber attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber attacks affecting a Fund or the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact a Fund. For instance, cyber attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact a Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject a Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. A Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which a Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, and may cause a Fund’s investments in such portfolio companies to lose value.

Recent Events

Beginning in the first quarter of 2020, financial markets in the United States and around the world experienced extreme and, in many cases, unprecedented volatility and severe losses due to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, a novel coronavirus. The pandemic resulted in a wide range of social and economic disruptions, including closed borders, voluntary or compelled quarantines of large populations, stressed healthcare systems, reduced or prohibited domestic or international travel, and supply chain disruptions affecting the United States and many other countries. Some sectors of the economy and individual issuers experienced particularly large losses as a result of these disruptions. Although the immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have begun to dissipate, global markets and economies continue to contend with the ongoing and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant market volatility and economic disruptions. It is unknown how long circumstances related to the pandemic will persist, whether they will reoccur in the future, whether efforts to support the economy and financial markets will be successful, and what additional implications may follow from the pandemic. The impact of these events and other epidemics or pandemics in the future could adversely affect Fund performance.

Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the resulting responses by the United States and other countries, and the potential for wider conflict could increase volatility and uncertainty in the financial markets and adversely affect regional and global economies. The United States and other countries have imposed broad-ranging economic sanctions on Russia, certain Russian individuals, banking entities and corporations, and Belarus as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and may impose sanctions on other countries that provide military or economic support to Russia. The sanctions restrict companies from doing business with Russia and Russian companies, prohibit transactions with the Russian central bank and other key Russian financial institutions and entities, ban Russian airlines and ships from using many other countries’ airspace and ports, respectively, and place a freeze on certain Russian assets. The sanctions also removed some Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial

Telecommunications (SWIFT), the electronic network that connects banks globally to facilitate cross-border payments. In addition, the United States and the United Kingdom have banned oil and other energy imports from Russia, and the European Union has banned most Russian crude oil imports and refined petroleum products, with limited exceptions. The extent and duration of Russia’s military actions and the repercussions of such actions (including any retaliatory actions or countermeasures that may be taken by those subject to sanctions, including cyber attacks) are impossible to predict, but could result in significant market disruptions, including in certain industries or sectors, such as the oil and natural gas markets, and may negatively affect global supply chains, inflation and global growth. These and any related events could significantly impact the Fund’s performance and the value of an investment in the Fund, even if the Fund does not have direct exposure to Russian issuers or issuers in other countries affected by the invasion.

DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS

The following are descriptions of the Funds’ permitted investments and investment practices and the associated risk factors. A Fund will only invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices if such investment or activity is consistent with a Fund’s investment objective and permitted by the Fund’s stated investment policies. Each of the permitted investments described below applies to each Fund unless otherwise noted.

Borrowing. Although the Funds do not intend to borrow money, a Fund may do so to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, a Fund may borrow up to one-third (1/3) of its total assets. A Fund will borrow money only for short-term or emergency purposes. Such borrowing is not for investment purposes and will be repaid by the borrowing Fund promptly. Borrowing will tend to exaggerate the effect on NAV of any increase or decrease in the market value of the borrowing Fund’s portfolio. Money borrowed will be subject to interest costs that may or may not be recovered by earnings on the securities purchased. A Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with a borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit; either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.

Derivatives

Generally, derivatives are financial instruments whose value depends on or is derived from, the value of one or more underlying assets, reference rates, or indices or other market factors (a “reference instrument”) and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, credit, currencies, commodities or related indices. Derivative instruments can provide an efficient means to gain or reduce exposure to the value of a reference instrument without actually owning or selling the instrument. Some common types of derivatives include options, futures, forwards and swap agreements.

In October 2020, the SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act (“Rule 18f‑4”), which took effect on August 19, 2022, and imposed new limits on the amount of leverage risk to which a fund may be exposed through derivatives that may oblige the fund to make payments or incur additional obligations in the future. Rule 18f-4 imposed new requirements and restrictions on a fund’s use of derivatives, including options, and eliminated the asset segregation framework previously used by funds to comply with Section 18 of the 1940 Act. Under Rule 18f-4, a fund’s investment in such derivatives is limited through a value-at-risk (“VaR”) test. Rule 18f-4 requires funds whose use of derivatives is more than a limited specified exposure to establish and maintain a derivatives risk management program, subject to oversight by a fund’s board of trustees, and appoint a derivatives risk manager. It is not currently clear what impact, if any, the new rule will have on the availability, liquidity or performance of derivatives, including options. To the extent a Fund’s compliance with Rule 18f-4 changes how the Fund uses options, the new rule may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and/or increase costs related to the Fund’s use of options.

Derivative instruments may be used to modify the effective duration of a Fund’s portfolio investments. Derivative instruments may also be used for “hedging,” which means that they may be used when the Adviser seeks to protect a Fund’s investments from a decline in value resulting from changes to interest rates, market prices, currency fluctuations, or other market factors. Derivative instruments may also be used for other purposes, including to seek to increase liquidity, provide efficient portfolio management, broaden investment opportunities (including taking short or negative positions), implement a tax or cash management strategy, gain exposure to a particular security or segment of the market and/or enhance total return. However derivative instruments are used, their successful use is not assured and will depend upon, among other factors, the Adviser’s ability to gauge relevant market movements.

Derivative instruments may be used for purposes of direct hedging. Direct hedging means that the transaction must be intended to reduce a specific risk exposure of a portfolio security or its denominated currency and must also be directly related to such security or currency. A Fund’s use of derivative instruments may be limited from time to time by policies adopted by the Board.

To the extent a Fund invests in derivative instruments subject to regulation by the CFTC, it will seek to do so in reliance upon and in accordance with CFTC Rule 4.5. Specifically, pursuant to CFTC Rule 4.5, the Trust may claim exclusion from the definition of CPO, and thus from having to register as a CPO, with regard to the Fund that enters into commodity futures, commodity options or swaps solely for “bona fide hedging purposes,” or that limits its investment in commodities to a “de minimis” amount, as defined in CFTC rules, so long as Shares are not marketed as interests in a commodity pool or other vehicle for trading in commodity futures, commodity options or swaps. The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” in accordance with CFTC Rule 4.5. Therefore, neither the Trust nor the Fund is deemed to be a “commodity pool” or “commodity pool operator” under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”), and they are not subject to registration or regulation as such under the CEA. It is expected that the Fund will be able to operate pursuant to the limitations under CFTC Rule 4.5 without materially adversely affecting its ability to achieve its investment objective. If, however, these limitations were to make it difficult for the Fund to achieve its investment objective in the future, the Trust may determine to operate the Fund as

a regulated commodity pool pursuant to the Trust’s CPO registration or to reorganize or close the Fund or to materially change the Fund’s investment objective and strategy. In addition, as of the date of this SAI, the Adviser is not deemed to be a “commodity pool operator” or “commodity trading adviser” with respect to the advisory services it provides to the Fund.

Options. An option is a contract that gives the purchaser of the option, in return for the premium paid, the right to buy an underlying reference instrument, such as a specified security, currency, index, or other instrument, from the writer of the option (in the case of a call option), or to sell a specified reference instrument to the writer of the option (in the case of a put option) at a designated price during the term of the option. The premium paid by the buyer of an option will reflect, among other things, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price and the volatility of the underlying reference instrument, the remaining term of the option, supply, demand, interest rates and/or currency exchange rates. An American style put or call option may be exercised at any time during the option period while a European style put or call option may be exercised only upon expiration or during a fixed period prior thereto. Put and call options are traded on national securities exchanges and in the OTC market.

Options traded on national securities exchanges are within the jurisdiction of the SEC or other appropriate national securities regulator, as are securities traded on such exchanges. As a result, many of the protections provided to traders on organized exchanges will be available with respect to such transactions. In particular, all option positions entered into on a national securities exchange in the United States are cleared and guaranteed by the Options Clearing Corporation, thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default. Furthermore, a liquid secondary market in options traded on a national securities exchange may be more readily available than in the OTC market, potentially permitting the Fund to liquidate open positions at a profit prior to exercise or expiration, or to limit losses in the event of adverse market movements. There is no assurance, however, that higher than anticipated trading activity or other unforeseen events might not temporarily render the capabilities of the Options Clearing Corporation inadequate, and thereby result in the exchange instituting special procedures which may interfere with the timely execution of the Fund’s orders to close out open options positions.

Purchasing Call and Put Options. As the buyer of a call option, the Fund has a right to buy the underlying reference instrument (e.g., a currency or security) at the exercise price at any time during the option period (for American style options). The Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to call options, exercise them, or permit them to expire. For example, the Fund may buy call options on underlying reference instruments that it intends to buy with the goal of limiting the risk of a substantial increase in their market price before the purchase is effected. Unless the price of the underlying reference instrument changes sufficiently, a call option purchased by the Fund may expire without any value to the Fund, in which case the Fund would experience a loss to the extent of the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs.

As the buyer of a put option, the Fund has the right to sell the underlying reference instrument at the exercise price at any time during the option period (for American style options). Like a call option, the Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to put options, exercise them or permit them to expire. The Fund may buy a put option on an underlying reference instrument owned by the Fund (a protective put) as a hedging technique in an attempt to protect against an anticipated decline in the market value of the underlying reference instrument. Such hedge protection is provided only during the life of the put option when the Fund, as the buyer of the put option, is able to sell the underlying reference instrument at the put exercise price, regardless of any decline in the underlying instrument’s market price. The Fund may also seek to offset a decline in the value of the underlying reference instrument through appreciation in the value of the put option. A put option may also be purchased with the intent of protecting unrealized appreciation of an instrument when the Adviser deems it desirable to continue to hold the instrument because of tax or other considerations. The premium paid for the put option and any transaction costs would reduce any short-term capital gain that may be available for distribution when the instrument is eventually sold. Buying put options at a time when the buyer does not own the underlying reference instrument allows the buyer to benefit from a decline in the market price of the underlying reference instrument, which generally increases the value of the put option.

If a put option was not terminated in a closing sale transaction when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying reference instrument remains equal to or greater than the exercise price during the life of the put option, the buyer would not make any gain upon exercise of the option and would experience a loss to the extent of the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs. In order for the purchase of a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying reference instrument must decline sufficiently below the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs.

Writing Call and Put Options. Writing options may permit the writer to generate additional income in the form of the premium received for writing the option. The writer of an option may have no control over when the underlying reference instruments must be sold (in the case of a call option) or purchased (in the case of a put option) because the writer may be notified of exercise at any time prior to the expiration of the option (for American style options). In general, though, options are infrequently exercised prior to expiration. Whether or not an option expires unexercised, the writer retains the amount of the premium. Writing “covered” call options means that the writer owns the underlying reference instrument that is subject to the call option. Call options may also be written on reference instruments that the writer does not own.

If the Fund writes a covered call option, any underlying reference instruments that are held by the Fund and are subject to the call option will be earmarked on the books of the Fund to satisfy its obligations under the option. The Fund will be unable to sell the underlying reference instruments that are subject to the written call option until it either effects a closing transaction with respect to the written call, or otherwise satisfies the conditions for release of the underlying reference instruments. As the writer of a covered call option, the Fund gives up the potential for capital appreciation above the exercise price of the option should the underlying reference instrument rise in value. If the value of the underlying reference instrument rises above the exercise price of the call option, the reference instrument will likely be “called away,” requiring the Fund to sell the underlying instrument at the exercise price. In that case, the Fund will sell the underlying reference instrument to the option buyer for less than its market value, and the Fund will experience a loss (which will be offset by the premium received by the Fund as the writer of such option). If a call option expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium received. If the market price of the underlying reference instrument decreases, the call option will not be exercised and the Fund will be able to use the amount of the premium received to hedge against the loss in value of the underlying reference instrument. The exercise price of a call option will be chosen based upon the expected price movement of the underlying reference instrument. The exercise price of a call option may be below, equal to (at-the-money), or above the current value of the underlying reference instrument at the time the option is written.

As the writer of a put option, the Fund has a risk of loss should the underlying reference instrument decline in value. If the value of the underlying reference instrument declines below the exercise price of the put option and the put option is exercised, the Fund, as the writer of the put option, will be required to buy the instrument at the exercise price, which will exceed the market value of the underlying reference instrument at that time. The Fund will incur a loss to the extent that the current market value of the underlying reference instrument is less than the exercise price of the put option. However, the loss will be offset in part by the premium received from the buyer of the put. If a put option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium received.

Closing Out Options (Exchange-Traded Options). If the writer of an option wants to terminate its obligation, the writer may effect a “closing purchase transaction” by buying an option of the same series as the option previously written. The effect of the purchase is that the clearing corporation will cancel the option writer’s position. However, a writer may not effect a closing purchase transaction after being notified of the exercise of an option. Likewise, the buyer of an option may recover all or a portion of the premium that it paid by effecting a “closing sale transaction” by selling an option of the same series as the option previously purchased and receiving a premium on the sale. There is no guarantee that either a closing purchase or a closing sale transaction may be made at a time desired by the Fund. Closing transactions allow the Fund to terminate its positions in written and purchased options. The Fund will realize a profit from a closing transaction if the price of the transaction is less than the premium received from writing the original option (in the case of written options) or is more than the premium paid by the Fund to buy the option (in the case of purchased options). For example, increases in the market price of a call option sold by the Fund will generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying reference instrument. As a result, any loss resulting from a closing transaction on a written call option is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the underlying instrument owned by the Fund.

Risks of Options. The Fund’s options investments involve certain risks, including general risks related to derivative instruments. There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and the Fund may have difficulty effecting closing transactions in particular options. Therefore, the Fund would have to exercise the options it purchased in order to realize any profit, thus taking or making delivery of the underlying reference instrument when not desired. The Fund could then incur transaction costs upon the sale of the underlying reference instruments. Similarly, when the Fund cannot effect a closing transaction with respect to a put option it wrote, and the buyer exercises, the Fund would be required to take delivery and would incur transaction costs upon the sale of the underlying reference instruments purchased. If the Fund, as a covered call option writer, is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying reference instrument until the option expires, it delivers the underlying instrument upon exercise, or it segregates enough liquid assets to purchase the underlying reference instrument at the marked-to-market price during the term of the option. When trading options on non-U.S. exchanges or in the OTC market, many of the protections afforded to exchange participants will not be available. For example, there may be no daily price fluctuation limits, and adverse market movements could therefore continue to an unlimited extent over an indefinite period of time.

