N-CSR/A 1 d929086dncsra.htm GREAT-WEST SECUREFOUNDATION BALANCED ETF N-CSR/A Great-West SecureFoundation Balanced ETF N-CSR/A
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-CSR
CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES
Investment Company Act file number: 811-03364
GREAT-WEST FUNDS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
8515 E. Orchard Road, Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
(Address of principal executive offices)
Scott C. Sipple
President and Chief Executive Officer
Great-West Funds, Inc.
8515 E. Orchard Road
Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
(Name and address of agent for service)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (866) 831-7129
Date of fiscal year end: December 31
Date of reporting period: December 31, 2018

 


EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Registrant is filing this amendment to its Form N-CSR for the period ended December 31, 2018, originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2019 (Accession Number 0001193125-19-060049). The sole purpose of this filing is to correct an inadvertent omission of the tenure of the Registrant’s auditor, Deloitte & Touche LLP, from the Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
ITEM 1. REPORTS TO STOCKHOLDERS
GREAT-WEST FUNDS, INC.
Great-West SecureFoundation® Balanced ETF Fund
(Class A)
Annual Report
December 31, 2018
On June 5, 2018 the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted new rule 30e-3 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Subject to conditions, new rule 30e-3 will provide certain registered investment companies with an optional method to satisfy their obligations to transmit shareholder reports by making such reports and other materials accessible at a website address specified in a notice to investors.
Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Fund’s annual and semi-annual shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Fund’s website (www.greatwestfunds.com), and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report.
Beginning on January 1, 2019, you may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. If you invest directly with the Fund, you can call (866) 345-5954 or make elections online at www.fundreports.com to let the Fund know you wish to continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held in your account if you invest through your financial intermediary or all funds held with the fund complex if you invest directly with the Fund.
This report and the financial statements attached are submitted for general information and are not authorized for distribution to prospective investors unless preceded or accompanied by an effective prospectus. Nothing herein is to be considered an offer of the sale of shares of the Fund. Such offering is made only by the prospectus of the Fund, which includes details as to offering price and other information.

 


Management Discussion
The momentum established by capital markets in 2017 carried into early 2018 as stocks surged amid robust economic growth at home and abroad. The U.S. economy – still the world’s largest – grew at a moderate (if not particularly eye-popping) rate of 2.2% during the first quarter before accelerating to a very impressive 4.2% at mid-year as the impacts of the Trump tax cuts began to fully work their way through the economy. Global growth surged too, and was estimated at just below 4% by the International Monetary Fund in July, even as trade tensions and other, less visible dislocations began to mount.
By April, the number of available jobs in the U.S. exceeded the number of active job seekers – an extremely rare occurrence in the U.S. and a testament to exactly how robust economic growth had become. Meanwhile, consumer confidence held at or near all-time highs and corporate earnings growth topped 20% for three quarters in a row. Equity markets in the U.S. responded to all this optimism by marching higher almost without interruption through the first nine months of the year, while international markets lagged noticeably. As is typical in this kind of environment, growth stocks easily outpaced their value-oriented peers and smaller stocks beat large, owing at least in part to a willingness by investors to take on incremental equity market risk amid sustained economic expansion.
As is also typical, bond markets followed a somewhat different path. The Federal Reserve boosted the Federal Funds rate four times in 2018. However, this tendency was at least partially offset during the first nine months of 2018 by some of the same trends that had buoyed equity markets: namely, robust economic growth, strong corporate performance and very tame inflation. Credit spreads remained very tight, allowing the more credit-sensitive sectors of the bond market such as high-yield to perform reasonably well despite the Fed-sponsored upward pressure on rates.
Even though the economy remained on a reasonably firm footing, the market environment changed significantly during the final three months of the year. To be sure, investors were given a preview of what was to come in early February when a sudden surge in market volatility caused a sharp, week-long decline that took the S&P 500 Index roughly 8.5% lower in the space of just a few days. But that setback was short-lived and equity markets quickly resumed their advance, marching higher throughout the summer while bond markets largely held their own.
But then something changed. In early October, the double-digit gains earned by stocks during the first nine months of the year quickly gave way to double-digit losses. Unlike the February sell-off, this time the sell-off continued beyond just a few days, leaving equity markets in the red for 2018. Tech and discretionary stocks, which had been the market’s darlings all year, fell quickly out of favor while things like utilities and consumer staples stocks suddenly looked compelling. Equity investors’ long-standing preference for all things domiciled in the U.S. reversed itself as well, with foreign stocks weathering the downturn a little better than domestic stocks during the fourth quarter. Of course, the relative safety of bonds became the best place to be as investors tripped over themselves to shed equity risk, bidding bonds – particularly those in higher quality segments of the market and in the middle portion of the yield curve – higher in the process.
The causes of this sudden reversal are open to debate. Were investors finally reacting to the much-hyped trade war that began this spring between the US and China? Or had patience with the Fed’s slow but persistent tightening campaign finally run out? Maybe the fourth quarter’s change in direction had its roots in political discord in Washington, where the November midterms moved the U.S. from single-party rule to a split Congress even as the White House seemed to descend further into chaos.

 


Even more likely, it might simply be that the U.S. economy began sending mixed signals after years of uniformly upbeat performance, creating skepticism about the sustainability of the U.S. economic expansion as the positive impact of the tax cuts begins to wear off.
Regardless, the change in tone that developed during the fourth quarter was enough to move many of the market segments we monitor into the red for calendar year 2018. Exceptions were limited primarily to domestic fixed income markets, which weathered the increase in volatility well.
Looking forward, the list of uncertainties facing both the economy and capital markets has grown considerably since the end of last year. While economic growth remains moderate to strong here in the U.S., the outlook is somewhat less certain overseas. In particular, China and Europe appear to be decelerating, owing at least in part to political issues such as Brexit and the ongoing trade war between the US and China. A favorable resolution to both would go a long way toward restoring confidence in markets globally.
Meanwhile, the ongoing normalization of monetary policy by the world’s major central banks seems likely to continue, which will keep pressure on capital markets generally. For our part, we believe political problems like Brexit and the trade war are often over-emphasized by observers and are really important only for the impact they ultimately have on fundamentals. We also think issues like these can ultimately be solved in a way that avoids any lasting damage to the global financial system.
In closing, we are encouraged by the fact that volatility like we’ve seen in recent months is nothing new: we’ve been here before, and we would argue that in many ways today’s capital market environment simply represents a return to normalcy following years of extraordinarily accommodative policy made necessary by the severity of the Great Recession and the financial market crisis that preceded it. In any event, we will continue to manage your assets the same way we always have, diversifying across asset classes, investment styles (and even investment managers,) all with the goal of building portfolios capable of performing up to your expectations across a wide variety of market conditions.
For the annual period ended December 31, 2018, the Great-West SecureFoundation Balanced ETF Fund (Class A shares excluding any front-end sales charges) returned -5.80% relative to -5.27% for the Wilshire 5000 Index and 0.01% for the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The Fund lagged its composite benchmark by 0.85% (composite benchmark return was -4.95%). The underperformance was driven primarily by the operating expenses of the Fund and its underlying funds (the composite does not have expenses) in addition to any fair value adjustments.
The views and opinions in this report were current as of December 31, 2018 and are subject to change at any time. They are not guarantees of performance or investment results and should not be taken as investment advice. Fund holdings are subject to change at any time. Fund returns are net of fees unless otherwise noted.

