DEFENDER FUND

Risk Definitions

Principal Investment Risks: As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program. Many factors affect the Fund’s Net Asset Value and performance. The following risks apply to the Fund directly and indirectly through the Fund’s investment in underlying funds.

  • Management Risk: The Adviser’s reliance on its Active Advantage Model, its strategies and judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular assets may prove to be incorrect and may not produce the desired results.
  • Equity Securities Risk: The Fund may invest in or have exposure to equity securities. Equity securities may experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. This may occur because of factors that affect securities markets generally or factors affecting specific industries, sectors, geographic markets, or companies in which the Fund invests.
  • Fixed-Income Securities Risks: The Fund may invest in or have exposure to fixed-income securities. Fixed-income securities are or may be subject to interest rate, credit, liquidity, prepayment and extension risks. Interest rates may go up resulting in a decrease in the value of fixed-income securities. Credit risk is the risk that an issuer will not make timely payments of principal and interest. There is also the risk that an issuer may “call,” or repay, its high yielding bonds before their maturity dates. Fixed-income securities subject to prepayment can offer less potential for gains during a declining interest rate environment and similar or greater potential for loss in a rising interest rate environment. Limited trading opportunities for certain fixed-income securities may make it more difficult to sell or buy a security at a favorable price or time. Changes in market conditions and government policies may lead to periods of heightened volatility and reduced liquidity in the fixed income securities market, and could result in an increase in redemptions. Interest rate changes and their impact on a fund and its share price can be sudden and unpredictable.
    • Interest Rate Risk. In times of rising interest rates, bond prices will decline. Generally, securities with longer maturities and funds with longer weighted average maturities carry greater interest rate risk. The Fund may be exposed to heightened interest rate risk as interest rates rise from historically low levels.
    • Extension Risk. In times of rising interest rates, prepayments will slow causing portfolio securities considered short or intermediate term to be long-term securities, which fluctuate more widely in response to changes in interest rates than shorter term securities.
    • Liquidity Risk. There may be no willing buyer of a fund’s portfolio securities and such fund may have to sell those securities at a lower price or may not be able to sell the securities at all, each of which would have a negative effect on performance.
    • Prepayment Risk. In times of declining interest rates, a fund’s higher yielding securities may be prepaid and such fund may have to replace them with securities having a lower yield.
    • Duration Risk. The Fund can invest in securities of any maturity or duration. Holding long duration and long maturity investments will magnify certain risks, including interest rate risk and credit risk.
  • High-Yield Bond Risk: Lower-quality fixed income securities, known as “high-yield” or “junk” bonds, present greater risk than bonds of higher quality, including an increased risk of default. These securities are considered speculative. Defaulted securities or those subject to a reorganization proceeding may become worthless and are illiquid.
  • Foreign Investment Risk: Foreign investments may be riskier than U.S. investments for many reasons, such as changes in currency exchange rates and unstable political, social, and economic conditions.
  • Emerging Market Risk: The Fund intends to have exposure to emerging markets. Emerging markets are riskier than more developed markets because they tend to develop unevenly and may never fully develop. Investments in emerging markets may be considered speculative.
  • Real Estate and REITs Risk: REITs are companies that invest in real estate or interests therein. Investments in real estate securities are subject to risks inherent in the real estate market, including risks related to possible declines in the value of and demand for real estate, which may cause the value of the Fund to decline. Share prices of REITs may decline because of adverse developments affecting the residential and commercial real estate industry, residential and commercial property values, including supply and demand for residential and commercial properties, the credit performance of residential and commercial mortgages, the economic health of the country or of different regions, and interest rates. In particular, the commercial real estate segment of the real estate market has been under pressure in recent years due various factors, including the COVID pandemic, rising interest rates and the trend of more employees working from home. There is no way to predict how long this trend will continue, and investments tied to commercial real estate, as well as residential real estate, could see significant declines moving forward.
  • Commodities Risk: Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative investments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments.
  • Currency Risk: Currency risk is the risk that changes in currency exchange rates will negatively affect securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies. The liquidity and trading value of foreign currencies could be affected by global economic factors, such as inflation, interest rate levels, and trade balances among countries, as well as the actions of sovereign governments and central banks. Adverse changes in currency exchange rates (relative to the U.S. dollar) may erode or reverse any potential gains from the Fund’s investments in securities denominated in a foreign currency or may widen existing losses.