The effectiveness of an options strategy for hedging depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying reference instruments correlate with price movements in the relevant portion of the Fund’s portfolio that is being hedged. In addition, the Fund bears the risk that the prices of its portfolio investments will not move in the same amount as the option it has purchased or sold for hedging purposes, or that there may be a negative correlation that would result in a loss on both the investments and the option. If the Adviser is not successful in using options in managing the Fund’s investments, the Fund’s performance will be worse than if the Adviser did not employ such strategies.

are all European style options, which means that they are exercisable at the strike price only on the FLEX Option expiration date. FLEX Options are customized option contracts available through national securities exchanges that are guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”), a market clearinghouse. FLEX Options provide investors with the ability to customize terms of an option, including exercise prices, exercise styles (European style versus American style options which are exercisable any time prior to the expiration date) and expiration dates, while achieving price discovery in competitive, transparent auctions markets and avoiding the counterparty exposure of the over-the-counter option positions.

Equity Securities. The Fund invests in FLEX Options that reference the market price of the Underlying ETF, which is comprised of the equity securities of large-capitalization companies. Equity securities, such as the common stocks of an issuer, are subject to stock market fluctuations and therefore may experience volatile changes in value as market conditions, consumer sentiment or the financial condition of the issuers change. A decrease in value of the equity securities in a Fund’s portfolio may also cause the value of the Fund’s Shares to decline.

An investment in the Funds should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the stock market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities and therefore a decrease in the value of Shares). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic, public health, or banking crises.

Holders of common stocks incur more risk than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders, as owners of the issuer, generally have inferior rights to receive payments from the issuer in comparison with the rights of creditors or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (whose value, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior thereto), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity. Common stock values are subject to market fluctuations as long as the common stock remains outstanding.

Types of Equity Securities:

Common Stocks — Common stocks represent units of ownership in a company. Common stocks usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred stocks, which are described below, dividends on common stocks are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the company’s board of directors.

Preferred Stocks — Preferred stocks are also units of ownership in a company. Preferred stocks normally have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of the company. However, in all other respects, preferred stocks are subordinated to the liabilities of the issuer. Unlike common stocks, preferred stocks are generally not entitled to vote on corporate matters. Types of preferred stocks include adjustable-rate preferred stock, fixed dividend preferred stock, perpetual preferred stock, and sinking fund preferred stock.

Generally, the market values of preferred stock with a fixed dividend rate and no conversion element vary inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) — A U.S. REIT is a corporation or business trust (that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation) which meets the definitional requirements of the Code. The Code permits a qualifying REIT to deduct from taxable income the dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level federal income tax. To meet the definitional requirements of the Code, a REIT must, among other things: invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs), cash and government securities; derive most of its income from rents from real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property; and, in general, distribute annually 90% or more of its taxable income (other than net capital gains) to shareholders.

REITs are sometimes informally characterized as Equity REITs and Mortgage REITs. An Equity REIT invests primarily in the fee ownership or leasehold ownership of land and buildings (e.g., commercial equity REITs and residential equity REITs); a Mortgage REIT invests primarily in mortgages on real property, which may secure construction, development or long-term loans.

REITs may be affected by changes in underlying real estate values, which may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that REITs in which a Fund invests may concentrate investments in particular geographic regions or property types. Additionally, rising interest rates may cause investors in REITs to demand a higher annual yield from future distributions, which may in turn decrease market prices for equity securities issued by REITs. Rising interest rates also generally increase the costs of obtaining financing, which could cause the value of a Fund’s investments to decline. During periods of declining interest rates, certain Mortgage REITs may hold mortgages that the mortgagors elect to prepay, which prepayment may diminish the yield on securities issued by such Mortgage REITs. In addition, Mortgage REITs may be affected by the ability of borrowers to repay when due the debt extended by the REIT and Equity REITs may be affected by the ability of tenants to pay rent.

Certain REITs have relatively small market capitalization, which may tend to increase the volatility of the market price of securities issued by such REITs. Furthermore, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. By investing in REITs indirectly through a Fund, a shareholder will bear not only his or her proportionate share of the expenses of such Fund, but also, indirectly, similar expenses of the REITs. REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders.

In addition to these risks, Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Further, Equity and Mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. Equity and Mortgage REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. In addition, Equity and Mortgage REITs could possibly fail to qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally available to U.S. REITs under the Code or fail to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. The above factors may also adversely affect a borrower’s or a lessee’s ability to meet its obligations to the REIT. In the event of default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments.

Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”). The Funds may invest in shares of other investment companies (including ETFs). As the shareholder of another ETF, a Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other ETF’s expenses, including advisory fees. Such expenses are in addition to the expenses each Fund pays in connection with its own operations. A Fund’s investments in other ETFs may be limited by applicable law.

Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying ETFs purchased or sold by a Fund could result in losses on investments in ETFs. ETFs also carry the risk that the price a Fund pays or receives may be higher or lower than the ETF’s NAV. ETFs are also subject to certain additional risks, including the risks of illiquidity and of possible trading halts due to market conditions or other reasons, based on the policies of the relevant exchange. ETFs and other investment companies in which a Fund may invest may be leveraged, which would increase the volatility of a Fund’s NAV.

Illiquid Investments. Each Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments, as such term is defined by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act. A Fund may not invest in illiquid investments if, as a result of such investment, more than 15% of the Fund’s net assets would be invested in illiquid investments. Illiquid investments include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets. The inability of a Fund to dispose of illiquid investments readily or at a reasonable price could impair a Fund’s ability to raise cash for redemptions or other purposes. The liquidity of securities purchased by a Fund that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A, except for certain 144A bonds, will be monitored by a Fund on an ongoing basis. In the event that more than 15% of a Fund’s net assets are invested in illiquid investments, the Fund, in accordance with Rule 22e-4(b)(1)(iv), will report the occurrence to both the Board and the SEC and seek to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments within a reasonable period of time.

Investment Company Securities. The Funds may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including ETFs and money market funds, subject to applicable limitations under Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act and Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act. Investing in another pooled vehicle exposes a Fund to all the risks of that pooled vehicle. Pursuant to Section 12(d)(1), a Fund may invest in the securities of another investment company (the “acquired company”) provided that such Fund, immediately after such purchase or

acquisition, does not own in the aggregate: (i) more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company; (ii) securities issued by the acquired company having an aggregate value in excess of 5% of the value of the total assets of such Fund; or (iii) securities issued by the acquired company and all other investment companies (other than treasury stock of such Fund) having an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the applicable Fund. To the extent allowed by law or regulation, the Funds may invest their assets in securities of investment companies that are money market funds in excess of the limits discussed above.

The Funds may rely on Section 12(d)(1)(F) and Rule 12d1-3 under the 1940 Act, which provide an exemption from Section 12(d)(1) that allow the Funds to invest all of its assets in other registered funds, including ETFs, if, among other conditions: (a) a Fund, together with its affiliates, acquires no more than three percent of the outstanding voting stock of any acquired fund, and (b) the sales load charged on a Fund’s Shares is no greater than the limits set forth in Rule 2341 of the Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). In addition, the Funds may invest beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act, including that the Funds enter into an agreement with the acquired company.

If a Fund invests in and, thus, is a shareholder of, another investment company, the Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by such other investment company, including advisory fees, in addition to both the management fees payable directly by the Fund to the Fund’s own investment adviser and the other expenses that the Fund bears directly in connection with the Fund’s own operations.

Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies (“Investing Funds”) in the securities of other registered investment companies, including the Funds. The acquisition of Shares by Investing Funds is subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as may be permitted by exemptive rules under the 1940 Act such as Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act, subject to certain terms and conditions, including that the Investing Fund enter into an agreement with the Funds regarding the terms of the investment.

Other Short-Term Instruments. The Funds may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (i) shares of money market funds; (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit (“CDs”), bankers’ acceptances, fixed time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase “Prime-1” by Moody’s or “A‑1” by S&P or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days and that satisfy the rating requirements set forth in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; and (vi) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the Adviser, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by a Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or a forward-settled basis. Money market instruments also include shares of money market funds. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

Repurchase Agreements. Each Fund may invest in repurchase agreements to generate income from its excess cash balances and to invest securities lending cash collateral. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day). A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by the applicable Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.

In these repurchase agreement transactions, the securities acquired by a Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Custodian until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15% of a Fund’s net assets will be invested in illiquid investments, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer than seven days and securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available market quotations.

The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, a Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by a Fund not within the control of the Fund and, therefore, the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.

Securities Lending. Each Fund may lend portfolio securities in an amount up to one-third of its total assets to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions. In a portfolio securities lending transaction, a Fund receives from the borrower an amount equal to the interest paid or the dividends declared on the loaned securities during the term of the loan as well as the interest on the collateral securities, less any fees (such as finders or administrative fees) the Fund pays in arranging the loan. A Fund may share the interest it receives on the collateral securities with the borrower. The terms of each Fund’s loans permit each Fund to reacquire loaned securities

on five business days’ notice or in time to vote on any important matter. Loans are subject to termination at the option of the applicable Fund or borrower at any time, and the borrowed securities must be returned when the loan is terminated. The Funds may pay fees to arrange for securities loans.

The SEC currently requires that the following conditions must be met whenever a Fund’s portfolio securities are loaned: (1) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral from the borrower; (2) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (3) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan at any time; (4) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities, and any increase in market value; (5) the Fund may pay only reasonable custodian fees approved by the Board in connection with the loan; (6) while voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, the Board must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs; and (7) the Fund may not loan its portfolio securities so that the value of the loaned securities is more than one-third of its total asset value, including collateral received from such loans. These conditions may be subject to future modification. Such loans will be terminable at any time upon specified notice. A Fund might experience the risk of loss if the institution with which it has engaged in a portfolio loan transaction breaches its agreement with the Fund. In addition, the Funds will not enter into any portfolio security lending arrangement having a duration of longer than one year. The principal risk of portfolio lending is potential default or insolvency of the borrower. In either of these cases, a Fund could experience delays in recovering securities or collateral or could lose all or part of the value of the loaned securities. As part of participating in a lending program, the applicable Fund may be required to invest in collateralized debt or other securities that bear the risk of loss of principal. In addition, all investments made with the collateral received are subject to the risks associated with such investments. If such investments lose value, a Fund will have to cover the loss when repaying the collateral.

Any loans of portfolio securities are fully collateralized based on values that are marked-to-market daily. Any securities that a Fund may receive as collateral will not become part of the Fund’s investment portfolio at the time of the loan and, in the event of a default by the borrower, the Fund will, if permitted by law, dispose of such collateral except for such part thereof that is a security in which the Fund is permitted to invest. During the time securities are on loan, the borrower will pay a Fund any accrued income on those securities, and the Fund may invest the cash collateral and earn income or receive an agreed-upon fee from a borrower that has delivered cash-equivalent collateral.

Tax Risks. As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in the Prospectus and this SAI is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares. Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions or you sell Shares.

U.S. Government Securities. Each Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (“Farmer Mac”).

Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency, while other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury, while the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity.

On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality (the “Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement” or “Agreement”). Under the Agreement, the U.S. Treasury pledged to provide up to $200 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. This was intended to ensure that the instrumentalities maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury

announced that it was amending the Agreement to allow the $200 billion cap on the U.S. Treasury’s funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in net worth over the next three years. As a result of this Agreement, the investments of holders, including the Funds, of mortgage-backed securities and other obligations issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are protected.

The total public debt of the United States as a percentage of gross domestic product has grown rapidly since the beginning of the 2008–2009 financial downturn. Although high debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, they may create certain systemic risks if sound debt management practices are not implemented. A high national debt can raise concerns that the U.S. government will not be able to make principal or interest payments when they are due. This increase has also necessitated the need for the U.S. Congress to negotiate adjustments to the statutory debt limit to increase the cap on the amount the U.S. government is permitted to borrow to meet its existing obligations and finance current budget deficits. In August 2023, Fitch lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating on the U.S. In explaining the downgrade, Fitch cited, among other reasons, expected fiscal deterioration of the U.S. government and extended and contentious negotiations related to raising the government's debt ceiling. An increase in national debt levels may also necessitate the need for the U.S. Congress to negotiate adjustments to the statutory debt ceiling to increase the cap on the amount the U.S. Government is permitted to borrow to meet its existing obligations and finance current budget deficits. Future downgrades could increase volatility in domestic and foreign financial markets, result in higher interest rates, lower prices of U.S. Treasury securities and increase the costs of different kinds of debt. Any controversy or ongoing uncertainty regarding the statutory debt ceiling negotiations may impact the U.S. long-term sovereign credit rating and may cause market uncertainty. As a result, market prices and yields of securities supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government may be adversely affected.

Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities. The Funds may invest in underlying funds that invest in inflation-protected public obligations, commonly known as “TIPS,” of the U.S. Treasury, as well as TIPS of major governments and emerging market countries, excluding the United States. TIPS are a type of security issued by a government that is designed to provide inflation protection to investors. TIPS are income-generating instruments whose interest and principal payments are adjusted for inflation—a sustained increase in prices that erodes the purchasing power of money. The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index. A fixed coupon rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal so that as inflation rises or falls, both the principal value and the interest payments will increase or decrease. This can provide investors with a hedge against inflation, as it helps preserve the purchasing power of an investment. Because of this inflation adjustment feature, inflation-protected bonds typically have lower yields than conventional fixed-rate bonds.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

The Trust has adopted the following investment restrictions as fundamental policies with respect to the Funds. These restrictions cannot be changed with respect to a Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities. For the purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority of outstanding shares” means the vote of the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the voting securities of the Fund present at the meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.

Except with the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, each Fund may not:

1.Concentrate its investments (i.e., invest more than 25% of its net assets) in any industry or group of related industries. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities, registered investment companies, and tax-exempt securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.