 


Growth of $10,000 (unaudited)
This graph compares the value of a hypothetical $10,000 investment in the Fund over the past 10 fiscal year periods or since inception (for funds lacking 10-year records) with the performance of the Fund’s benchmark index. Results include the reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains distributions. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The graph does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Performance does not include any fees or expenses of variable insurance contracts, individual retirement accounts (“IRA(s)”), qualified retirement plans or college savings programs. If such fees and expenses were included, returns would be lower.
*For the period January 23, 2012 (inception) through December 31, 2012.
**The composite index is derived by applying the Fund’s target asset allocation to the following benchmarks: for large capitalization U.S. stocks, the S&P 500® Index; for middle capitalization U.S. stocks, the S&P Mid Cap 400® Index; for small capitalization U.S. stocks, the S&P Small Cap 600® Index; for international stocks, the MSCI EAFE Index and the MSCI Emerging Markets Index; and for U.S. bonds, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and the Bloomberg Barclays 1-3 Year Credit Bond Index. The composite index in shareholder reports prior to December 31, 2013 and after June 2016 were not rebalanced monthly, and as a result, returns for the composite index would have been different.

 


Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2018 (unaudited)
  One Year Five Year Since Inception(a)
Class A (including sales charge) -10.51% 3.11% 5.68%
Class A (not including sales charge) -5.80% 4.17% 6.46%
(a) The Fund's inception date was January 23, 2012.
Results include the reinvestment of all dividends and capital gains distributions. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The table does not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the redemption of Fund shares. Performance does not include any fees or expenses of variable insurance contracts, IRAs, qualified retirement plans or college savings programs. If such fees and expenses were included, returns would be lower.
Summary of Investments by Asset Class as of December 31, 2018 (unaudited)
Asset Class Percentage of
Fund Investments
Bond 34.13%
Large Cap Equity 24.74
International Equity 13.49
Mid Cap Equity 10.03
Short Term Investments 8.38
Small Cap Equity 8.31
Money Market 0.92
Total 100.00%
Shareholder Expense Example (unaudited)
As a shareholder of the Fund, you incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, and (2) ongoing costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. This Example is intended to help you understand your ongoing costs (in dollars) of investing in the Fund and to compare these costs with the ongoing costs of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example is based on an investment of $1,000 invested at the beginning of the period and held for the entire period (June 30, 2018 to December 31, 2018).
Actual Expenses
The first row of the table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses. You may use the information in this row, together with the amount you invested, to estimate the expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your account value by $1,000 (for example, an $8,600 account value divided by $1,000 = 8.6), then multiply the result by the number in the first row under the heading entitled “Expenses Paid During Period” to estimate the expenses you paid on your account during this period.
Hypothetical Example for Comparison Purposes
The second row of the table below provides information about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. The hypothetical account values and

 


expenses may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period. You may use this information to compare the ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of the other funds.
Please note that the expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight your ongoing costs only and do not reflect any transactional costs. Therefore, the second row of the table is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you determine the relative total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if these transactional costs were included, your costs would have been higher.
  Beginning
Account Value
  Ending
Account Value
  Expenses Paid
During Period*
  (06/30/18)   (12/31/18)   (06/30/18–12/31/18)
Class A          
Actual $1,000.00   $ 937.90   $2.95
Hypothetical
(5% return before expenses)
$1,000.00   $1,022.30   $3.06
* Expenses are equal to the Fund's annualized expense ratio of 0.60% for the Class A shares, multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 185/365 days to reflect the one-half year period. The Fund’s annualized expense ratio includes expenses borne directly by the class plus the Fund’s pro-rata share of the weighted average expense ratio of the underlying funds in which it invests (0.07%).
  Performance does not include any fees or expenses of variable insurance contracts, IRAs, qualified retirement plans or college savings programs, if applicable. If such fees or expenses were included, returns would be lower.

 


GREAT-WEST FUNDS, INC.
GREAT-WEST SECUREFOUNDATION® BALANCED ETF FUND
Schedule of Investments
As of December 31, 2018
Shares   Fair Value
BOND EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS
165,288 Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF $13,092,462
     
TOTAL BOND EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS — 37.28%
(Cost $13,486,833)
$13,092,462
EQUITY EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS
111,670 Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF  4,142,957
27,107 Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF  1,032,777
29,675 Vanguard Russell 2000 ETF(a)  3,186,205
41,288 Vanguard S&P 500® ETF(a) 9,488,395
34,391 Vanguard S&P Mid-Cap 400® ETF(a) 3,846,977
     
EQUITY EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS — 61.78%
(Cost $18,835,246)
$21,697,311
MONEY MARKET MUTUAL FUNDS
352,655 Federated Government Obligations Fund Institutional Class, 2.26%(b) 352,655
     
TOTAL MONEY MARKET MUTUAL FUNDS — 1.00%
(Cost $352,655)
$ 352,655
Principal Amount    
SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS
Repurchase Agreements — 9.15%
$999,417 Undivided interest of 1.80% in a repurchase agreement (principal amount/value $55,684,707 with a maturity value of $55,694,050) with RBC Capital Markets Corp, 3.02%, dated 12/31/18 to be repurchased at $999,417 on 1/2/19 collateralized by various U.S. Government Agency securities, 3.00% - 7.00%, 10/1/25 - 10/20/48, with a value of $56,798,401.(c) 999,417
Principal Amount   Fair Value
Repurchase Agreements — (continued)
$999,417 Undivided interest of 2.08% in a repurchase agreement (principal amount/value $48,041,561 with a maturity value of $48,049,301) with Bank of Montreal, 2.90%, dated 12/31/18 to be repurchased at $999,417 on 1/2/19 collateralized by various U.S. Government Agency securities, 3.00% - 4.00%, 4/20/46 - 11/1/48, with a value of $49,002,392.(c) $   999,417
999,417 Undivided interest of 2.96% in a repurchase agreement (principal amount/value $33,818,901 with a maturity value of $33,824,537) with TD Securities (USA) Inc, 3.00%, dated 12/31/18 to be repurchased at $999,417 on 1/2/19 collateralized by Federal National Mortgage Association securities, 3.50% - 4.50%, 6/1/47 - 8/1/48, with a value of $34,495,279.(c)     999,417
216,199 Undivided interest of 3.59% in a repurchase agreement (principal amount/value $6,043,463 with a maturity value of $6,044,443) with Mizuho Securities (USA) LLC, 2.92%, dated 12/31/18 to be repurchased at $216,199 on 1/2/19 collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities, 1.88% - 2.63%, 2/29/24 - 9/9/49, with a value of $6,164,334.(c)    216,199
SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS — 9.15%
(Cost $3,214,450)
$ 3,214,450
TOTAL INVESTMENTS — 109.21%
(Cost $35,889,184)
$38,356,878
OTHER ASSETS & LIABILITIES, NET — (9.21)% $ (3,236,033)
TOTAL NET ASSETS — 100.00% $35,120,845
 
