497K 1 d567742d497k.htm COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST I Columbia Funds Series Trust I
 
Summary Prospectus
September 1, 2017
(As amended, September 14, 2017)
(As amended, April 16, 2018)
Multi-Manager Directional Alternative Strategies Fund
(formerly known as Active Portfolios® Multi-Manager Directional Alternatives Fund)
    
Class   Ticker Symbol
A   CDAAX
Institutional (Class Inst)*   CDAZX
* Prior to November 1, 2017, Class Inst shares were known as Class Z shares.
The Fund is offered only through certain wrap fee programs sponsored and/or managed by Ameriprise Financial, Inc. or its affiliates.
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s prospectus, statement of additional information and other information about the Fund online at https://www.columbiathreadneedleus.com/resources/literature. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 800.345.6611 or by sending an email to serviceinquiries@columbiathreadneedle.com. This Summary Prospectus incorporates by reference the Fund’s prospectus, dated September 1, 2017, and current Statement of Additional Information. The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Investment Objective
Multi-Manager Directional Alternative Strategies Fund (the Fund) seeks capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
  Class A Class Inst
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a % of offering price) None None
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) imposed on redemptions (as a % of the lower of the original purchase price or current net asset value) None None
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class A Class Inst
Management fees 1.60% 1.60%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.25% 0.00%
Other expenses(a)    
Dividend expenses and borrowing costs on securities sold short 0.54% 0.54%
Remainder of other expenses 0.42% 0.42%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 2.81% 2.56%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(b) (0.07%) (0.07%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 2.74% 2.49%
(a) Other expenses have been restated to reflect current fees paid by the Fund.
(b) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, dividend expenses and borrowing costs on securities sold short, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through August 31, 2018, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 2.20% for Class A and 1.95% for Class Inst.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
■ you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the periods indicated,
■ your investment has a 5% return each year, and
■ the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs (based on estimated Fund expenses) would be:
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class A (whether or not shares are redeemed) $277 $864 $1,478 $3,133
Class Inst (whether or not shares are redeemed) $252 $790 $1,354 $2,890
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal period from October 17, 2016 (commencement of operations) to April 30, 2017, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 100% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating the Fund’s assets among different asset managers that collectively use various investment styles and strategies, including, for example, fundamental (bottom-up), macroeconomic (top-down), and/or quantitative methods or models, across different markets. The Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), and investment subadvisers (Subadvisers) each provide day-to-day portfolio management for a portion of the Fund’s assets, or sleeve of the Fund. The Investment Manager and the Subadvisers employ a variety of alternative investment strategies, involving strategies, techniques and practices that are designed to seek capital appreciation through participation in the broad equity and other markets while hedging overall market exposure relative to traditional long-only equity strategies. Generally, the Fund seeks to provide higher risk-adjusted returns with lower volatility compared to equity markets.
Columbia Management is responsible for providing day-to-day portfolio management of a sleeve and is also responsible for oversight of the Subadvisers. The Fund’s Subadvisers are Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc., dba Boston Partners (Boston Partners), AQR Capital Management, LLC (AQR) and Analytic Investors, LLC (Analytic). Columbia Management, subject to the oversight of the Fund’s Board of Trustees, determines the allocation of the Fund’s assets to each sleeve, and may change these allocations at any time. Columbia Management and the Subadvisers act independently of each other and use their own methodologies for selecting investments.
The Subadvisers’ investment strategies and techniques may involve seeking to exploit disparities or inefficiencies in markets, geographical areas and companies; seeking to take advantage of security mispricings or anticipated price movements; seeking to hedge equity or fixed income market exposure; and/or seeking to benefit from cyclical themes and relationships and/or special situations and events (such as mergers, acquisitions or reorganizations). Such strategies are subject to risks that are relatively unrelated to the broad equity and fixed income markets.
The Fund may invest in foreign and domestic equity securities (including common stock, preferred stock, convertible securities, depositary receipts, limited partnership interests, trust certificates, real estate investment trusts (REITs), equity participations, warrants and rights), and debt instruments (including U.S. government obligations, sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt obligations, corporate bonds, Eurodollar and Yankee dollar instruments, notes and debentures), as well as derivative instruments (including futures, forwards, and swaps), and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other investment companies.