2.Borrow money or issue senior securities (as defined under the 1940 Act), except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.

3.Make loans, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.

4.Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. This shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate, real estate investment trusts or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business.

5.Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. This shall not prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities.

6.Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act.

In determining its compliance with the fundamental investment restriction on concentration, a Fund will consider the investments of other investment companies in which such Fund invests to the extent it has sufficient information about such investment companies. With respect to a Fund’s investments in affiliated investment companies, the Fund will consider its entire investment in any investment company with a policy to concentrate, or having otherwise disclosed that it is concentrated, in a particular industry or group of related industries as being invested in such industry or group of related industries.

If a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment or contract, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction, except that the percentage limitation with respect to the borrowing of money will be observed continuously.

The following descriptions of certain provisions of the 1940 Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions:

Concentration. The SEC has defined concentration as investing 25% or more of a Fund’s net assets in a particular industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions.

Borrowing. The 1940 Act presently allows a Fund to borrow from a bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings up to 5% of its total assets).

Senior Securities. Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by a Fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits a fund from issuing senior securities. An exemptive rule under the 1940 Act, however, permits a fund to enter into transactions that might otherwise be deemed to be senior securities, such as derivative transactions, reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions, and short sales, subject to certain conditions.

Lending. Under the 1940 Act, a Fund may only make loans if expressly permitted by its investment policies. The Funds’ current investment policy on lending is that a Fund may not make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, except that a Fund may: (i) purchase or hold debt instruments in accordance with its investment objective and policies; (ii) enter into repurchase agreements; and (iii) engage in securities lending as described in this SAI.

Real Estate and Commodities. The 1940 Act does not directly restrict a Fund’s ability to invest in real estate or commodities, but the 1940 Act requires every investment company to have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments.

Underwriting. Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves the Funds purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating in any such activity either directly or indirectly.

EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING

Shares are listed for trading and trade throughout the day on the Exchange.

There can be no assurance that the Fund will continue to meet the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares. The Exchange will consider the suspension of trading in, and will initiate delisting proceedings of, the Shares if any of the requirements set forth in the Exchange rules, including compliance with Rule 6c-11(c) under the 1940 Act, are not continuously maintained or such other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of the Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of Shares in the future to help maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the applicable Fund.

MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

Board Responsibilities. The management and affairs of the Trust and its series are overseen by the Board, which elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the day-to-day operations of the Trust and the Funds. The Board has approved contracts, as described below, under which certain companies provide essential services to the Trust.

The day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third-party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Distributor, and the Administrator. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and, thus, has oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of a Fund. The Funds and their service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify such events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust’s business and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with those aspects for which it is responsible. The Board has emphasized to the Funds’ service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.

The Board’s role in risk oversight begins before the inception of the Funds, at which time certain of the Funds’ service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies, and risks of the Funds as well as proposed investment limitations for the Funds. Additionally, the Adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, their investment philosophy, brokerage practices, and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the Adviser, and other service providers such as the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with

respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the Funds may be exposed.

The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided to the Funds by the Adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis (following the initial two-year period), in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Adviser, the Board or its designee may meet with the Adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Adviser’s adherence to each Fund’s investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about each Fund’s performance and each Fund’s investments, including, for example, portfolio holdings schedules.

The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and Fund and Adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the Adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.

The Board receives reports from the Funds’ service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. Annually, the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the Funds’ financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Funds and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the Funds’ internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees Fund management’s implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust’s financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust’s financial statements.

From their review of these reports and discussions with the Adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of each Fund, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect a Fund can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve a Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Board as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the Funds’ investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the Adviser and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the Funds’ and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.

Members of the Board. There are four members of the Board, three of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”). Mr. Michael A. Castino serves as Chairman of the Board, and Mr. Leonard M. Rush serves as the Trust’s Lead Independent Trustee. As Lead Independent Trustee, Mr. Rush acts as a spokesperson for the Independent Trustees in between meetings of the Board, serves as a liaison for the Independent Trustees with the Trust’s service providers, officers, and legal counsel to discuss ideas informally, and participates in setting the agenda for meetings of the Board and separate meetings or executive sessions of the Independent Trustees.

The Board is comprised of a super-majority (75 percent) of Independent Trustees. There is an Audit Committee of the Board that is chaired by an Independent Trustee and comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The Audit Committee chair presides at the Audit Committee meetings, participates in formulating agendas for Audit Committee meetings, and coordinates with management to serve as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management on matters within the scope of responsibilities of the Audit Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. There is a Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board that is chaired by an Independent Trustee and comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The Nominating and Governance Committee chair presides at the Nominating and Governance Committee meetings, participates in formulating agendas for Nominating and Governance Committee meetings, and coordinates with management to serve as a liaison between the Independent Trustees and management on matters within the scope of responsibilities of the Nominating and Governance Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees of the Trust constitute a super-majority of the Board, the number of Independent Trustees that constitute the Board, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Independent Trustees from Fund management.

Additional information about each Trustee of the Trust is set forth below. The address of each Trustee of the Trust is c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, 615 E. Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202.

Name and
Year of Birth

Position Held with the Trust

Term of Office and Length of Time Served

Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee

Other Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5 Years

Independent Trustees

Leonard M. Rush, CPA
Born: 1946

Lead Independent Trustee and Audit Committee Chairman

Indefinite term;
since 2012

Retired; formerly Chief Financial Officer, Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated (wealth management firm) (2000–2011).

Independent Trustee, Managed Portfolio Series (34 portfolios) (since 2011).

David A. Massart
Born: 1967

Trustee and Nominating and Governance Committee Chairman

Indefinite term; Trustee

since 2012;

Committee Chairman

since 2023

Partner and Managing Director, Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC (since 2022); Co-Founder, President, and Chief Investment Strategist, Next Generation Wealth Management, Inc. (2005–2021).

Independent Trustee, Managed Portfolio Series (34 portfolios) (since 2011).

Janet D. Olsen
Born: 1956

Trustee

Indefinite term;
since 2018

Retired; formerly Managing Director and General Counsel, Artisan Partners Limited Partnership (investment adviser) (2000–2013); Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. (2012–2013); Vice President and General Counsel, Artisan Funds, Inc. (investment company) (2001–2012).

Independent Trustee, PPM Funds (2 portfolios) (since 2018).

Interested Trustee

Michael A. Castino
Born: 1967

Trustee and Chairman

Indefinite term; Trustee
since 2014;
Chairman
since 2013

Managing Director, Investment Manager Solutions, Sound Capital Solutions LLC (since 2023); Senior Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2013–2023); Managing Director of Index Services, Zacks Investment Management (2011–2013).

None.

Individual Trustee Qualifications. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Funds provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Funds, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of each Fund’s shareholders. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on his or her own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Rush should serve as a Trustee because of his substantial industry experience, including serving in several different senior executive roles at various global financial services firms, and the experience he has gained as serving as trustee of another investment company trust since 2011. He most recently served as Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated and several other affiliated entities and served as the Treasurer for Baird Funds. He also served as the Chief Financial Officer for Fidelity Investments’ four broker-dealers and has substantial experience with mutual fund and investment advisory organizations and related businesses, including Vice President and Head of Compliance for Fidelity Investments, a Vice President at Credit Suisse First Boston, a Manager with Goldman Sachs, & Co. and a Senior Manager with Deloitte & Touche. Mr. Rush has been determined to qualify as an Audit Committee Financial Expert for the Trust.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Massart should serve as a Trustee because of his substantial industry experience, including over two decades working with high net worth individuals, families, trusts, and retirement accounts to make strategic and tactical asset allocation decisions, evaluate and select investment managers, and manage complex client relationships, and the experience he has gained as serving as trustee of another investment company trust since 2011. He is currently a Partner and Managing Director at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC. Previously, he served as President and Chief Investment Strategist of an SEC-registered investment advisory firm he co-founded, as a Managing Director of Strong Private Client, and as a Manager of Wells Fargo Investments, LLC.

The Trust has concluded that Ms. Olsen should serve as a Trustee because of her substantial industry experience, including nearly 20 years as a practicing attorney representing primarily registered investment companies and investment advisers, over a decade serving as a senior executive of an investment management firm and a related public company, and the experience she has gained by serving as an executive officer of another investment company from 2001 to 2012. Ms. Olsen most recently served as Managing Director and

General Counsel of Artisan Partners Limited Partnership, a registered investment adviser serving primarily investment companies and institutional investors, and several affiliated entities, including its general partner, Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. (NYSE: APAM), and as an executive officer of Artisan Funds Inc.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Castino should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained as Chairman of the Trust since 2013, as a senior officer of U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services” or the “Transfer Agent”), from 2012 to 2023, and in his past roles with investment management firms and indexing firms involved with ETFs, as well as his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry. Mr. Castino currently serves as Managing Director, Investment Manager Solutions, of Sound Capital Solutions, LLC, a state-registered investment adviser.

In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the funds.

Board Committees. The Board has established the following standing committees of the Board:

Audit Committee. The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: recommending which firm to engage as the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate this relationship; reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm’s compensation, the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the firm’s independence; pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; serving as a channel of communication between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; reviewing the results of each external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered public accounting firm’s opinion, any related management letter, management’s responses to recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit, reports submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the Trust’s Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any, and management’s responses to any such reports; reviewing the Funds’ audited financial statements and considering any significant disputes between the Trust’s management and the independent registered public accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements; considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trust’s senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered public accounting firms’ report on the adequacy of the Trust’s internal financial controls; reviewing, in consultation with the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed when preparing the Funds’ financial statements; and other audit related matters. During the fiscal year ended May 31, 2023, the Audit Committee met four times.

The Audit Committee also serves as the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee (“QLCC”) for the Trust for the purpose of compliance with Rules 205.2(k) and 205.3(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations, regarding alternative reporting procedures for attorneys retained or employed by an issuer who appear and practice before the SEC on behalf of the issuer (the “issuer attorneys”). An issuer attorney who becomes aware of evidence of a material violation by the Trust, or by any officer, director, employee, or agent of the Trust, may report evidence of such material violation to the QLCC as an alternative to the reporting requirements of Rule 205.3(b) (which requires reporting to the chief legal officer and potentially “up the ladder” to other entities).

Nominating and Governance Committee. The Board has a standing Nominating and Governance Committee that is composed of each of the Independent Trustees of the Trust. The Nominating and Governance Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The principal responsibility of the Nominating and Governance Committee is to consider, recommend and nominate candidates to fill vacancies on the Trust’s Board, if any. The Nominating and Governance Committee generally will not consider nominees recommended by shareholders. The Nominating and Governance Committee is also responsible for, among other things, reviewing and making recommendations regarding Independent Trustee compensation and the Trustees’ annual “self-assessment.” The Nominating and Governance Committee meets periodically, as necessary. During the fiscal year ended May 31, 2023, the Nominating and Governance Committee met two times.

Principal Officers of the Trust

The officers of the Trust conduct and supervise its daily business. The address of each officer of the Trust is c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, 615 E. Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202. Additional information about the Trust’s officers is as follows:


Name and Year of Birth	Position(s) Held with the Trust	Term of Office and Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years
Kristina R. Nelson Born: 1982	President	Indefinite term; since 2019	Senior Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (since 2020); Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2014–2020).
Cynthia L. Andrae Born: 1971	Chief Compliance Officer and Anti-Money Laundering Officer	Indefinite term; since 2022 (other roles since 2021)	Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (since 2019); Deputy Chief Compliance Officer, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2021–2022); Compliance Officer, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2015-2019).
Kristen M. Weitzel Born: 1977	Treasurer	Indefinite term; since 2014 (other roles since 2013)	Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (since 2015).
Joshua J. Hinderliter Born: 1983	Vice President and Secretary	Indefinite term; since 2023	Assistant Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (since 2022); Managing Associate, Thompson Hine LLP (2016–2022).
Jason E. Shlensky Born: 1987	Assistant Treasurer	Indefinite term; since 2019	Assistant Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (since 2019); Officer, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2014–2019).
Jessica L. Vorbeck Born: 1984	Assistant Treasurer	Indefinite term; since 2020	Assistant Vice President, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (since 2022); Officer, U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (2014–2017, 2018–2022).

Trustee Ownership of Shares. The Funds are required to show the dollar amount ranges of each Trustee’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares and each other series of the Trust as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act.

As of December 31, 2023, Mr. Rush owned, in the aggregate, between $1 and $10,000 of shares in other series of the Trust. No other Trustee owned Shares or shares of any other series of the Trust.

Board Compensation. The Trustees each receive an annual trustee fee of $228,000 for attendance at the four regularly scheduled quarterly meetings and one annual meeting, if necessary, and receive additional compensation for each additional meeting attended of $2,000, as well as reimbursement for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attendance at Board meetings. The Lead Independent Trustee receives an additional annual fee of $18,000. The Chairman of the Audit Committee receives an additional annual fee of $18,000. The Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee receives an additional annual fee of $8,000. The Trust has no pension or retirement plan.

The following table shows the compensation earned by each Trustee for the Funds’ fiscal year ending May 31, 2023. Independent Trustee fees are paid by the Adviser to each series of the Trust and not by the Funds. Trustee compensation does not include reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses in connection with attendance at meetings.


Name	Aggregate Compensation From the Funds	Total Compensation From Fund Complex Paid to Trustees
Interested Trustee
Michael A. Castino*	$0	$0
Independent Trustees
David A. Massart	$0	$206,450
Leonard M. Rush, CPA	$0	$235,783
Janet D. Olsen	$0	$205,783

*Prior to his departure from U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC in May 2023, Michael Castino did not receive compensation from the Fund Complex.

PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS, CONTROL PERSONS, AND MANAGEMENT OWNERSHIP

A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding Shares of a Fund. A control person is a shareholder that owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders owning voting securities in excess of 25% may determine the outcome of any matter affecting and voted on by shareholders of a Fund. As of the date of this SAI, there were no outstanding Shares.