(a) All or a portion of the security is on loan at December 31, 2018.
(b) Rate shown is the 7-day yield as of December 31, 2018.
(c) Collateral received for securities on loan.
ETF Exchange Traded Fund
See Notes to Financial Statements.

Annual Report - December 31, 2018

 


GREAT-WEST FUNDS, INC.
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
As of December 31, 2018
  Great-West
SecureFoundation®
Balanced ETF Fund
ASSETS:  
Investments at fair value, unaffiliated (including $3,147,710 of securities on loan)(a) $35,142,428
Repurchase agreements, fair value(b) 3,214,450
Dividends and interest receivable 33,431
Total Assets 38,390,309
LIABILITIES:  
Payable for distribution fees 7,588
Payable to investment adviser 8,495
Payable upon return of securities loaned 3,214,450
Redemptions payable 38,931
Total Liabilities 3,269,464
NET ASSETS $35,120,845
NET ASSETS REPRESENTED BY:  
Capital stock, $0.10 par value $290,153
Paid-in capital in excess of par 32,438,226
Total distributable earnings 2,392,466
NET ASSETS $35,120,845
CAPITAL STOCK:  
Authorized 20,000,000
Issued and Outstanding 2,901,525
NET ASSET VALUE, REDEMPTION PRICE AND OFFERING PRICE PER SHARE: $12.10
MAXIMUM OFFERING PRICE PER SHARE(c) $12.74
(a) Cost of investments, unaffiliated $32,674,734
(b) Cost of repurchase agreements $3,214,450
(c) Maximum offering price per share represents the net asset value per share divided by 0.95, based on maximum sales charge of 5.00% of the Fund's offering price.  
See Notes to Financial Statements.

Annual Report - December 31, 2018

 


GREAT-WEST FUNDS, INC.
Statement of Operations
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018
  Great-West
SecureFoundation®
Balanced ETF Fund
INVESTMENT INCOME:  
Income from securities lending $25,078
Dividends 912,498
Total Income 937,576
EXPENSES:  
Management fees 66,638
Shareholder services fees 20,825
Audit and tax fees 15,854
Custodian fees 1,766
Director's fees 20,507
Distribution fees 104,546
Fund administration fees 75,470
Legal fees 3,302
Registration fees 19,803
Shareholder report fees 2,851
Transfer agent fees 20,924
Other fees 11,791
Total Expenses 364,277
Less amount reimbursed by investment adviser 143,114
Net Expenses 221,163
NET INVESTMENT INCOME 716,413
NET REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS):  
Net realized gain on investments 1,999,360
Realized gain distributions received 3,933
Net Realized Gain 2,003,293
Net change in unrealized depreciation on investments (4,861,828)
Net Realized and Unrealized Loss (2,858,535)
NET DECREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS $(2,142,122)
See Notes to Financial Statements.

Annual Report - December 31, 2018

 


GREAT-WEST FUNDS, INC.
Statement of Changes in Net Assets
For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017
Great-West SecureFoundation® Balanced ETF Fund 2018   2017
OPERATIONS:      
Net investment income $716,413   $852,312
Net realized gain 2,003,293   2,000,356
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) (4,861,828)   3,460,997
Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations (2,142,122)   6,313,665
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREHOLDERS:      
From net investment income and net realized gains (3,001,898)   (2,632,898) (a)
From Net Investment Income and Net Realized Gains (3,001,898)   (2,632,898)
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS:      
Shares sold 764,107   988,359
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions 3,001,898   2,632,898
Shares redeemed (9,398,294)   (13,845,011)
Net Decrease in Net Assets Resulting from Capital Share Transactions (5,632,289)   (10,223,754)
Total Decrease in Net Assets (10,776,309)   (6,542,987)
NET ASSETS:      
Beginning of year 45,897,154   52,440,141
End of year(b) $35,120,845   $45,897,154
CAPITAL SHARE TRANSACTIONS - SHARES:      
Shares sold 54,516   71,725
Shares issued in reinvestment of distributions 244,378   187,433
Shares redeemed (669,134)   (995,728)
Net Decrease (370,240)   (736,570)
(a) For the year ended December 31, 2017, total distributions from Class A consisted of net investment income of $669,459 and net realized gains of $1,963,439. The SEC eliminated the requirement to disclose the breakout of distributions from net investment income and realized gain/loss in 2018.
(b) For the year ended December 31, 2017, net assets included undistributed (overdistributed) net investment income of $224,621. The SEC eliminated the requirement to disclose undistributed net investment income in 2018.
See Notes to Financial Statements.

Annual Report - December 31, 2018

 