The Fund may take both long and short positions in all of its investments. A long position is an ordinary purchase of a currency, security, or other asset. When the Fund takes a short position, it typically sells a currency, security, instrument or other asset that it has borrowed in anticipation of a decline in the price of the asset. To complete the short sale transaction, the Fund buys back the same security or other asset in the market and returns it to the lender. If the price of the security or other asset falls sufficiently, the Fund will make money. If it instead increases in price, the Fund will lose money. Similarly, the Fund may also take long and short positions in a derivative instrument. A long position in a derivative instrument will benefit from an increase in the price of the underlying instrument. A short position in a derivative instrument will benefit from a decrease in price of the underlying instrument and will lose value if the price of the underlying instrument increases. A sleeve may at any time have either a net long exposure or a net short exposure to markets, and neither the sleeves nor the Fund’s portfolio as a whole will be managed to maintain any fixed net long or net short market exposure. Actual long and short exposures will vary over time based on factors such as market movements and assessments of market conditions.
The Fund may invest in early stage companies and initial public offerings. The Fund may invest in companies of any market capitalization and may invest without limitation in foreign securities or instruments and currencies, including investments in emerging market instruments. The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity. A bond is issued with a specific maturity date, which is the date when the issuer must pay back the bond’s principal (face value). Bond maturities range from less than 1 year to more than 30 years. Typically, the longer a bond’s maturity, the more price risk the Fund and the Fund’s investors face as interest rates rise, but the Fund could receive a higher yield in return for that longer maturity and higher interest rate risk. The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any credit quality, including investments that are rated below investment-grade or, if unrated, deemed by the Investment Manager or applicable Subadviser, as the case may be, to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high yield” instruments or “junk” bonds). The Fund may also engage in repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements.
It is anticipated that the Fund will make substantial use of derivatives, including both exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC) instruments. The Fund may invest in forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts and forward interest rate agreements), futures (including currency futures, equity futures, index futures, interest rate futures, and other bond futures), options (including options on futures, indexes, currencies, equities and interest rates), swaps (including credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, equity swaps, index swaps, swaps on equity and
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bond futures, cross-currency swaps, portfolio and total return swaps, and contracts for difference (CFDs)), and options on swaps (commonly known as swaptions). The Fund may use these derivatives in an effort to implement the Fund’s strategy, to produce incremental earnings and enhance total return, to hedge existing positions, to increase market or credit exposure (including using derivatives as a substitute for the purchase or sale of the underlying security or other asset), to manage certain investment risks and/or as a substitute for the purchase or sale of securities or currencies, and/or to change the Fund’s effective duration. One or more of the strategies used by the Fund may result in leveraged exposure in general and to one or more specific asset classes.
The Fund expects to hold a significant amount of cash, U.S. Treasury securities, money market instruments (which may include investments in one or more affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds or similar vehicles), other high-quality or short-term investments, or other liquid assets to meet its segregation obligations as a result of its investment in derivatives.
Each sleeve manager’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of fewer issuers than can a diversified fund.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including those described below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Alternative Strategies Investment Risk. An investment in alternative investment strategies (Alternative Strategies), including for example, alternative beta strategies, involves risks, which may be significant. Alternative Strategies may include strategies, instruments or other assets, such as derivatives, that seek investment returns uncorrelated with the broad equity and fixed income/debt markets, as well as those providing exposure to other markets (such as commodity markets), including but not limited to absolute (positive) return strategies. Alternative Strategies may fail to achieve their desired performance, market or other exposure, or their returns (or lack thereof) may be more correlated with the broad equity and/or fixed income/debt markets than was anticipated, and the Fund may lose money. Some Alternative Strategies may be considered speculative.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Regulatory Risk. The Fund does not qualify for an exemption from registration as a “commodity pool” under rules of the Commodity Exchange Act (the CEA). Accordingly, the Fund is a commodity pool under the CEA and the Investment Manager is registered as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA. The Fund is subject to dual regulation by the SEC and the CFTC. Compliance with the CFTC’s regulatory requirements could increase Fund expenses, adversely affecting the Fund’s total return.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk. The Fund may also be forced to convert a convertible security at an inopportune time, which may decrease the Fund’s return.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade
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debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism, occurring in the country and fluctuations in its currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, depositary receipt holders may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded typical company stockholders in the event of a corporate action such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor depositary receipts, or that the depositary receipts will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of the Fund's portfolio.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase
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the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaptions Risk. A swaption is an options contract on a swap agreement. These transactions give a party the right (but not the obligation) to enter into new swap agreements or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement at some designated future time on specified terms, in return for payment of the purchase price (the “premium”) of the option. A Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions to the same extent it may make use of standard options on securities or other instruments. The writer of the contract receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes in the market value on the underlying swap agreement. Swaptions can be bundled and sold as a package. These are commonly called interest rate caps, floors and collars.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Because the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Foreign Currency Risk. The performance of the Fund may be materially affected positively or negatively by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social,
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diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war and terrorism), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading of investments increases the possibility that the Fund, as relevant, will realize taxable capital gains (including short-term capital gains, which are generally taxable to shareholders at higher rates than long-term capital gains for U.S. federal income tax purposes), which could reduce the Fund's after-tax return. Frequent trading can also mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs and tax effects associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Hedging Transactions Risk. The Fund, from time to time, employs various hedging techniques. The success of the Fund’s hedging strategy will be subject to the portfolio managers’ ability to correctly assess the degree of correlation between the performance of the instruments used in the hedging strategy and the performance of the investments in the portfolio being hedged. Since the characteristics of many securities change as markets change or time passes, the success of the Fund’s hedging strategy will also be subject to the portfolio managers’ ability to continually recalculate, readjust, and execute hedges in an efficient and timely manner. For a variety of reasons, the portfolio managers may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Such imperfect correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving the intended hedge or expose the Fund to risk of loss. In addition, it is not possible to hedge fully or perfectly against any risk, and hedging entails its own costs (such as trading commissions and fees).