Codes of Ethics

The Trust and the Adviser have each adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These codes of ethics are designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust and the Adviser from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or fraudulent activities in

connection with securities held or to be acquired by a Fund (which may also be held by persons subject to the codes of ethics). Each Code of Ethics permits personnel subject to that Code of Ethics to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, subject to certain limitations, including limitations related to securities that may be purchased or held by a Fund. The Distributor (as defined below) relies on the principal underwriters exception under Rule 17j-1(c)(3), specifically where the Distributor is not affiliated with the Trust or the Adviser, and no officer, director, or general partner of the Distributor serves as an officer, director, or general partner of the Trust or the Adviser.

There can be no assurance that the codes of ethics will be effective in preventing such activities. Each code of ethics may be examined at the office of the SEC in Washington, D.C. or on the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

PROXY VOTING POLICIES

The Funds have delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s oversight. In delegating proxy responsibilities, the Board has directed that proxies be voted consistent with each Fund’s and its shareholders’ best interests and in compliance with all applicable proxy voting rules and regulations. The Adviser has adopted proxy voting policies and guidelines for this purpose (“Proxy Voting Policies”). A copy of the Proxy Voting Policies is set forth in Appendix A to this SAI. The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the Proxy Voting Policies. The Proxy Voting Policies have been adopted by the Trust as the policies and procedures that the Adviser will use when voting proxies on behalf of a Fund.

The Proxy Voting Policies address, among other things, material conflicts of interest that may arise between the interests of the Funds and the interests of the Adviser. The Proxy Voting Policies will ensure that all issues brought to shareholders are analyzed in light of the Adviser’s fiduciary responsibilities.

When available, information on how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 will be available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling 1–800–617–0004 and (2) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

INVESTMENT ADVISER

The Adviser, Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC, an Alabama limited liability company located at 265 Young Street, Fairhope, Alabama 36532, serves as the investment adviser to the Funds. The Adviser is controlled by John D. (“JD”) Gardner, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, Managing Member, and majority owner of the Adviser.

Pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”), the Adviser provides investment advice to the Funds and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Funds, subject to the direction and control of the Board and the officers of the Trust. The Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of each Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions, subject to the oversight of the Board. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is also responsible for arranging transfer agency, custody, fund administration, securities lending, accounting, distribution and other services necessary for the Funds to operate. The Adviser administers each Fund’s business affairs, provides office facilities and equipment and certain clerical, bookkeeping and administrative services. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses incurred by each Fund, except for: the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, interest charges on any borrowings, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, extraordinary expenses, distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and the unified management fee payable to the Adviser. For services provided to the Funds, each Fund pays the Adviser a unified management fee at an annual rate of the Fund’s average daily net assets as follows:


Name of Fund			Management Fee
Aptus January Buffer ETF			[--]%
Aptus April Buffer ETF			[--]%
Aptus July Buffer ETF			[--]%
Aptus October Buffer ETF			[--]%

The Advisory Agreement with respect to each Fund will continue in force for an initial period of two years. Thereafter, the Advisory Agreement will be renewable from year to year with respect to a Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of those Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Adviser or the Trust; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares. The Advisory Agreement automatically terminates on assignment and is terminable on a 60-day written notice either by the Trust or the Adviser.

The Adviser shall not be liable to the Trust or any shareholder for anything done or omitted by it, except acts or omissions involving willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless disregard of the duties imposed upon it by its agreement with the Trust or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any security.

The Funds are new and have not paid management fees to the Adviser as of the date of this SAI.

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

The Funds are managed by Mark Callahan, Portfolio Manager and Head of Trading, John D. (“JD”) Gardner, CFA, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Member of the Adviser, Brad Rapking, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst of the Adviser, John Luke Tyner, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Equity Analyst of the Adviser and David Wagner III, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst of the Adviser.

The above individuals are referred to below as the “Portfolio Managers”.

Share Ownership

The Funds are required to show the dollar range of each Portfolio Manager’s “beneficial ownership” of Shares as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year or a more recent date for a new portfolio manager. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. “Beneficial ownership” is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act.

As of the date of this SAI, the Portfolio Managers did not beneficially own Shares of the Funds.

Other Accounts

In addition to the Funds, the Portfolio Managers managed the following other accounts for the Adviser, as of [ ], 2024, none of which were subject to a performance-based fee:

Registered

Investment Companies

Other Pooled

Investment Vehicles

Other Accounts

Portfolio Manager

Number of Accounts

Total Assets in the Accounts

Number of Accounts

Total Assets in the Accounts

Number of Accounts

Total Assets in the Accounts

JD Gardner

Mark Callahan

Brad Rapking

John Luke Tyner

David Wagner III, CFA

Compensation

Each Portfolio Manager’s compensation includes a fixed salary and participation in a retirement plan, neither of which is based on the performance of the Funds.

Description of Material Conflicts of Interest

The Portfolio Managers may manage accounts other than the Funds. To the extent they do, the Adviser’s management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with its management of each Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have similar investment objectives or strategies as the Funds. A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result, whereby a Portfolio Manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include a Portfolio Manager’s knowledge about the size, timing, and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby the Portfolio Manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of a Fund. However, the Adviser has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts the Adviser manages are fairly and equitably allocated.

THE DISTRIBUTOR

The Trust, the Adviser, and Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC (d/b/a ACA Group), are parties to a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”), whereby the Distributor acts as principal underwriter for the Fund and distributes Shares. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. The Distributor will not distribute Shares in amounts less than a Creation Unit and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The principal business address of the Distributor is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will review orders for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of FINRA.

The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or DTC participants (as defined below).

The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually thereafter. The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the

shareholders of the Fund and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by majority vote of its outstanding voting Shares or by a vote of a majority of its Board (including a majority of the Independent Trustees), or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Distribution Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Distributor, or reckless disregard by it of its obligations thereunder, the Distributor shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.

Intermediary Compensation. The Adviser or its affiliates, out of their own resources and not out of Fund assets (i.e., without additional cost to a Fund or its shareholders), may pay certain broker dealers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to a Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing and educational training or support. These arrangements are not financed by a Fund and, thus, do not result in increased Fund expenses. They are not reflected in the fees and expenses listed in the fees and expenses sections of a Fund’s Prospectus and they do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of Shares or the amount received by a shareholder as proceeds from the redemption of Shares.

Such compensation may be paid to Intermediaries that provide services to a Fund, including marketing and education support (such as through conferences, webinars and printed communications). The Adviser periodically assesses the advisability of continuing to make these payments. Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your adviser, broker or other investment professional, if any, may also be significant to such adviser, broker or investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about what investment options it will make available or recommend, and what services to provide in connection with various products, based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients. For example, these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend a Fund over other investments. The same conflict of interest exists with respect to your financial adviser, broker or investment professional if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.

Intermediary information is current only as of the date of this SAI. Please contact your adviser, broker, or other investment professional for more information regarding any payments his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made by the Adviser or its affiliates to an Intermediary may create the incentive for an Intermediary to encourage customers to buy Shares.

If you have any additional questions, please call 1-800-617-0004.

Distribution and Service Plan. The Trust has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its shares. No payments pursuant to the Plan are expected to be made during the twelve (12) month period from the date of this SAI. Rule 12b-1 fees to be paid by a Fund under the Plan may only be imposed after approval by the Board.

Continuance of the Plan must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan (“Qualified Trustees”). The Plan requires that quarterly written reports of amounts spent under the Plan and the purposes of such expenditures be furnished to and reviewed by the Trustees. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount that may be spent thereunder without approval by a majority of the outstanding Shares of a Fund. All material amendments of the Plan will require approval by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and of the Qualified Trustees.

The Plan provides that each Fund pays the Distributor an annual fee of up to a maximum of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Shares. Under the Plan, the Distributor may make payments pursuant to written agreements to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations and insurance companies including, without limit, investment counselors, broker-dealers and the Distributor’s affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Agents”) as compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be paid to the Distributor without regard to the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor or the amount of payments made to other financial institutions and intermediaries. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with the FINRA rules concerning sales charges.

Under the Plan, subject to the limitations of applicable law and regulations, each Fund is authorized to compensate the Distributor up to the maximum amount to finance any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of the Fund or for providing or arranging for others to provide shareholder services and for the maintenance of shareholder accounts. Such activities may include, but are not limited to: (i) delivering copies of a Fund’s then current reports, prospectuses, notices, and similar materials, to prospective purchasers of Creation Units; (ii) marketing and promotional services, including advertising; (iii) paying the costs of and compensating others, including Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) with whom the Distributor has entered into written Participant Agreements (as defined below), for performing shareholder servicing on behalf of a Fund; (iv) compensating certain Authorized Participants for providing assistance in distributing the Creation Units of a Fund, including the travel and communication expenses and salaries and/or commissions of sales personnel in connection with the

distribution of the Creation Units of a Fund; (v) payments to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies and investment counselors, broker-dealers, mutual fund supermarkets and the affiliates and subsidiaries of the Trust’s service providers as compensation for services or reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance; (vi) facilitating communications with beneficial owners of Shares, including the cost of providing (or paying others to provide) services to beneficial owners of Shares, including, but not limited to, assistance in answering inquiries related to shareholder accounts; and (vii) such other services and obligations as are set forth in the Distribution Agreement. The Distributor does not retain Fund monies for profit. Instead, it keeps them in retention for future distribution related expenses. The Adviser compensates the Distributor for certain distribution related services.

THE ADMINISTRATOR, CUSTODIAN, AND TRANSFER AGENT

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the Funds’ transfer agent, administrator, and index receipt agent.

Pursuant to a Fund Administration Servicing Agreement and a Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between the Trust and Fund Services, Fund Services provides the Trust with administrative and management services (other than investment advisory services) and accounting services, including portfolio accounting services, tax accounting services and furnishing financial reports. In this capacity, Fund Services does not have any responsibility or authority for the management of the Funds, the determination of investment policy, or for any matter pertaining to the distribution of Shares. As compensation for the administration, accounting and management services, the Adviser pays Fund Services a fee based on each Fund’s average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee. Fund Services also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses for the services mentioned above, including pricing expenses.

The Fund is new and the Adviser has not paid Fund Services any fees for administrative services to the Fund as of the date of this SAI.

Pursuant to a Custody Agreement, U.S. Bank National Association (the “Custodian” or “U.S. Bank”), 1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, serves as the Custodian of the Funds’ assets. The Custodian holds and administers the assets in each Fund’s portfolio. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the Custodian receives an annual fee from the Adviser based on the Trust’s total average daily net assets, subject to a minimum annual fee, and certain settlement charges. The Custodian also is entitled to certain out-of-pocket expenses.

LEGAL COUNSEL

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, located at 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004-2541, serves as legal counsel for the Trust.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

[ ], located at [ ], serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about each Fund’s security holdings. Each Fund’s entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day a Fund is open for business and may be available through financial reporting and news services, including publicly available internet web sites. In addition, the composition of the Deposit Securities (as defined below) is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”).

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES

The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and Shares. Each Share represents an equal proportionate interest in the applicable Fund with each other Share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the applicable Fund. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees may create additional series or classes of Shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional funds and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing Shares will not be issued. Shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.

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 funds of the Trust vote together as a single class, except that if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund it will be voted on only by that fund and if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of Trustees under certain circumstances. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the Trust’s Shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more Trustees and other certain matters. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.

Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate a Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if a Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.

LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES’ LIABILITY

The Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, any person who is serving or has served at the Trust’s request as a Trustee, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the Amended and Restated By-laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee’s individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.

BROKERAGE TRANSACTIONS

The policy of the Trust regarding purchases and sales of securities for a Fund is that primary consideration will be given to obtaining the most favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions. Consistent with this policy, when securities transactions are effected on a stock exchange, the Trust’s policy is to pay commissions which are considered fair and reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Trust believes that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the Funds and the Adviser from obtaining a high quality of brokerage and research services. In seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions paid in any transaction, the Adviser will rely upon its experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage services received from the broker effecting the transaction. Such determinations are necessarily subjective and imprecise, as in most cases, an exact dollar value for those services is not ascertainable. The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that prohibit the consideration of sales of Shares as a factor in the selection of a broker or dealer to execute its portfolio transactions.

The Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its clients to seek to provide best execution on trades effected. In selecting a broker-dealer for each specific transaction, the Adviser chooses the broker-dealer deemed most capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable execution. “Best execution” is generally understood to mean the most favorable cost or net proceeds reasonably obtainable under the circumstances. The full range of brokerage services applicable to a particular transaction may be considered when making this judgment, which may include, but is not limited to: liquidity, price, commission, timing, aggregated trades, capable floor brokers or traders, competent block trading coverage, ability to position, capital strength and stability, reliable and accurate communications and settlement processing, use of automation, knowledge of other buyers or sellers, arbitrage skills, administrative ability, underwriting and provision of information on a particular security or market in which the transaction is to occur. The specific criteria will vary depending upon the nature of the transaction, the market in which it is executed, and the extent to which it is possible to select from among multiple broker-dealers. The Adviser will also use electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) when appropriate.

Subject to the foregoing policies, brokers or dealers selected to execute a Fund’s portfolio transactions may include such Fund’s Authorized Participants (as discussed in “Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units” below) or their affiliates. An Authorized Participant or its affiliates may be selected to execute a Fund’s portfolio transactions in conjunction with an all-cash creation unit order or an order including “cash-in-lieu” (as described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units”), so long as such selection is in keeping with the foregoing policies. As described below under “Purchase and Redemption of Shares in Creation Units—Creation Transaction Fee” and “—Redemption Transaction Fee”, each Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of the applicable Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order, even if the decision to not charge a variable fee could be viewed as benefiting the Authorized Participant or its affiliate selected to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions in connection with such orders.