GREAT-WEST FUNDS, INC.
GREAT-WEST SECUREFOUNDATION® BALANCED ETF FUND
Financial Highlights
Selected data for a share of capital stock of the Fund throughout the periods indicated.
    Income (Loss) from Investment Operations:   Less Distributions:    
  Net asset value,
beginning of year
Net
investment
income(a)
Net realized
and unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
From net
investment
income
From net
realized
gains
Total
Distributions
Net asset value,
end of year
Total
Return (b)(c)(d)
Class A
12/31/2018 $14.03 0.24 (1.06) (0.82) (0.28) (0.83) (1.11) $12.10 (5.80%)
12/31/2017 $13.08 0.24 1.54 1.78 (0.21) (0.62) (0.83) $14.03 13.70%
12/31/2016 $12.46 0.23 0.85 1.08 (0.26) (0.20) (0.46) $13.08 8.69%
12/31/2015 $12.81 0.22 (0.32) (0.10) (0.21) (0.04) (0.25) $12.46 (0.79%)
12/31/2014 $12.28 0.25 0.52 0.77 (0.21) (0.03) (0.24) $12.81 6.22%
  Net assets,
end of year
(000)
Ratio of expenses
to average net assets
(before reimbursement
and/or waiver, if applicable)(e)
Ratio of expenses
to average net assets
(after reimbursement
and/or waiver, if applicable)(e)
  Ratio of net investment income
to average net assets
(after reimbursement
and/or waiver, if applicable)(e)
Portfolio
turnover
rate
Supplemental Data and Ratios
Class A
12/31/2018 $35,121 0.88% 0.53%   1.73% 39%
12/31/2017 $45,897 0.85% 0.53%   1.72% 23%
12/31/2016 $52,440 0.80% 0.53%   1.79% 14%
12/31/2015 $54,991 0.64% 0.53%   1.73% 37%
12/31/2014 $44,991 0.72% 0.53%   1.94% 57%
(a) Per share amounts are based upon average shares outstanding.
(b) Total return does not include any fees or expenses of variable insurance contracts, if applicable. If such fees or expenses were included, returns would be lower.
(c) Total return shown net of expenses reimbursed and/or waived, if applicable. Without the expense reimbursement and/or waiver, the return shown would have been lower.
(d) Total return does not include the fee of the Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit. If the fee was included, returns would be lower.
(e) Expense ratio and income ratio do not include expenses of the underlying investments in which the Fund invests.
See Notes to Financial Statements.

Annual Report - December 31, 2018

 


GREAT-WEST FUNDS, INC.
GREAT-WEST SECUREFOUNDATION® BALANCED ETF FUND
Notes to Financial Statements

1.  ORGANIZATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Great-West Funds, Inc. (Great-West Funds), a Maryland corporation, was organized on December 7, 1981 and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act) as an open-end management investment company. Great-West Funds presently consists of sixty-five funds. Interests in the Great-West SecureFoundation® Balanced ETF Fund (the Fund) are included herein. The investment objective of the Fund is to seek long-term capital appreciation and income. The Fund is non-diversified as defined in the 1940 Act. The Fund shares are available through certain broker-dealers, custodians or trustees of individual retirement accounts, or other financial intermediaries who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor to make the shares available. The minimum initial investment in the Fund is $10,000. Effective as of the close of business on December 14, 2018, the Fund is closed to new investors and new contributions by existing shareholders. Shareholders of the Fund may continue to reinvest dividends and capital gains arising from the Fund, but no other forms of contributions will be allowed. The Fund reserves the right to modify or limit the above exceptions or re-open the Fund at any time without prior notice.
This report includes information for Class A shares. An initial sales charge of 5% is imposed on purchases of the Fund's shares and is deducted prior to the investment in the Fund.
Shares of the Fund can only be purchased in conjunction with the purchase and acceptance of the Great-West SecureFoundation® Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit (the Guarantee) issued by Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company (GWL&A). The Guarantee has an annual fee in addition to the fees and expenses of the Fund. The redemption or exchange of all shares of the Fund attributable to an account would generally result in the cancellation of the Guarantee and all of the benefits of the Guarantee. GWL&A does not issue the Guarantee to the investment adviser of the Fund or the Fund itself; therefore, the Guarantee does not guarantee the investment performance of the Fund.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Great-West Funds are also investment companies and accordingly follow the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of U.S. GAAP. The following is a summary of the significant accounting policies of the Fund.
Security Valuation
The Board of Directors of the Fund has adopted policies and procedures for the valuation of the Fund's securities and assets, and has appointed the Fair Value Pricing Committee of the investment adviser, Great-West Capital Management, LLC, to complete valuation determinations under those policies and procedures.
The Fund generally values its Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) based on market prices determined at the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on each day the NYSE is open for trading. Investments in shares of the underlying mutual funds are valued at the net asset value as reported by the underlying mutual fund, which may be obtained from pricing services or other pricing sources. The net asset value of each class of the Fund's shares is determined by dividing the net assets attributable to each class of shares of the Fund by the number of issued and outstanding shares of each class of the Fund on each valuation date.
Short term securities purchased with less than 60 days remaining until maturity and all U.S. Treasury Bills are valued on the basis of amortized cost, which has been determined to approximate fair value. Short term securities purchased with more than 60 days remaining until maturity are valued using pricing services, or in the event a price is not available from a pricing service, may be priced using other methodologies approved by the Board of Directors, including model pricing or pricing on the basis of quotations from brokers or dealers, and will continue to be priced until final maturity.

Annual Report - December 31, 2018

 


Independent pricing services are approved by the Board of Directors and are utilized for all investment types when available. In some instances valuations from independent pricing services are not available or do not reflect events in the market between the time the market closed and the valuation time and therefore fair valuation procedures are implemented. The fair value for some securities may be obtained from pricing services or other pricing sources. The inputs used by the pricing services are reviewed quarterly or when the pricing vendor issues updates to its pricing methodologies. Developments that might trigger fair value pricing could be natural disasters, government actions or fluctuations in domestic and foreign markets.
The following table provides examples of the inputs that are commonly used for valuing particular classes of securities. These classifications are not exclusive, and any inputs may be used to value any other security class.
Class Inputs
Exchange Traded Funds Exchange traded close price.
Mutual Funds Net asset value of underlying mutual fund.
Short Term Investments Maturity date, credit quality and interest rates
The Fund classifies its valuations into three levels based upon the observability of inputs to the valuation of the Fund’s investments. The valuation levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with the underlying investment. Classification is based on the lowest level of input significant to the fair value measurement. The three levels are defined as follows:
Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices for identical securities in active markets.
Level 2 – Inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable either directly or indirectly. These may include quoted prices for similar assets in active markets.
Level 3 – Unobservable inputs to the extent observable inputs are not available. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting Fund’s own assumptions and would be based on the best information available under the circumstances.
As of December 31, 2018, the Fund’s investments in the underlying ETFs and mutual funds are valued using Level 1 inputs. The Fund’s investments in short term securities are valued using Level 2 inputs. More information regarding the Fund’s sector classifications are included in the Schedule of Investments.
Fund-of-Funds Structure Risk
Since the Fund invests directly in underlying funds, all risks associated with the eligible underlying funds apply to the Fund. To the extent the Fund invests more of its assets in one underlying fund than another, the Fund will have greater exposure to the risks of that underlying fund.
Repurchase Agreements
The Fund may engage in repurchase agreement transactions with institutions that the Fund’s investment adviser has determined are creditworthy. The Fund will purchase securities at a specified price with an agreement to sell the securities to the same counterparty at a specified time, price and interest rate. The Fund’s custodian and/or securities lending agent receives delivery of the underlying securities collateralizing a repurchase agreement. Collateral is at least equal to the value of the repurchase obligation including interest. A repurchase agreement transaction involves certain risks in the event of default or insolvency of the counterparty. These risks include possible delays or restrictions upon a Fund’s ability to dispose of the underlying securities and a possible decline in the value of the underlying securities during the period while the Fund seeks to assert its rights.
Security Transactions
Security transactions are accounted for on the date the security is purchased or sold (trade date). Realized gains and losses from investments sold are determined on a specific lot selection. Dividend income and realized gain distributions from underlying funds are accrued as of the ex-dividend date.