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates (which are currently near historic lows) rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of the Fund's shares. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Similarly, a period of rising interest rates may negatively impact the Fund’s performance. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Investing in Other Funds Risk. The Fund’s investment in other funds (affiliated and/or unaffiliated funds, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) subjects the Fund to the investment performance (positive or negative) and risks of the underlying funds in direct proportion to the Fund’s investment therein. In addition, investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. The performance of the underlying funds could be adversely affected if other investors in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of an underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the underlying funds could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying fund. The Investment Manager may have potential conflicts of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds for investment by the Fund because the fees paid to it by some underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other underlying funds, as well as a potential conflict in selecting affiliated funds over unaffiliated funds. Also, to the extent
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that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in other underlying funds, including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if an appropriate alternate underlying fund does not present itself in a timely manner or at all.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which would negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Poor performance may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters or other events, conditions or factors.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, short sales, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Because short sales involve borrowing securities and then selling them, the Fund’s short sales effectively leverage the Fund’s assets. The Fund's assets that are used as collateral to secure the Fund's obligations to return the securities sold short may decrease in value while the short positions are outstanding, which may force the Fund to use its other assets to increase the collateral. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. Certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. Market risk refers to the possibility that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise. An investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market
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funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from its investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to prepayment risk, which is the possibility that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
New Fund Risk. Investors in newly formed funds bear the risk that the fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategy, and may not employ a successful investment strategy, either of which could result in the fund being liquidated at any time without shareholder approval and/or at a time that may not be favorable for certain shareholders. Such a liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders.
Non-Diversified Fund Risk. The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it will invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund's value will likely be more volatile than the value of a more diversified fund.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that generally pays dividends at a specified rate and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (i.e., the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Quantitative Model Risk. Investments selected using quantitative methods may perform differently from the market as a whole. There can be no assurance that these methodologies will enable the Fund to achieve its objective or that the models will perform as expected.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes
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in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Regulatory Risk — Alternative Investments. Legal, tax, and regulatory developments may adversely affect the Fund and its investments. The regulatory environment for the Fund and certain of its investments is evolving, and changes in the regulation of investment funds, their managers, and their trading activities and capital markets, or a regulator’s disagreement with the Fund’s or others’ interpretation of the application of certain regulations, may adversely affect the ability of the Fund to pursue its investment strategy, its ability to obtain leverage and financing, and the value of investments held by the Fund. There has been an increase in governmental, as well as self-regulatory, scrutiny of the investment industry in general and the alternative investment industry in particular. It is impossible to predict what, if any, changes in regulations may occur, but any regulation that restricts the ability of the Fund or any underlying funds or other investments to trade in securities or other instruments or the ability of the Fund or underlying funds to employ, or brokers and other counterparties to extend, credit in their trading (as well as other regulatory changes that result) could have a material adverse impact on the Fund’s performance.