The Adviser may use a Fund’s assets for, or participate in, third-party soft dollar arrangements, in addition to receiving proprietary research from various full-service brokers, the cost of which is bundled with the cost of the broker’s execution services. The Adviser does not “pay up” for the value of any such proprietary research. Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act permits the Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause a Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. The Adviser may receive a variety of research services and information on many topics, which it can use in connection with its management responsibilities with respect to the various accounts over which it exercises investment discretion or otherwise provides investment advice. The research services may include qualifying order management systems, portfolio attribution and monitoring services and computer software and access charges which are directly related to

investment research. Accordingly, a Fund may pay a broker commission higher than the lowest available in recognition of the broker’s provision of such services to the Adviser, but only if the Adviser determines the total commission (including the soft dollar benefit) is comparable to the best commission rate that could be expected to be received from other brokers. The amount of soft dollar benefits received depends on the amount of brokerage transactions effected with the brokers. A conflict of interest exists because there is an incentive to: 1) cause clients to pay a higher commission than the firm might otherwise be able to negotiate; 2) cause clients to engage in more securities transactions than would otherwise be optimal; and 3) only recommend brokers that provide soft dollar benefits.

The Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest when it uses client trades to obtain brokerage or research services. This conflict exists because the Adviser is able to use the brokerage or research services to manage client accounts without paying cash for such services, which reduces the Adviser’s expenses to the extent that the Adviser would have purchased such products had they not been provided by brokers. Section 28(e) permits the Adviser to use brokerage or research services for the benefit of any account it manages. The Funds generate soft dollars used to purchase brokerage or research services that may ultimately benefit other accounts managed by the Adviser, effectively cross subsidizing the other accounts managed by the Adviser that benefit directly from the Funds. The Adviser may not necessarily use all of the brokerage or research services in connection with managing a Fund whose trades generated the soft dollars used to purchase such products.

The Adviser is responsible, subject to oversight by the Board, for placing orders on behalf of each Fund for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of a Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the Adviser are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all by the Adviser. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as a Fund is concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be beneficial to the Funds. The primary consideration is prompt execution of orders at the most favorable net price.

A Fund may deal with affiliates in principal transactions to the extent permitted by exemptive order or applicable rule or regulation.

The Fund is new and had not paid any brokerage commissions as of the date of this SAI.

Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. A Fund may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Funds, the Adviser, or the Distributor for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the 1934 Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Funds for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Funds, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.

Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers.” Each Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) that it may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. “Regular brokers or dealers” of a Fund are the ten brokers or dealers that, during the most recent fiscal year: (i) received the greatest dollar amounts of brokerage commissions from the Fund’s portfolio transactions; (ii) engaged as principal in the largest dollar amounts of portfolio transactions of the Fund; or (iii) sold the largest dollar amounts of Shares.

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER RATE

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates are likely to result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The overall reasonableness of brokerage commissions is evaluated by the Adviser based upon its knowledge of available information as to the general level of commissions paid by other institutional investors for comparable services.

BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM

The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) acts as securities depositary for Shares. Shares are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for Shares.

DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that 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 New York Stock Exchange (“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 in

this SAI 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 of Shares. The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all Shares for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of Shares are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of Share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares.

Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of Shares held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant 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 Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in a 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 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 determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to a Fund at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Fund and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the applicable Fund shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS

The Trust issues and redeems Shares only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Transfer Agent, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees, if applicable), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any Business Day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement (“Participant Agreement”). The NAV of Shares is calculated each business day as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. The Funds will not issue fractional Creation Units. A “Business Day” is any day on which the NYSE is open for business.

Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of a Fund generally consists of the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount (“Deposit Cash”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for all or a portion of Deposit Cash, a Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser.

Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the applicable Fund. The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares (per Creation Unit) and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).

Each Fund, through NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of Shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of

Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the applicable Fund. Such Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, to effect purchases of Creation Units of the applicable Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.

The identity and number of Shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for a Fund Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund.

The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, “custom orders”).

Procedures for Purchase of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Transfer Agent to purchase a Creation Unit of a Fund, an entity must be (i) a “Participating Party” (i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”)), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see “Book Entry Only System”). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an “Authorized Participant”) must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee (described below), if applicable, and any other applicable fees and taxes.

All orders to purchase Shares directly from a Fund must be placed for one or more Creation Units and in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The order cut-off time for orders to purchase Creation Units of the Funds is 3:00 p.m. Eastern time, which times may be modified by the Funds from time-to-time by amendment to the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the “Order Placement Date.”

An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order (e.g., to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase Shares directly from a Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.

On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, a Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which a Fund’s investments are primarily traded is closed, the applicable Fund will also generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Transfer Agent pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the applicable order form. On behalf of the Funds, the Transfer Agent will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Transfer Agent by the cut-off time on such Business Day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Transfer Agent or an Authorized Participant.

Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a subcustody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the subcustodian of the Funds to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local subcustodian. A Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of the applicable Fund or its agents by no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If a Fund or its agents do not receive all of the Deposit Securities, or the required Deposit Cash in lieu thereof, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the applicable Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. The “Settlement Date” for a Fund is generally the second Business Day after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered

securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using a Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the applicable Fund.

The order shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the applicable Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in “proper form” if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, order form and this SAI are properly followed.

Issuance of a Creation Unit. Except as provided in this SAI, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the subcustodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant subcustodian or subcustodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to the applicable Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.

Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the Settlement Date. If a Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the applicable Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Transfer Agent plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee, as described below under “Creation Transaction Fee,” may be charged. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.

Acceptance of Orders of Creation Units. The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Transfer Agent with respect to a Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the applicable Fund; (d) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (f) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units.

Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub-custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Transfer Agent shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units.

All questions as to the number of Shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.

Creation Transaction Fee. A fixed purchase (i.e., creation) transaction fee, payable to the Fund’s custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Order Costs”). The standard fixed creation transaction fee for each Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction, can be found in the table below. Each Fund may adjust the standard fixed creation transaction fee from time to time. The fixed creation fee may be waived on certain orders if the applicable Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.

In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Fund, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with buying the securities with cash. Each Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for creation orders that facilitate changes to the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.

Risks of Purchasing Creation Units. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from a Fund. Because Shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of Shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from a Fund, breaks them down into the constituent Shares, and sells those Shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for Shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.

Dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with Shares as part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.

Redemption. Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by a Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF A FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit to have such Shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of Shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.

With respect to the Funds, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the list of the names and Share quantities of each Fund’s portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.

Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of a Fund, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities—as announced by the Custodian on the Business Day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of Shares being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the “Cash Redemption Amount”), less a fixed redemption transaction fee, as applicable, as set forth below. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of Shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust’s discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.

Redemption Transaction Fee. A fixed redemption transaction fee, payable to the Funds’ custodian, may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption Order Costs”). The standard fixed redemption transaction fee for each Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction, can be found in the table below. Each Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The fixed redemption fee may be waived on certain orders if the applicable Fund’s custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.

In addition, a variable fee, payable to the applicable Fund, of up to the maximum percentage listed in the table below of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions

(when cash redemptions are available) of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with selling portfolio securities to satisfy a cash redemption. Each Fund may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, e.g., for redemption orders that facilitate changes to the Fund’s portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order.


Name of Fund	Fixed Creation Transaction Fee	Maximum Variable Transaction Fee
Aptus January Buffer ETF
Aptus April Buffer ETF
Aptus July Buffer ETF
Aptus October Buffer ETF

Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. Investors are responsible for the fixed costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their order.

Procedures for Redemption of Creation Units. Orders to redeem Creation Units must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust’s Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor’s Shares through DTC’s facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected.

The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the shares to the Trust’s Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.

Additional Redemption Procedures. In connection with taking delivery of Shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank, or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the Fund Securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two business days of the trade date.

The Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such Shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that a Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Shares based on the NAV of Shares next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee, if applicable, and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). A Fund may also, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.

Redemptions of Shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Funds (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserve the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” (“QIB”) as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status to receive Fund Securities.

Because the portfolio securities of the Funds may trade on other exchanges on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for such Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their Shares of the applicable Fund, or to purchase or sell

Shares of the applicable Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the applicable Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant foreign markets.

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to a Fund (1) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of the applicable Fund or determination of the NAV of the Shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

NAV per Share for a Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the applicable Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding, rounded to the nearest cent. Expenses and fees, including the management fees, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of each Fund is calculated by Fund Services and determined at the scheduled close of the regular trading session on the NYSE (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that the NYSE is open, provided that fixed-income assets may be valued as of the announced closing time for trading in fixed-income instruments on any day that the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”) announces an early closing time.

Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, the Board has appointed the Adviser as the Funds’ valuation designee (the “Valuation Designee”) to perform all fair valuations of each Fund’s portfolio investments, subject to the Board’s oversight. As the Valuation Designee, the Adviser has established procedures for its fair valuation of each Fund’s portfolio investments. These procedures address, among other things, determining when market quotations are not readily available or reliable and the methodologies to be used for determining the fair value of investments, as well as the use and oversight of third-party pricing services for fair valuation. The Adviser’s fair value determinations will be carried out in compliance with Rule 2a-5 and based on fair value methodologies established and applied by the Adviser and periodically tested to ensure such methodologies are appropriate and accurate with respect to each Fund’s portfolio investments. The Adviser’s fair value methodologies may involve obtaining inputs and prices from third-party pricing services.

In calculating each Fund’s NAV per Share, each Fund’s investments are generally valued using market quotations to the extent such market quotations are readily available. If market quotations are not readily available or are deemed to be unreliable by the Adviser, the Adviser will fair value such investments and use the fair value to calculate each Fund’s NAV. When fair value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by the Adviser to calculate each Fund’s NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities. Due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, it is possible that the fair value determined for a particular security may be materially different (higher or lower) from the price of the security quoted or published by others, or the value when trading resumes or is realized upon its sale. There may be multiple methods that can be used to value a portfolio investment when market quotations are not readily available. The value established for any portfolio investment 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.

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and Taxes.”

General Policies. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid at least annually by each Fund. Distributions of net realized securities gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but a Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis to improve index tracking for the Fund or for the Fund to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code to preserve a Fund’s eligibility for treatment as a RIC, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.

Dividends and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from the Trust.

Each Fund makes additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of the applicable Fund, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve a Fund’s eligibility for treatment as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

Dividend Reinvestment Service. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of the Funds through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares issued by

the Trust of the applicable Fund at NAV per Share. Distributions reinvested in additional Shares will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.

FEDERAL INCOME TAXES

The following is only a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting a Fund and its shareholders that supplements the discussion in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of a Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning.

The following general discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on provisions of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.

Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the application of the provisions of tax law described in this SAI in light of the particular tax situations of the shareholders and regarding specific questions as to federal, state, foreign or local taxes.

Taxation of the Funds. Each Fund intends to elect and intends to continue to qualify each year to be treated as a separate RIC under the Code. As such, the Funds should not be subject to federal income taxes on their net investment income and capital gains, if any, to the extent that they timely distribute such income and capital gains to their shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a RIC, a Fund must distribute annually to its shareholders at least the sum of 90% of its net investment income (generally including the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income, if any (the “Distribution Requirement”) and also must meet several additional requirements. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the applicable Fund’s gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, 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 foreign currencies and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Qualifying Income Requirement”); and (ii) at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, the Fund’s assets must be diversified so that (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the applicable Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Diversification Requirement”). The determination of the value and the identity of the issuer of derivative investments that the Fund may invest in are often unclear for purposes of the Diversification Requirement described above. Although each Fund intends to carefully monitor its investments to ensure that it is adequately diversified under the Diversification Requirement, there are no assurances that the IRS will agree with a Fund’s determination of the issuer under the Diversification Requirement with respect to such derivatives.

To the extent a Fund makes investments that may generate income that is not qualifying income, including certain derivatives, the Fund will seek to restrict the resulting income from such investments so that the Fund’s non-qualifying income does not exceed 10% of its gross income.

Although the Funds intend to distribute substantially all of their net investment income and may distribute their capital gains for any taxable year, the Funds will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. Each Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes. A Fund therefore is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein. The requirements (other than certain organizational requirements) for qualifying RIC status are determined at the fund level rather than at the Trust level.

If a Fund fails to satisfy the Qualifying Income Requirement or the Diversification Requirement in any taxable year, the applicable Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the Diversification Requirement where a Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. To be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Diversification Requirement, a Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions were not available to a Fund and it were to fail to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at the regular 21% corporate rate without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable to the shareholders of the applicable Fund as ordinary income dividends, subject to the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders and the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income received by non-corporate shareholders, subject to certain limitations. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, a Fund would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the applicable Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If a Fund failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a Fund-level tax on certain net built in gains recognized with respect to

certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of a Fund for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders. If a Fund determines that it will not qualify as a RIC, the applicable Fund will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Fund’s NAV.

A Fund may elect to treat part or all of any “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A “qualified late year loss” generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as “post-October losses”) and certain other late-year losses.

Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, a Fund may carry a net capital loss from any taxable year forward indefinitely to offset its capital gains, if any, in years following the year of the loss. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the applicable Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to its shareholders. Generally, a Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if the Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.

A Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year’s distribution. For this purpose, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by a Fund and subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed. The Funds intend to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of the excise tax, but can make no assurances that all such tax liability will be completely eliminated. A Fund may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments in order to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the Fund to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.

If a Fund meets the Distribution Requirement but retains some or all of its income or gains, it will be subject to federal income tax to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. A Fund may designate certain amounts retained as undistributed net capital gain in a notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount so designated, (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the income tax paid by the Fund on that undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities and to claim refunds to the extent such credits exceed their tax liabilities, and (iii) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for federal income tax purposes, in their Shares by an amount equal to the excess of the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in their respective income over their respective income tax credits.

Taxation of Shareholders – Distributions. Each Fund intends to distribute annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), its net tax-exempt income, if any, and any net capital gain (net recognized long-term capital gains in excess of net recognized short-term capital losses, taking into account any capital loss carryforwards). The distribution of investment company taxable income (as so computed) and net realized capital gain will be taxable to Fund shareholders regardless of whether the shareholder receives these distributions in cash or reinvests them in additional Shares.

Each Fund (or your broker) will report to shareholders annually the amounts of dividends paid from ordinary income, the amount of distributions of net capital gain, the portion of dividends which may qualify for the dividends received deduction for corporations, and the portion of dividends which may qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income, which, subject to certain limitations and requirements, is taxable to non-corporate shareholders at rates of up to 20%. Distributions from a Fund’s net capital gain will be taxable to shareholders at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long shareholders have held their Shares.