Annual Report - December 31, 2018

 


Federal Income Taxes and Distributions to Shareholders
The Fund intends to comply with provisions under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute substantially all of its net taxable income, including any net realized gain on investments not offset by capital loss carryforwards, if any, to shareholders. Therefore, no federal income or excise tax provision is required. The Fund files income tax returns in U.S. federal and applicable state jurisdictions. The statute of limitations on the Fund’s tax return filings generally remains open for the three preceding fiscal reporting period ends. State tax returns may remain open for an additional fiscal year.
Distributions to shareholders from net investment income of the Fund, if any, are declared and paid annually. Capital gain distributions of the Fund, if any, are declared and paid at least annually. Distributions are paid or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund at net asset value and are declared separately for each class. Distributions are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
The tax character of distributions paid during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:
  2018   2017
Ordinary income $757,690   $669,459
Long-term capital gain 2,244,208   1,963,439
  $3,001,898   $2,632,898
Net investment income (loss) and net realized gain (loss) for federal income tax purposes may differ from those reported on the financial statements because of temporary and permanent book-tax basis differences. Book-tax differences may include but are not limited to the following: wash sales and distribution adjustments.
Capital accounts within the financial statements are adjusted for permanent book-tax differences, and are not adjusted for temporary book-tax differences which will reverse in a subsequent period. Accordingly, the Fund has reclassified $220,599 to Paid-in capital from Total distributable earnings for December 31, 2018. Net assets of the Fund were unaffected by the reclassifications.
The tax components of capital shown in the following table represent distribution requirements the Fund must satisfy under the income tax regulations, losses the Fund may be able to offset against income and gains realized in future years and unrealized appreciation or depreciation for federal income tax purposes. At December 31, 2018, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:
Undistributed net investment income $15,292
Undistributed long-term capital gains 153,138
Capital loss carryforwards
Post-October losses
Net unrealized appreciation 2,224,036
Tax composition of capital $2,392,466
The aggregate cost of investments and the composition of unrealized appreciation and depreciation for federal income tax purposes as of December 31, 2018 were as follows:
Federal tax cost of investments $36,132,842
Gross unrealized appreciation on investments 3,262,571
Gross unrealized depreciation on investments (1,038,535)
Net unrealized appreciation on investments $2,224,036
Application of Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU No. 2018-13, “Fair-Value Measurement: Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement” (ASU No. 2018-13). ASU No. 2018-13 modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements in Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement. The update to Topic

Annual Report - December 31, 2018

 


820 includes new, eliminated, and modified disclosure requirements. The disclosure changes in ASU 2018-13 are effective for the first interim or annual period beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for any eliminated or modified disclosures. The Fund has evaluated the impact of ASU No. 2018-13 and has adopted the changes into these financial statements. These changes are reflected in Note 1.
In October 2018, the SEC amended Regulation S-X to require certain financial statement disclosure requirements to conform them to U.S. GAAP for investment companies. The Fund adopted disclosure requirement changes for Regulation S-X and these changes are reflected throughout this report. The Fund's adoption of those amendments, effective with the financial statements prepared as of December 31, 2018, had no effect on the Fund's financial position or the results of its operations.
2.  INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT & OTHER TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES
Great-West Funds has entered into an investment advisory agreement with Great-West Capital Management, LLC (the Adviser), a wholly-owned subsidiary of GWL&A. As compensation for its services to Great-West Funds, the Adviser receives monthly compensation at the annual rate of 0.16% of the Fund's average daily net assets. Expenses incurred by Great-West Funds, which are not Fund specific, are allocated based on relative net assets or other appropriate allocation methods. Certain administration and accounting services fees for the Fund are disclosed as Fund administration fees on the Statement of Operations. The Fund will also bear the indirect expense of the underlying investments. Because the underlying funds have varied expense and fee levels and the Fund may own different proportions of underlying funds at different times, the amount of fees and expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund will vary.
The Adviser has contractually agreed to reimburse expenses exceed an annual rate of 0.07% of the Fund's average daily net assets attributable to each Class, including management fees and expenses paid directly by the Fund, excluding the shareholder service fees, distribution fees and certain extraordinary expenses (the "Expense Limit"). The agreement's current term ends on April 30, 2019 and automatically renews for one-year unless terminated within 90 days of the end of the current term. The amount reimbursed, if any, is reflected in the Statement of Operations.
The Adviser is permitted upon approval by the Board of Directors to recoup amounts reimbursed by the Fund in future periods, not exceeding three years, if the Fund's other expenses including such recoupment do not exceed the Expense Limit. At December 31, 2018, the amounts subject to recoupment were as follows:
  Expires December 31, 2019   Expires December 31, 2020   Expires December 31, 2021   Recoupment of
Past Reimbursed Fees
by the Adviser
  $146,730   $162,052   $143,114   $0
GWFS Equities, Inc. (the Distributor), is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GWL&A and the principal underwriter to distribute and market the Fund. The Fund has entered into a plan of distribution which provides for compensation for distribution of Class A shares and for providing or arranging for the provision of services to Class A shareholders. The distribution plan provides for a maximum 12b-1 fee equal to an annual rate of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Class A shares.
The Fund has adopted a shareholder services plan. Under this plan shareholder servicing agents will provide shareholder and support services to shareholders. For these services Class A pays an annual fee of up to 0.05% of its average daily net assets.
Certain officers of Great-West Funds are also directors and/or officers of GWL&A or its subsidiaries. No officer or interested director of Great-West Funds receives any compensation directly from Great-West Funds. The total compensation paid to the independent directors with respect to all sixty-five funds for which they serve as directors was $990,000 for the year ended December 31, 2018.
3.  PURCHASES & SALES OF INVESTMENTS
For the year ended December 31, 2018, the aggregate cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of investments were $16,244,537 and $24,109,640, respectively.