Repurchase Agreements  Risk. Repurchase agreements are agreements in which the seller of a security to the Fund agrees to repurchase that security from the Fund at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Repurchase agreements carry the risk that the counterparty may not fulfill its obligations under the agreement. This could cause the Fund's income and the value of your investment in the Fund to decline.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk. Reverse repurchase agreements are agreements in which a Fund sells a security to a counterparty, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Reverse repurchase agreements carry the risk that the market value of the security sold by the Fund may decline below the price at which the Fund must repurchase the security. Reverse repurchase agreements also may be viewed as a form of borrowing, and borrowed assets used for investment creates leverage risk. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that this strategy will be successful.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within a sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Short Positions Risk. The Fund may establish short positions which introduce more risk to the Fund than long positions (where the Fund owns the instrument or other asset) because the maximum sustainable loss on an instrument or other asset purchased (held long) is limited to the amount paid for the instrument or other asset plus the transaction costs, whereas there is no maximum price of the shorted instrument or other asset when purchased in the open market. Therefore, in theory, short positions have unlimited risk. The Fund’s use of short positions in effect “leverages” the Fund. Leverage potentially exposes the Fund to greater risks of loss due to unanticipated market movements, which may magnify losses and increase the volatility of returns. To the extent the Fund takes a short position in a derivative instrument or other asset, this involves the risk of a potentially unlimited increase in the value of the underlying instrument or other asset.
Small- and Mid-Cap Company Securities Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
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Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
Special Situations Risk. Securities of companies that are involved in an initial public offering or a major corporate event, such as a business consolidation or restructuring, may be exposed to heightened risk because of the high degree of uncertainty that can be associated with such events. Securities issued in initial public offerings often are issued by companies that are in the early stages of development, have a history of little or no revenues and may operate at a loss following the offering. It is possible that there will be no active trading market for the securities after the offering, and that the market price of the securities may be subject to significant and unpredictable fluctuations. Certain “special situation” investments are investments in securities or other instruments that are determined to be illiquid or lacking a readily ascertainable fair value. Certain special situation investments prevent ownership interests therein from being withdrawn until the special situation investment, or a portion thereof, is realized or deemed realized, which may negatively impact Fund performance. Investing in special situations may have a magnified effect on the performance of funds with small amounts of assets.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility Risk. The Fund may have investments that appreciate or decrease significantly in value over short periods of time. This may cause the Fund’s NAV per share to experience significant increases or declines in value over short periods of time, however, all investments long- or short-term are subject to risk of loss.
Warrants and Rights Risk. Warrants are securities giving the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy the stock of an issuer at a given price (generally higher than the value of the stock at the time of issuance) during a specified period or perpetually. Warrants are subject to the risks associated with the security underlying the warrant, including market risk. Warrants may expire unexercised and are subject to liquidity risk which may result in Fund losses. Rights are available to existing shareholders of an issuer to enable them to maintain proportionate ownership in the issuer by being able to buy newly issued shares. Rights allow shareholders to buy the shares below the current market price. Holders can exercise the rights and purchase the stock, sell the rights or let them expire. Their value, and their risk of investment loss, is a function of that of the underlying security.
Performance Information
The Fund has not had a full calendar year of operations as of the date of this prospectus and therefore performance information is not available.
When available, the Fund intends to compare its performance to the performance of the HFRX Equity Hedge Index, the performance of the Wilshire Liquid Alternative Equity Hedge Index and the performance of the MSCI World Index (Net).
When available, updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedle.com/us.
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc (Boston Partners)
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Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Joseph Feeney, Jr., CFA   Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Boston Partners   Co-manager   October 2016
Eric Connerly, CFA   Director of Quantitative Research of Boston Partners   Co-manager   October 2016
Subadviser: AQR Capital Management, LLC (AQR)
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Michele Aghassi, Ph.D.   Portfolio Manager and Principal of AQR   Co-Portfolio Manager   2016
Andrea Frazzini, Ph.D., M.S.   Portfolio Manager and Principal of AQR   Co-Portfolio Manager   2016
Jacques Friedman, M.S.   Portfolio Manager and Principal of AQR   Co-Portfolio Manager   2016
Subadviser: Analytic Investors, LLC (Analytic)
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Harindra de Silva, CFA   President/Portfolio Manager of Analytic   Co-manager   October 2016
Dennis Bein, CFA   Chief Investment Officer /Portfolio Manager of Analytic   Co-manager   October 2016
David Krider, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Analytic   Co-manager   October 2016
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Fund shares are available only to certain wrap fee programs sponsored and/or managed by Ameriprise Financial, Inc. or its affiliates. Fund shares are sold in accordance with the terms of the account through which you invested in the Fund and redeemed in accordance with the terms of the Fund’s prospectus. There is a $100 minimum initial investment and no minimum additional investment.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders. These distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income, qualified dividend income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA. If you are investing through a tax-advantaged account, you may be taxed upon withdrawals from that account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies — including Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager), Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor) and Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. (the Transfer Agent) — may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global brand name of the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies.
All rights reserved. Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110-2804
© 2018 Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC.
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