Distributions from each Fund’s net capital gain will be taxable to shareholders at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long shareholders have held their Shares. In addition, certain capital gain dividends attributable to dividends the Funds receive from REITs (i.e., “unrecaptured section 1250 gain”) may be taxable to non-corporate shareholders at a rate of 25%.

Qualified dividend income includes, in general, subject to certain holding period and other requirements, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States, those incorporated in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Dividends received by a Fund from an underlying fund taxable as a RIC or from a REIT may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such underlying fund or REIT, however, dividends received by a Fund from a REIT are generally not treated as qualified dividend income. If 95% or more of a Fund’s gross

income (calculated without taking into account net capital gain derived from sales or other dispositions of stock or securities) consists of qualified dividend income, the Fund may report all distributions of such income as qualified dividend income. Certain of the Funds’ investment strategies may significantly reduce or eliminate their ability to make distributions eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income.

Fund dividends will not be treated as qualified dividend income if a Fund does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to dividend paying stocks in its portfolio, and the shareholder does not meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Shares on which the dividends were paid. Distributions by a Fund of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions from a Fund’s net capital gain will be taxable to shareholders at long-term capital gains rates, regardless of how long shareholders have held their Shares. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes.

In the case of corporate shareholders, certain dividends received by a Fund from U.S. corporations (generally, dividends received by the Fund in respect of any share of stock (1) with a tax holding period of at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend and (2) that is held in an unleveraged position) and distributed and appropriately so reported by the Fund may be eligible for the 50% dividends received deduction. Certain preferred stock must have a holding period of at least 91 days during the 181-day period beginning on the date that is 90 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend as to that dividend to be eligible. Capital gain dividends distributed to a Fund from other RICs are not eligible, and dividends distributed to a Fund from REITs are generally not eligible for the dividends received deduction. To qualify for the deduction, corporate shareholders must meet the minimum holding period requirement stated above with respect to their Shares, taking into account any holding period reductions from certain hedging or other transactions or positions that diminish their risk of loss with respect to their Shares, and, if they borrow to acquire or otherwise incur debt attributable to Shares, they may be denied a portion of the dividends received deduction with respect to those Shares. Certain of the Funds’ investment strategies may significantly reduce or eliminate their ability to make distributions eligible for the dividends-received deduction.

Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by a Fund in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared.

U.S. individuals with adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) exceeding certain threshold amounts ($250,000 if married filing jointly or if considered a “surviving spouse” for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases) are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes taxable interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.

Shareholders who have not held Shares for a full year should be aware that a Fund may report and distribute, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of the Fund’s ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the applicable shareholder’s period of investment in the Fund. A taxable shareholder may wish to avoid investing in a Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because the distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of the shareholder’s investment.

To the extent that a Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.

If a Fund’s distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made for a taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in a Fund and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s Shares.

Taxation of Shareholders – Sale or Exchange of Shares. A sale or exchange of Shares may give rise to a gain or loss. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund shares of a different fund is the same as a sale. In general, provided that a shareholder holds Shares as capital assets, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise, such gain or loss on the taxable disposition of Shares will generally be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss, rather than short-term capital loss, to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the shareholder of long-term capital gain (including any amounts credited to the shareholder as undistributed capital gains). All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of Shares may be disallowed if substantially identical Shares are acquired (through the reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly acquired Shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

The cost basis of Shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares

generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. The ability of Authorized Participants to receive a full or partial cash redemption of Creation Units of a Fund may limit the tax efficiency of such Fund. An Authorized Participant who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot currently be deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for a person who does not mark-to-market its portfolio) or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will generally be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Any loss upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less may be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gain with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).

The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, a Fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require the provision of information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If a Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or a group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Creation Units so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares, the purchaser (or a group of purchasers) will not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.

Authorized Participants purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction and whether the wash sales rule applies and when a loss may be deductible.

Taxation of Fund Investments. Certain of a Fund’s investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) that, among other things, may affect a Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require a Fund to mark to market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without the Fund receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts sufficient to enable the Fund to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. A Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve the Fund’s qualification for treatment as a RIC. To the extent a Fund invests in an underlying fund that is taxable as a RIC, the rules applicable to the tax treatment of complex securities will also apply to the underlying funds that also invest in such complex securities and investments.

The Funds are required for federal income tax purposes to mark to market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures and options contracts under section 1256 of the Code (a “Section 1256 Contract”) as of the end of the year as well as those actually realized during the year. Gain or loss from Section 1256 Contracts on broad-based indexes required to be marked to market will be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders. The Funds may be required to defer the recognition of losses on Section 1256 Contracts to the extent of any unrecognized gains on offsetting positions held by the Funds. These provisions may also require a Fund to mark-to-market certain types of positions in its portfolios (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out), which may cause the Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirement and for avoiding the excise tax discussed above. Accordingly, in order to avoid certain income and excise taxes, a Fund may be required to liquidate its investments at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so.

Offsetting positions held by a Fund (e.g., certain Funds’ options collar strategy) involving certain derivative instruments, such as options, forward, and futures, as well as its long and short positions in portfolio securities, may be considered, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to constitute “straddles.” Straddles are defined to include “offsetting positions” in actively traded personal property. For instance, a straddle can arise if a Fund writes a certain covered call option on a stock (i.e., a call on a stock owned by the Fund), or writes a call option on a stock index to the extent the Fund’s stock holdings (and any subset thereof) and the index on which it has written a call overlap sufficiently to constitute a straddle under applicable Treasury Regulations. The tax treatment of “straddles” is

governed by section 1092 of the Code which, in certain circumstances, overrides or modifies the provisions of section 1256 described above. If a Fund is treated as entering into a “straddle” and at least one (but not all) of the Fund’s positions in derivative contracts comprising a part of such straddle is a Section 1256 Contract, then such straddle could be characterized as a “mixed straddle.” Each Fund may make one or more elections with respect to “mixed straddles.” Depending upon which election is made, if any, the results with respect to the Fund may differ. Generally, to the extent the straddle rules apply to positions established by a Fund, losses realized by the Fund may be deferred to the extent of unrealized gain in any offsetting positions. Moreover, as a result of the straddle rules, short-term capital loss on straddle positions may be recharacterized as long-term capital loss, and long-term capital gain may be characterized as short-term capital gain. In addition, the existence of a straddle can cause the holding periods to be tolled on the offsetting positions. As a result, the straddle rules could cause distributions that would otherwise constitute “qualified dividend income” or qualify for the dividends-received deduction to fail to satisfy the applicable holding period requirements described above. Furthermore, a Fund may be required to capitalize, rather than deduct currently, any interest expense and carrying charges applicable to a position that is part of a straddle, including any interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry any positions that are part of a straddle. The application of the straddle rules to certain offsetting Fund positions can therefore affect the amount, timing and/or character of distributions to shareholders, and may result in significant differences from the amount, timing and/or character of distributions that would have been made by the Fund if it had not entered into offsetting positions in respect of certain of its portfolio securities.

If a Fund enters into a “constructive sale” of any appreciated financial position in its portfolio, the Fund will be treated as if it had sold and immediately repurchased the property and must recognize gain (but not loss) with respect to that position. A constructive sale of an appreciated financial position occurs when a Fund enters into certain offsetting transactions with respect to the same or substantially identical property, including, but not limited to: (i) a short sale; (ii) an offsetting notional principal contract; (iii) a futures or forward contract; or (iv) other transactions identified in future Treasury Regulations. The character of the gain from constructive sales will depend upon a Fund’s holding period in the appreciated financial position. Losses realized from a sale of a position that was previously the subject of a constructive sale will be recognized when the position is subsequently disposed of. The character of such losses will depend upon the Fund’s holding period in the position beginning with the date the constructive sale was deemed to have occurred and the application of various loss deferral provisions in the Code. Constructive sale treatment does not apply to certain closed transactions, including if such a transaction is closed on or before the 30th day after the close of the Fund’s taxable year and a Fund holds the appreciated financial position unhedged throughout the 60-day period beginning with the day such transaction was closed.

If a Fund invests in certain zero coupon securities or any other securities that are sold at original issue discount and thus do not make periodic cash interest payments, the Fund will be required to include as part of its current income the imputed interest on such obligations even though the Fund has not received any interest payments on such obligations during that period. However, each Fund must distribute to its shareholders, at least annually, all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), including such accrued income, to qualify for treatment as a RIC under the Code and avoid U.S. federal income and excise taxes. Therefore, a Fund may have to dispose of its portfolio securities, potentially under disadvantageous circumstances, to generate cash, or may have to borrow cash, to satisfy distribution requirements. Such a disposition of securities may potentially result in additional taxable gain or loss to the Funds and may affect the amount and timing of distributions from the Funds.

Any market discount recognized on a bond is taxable as ordinary income. A market discount bond is a bond acquired in the secondary market at a price below redemption value or adjusted issue price if issued with original issue discount. Absent an election by a Fund to include the market discount in income as it accrues, gain on the Fund’s disposition of such an obligation will be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gain to the extent of the accrued market discount.

Certain Funds may invest in inflation-linked debt securities directly or through an ETF or underlying fund taxable as a RIC. Any increase in the principal amount of an inflation-linked debt security will be original interest discount, which is taxable as ordinary income and is required to be distributed, even though the Fund will not receive the principal, including any increase thereto, until maturity. As noted above, if a Fund invests in such securities it may be required to liquidate other investments, including at times when it is not advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its distribution requirements and to eliminate any possible taxation at the Fund level.

Backup Withholding. Each Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold (as “backup withholding”) on amounts payable to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to “backup withholding”; or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s ultimate U.S. tax liability. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that have been subject to the 30% withholding tax on shareholders who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the U.S.

Non-U.S. Shareholders. Any non-U.S. investors in a Fund may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisers prior to investing in the Fund. Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty

rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. Each Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of Shares generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from a Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.

Unless certain non-U.S. entities that hold Shares comply with IRS requirements that will generally require them to report information regarding U.S. persons investing in, or holding accounts with, such entities, a 30% withholding tax may apply to Fund distributions payable to such entities. A non-U.S. shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and a foreign government, provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement.

For foreign shareholders to qualify for an exemption from backup withholding, described above, the foreign shareholder must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign shareholders in a Fund should consult their tax advisers in this regard.

Tax-Exempt Shareholders. Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, IRAs, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k) plans, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Tax-exempt entities are not permitted to offset losses from one unrelated trade or business against the income or gain of another unrelated trade or business. Certain net losses incurred prior to January 1, 2018 are permitted to offset gain and income created by an unrelated trade or business, if otherwise available. Under current law, each Fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders with respect to their shares of Fund income. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, tax-exempt shareholders could realize UBTI by virtue of their investment in a Fund if, for example, (i) the Fund invests in residual interests of Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits (“REMICs”), (ii) the Fund invests in a REIT that is a taxable mortgage pool (“TMP”) or that has a subsidiary that is a TMP or that invests in the residual interest of a REMIC, or (iii) Shares constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholders within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisers. The IRS has issued guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisers regarding these issues.

Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on disposition of Shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Significant penalties may be imposed for the failure to comply with the reporting requirements. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Other Issues. In those states which have income tax laws, the tax treatment of a Fund and of Fund shareholders with respect to distributions by the Fund may differ from federal tax treatment.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Financial Statements and Annual Reports will be available after the Fund has completed a fiscal year of operations. When available, you may request a copy of the Fund’s Annual Report at no charge by calling 1‑800‑617‑0004 or through the Fund’s website at www.aptusetfs.com.

Appendix A

APTUS CAPITAL ADVISORS, LLC

Proxy Voting and Disclosure Policy

Introduction

Effective March 10, 2003, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted rule and form amendments under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”) that address an investment adviser’s fiduciary obligation to its clients when the Advisor has the authority to vote their proxies (collectively, the rule and form amendments are referred to herein as the “Advisers Act Amendments”).

In accordance with the agreement with Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC (“ACA”), ACA votes proxies for the Fund. ACA does not vote proxies for separate account clients.

The Advisers Act Amendments require that Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC (“ACA”) adopt and implement policies and procedures for voting proxies in the best interest of clients, to describe the procedures to clients, and to tell clients how they may obtain information about how ACA has actually voted their proxies.

This Proxy Voting and Disclosure Policy (the “Policy”) is designed to ensure that ACA complies with the requirements of the Advisers Act Amendments, and otherwise fulfills its obligations with respect to proxy voting, disclosure, and recordkeeping. The overall goal is to ensure that proxy voting is managed in an effort to act in the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders. While decisions about how to vote must be determined on a case-by-case basis, proxy voting decisions will be made considering these guidelines and following the procedures recited herein.

Specific Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

ACA believes that the voting of proxies is an important part of portfolio management as it represents an opportunity for shareholders to make their voices heard and to influence the direction of a company. ACA is committed to voting corporate proxies in the manner that serves the best interests of their clients.

The following details ACA’s philosophy and practice regarding the voting of proxies.

A.General

ACA believes that each proxy proposal should be individually reviewed to determine whether the proposal is in the best interests of its clients. As a result, similar proposals for different companies may receive different votes because of different corporate circumstances.

B.Procedures

To implement ACA’s proxy voting policies, ACA has developed the following procedures for voting proxies.

a.ACA’s chief compliance officer (CCO) is responsible for overseeing these proxy voting procedures for client accounts (including, without limitation, the Fund) and designating ACA’s proxy voting manager (the “Proxy Manager”). Upon receipt of a corporate proxy by ACA, the special or annual report and the proxy shall be submitted to the Proxy Manager. The Proxy Manager will then vote the proxy in accordance with this policy.

Note: For any proxy proposal not clearly addressed by this policy, the Proxy Manager will consult with ACA’s CCO.

b.The Proxy Manager shall be responsible for reviewing the special or annual report, proxy proposals, and proxy proposal summaries. The reviewer shall take into consideration what vote is in the best interests of clients and the provisions of ACA’s Voting Guidelines in Section C below. The Proxy Manager will then vote the proxies.

c.The Proxy Manager shall be responsible for maintaining copies of each annual report, proposal, proposal summary, actual vote, and any other information required to be maintained for a proxy vote under Rule 204-2 of the Advisers Act (see discussion in Section V below) or (for the Fund) under Rule 30b1-4 of the Investment Company Act. With respect to proxy votes on topics deemed, in the opinion of the Proxy Manager, to be controversial or particularly sensitive, the Proxy Manager will provide a written explanation for the proxy vote which will be maintained with the record of the actual vote in ACA’s files.