Annual Report - December 31, 2018

 


4.  SECURITIES LOANED
The Fund has entered into a securities lending agreement with its custodian as securities lending agent. Under the terms of the agreement the Fund receives income after deductions of other amounts payable to the securities lending agent or to the borrower from lending transactions. In exchange for such fees, the securities lending agent is authorized to loan securities on behalf of the Fund against receipt of cash collateral at least equal in value at all times to the value of the securities loaned plus accrued interest. The Fund also continues to receive interest or dividends on the securities loaned. Cash collateral is invested in securities approved by the Board of Directors. The Fund bears the risk of any deficiency in the amount of collateral available for return to a borrower due to a loss in an approved investment. As of December 31, 2018, the Fund had securities on loan valued at $3,147,710 and received collateral as reported on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities of $3,214,450 for such loan which was invested in repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. Government or U.S. Government Agency securities. The repurchase agreements can be jointly purchased with other lending agent clients and in the event of a default by the counterparty, all lending agent clients would share ratably in the collateral.
Under the securities lending agreement, the collateral pledged is, by definition, the securities loaned against the cash borrowed. At December 31, 2018, the class of the securities loaned consisted entirely of equity exchange traded funds. The remaining contractual maturity of all of the securities lending transactions is overnight and continuous. Additional information regarding the Fund's securities on loan is included in the Schedule of Investments.
5.  INDEMNIFICATIONS
The Fund’s organizational documents provide current and former officers and directors with a limited indemnification against liabilities arising in connection with the performance of their duties to the Fund. In the normal course of business, the Fund may also enter into contracts that provide general indemnifications. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would be dependent on future claims that may be made against the Fund. The risk of material loss from such claims is considered remote.
6.  SUBSEQUENT EVENT
Management has reviewed all events subsequent to December 31, 2018, including the estimates inherent in the process of preparing these financial statements, through the date the financial statements were issued. No subsequent events requiring adjustment or disclosure have occurred.

Annual Report - December 31, 2018

 


REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Great-West Funds, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements and Financial Highlights
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, of the Great-West SecureFoundation® Balanced ETF Fund (the “Fund”), one of the funds of Great-West Funds, Inc., as of December 31, 2018, the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2018, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund's financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements and financial highlights are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements and financial highlights, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements and financial highlights. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and financial highlights. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2018, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers; when replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Denver, Colorado
February 22, 2019
We have served as the auditor of one or more Great-West investment companies since 1982.

 


TAX INFORMATION (unaudited)
The Fund intends to pass through foreign tax credits of $7,753 and has derived gross income from sources within foreign countries amounting to $95,644.
Dividends paid by the Fund from net investment income and distributions of net realized short-term capital gains are, for federal income tax purposes, taxable as ordinary income to shareholders. Of the ordinary income distributions declared for the year ended December 31, 2018, 35% qualifies for the dividend received deduction available to the Fund’s corporate shareholders.

 


Fund Directors and Officers
Great-West Funds, Inc. (“Great-West Funds”) is organized under Maryland law, and is governed by the Board of Directors. The following table provides information about each of the Directors and executive officers of Great-West Funds.
Independent Directors*
Name, Address,
and Age
Positions(s)
Held with
Great-West
Funds
Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served***
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
Number of
Funds in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Director
Other
Directorships
Held by Director
Gail H. Klapper

8515 East Orchard Road,
Greenwood Village, CO
80111

75
Chair &
Independent Director
Since 2016 (as Chair)

Since 2007 (as Independent Director)
Managing Attorney, Klapper Law Firm; Member/Director, The Colorado Forum; Manager, 6K Ranch, LLC; Director, Guaranty Bancorp & Gold, Inc. 65 N/A
Stephen G. McConahey

8515 East Orchard Road,
Greenwood Village, CO
80111

75
Independent Director
& Audit Committee
Chair
Since 2011 (as
Independent Director)

Since 2015 (as
Audit Committee Chair)
Chairman, SGM Capital, LLC; Partner, Iron Gate Capital, LLC; Director, The IMA Financial Group, Inc.; Director, Guaranty Bancorp 65 N/A
Steven A. Lake

8515 East Orchard Road,
Greenwood Village, CO
80111

64
Independent Director Since 2017 Managing Member, Lake Advisors, LLC; Member, Gart Capital Partners, LLC; Executive Member, Sage Investment Holdings, LLC; Senior Managing Director, CBIZ MHM, LLC 65 N/A
R. Timothy Hudner****

8515 East Orchard Road,
Greenwood Village, CO
80111

59
Independent Director Since 2017 Director, Prima Capital Holdings; ALPS Fund Services; Colorado State Housing Board; Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council; Regional Center Task Force; and Mental Health Center of Denver 65 N/A

 


Independent Directors*
Name, Address,
and Age
Positions(s)
Held with
Great-West
Funds
Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served***
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
Number of
Funds in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Director
Other
Directorships
Held by Director
James A. Hillary*****

8515 East Orchard Road,
Greenwood Village, CO
80111

55
Independent Director Since 2017 Principal and Founding Partner, Fios Capital, LLC; Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Independence Capital Asset Partners, LLC; Member, Fios Partners LLC, Fios Holdings LLC, Roubaix Capital LLC; and Sole Member, Fios Companies LLC 65 N/A
Interested Directors**
Name, Address,
and Age
Positions(s) Held
with Great-West
Funds
Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served***
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
Number of Funds
in Fund Complex
Overseen by
Director
Other Directorships
Held by Director
Scott C. Sipple

8515 East Orchard Road,
Greenwood Village, CO
80111

56
Director, President &
Chief Executive Officer
Since 2017 President, Great-West Investments,
GWL&A; Chairman, President & Chief
Executive Officer, GWCM and Advised
Assets Group, LLC ("AAG"); formerly,
Head of Global Investment Strategies,
Putnam Investment Management LLC
65 N/A
Officers
Name, Address,
and Age
Positions(s)
Held with
Great-West Funds
Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
Number of
Fund in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Director
Other
Directorships
Held by Director
Scott C. Sipple

8515 East Orchard Road,
Greenwood Village, CO
80111

56
Director, President &
Chief Executive Officer
Since 2017 President, Great-West Investments, GWL&A; Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer, GWCM and AAG; formerly, Head of Global Investment Strategies, Putnam Investment Management LLC 65 N/A
Katherine Stoner

8515 East Orchard Road,
Greenwood Village, CO
80111

62
Chief Compliance Officer Since 2016 Chief Compliance Officer, AAG and GWCM; formerly, Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer, Mutual Funds, AIG, Consumer Insurance N/A N/A

 


Officers
Name, Address,
and Age
Positions(s)
Held with
Great-West Funds
Term of Office
and Length of
Time Served
Principal Occupation(s)
During Past 5 Years
Number of
Fund in Fund
Complex
Overseen by
Director
Other
Directorships
Held by Director
Ryan L. Logsdon

8515 East Orchard Road,
Greenwood Village, CO
80111

44
Vice President,
Counsel & Secretary
Since 2010
(as Counsel &
Secretary)

Since 2016
(as Vice President)
Associate General Counsel, Products & Corporate, GWL&A;Associate General Counsel & Associate Secretary, GWL&A and Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company of New York ("GWL&A of NY"); Vice President, Counsel & Secretary, AAG, GWCM, and GWFS; formerly, Assistant Vice President, GWCM N/A N/A
Mary C. Maiers

8515 East Orchard Road,
Greenwood Village, CO
80111

51
Chief Financial
Officer &
Treasurer
Since 2008
(as Treasurer)

Since 2011
(as Chief
Financial Officer)
Vice President Investment Accounting and Global Middle Office, GWL&A; Vice President and Treasurer, Great-West Trust Company, LLC ("GWTC"); Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer, GWCM N/A N/A
Cara B. Owen

8515 East Orchard Road,
Greenwood Village,
CO 80111

37
Senior Counsel &
Assistant
Secretary
Since 2015 Senior Counsel, Products, GWL&A; Senior Counsel & Assistant Secretary, GWCM, GWTC, and AAG N/A N/A
John A. Clouthier

8515 East Orchard Road,
Greenwood Village,
CO 80111

51
Assistant
Treasurer
Since 2007 Director, Investment Operations, GWL&A; Assistant Treasurer, GWCM and GWTC N/A N/A
Kelly B. New

8515 East Orchard Road,
Greenwood Village,
CO 80111

43
Assistant
Treasurer
Since 2016 Assistant Vice President, Fund Administration, GWL&A; Assistant Treasurer, GWCM and GWTC N/A N/A
*A Director who is not an “interested person” of Great-West Funds (as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) is referred to as an “Independent Director.”
**An “Interested Director” refers to a Director who is an “interested person” of Great-West Funds (as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) by virtue of their affiliation with Great-West Capital Management, LLC.

 


*** Each director serves until the next shareholders’ meeting (and until the election and qualification of a successor), or until death, resignation, removal or retirement which takes effect no later than May 1 following his or her 75th birthday unless otherwise determined by the remaining directors. Officers are elected by the Board on an annual basis to serve until their successors have been elected and qualified.
**** Mr. Hudner’s daughter is employed by JP Morgan Chase, N.A., an affiliate of J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc., a sub-adviser of the Great-West International Growth and Great-West Large Cap Growth Funds. Mr. Hudner has personal investments in the following: (i) a mutual fund advised by Massachusetts Financial Services Company, a sub-adviser of the Great-West International Value Fund, (ii) a mutual fund advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc., the sub-adviser of the Great-West Invesco Small Cap Value Fund, (iii) a mutual fund advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., the sub-adviser of the Great-West T. Rowe Price Equity Income and Great-West T. Rowe Price Mid Cap Growth Funds, and (iv) a mutual fund advised by J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc., a sub-adviser of the Great-West International Growth and Great-West Large Cap Growth Funds. Mr. Hudner receives no special treatment due to his ownership of such mutual funds.
***** Mr. Hillary is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Independence Capital Asset Partners, LLC (“ICAP”), which has a prime brokerage and institutional trading relationship with Goldman Sachs & Co., the parent company of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, LP, the sub-adviser of the Great-West Mid Cap Value and Great-West Inflation-Protected Securities Funds. ICAP previously was a sub-adviser, and Mr. Hillary was a portfolio manager to the Franklin K2 Alternative Strategies Fund and the FTIF Franklin K2 Alternative Strategies Fund, which are funds offered by an affiliate of both Franklin Advisers, Inc., a sub-adviser of the Great-West Global Bond Fund, and Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC, a sub-adviser of the Great-West International Growth Fund. Mr. Hillary has personal banking accounts with an affiliate of J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc., a sub-adviser of the Great-West International Growth and Great-West Large Cap Growth Funds. Mr. Hillary receives no special treatment due to the relationship.
There are no arrangements or understandings between any Director or officer and any other person(s) pursuant to which s/he was elected as Director or officer.
Additional information about Great-West Funds and its Directors is available in the Great-West Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), which can be obtained free of charge upon request to: Secretary, Great-West Funds, Inc., 8525 East Orchard Road, Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111; (866) 831-7129. The SAI is also available on the Fund’s web site at http://www.greatwestfunds.com.
Availability of Quarterly Portfolio Schedule
Great-West Funds files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. Great-West Funds' Forms N-Q are available on the Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov, and may be reviewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.
Availability of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
A description of the policies and procedures that Great-West Funds uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available without charge, upon request, by calling (866) 831-7129, and on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

 


Availability of Proxy Voting Record
Information regarding how Great-West Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available without charge, upon request, by calling (866) 831-7129, and on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

 


ITEM 2. CODE OF ETHICS.
(a)   As of the end of the period covered by this report, the registrant has adopted a Code of Ethics (the “Code of Ethics”) that applies to the registrant's principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the registrant or a third party.
(b)   For purposes of this Item, "code of ethics" means written standards that are reasonably designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote:
(1) Honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships;
(2) Full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that a registrant files with, or submits to, the Commission and in other public communications made by the registrant;
(3) Compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules, and regulations;
(4) The prompt internal reporting of violations of the code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the code; and
(5) Accountability for adherence to the code.
(c)   During the period covered by this report, there have been no amendments to the registrant’s Code of Ethics.
(d)   During the period covered by this report, the registrant has not granted any express or implicit waivers from the provisions of the Code of Ethics.
(e)  Registrant’s Code of Ethics is attached hereto.
ITEM 3. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT.
Mr. Stephen A. Lake is the audit committee financial expert and is "independent," pursuant to general instructions on Form N-CSR, Item 3.
An “audit committee financial expert” is not an “expert” for any purpose, including for purposes of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, as a result of being designated as an “audit committee financial expert.” Further, the designation of a person as an “audit committee financial expert” does not mean that the person has any greater duties, obligations, or liability than those imposed on the person without the “audit committee financial expert” designation. Similarly, the designation of a person as an “audit committee financial expert” does not affect the duties, obligations, or liability of any other member of the Audit Committee or Board of Directors.
ITEM 4. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.
(a)   Audit Fees. The aggregate fees billed for each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for the audit of the registrant’s annual financial statements or services that are normally provided by the accountant in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for those fiscal years were: $834,600 for fiscal year 2017 and $1,059,880 for fiscal year 2018.