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C.Absence of Proxy Manager

In the event that the Proxy Manager is unavailable to vote a proxy, then the CCO shall perform the Proxy Manager’s duties with respect to such proxy in accordance with the policies and procedures detailed above.

D.Option to Vote or Not Vote

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this policy, in situations where the Proxy Manager or CCO determines that refraining from voting a proxy is in the client’s best interest, such as when ACA has determined that the cost of voting the proxy exceeds the expected benefit to the client, ACA may determine not to vote a proxy.

Voting Guidelines

While ACA’s policy is to review each proxy proposal on its individual merits, ACA has adopted guidelines for certain types of matters to assist the Proxy Manager in the review and voting of proxies. These guidelines are set forth below:

A.Corporate Governance

1. Election of Directors and Similar Matters

In an uncontested election, ACA will generally vote in favor of management’s proposed directors. In a contested election, ACA will evaluate proposed directors on a case-by-case basis. With respect to proposals regarding the structure of a company’s Board of Directors, ACA will review any contested proposal on its merits.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, ACA expects generally to support proposals to:

•Eliminate cumulative voting; and

•Limit directors’ liability and broaden directors’ indemnification rights; And expects

generally to vote against proposals to:

•Adopt the use of cumulative voting;

•Change the size, manner of selection, and removal of the board, where the Portfolio Manager believes such changes would likely have anti-takeover effects; and

•Add special interest directors to the board of directors (e.g., efforts to expand the board of directors to control the outcome of a particular decision).

2. Audit Committee Approvals

ACA generally supports proposals that help ensure that a company’s auditors are independent and capable of delivering a fair and accurate opinion of a company’s finances. ACA will generally vote to ratify the selection of auditors.

3. Shareholder Rights

ACA may consider all proposals that will have a material effect on shareholder rights on a case-by-case basis. Notwithstanding the foregoing, ACA expects generally to support proposals to:

•Adopt confidential voting and independent tabulation of voting results; and

•Require shareholder approval of poison pills. And expects

generally to vote against proposals to:

•Adopt super-majority voting requirements; and

•Restrict the rights of shareholders to call special meetings, amend the bylaws or act by written consent.

4. Anti-Takeover Measures, Corporate Restructurings and Similar Matters

ACA may review any proposal to adopt an anti-takeover measure, to undergo a corporate restructuring (e.g., change of entity form or state of incorporation, mergers or acquisitions) or to take similar action by reviewing the potential short and long-term effects of the proposal on the company. These effects may include, without limitation, the economic and financial impact the proposal may have on the company, and the market impact that the proposal may have on the company’s stock.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, ACA expects generally to support proposals to:

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•Prohibit the payment of greenmail (i.e., the purchase by the company of its own shares to prevent a hostile takeover);

•Adopt fair price requirements (i.e., requirements that all shareholders be paid the same price in a tender offer or takeover context), unless the Proxy Manager deems them sufficiently limited in scope;

•Require shareholder approval of “poison pills”; and

•Opt-out of statutory provisions that permit a company to consider the non-financial effects of mergers and acquisitions.

And expects generally to vote against proposals to:

•Adopt classified boards of directors;

•Reincorporate a company where the primary purpose appears to be the creation of takeover defenses; and

•Require a company to consider the non-financial effects of mergers or acquisitions.

5. Capital Structure Proposals

ACA will seek to evaluate capital structure proposals on their own merits on a case-by- case basis. ACA will generally support the following proposals, if the Proxy Manager has determined that the proposal has a legitimate business purpose and is otherwise in shareholders’ best interests:

•Proposals to create new classes of common and preferred stock, unless they appear to the Proxy Manager be an anti-takeover measure; and

•Proposals to eliminate preemptive rights.

B.Compensation

1. General

ACA generally believes that compensation matters should be left up to the board’s compensation committee which can be held accountable for its decisions through the election of directors. ACA typically supports proposals that encourage the disclosure of a company’s compensation policies. In addition, ACA generally supports proposals that fairly compensate executives, particularly those proposals that link executive compensation to performance. ACA may consider any contested proposal related to a company’s compensation policies on a case-by-case basis.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, ACA generally expects to support proposals to:

•Require shareholders approval of golden parachutes; and

•Adopt golden parachutes that do not exceed three times the base compensation of the applicable executives.

And expects generally to vote against proposals to:

•Adopt golden parachute plans that exceed three times base compensation; and

•Adopt measures that appear to arbitrarily limit executive or employee benefits.

2. Stock Option Plans

ACA evaluates proposed stock option plans and issuances on a case-by-case basis. In reviewing proposals regarding stock option plans and issuances, ACA may consider, without limitation, the potential dilutive effect on shareholders’ shares, the potential short and long-term economic effects on the company and shareholders and the actual terms of the proposed options.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, ACA generally expects to oppose proposals that eliminate much of the downside risk inherent in an option grant that is designed to induce recipients to maximize shareholder return; such as:

•Backdating options (Backdating an option is the act of changing an options grant date from the actual grant date to an earlier date when the underlying stock was lower, resulting in a lower exercise price for the option); and

•Repricing options or option exchange programs, unless macroeconomic or industry trends, rather than company specific issues, cause a stock’s value to decline dramatically.

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3. Director Compensation Plans

ACA believes that non-employee directors should receive reasonable and appropriate compensation for the time and effort they spend serving on the board and its committees. Director fees should be competitive in order to retain and attract qualified individuals. We will consider recommending supporting compensation plans that include option grants or other equity-based awards that help to align the interests of outside directors with those of shareholders. However, equity grants to directors should not be performance-based to ensure directors are not incentivized in the same manner as executives but rather serve as a check on imprudent risk-taking in executive compensation plan design.

C.Corporate Responsibility and Social Issues

ACA generally believes that ordinary business matters (including, without limitation, positions on corporate responsibility and social issues) are primarily the responsibility of a company’s management that should be addressed solely by the company’s management. Accordingly, ACA will generally abstain from voting on proposals involving corporate responsibility and social issues. Notwithstanding the foregoing, ACA may vote against corporate responsibility and social issue proposals that ACA believes will have substantial adverse economic or other effects on a company, and ACA may vote for corporate responsibility and social issue proposals that ACA believes will have substantial positive economic or other effects on a company.

Conflicts

In cases where ACA is aware of conflict between the interest of the Fund’s shareholders and the interest of ACA or its affiliates, the Fund’s principal underwriter or an affiliated person of the Fund, then the Fund’s Proxy Voting Committee shall determine how the Fund will vote the proxy.

Proxy Proposals Specific to Registered Investment Companies

ACA invests portions of the Fund portfolio in registered investment companies (“Underlying Funds”) that are not affiliated with ACA. It is the policy of ACA to vote all proxies received from the Underlying Funds in the same proportion that all shares of the Underlying Funds are voted, or in accordance with instructions received from fund shareholders, pursuant to Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

Securities Lending

The Fund may participate in securities lending programs with various counterparties. Under most securities lending arrangements, proxy voting rights during the lending period generally are transferred to the borrower, and thus proxies received in connection with the securities on loan may not be voted by the lender unless the loan is recalled.

ACA evaluates several factors in determining whether to recall loaned securities in order to vote such proxies including, but not limited to, the subject matter of the proposal being voted on, the likely impact on the voting results if ACA voted the securities on loan, and the value of voting the loaned securities relative to the securities lending income expected to be derived from such securities. Based on its experience, ACA believes that in most cases the value of recalling loaned securities to vote proxies will be less than the securities lending income either because the outcome of the vote will not be impacted by voting the loaned securities or the result of the vote is not likely to have significant economic consequences. However, ACA will use its best efforts to recall any security on loan where ACA (a) learns of a vote on a material event that may affect a security on loan and (b) determine that it is in the best interests of Fund to recall the security for voting purposes.

ACA Disclosure of How to Obtain Voting Information

Rule 206(4)-6 requires ACA to disclose in response to any client request how the client can obtain information from ACA on how its securities were voted. ACA will disclose in Form ADV that clients can obtain information on how their securities were voted by making a written request to ACA. Upon receiving a written request from a client, ACA will provide the information requested by the client within a reasonable amount of time.

Rule 206(4)-6 also requires ACA to describe its proxy voting policies and procedures to clients, and upon request, to provide clients with a copy of those policies and procedures. ACA will provide such a description in its Form ADV. Upon receiving a written request from a client, ACA will provide a copy of this policy within a reasonable amount of time.

If approved by the client, this policy and any requested records may be provided electronically.

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Recordkeeping

ACA shall keep the following records for a period of at least s years, the first two in an easily accessible place:

(i)A copy of this Policy;

(ii)Proxy Statements received regarding client securities;

(iii)Records of votes cast on behalf of clients;

(iv)Any documents prepared by ACA that were material to making a decision how to vote, or that memorialized the basis for the decision;

(v)Records of client requests for proxy voting information, and

(vi)With respect to the Fund, a record of each shareholder request for proxy voting information and the Fund’s response, including the date of the request, the name of the shareholder, and the date of the response.

The Fund shall maintain a copy of each of the foregoing records that is related to proxy votes on behalf of the Fund by ACA. These records may be kept as part of ACA’s records.

ACA may rely on proxy statements filed on the SEC EDGAR system instead of keeping its own copies, and may rely on proxy statements and records of proxy votes cast by ACA that are maintained with a third party such as a proxy voting service, provided that ACA has obtained an undertaking from the third party to provide a copy of the documents promptly upon request.

Form N-PX –Behavioral Momentum Fund

The Behavioral Fund must file Form N-PX with the Securities and Exchange Commission to report its proxy voting record for each twelve-month period, ending on June 30 of each year. The report must be submitted not later than August 31 and is made publically available. The CCO is responsible for ensuring that ACA maintains the information required to complete form N-PX, as listed below:

•The name of the issuer of the portfolio security;

•The exchange ticker symbol of the portfolio security;

•The CUSIP number for the portfolio security;

•The shareholder meeting date;

•A brief identification of the matter voted on;

•Whether the matter was proposed by the issuer or by a security holder;

•Whether the fund cast its vote on the matter;

•How the fund cast its vote (e.g., for or against proposal, or abstain; for or withhold regarding election of directors); and

•Whether the fund cast its vote for or against management.

ACA’s CCO is responsible for preparing and ensuring the accuracy of the Form N-PX and will submit the Form to US Bancorp Fund Services upon request. US Bancorp Fund Services upon request will submit the Form N-PX to the SEC on behalf of the Fund.

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PART C: OTHER INFORMATION

Item 28. Exhibits


(a)	(i)		Certificate of Trust dated February 9, 2012 of ETF Series Solutions (the “Trust” or the “Registrant”) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(i) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on February 17, 2012.
	(ii)		Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated February 17, 2012 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(ii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on February 17, 2012.
(b)			Registrant’s Amended and Restated Bylaws dated August 18, 2014, are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (b) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on September 8, 2014.
(c)			Not applicable.
(d)	(i)	(A)	Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Aptus dated February 18, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(xi) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N‑1A, as filed on June 21, 2016.
		(B)	Amended Schedule A to Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC – to be filed by subsequent amendment.
	(ii)		Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement among the Trust , Aptus , and McElhenny Sheffield Capital Management LLC dated August 26, 2021 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(ii ) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N‑1A, as filed on August 27, 2021.
(e)	(i)	(A)	Distribution Agreement between the Trust and Quasar Distributors, LLC dated September 30, 2021 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(i)(A) to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on October 28, 2021.
		(B)	Eleventh Amendment to the Distribution Agreement with Quasar Distributors, LLC – to be filed by subsequent amendment.
	(ii)		Form of Authorized Participant Agreement for Quasar Distributors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(iii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on May 23, 2012.
(f)			Not applicable.
(g)	(i)	(A)	Custody Agreement between the Trust and U.S. Bank National Association dated May 16, 2012 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on May 23, 2012.
		(B)	Amended Exhibit N to Custody – to be filed by subsequent amendment.
(h)	(i)	(A)	Fund Administration Servicing Agreement between the Trust and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated May 16, 2012 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(i) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on May 23, 2012.
		(B)	Amended Exhibit M to Fund Administration Servicing Agreement – to be filed by subsequent amendment.
	(ii)	(A)	Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between the Trust and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated May 16, 2012 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(ii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on May 23, 2012.
		(B)	Amended Exhibit L to Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement – to be filed by subsequent amendment.
	(iii)	(A)	Transfer Agent Agreement between the Trust and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated May 16, 2012 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(ii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on May 23, 2012.
		(B)	Amended Exhibit L to Transfer Agent Agreement – to be filed by subsequent amendment.
	(iv)		Powers of Attorney dated October 5, 2023 are incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(iv) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on October 20, 2023.
	(v)		Compliance Services Agreement between the Trust and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated May 24, 2022 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(v)(A) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on May 26, 2022.