 


(b)   Audit-Related Fees. The aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for assurance and related services by the principal accountant that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit of the registrant’s financial statements and are not reported under paragraph (a) of this Item were: $50,000 for fiscal year 2017 and $60,000 for fiscal year 2018. The nature of the services comprising the fees disclosed under this category involved performance of 17f-2 (self-custody) audits and administrative services related to the audit.
(c)   Tax Fees. The aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning were: $0 for fiscal year 2017 and $0 for fiscal year 2018.
(d)   All Other Fees. There were no fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for products and services provided by the principal accountant, other than the services reported in paragraphs ((a) through (c) of this Item).
(e)  (1) Audit Committee’s Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures.
Pre-Approval of Audit Services. The Audit Committee must approve prior to retention all audit, review or attest engagements required under the securities laws that are provided to Great-West Funds by its independent auditors. The Audit Committee will not grant such approval to any auditors that are proposed to perform an audit for Great-West Funds if a chief executive officer, controller, chief financial officer, chief accounting officer or any person serving in an equivalent position for Great-West Funds that is responsible for the financial reporting or operations of Great-West Funds was employed by those auditors and participated in any capacity in an audit of Great-West Funds during the year period (or such other period proscribed under SEC rules) preceding the date of initiation of such audit.
Pre-Approval of Non-Audit Services. The Audit Committee must pre-approve any non-audit services, including tax services, to be provided to Great-West Funds by its independent auditors (except those within applicable de minimis statutory or regulatory exceptions)1 provided that Great-West Funds’ auditors will not provide the following non-audit services to Great-West Funds: (a) bookkeeping or other services related to the accounting records or financial statements of Great-West Funds; (b) financial information systems design and implementation; (c) appraisal or valuation services, fairness opinions, or contribution-in-kind reports; (d) actuarial services; (e) internal audit outsourcing services; (f) management functions or human resources; (g) broker-dealer, investment adviser, or investment banking services; (h) legal services; (i) expert services unrelated to the audit; and (j) any other service

1No pre-approval is required as to non-audit services provided to Great-West Funds if: (a) the aggregate amount of all non-audit services provided to Great-West Funds constitute not more than 5% of the total amount of revenues paid by Great-West Funds to the independent auditors during the fiscal year in which the services are provided; (b) these services were not recognized by Great-West Funds at the time of the engagement to be non-audit services; and (c) the services are promptly brought to the attention of the Audit Committee and approved by the Audit Committee prior to the completion of the audit.

 


that the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board determines, by regulation, is impermissible. 2
Pre-approval with respect to Non-Great-West Funds Entities. The Audit Committee must pre-approve any non-audit services that relate directly to the operations and financial reporting of Great-West Funds (except those within applicable de minimis statutory or regulatory exceptions)3 to be provided by Great-West Funds’ auditors to (a) Great-West Funds’ investment adviser; and (b) any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser if that entity provides ongoing services to Great-West Funds.4 The Audit Committee may approve audit and non-audit services on a case-by-case basis or adopt pre-approval policies and procedures that are detailed as to a particular service, provided that the Audit Committee is informed promptly of each service, or use a combination of these approaches.
Delegation. The Audit Committee may delegate pre-approval authority to one or more of the Audit Committee's members. Any member or members to whom such pre-approval authority is delegated must report any pre-approval decisions to the Audit Committee at its next scheduled meeting.
(f)    (2) 100% of the services described pursuant to paragraphs (b) through (d) of this Item 4 of Form N-CSR were approved by the Audit Committee, and no such services were approved by the Audit Committee pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.
(g)   Not Applicable.
(h)   The aggregate non-audit fees billed by the registrant’s accountant for services rendered to the registrant, and rendered to the registrant’s investment adviser (not including any sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant for fiscal year 2017 equaled $1,480,500 and for fiscal year 2018 equaled $1,167,000.

2With respect to the prohibitions on (a) bookkeeping; (b) financial information systems design and implementation; (c) appraisal, valuation, fairness opinions, or contribution-in-kind reports; (d) actuarial; and (e) internal audit outsourcing, such services are permitted to be provided if it is reasonable to conclude that the results of these services will not be subject to audit procedures during an audit of the audit client's financial statements.

3For non-audit services provided to the adviser and entities in a control relationship with the adviser, no pre-approval is required if: (a) the aggregate amount of all non-audit services provided constitute not more than 5% of the total amount of revenues paid to the independent auditors during the fiscal year in which the services are provided to Great-West Funds, Great-West Funds’ investment adviser, and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser if that entity provides ongoing services to Great-West Funds; (b) these services were not recognized by Great-West Funds at the time of the engagement to be non-audit services; and (c) the services are promptly brought to the attention of the Audit Committee and approved by the Audit Committee prior to the completion of the audit.

4No pre-approval is required by the Audit Committee as to non-audit services provided to any Great-West Funds sub-adviser that primarily provides portfolio management services and is under the direction of another investment adviser and is not affiliated with Great-West Funds’ primary investment adviser.

 


(i)   The registrant’s Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has considered whether the provision of non-audit services that were rendered to the registrant’s investment adviser (not including any subadviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant that were not pre-approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X is compatible with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.
ITEM 5. AUDIT COMMITTEE OF LISTED REGISTRANTS.
Not applicable.
ITEM 6. INVESTMENTS.
(a)  The schedule is included as part of the report to shareholders filed under Item 1 of this Form.
(b)  Not applicable.
ITEM 7. DISCLOSURE OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.
Not applicable.
ITEM 8. PORTFOLIO MANAGERS OF CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.
Not applicable.
ITEM 9. PURCHASE OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS.
Not applicable.
ITEM 10. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.
There have been no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant’s board of directors that were implemented after the registrant last provided disclosure in response to this Item.
ITEM 11. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
(a)   The registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded, based upon their evaluation of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures as conducted within 90 days of the filing date of this report, that these disclosure controls and procedures provide reasonable assurance that material information required to be disclosed by the registrant in the report it files or submits on Form N-CSR is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the commission's rules and forms and that such material information is accumulated and communicated to the registrant's management, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, in order to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

 


(b)   The registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer are aware of no changes in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal half-year that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 12. EXHIBITS.
(a)   (1) Code of Ethics required by Item 2 of Form N-CSR is incorporated by reference to registrant's Form N-CSRs filed on March 1, 2017 (File No. 2-75503).
(2) A separate certification for each principal executive and principal financial officer as required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 is attached hereto.
(3) Not applicable.
(b)   A separate certification for each principal executive and principal financial officer as required by Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 is attached hereto.

 



 


SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
GREAT-WEST FUNDS, INC.
By: /s/ Scott C. Sipple

Scott C. Sipple
President & Chief Executive Officer
Date:March 26, 2019
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
By: /s/ Scott C. Sipple

Scott C. Sipple
President & Chief Executive Officer
Date:March 26, 2019
By: /s/ Mary C. Maiers

Mary C. Maiers
Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer
Date:March 26, 2019