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	(vi)		Certificate of Secretary dated July 13, 2023 with respect to powers of attorney is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(vi) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on July 25, 2023.
(i)		(A)	Opinion and Consent of Counsel for the Aptus Behavioral Momentum ETF is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on March 17, 2016.
		(B)	Opinion and Consent of Counsel (Opus Small Cap Value Plus ETF) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(iii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on July 16, 2018.
		(C)	Opinion and Consent of Counsel (Aptus Defined Risk ETF) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on August 3, 2018.
		(D)	Opinion and Consent of Counsel (Aptus Collared Income Opportunity ETF) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on April 26, 2019.
		(E)	Opinion and Consent of Counsel (Aptus Intern ational Enhanced Yield ETF ) (f/k/a International Drawdown Managed Equity ETF) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)E to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on February 22, 2021.
		(F)	Opinion and Consent of Counsel (McElhenny Sheffield Risk Managed ETF) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(F) to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on August 27, 2021.
		(G)	Opinion and Consent of Counsel (Aptus Enhanced Yield ETF ) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(G ) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N‑1A, as filed on October 14, 2022.
		(H)	Opinion and Consent of Counsel (Aptus Large Cap Enhanced Yield ETF ) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (i)(H ) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on June 9, 2023.
(j)			Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm – to be filed by subsequent amendment.
(k)			Not applicable.
(l)	(i)		Initial Capital Agreement between the Trust and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated April 23, 2012 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l)(i) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on May 23, 2012.
	(ii)		Letter of Representations between the Trust and Depository Trust Company dated May 21, 2012 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (l)(ii) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on May 23, 2012.
(m)	(i)	(A)	Rule 12b-1 Plan is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (m) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on May 23, 2012.
		(B)	Amended Schedule A to Rule 12b-1 Plan – to be filed by subsequent amendment.
(n)			Not applicable.
(o)			Reserved.
(p)	(i)		Code of Ethics for the Trust is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(i) to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on September 28, 2021.
	(ii)		Code of Ethics for Aptus Capital Advisors , LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exh i bit (p)(ii) to the Registrant ’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on July 28, 2022.
	(iii)		Code of Ethics for McElhenny Sheffield Capital Management LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(iii) to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, as filed on August 27, 2021.

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant

No person is directly or indirectly controlled by or under common control with the Registrant.

Item 30. Indemnification

The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of any officer, agent, employee, adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission

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of any other Trustee, and, subject to the provisions of the By-Laws, the Trust out of its assets may indemnify and hold harmless each and every Trustee and officer of the Trust from and against any and all claims, demands, costs, losses, expenses, and damages whatsoever arising out of or related to such Trustee’s or officer’s performance of his or her duties as a Trustee or officer of the Trust; provided that nothing herein contained shall indemnify, hold harmless or protect any Trustee or officer from or against any liability to the Trust or any Shareholder to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or thing whatsoever issued, executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust or the Trustees or any of them in connection with the Trust shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued, executed or done only in or with respect to their or his or her capacity as Trustees or Trustee, and such Trustees or Trustee shall not be personally liable thereon.

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) may be permitted to Trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such Trustee, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser

This Item incorporated by reference each investment adviser’s Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration (“Form ADV”) on file with the SEC, as listed below. Each Form ADV may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. Additional information as to any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by each officer and director of the below-listed investment advisers is included in the Trust’s Statement of Additional Information.


Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser			SEC File No.
Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC			801-107723
McElhenny Sheffield Capital Management, LLC			801-79001

Item 32(a). Principal Underwriter

Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:

1.Advisor Managed Portfolios

2.Capital Advisors Growth Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

3.Chase Growth Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

4.Davidson Multi Cap Equity Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

5.Edgar Lomax Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

6.First Sentier American Listed Infrastructure Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

7.First Sentier Global Listed Infrastructure Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

8.Fort Pitt Capital Total Return Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

9.Huber Large Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

10.Huber Mid Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

11.Huber Select Large Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

12.Huber Small Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

13.Logan Capital Broad Innovative Growth ETF, Series of Advisors Series Trust

14.Medalist Partners MBS Total Return Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

15.Medalist Partners Short Duration Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

16.O'Shaughnessy Market Leaders Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

17.PIA BBB Bond Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

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18.PIA High Yield (MACS) Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

19.PIA High Yield Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

20.PIA MBS Bond Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

21.PIA Short-Term Securities Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

22.Poplar Forest Cornerstone Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

23.Poplar Forest Partners Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

24.Pzena Emerging Markets Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

25.Pzena International Small Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

26.Pzena International Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

27.Pzena Mid Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

28.Pzena Small Cap Value Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

29.Reverb ETF, Series of Advisors Series Trust

30.Scharf Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

31.Scharf Global Opportunity Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

32.Scharf Multi-Asset Opportunity Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

33.Shenkman Capital Floating Rate High Income Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

34.Shenkman Capital Short Duration High Income Fund, Series of Advisors Series Trust

35.VegTech Plant-based Innovation & Climate ETF, Series of Advisors Series Trust

36.The Aegis Funds

37.Allied Asset Advisors Funds

38.Angel Oak Funds Trust

39.Angel Oak Strategic Credit Fund

40.Barrett Opportunity Fund, Inc.

41.Brookfield Infrastructure Income Fund, Inc.

42.Brookfield Investment Funds

43.Buffalo Funds

44.DoubleLine Funds Trust

45.EA Series Trust (f/k/a Alpha Architect ETF Trust)

46.Ecofin Tax-Advantaged Social Impact Fund, Inc.

47.AAM Bahl & Gaynor Small/Mid Cap Income Growth ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

48.AAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

49.AAM S&P 500 Emerging Markets High Dividend Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

50.AAM S&P 500 High Dividend Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

51.AAM S&P Developed Markets High Dividend Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

52.AAM Transformers ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

53.AlphaMark Actively Managed Small Cap ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

54.Aptus Collared Income Opportunity ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

55.Aptus Defined Risk ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

56.Aptus Drawdown Managed Equity ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

57.Aptus Enhanced Yield ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

58.Aptus Large Cap Enhanced Yield ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

59.Bahl & Gaynor Income Growth ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

60.Blue Horizon BNE ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

61.BTD Capital Fund, Series of ETF Series Solutions

62.Carbon Strategy ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

63.ClearShares OCIO ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

64.ClearShares Piton Intermediate Fixed Income Fund, Series of ETF Series Solutions

65.ClearShares Ultra-Short Maturity ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

66.Distillate International Fundamental Stability & Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

67.Distillate Small/Mid Cash Flow ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

68.Distillate U.S. Fundamental Stability & Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

69.ETFB Green SRI REITs ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

70.Hoya Capital High Dividend Yield ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

71.Hoya Capital Housing ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

72.iBET Sports Betting & Gaming ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

73.International Drawdown Managed Equity ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

74.LHA Market State Alpha Seeker ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

75.LHA Market State Tactical Beta ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

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76.LHA Market State Tactical Q ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

77.LHA Risk-Managed Income ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

78.Loncar Cancer Immunotherapy ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

79.Loncar China BioPharma ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

80.McElhenny Sheffield Managed Risk ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

81.Nationwide Dow Jones® Risk-Managed Income ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

82.Nationwide Nasdaq-100 Risk-Managed Income ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

83.Nationwide Russell 2000® Risk-Managed Income ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

84.Nationwide S&P 500® Risk-Managed Income ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

85.NETLease Corporate Real Estate ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

86.Opus Small Cap Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

87.Roundhill Acquirers Deep Value ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

88.The Acquirers Fund, Series of ETF Series Solutions

89.U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

90.U.S. Global JETS ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

91.U.S. Global Sea to Sky Cargo ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

92.US Vegan Climate ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

93.Vest 10 Year Interest Rate Hedge ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

94.Vest 2 Year Interest Rate Hedge ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions

95.First American Funds, Inc.

96.FundX Investment Trust

97.The Glenmede Fund, Inc.

98.The Glenmede Portfolios

99.The GoodHaven Funds Trust

100.Harding, Loevner Funds, Inc.

101.Hennessy Funds Trust

102.Horizon Funds

103.Hotchkis & Wiley Funds

104.Intrepid Capital Management Funds Trust

105.Jacob Funds Inc.

106.The Jensen Quality Growth Fund Inc.

107.Kirr, Marbach Partners Funds, Inc.

108.Leuthold Funds, Inc.

109.Core Alternative ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust

110.Wahed Dow Jones Islamic World ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust

111.Wahed FTSE USA Shariah ETF, Series of Listed Funds Trust

112.LKCM Funds

113.LoCorr Investment Trust

114.MainGate Trust

115.ATAC Rotation Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

116.Coho Relative Value Equity Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

117.Coho Relative Value ESG Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

118.Cove Street Capital Small Cap Value Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

119.Ecofin Global Energy Transition Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

120.Ecofin Global Renewables Infrastructure Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

121.Ecofin Global Water ESG Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

122.Ecofin Sustainable Water Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

123.Jackson Square Large-Cap Growth Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

124.Jackson Square SMID-Cap Growth Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

125.Kensington Active Advantage Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

126.Kensington Defender Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

127.Kensington Dynamic Growth Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

128.Kensington Managed Income Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

129.LK Balanced Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

130.Muhlenkamp Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

131.Nuance Concentrated Value Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

132.Nuance Concentrated Value Long Short Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

133.Nuance Mid Cap Value Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

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134.Olstein All Cap Value Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

135.Olstein Strategic Opportunities Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

136.Port Street Quality Growth Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

137.Principal Street High Income Municipal Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

138.Principal Street Short Term Municipal Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

139.Reinhart Genesis PMV Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

140.Reinhart International PMV Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

141.Reinhart Mid Cap PMV Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

142.Tortoise Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

143.Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Total Return Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

144.Tortoise North American Pipeline Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

145.V-Shares MSCI World ESG Materiality and Carbon Transition ETF, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

146.V-Shares US Leadership Diversity ETF, Series of Managed Portfolio Series

147.Greenspring Income Opportunities Fund, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios

148.Hood River International Opportunity Fund, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios

149.Hood River Small-Cap Growth Fund, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios

150.Mar Vista Strategic Growth Fund, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios

151.Vert Global Sustainable Real Estate ETF, Series of Manager Directed Portfolios

152.Matrix Advisors Funds Trust

153.Matrix Advisors Value Fund, Inc.

154.Monetta Trust

155.Nicholas Equity Income Fund, Inc.

156.Nicholas Fund, Inc.

157.Nicholas II, Inc.

158.Nicholas Limited Edition, Inc.

159.Oaktree Diversified Income Fund Inc.

160.Permanent Portfolio Family of Funds

161.Perritt Funds, Inc.

162.Procure ETF Trust II

163.Professionally Managed Portfolios

164.Prospector Funds, Inc.

165.Provident Mutual Funds, Inc.

166.Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

167.Abbey Capital Multi-Asset Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

168.Adara Smaller Companies Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

169.Aquarius International Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

170.Boston Partners All Cap Value Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

171.Boston Partners Emerging Markets Dynamic Equity Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

172.Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

173.Boston Partners Global Equity Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

174.Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

175.Boston Partners Global Sustainability Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

176.Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

177.Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

178.Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

179.Campbell Systematic Macro Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

180.F/m Opportunistic Income ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

181.Motley Fool 100 Index ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

182.Motley Fool Capital Efficiency 100 Index ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

183.Motley Fool Global Opportunities ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

184.Motley Fool Mid-Cap Growth ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

185.Motley Fool Next Index ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

186.Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

187.Optima Strategic Credit Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

188.SGI Global Equity Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

189.SGI Peak Growth Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

190.SGI Prudent Growth Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

191.SGI Small Cap Core Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

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192.SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

193.SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

194.US Treasury 10 Year Note ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

195.US Treasury 12 Month Bill ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

196.US Treasury 2 Year Note ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

197.US Treasury 20 Year Bond ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

198.US Treasury 3 Month Bill ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

199.US Treasury 3 Year Note ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

200.US Treasury 30 Year Bond ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

201.US Treasury 5 Year Note ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

202.US Treasury 6 Month Bill ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

203.US Treasury 7 Year Note ETF, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

204.WPG Partners Select Small Cap Value Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

205.WPG Partners Small Cap Value Diversified Fund, Series of The RBB Fund, Inc.

206.The RBB Fund Trust

207.RBC Funds Trust

208.Series Portfolios Trust

209.Thompson IM Funds, Inc.

210.TrimTabs ETF Trust

211.Trust for Advised Portfolios

212.Barrett Growth Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

213.Bright Rock Mid Cap Growth Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

214.Bright Rock Quality Large Cap Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

215.CrossingBridge Low Duration High Yield Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

216.CrossingBridge Responsible Credit Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

217.CrossingBridge Ultra-Short Duration Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

218.RiverPark Strategic Income Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

219.Dearborn Partners Rising Dividend Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

220.Jensen Global Quality Growth Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

221.Jensen Quality Value Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

222.Rockefeller Climate Solutions Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

223.Rockefeller US Small Cap Core Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

224.Terra Firma US Concentrated Realty Fund, Series of Trust for Professional Managers

225.USQ Core Real Estate Fund

226.Wall Street EWM Funds Trust

227.Wisconsin Capital Funds, Inc.

Item 32(b). The following are the Officers and Manager of the Distributor, the Registrant’s underwriter. The Distributor’s main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.


Name	Address	Position with Underwriter	Position with Registrant
Teresa Cowan	Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101	President/Manager	None
Chris Lanza	Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101	Vice President	None
Kate Macchia	Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101	Vice President	None
Susan L. LaFond	Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101	Vice President/Chief Compliance Officer/Treasurer	None

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Name	Address	Position with Underwriter	Position with Registrant
Kelly B. Whetstone	Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101	Secretary	None
Weston Sommers	Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101	Financial and Operations Principal and Chief Financial Officer	None

Item 32(c). Not applicable

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

The books and records required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 are maintained at the following locations:


Records Relating to:			Are located at:
Registrant’s Fund Administrator, Fund Accountant and Transfer Agent			U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC d/b/a U.S. Bank Global Fund Services 615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
Registrant’s Custodian			U.S. Bank, National Association 1555 N. Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212
Registrant’s Principal Underwriters			Quasar Distributors, LLC Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100 Portland, Maine 04101
Registrant’s Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser			Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC 265 Young Street Fairhope, Alabama 36532
			McElhenny Sheffield Capital Management, LLC 4701 W. Lovers Lane Dallas, Texas 75209

Item 34. Management Services

Not applicable.

Item 35. Undertakings

Not applicable.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this Amendment to be signed below on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Columbus, State of Ohio, on March 6, 2024.


ETF Series Solutions

/s/ Joshua J. Hinderliter
Joshua J. Hinderliter Vice President and Secretary

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated on March 6, 2024.


Signature			Title

* David A. Massart			Trustee
David A. Massart

* Janet D. Olsen			Trustee
Janet D. Olsen

* Leonard M. Rush			Trustee
Leonard M. Rush

* Michael A. Castino			Trustee
Michael A. Castino

* Kristina R. Nelson			President
Kristina R. Nelson

* Kristen M. Weitzel			Treasurer
Kristen M. Weitzel

*By: /s/Joshua J. Hinderliter

Joshua J. Hinderliter, Attorney-in-Fact

pursuant to Powers of Attorney

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