  • Tax Risk: In order for the Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code, the Fund must derive at least 90 percent of its gross income each taxable year from qualifying income. Income from certain commodity linked derivative instruments in which the Fund invests is not considered qualifying income. The Fund will therefore restrict its income from direct investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments that do not generate qualifying income, such as commodity futures, to a maximum of 10 percent of its gross income. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary is expected to provide the Fund with exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax requirements of Subchapter M. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this prospectus and the SAI and could adversely affect the Fund.
  • Subsidiary Risk: The Subsidiary is not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”), and, unless otherwise noted in this prospectus, is not subject to all the investor protections of the 1940 Act. However, the Fund wholly owns and controls the Subsidiary, and the Fund and the Subsidiary are both managed by the Adviser, making it unlikely that the Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this prospectus and could adversely affect the Fund.
  • Market Risk: Overall investment market risks affect the value of the Fund. Factors such as economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events affect U.S. and international investment markets. Additionally, unexpected local, regional or global events, such as war; acts of terrorism; financial, political or social disruptions; natural, environmental or man-made disasters; the spread of infectious illnesses or other public health issues (such as the global pandemic coronavirus disease 2020 (COVID-19)); and recessions and depressions could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments and may impair market liquidity. Such events can cause investor fear, which can adversely affect the economies of nations, regions and the market in general, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen.
  • Underlying Funds Risk: Investments in underlying funds involve duplication of investment advisory fees and certain other expenses. Each underlying fund is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of its investment strategy. The manager of an underlying fund may not be successful in implementing its strategy. ETF shares may trade at a market price that may be lower (a discount) or higher (a premium) than the ETF’s net asset value. ETFs are also subject to brokerage and/or other trading costs, which could result in greater expenses to the Fund. Because the value of ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, the Adviser or Sub-Adviser may not be able to liquidate the Fund’s holdings at the most optimal time, adversely affecting performance.
  • Derivatives Risk: In general, a derivative instrument typically involves leverage, i.e., it provides exposure to potential gain or loss from a change in the level of the market price of the underlying security (or a basket or index) in a notional amount that exceeds the amount of cash or assets required to establish or maintain the derivative instrument. Adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset or index, which the Fund may not directly own, can result in a loss to the Fund substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. The use of derivative instruments also exposes the Fund to additional risks and transaction costs. A risk of the Fund’s use of derivatives is that the fluctuations in their values may not correlate perfectly with the overall securities markets.
    • Futures Contract Risk: The successful use of futures contracts draws upon the Adviser’s or Sub-Adviser’s skill and experience with respect to such instruments and is subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts, which may adversely affect the Fund’s NAV and total return, are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Fund and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the Adviser’s or Sub-Adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (f) if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.
    • Swap Agreements Risk: Swap agreements involve the risk that the party with whom the Fund has entered into the swap will default on its obligation to pay the Fund. Additionally, certain unexpected market events or significant adverse market movements could result in the Fund not holding enough assets to be able to meet its obligations under the agreement. Such occurrences may negatively impact the Fund’s ability to implement its principal investment strategies and could result in losses to the Fund.
    • Options Risk: An option is an agreement that, for a premium payment or fee, gives the option holder (the purchaser) the right but not the obligation to buy (a “call option”) or sell (a “put option”) the underlying asset (or settle for cash an amount based on an underlying asset, rate, or index) at a specified price (the “exercise price”) during a period of time or on a specified date. Investments in options are considered speculative. When the Fund purchases an option, it may lose the premium paid for it if the price of the underlying security or other assets decreased or remained the same (in the case of a call option) or increased or remained the same (in the case of a put option). If a put or call option purchased by the Fund were permitted to expire without being sold or exercised, its premium would represent a loss to the Fund. By
      writing put options, the Fund takes on the risk of declines in the value of the underlying instrument, including the possibility of a loss up to the entire exercise price of each option it sells but without the corresponding opportunity to benefit from potential increases in the value of the underlying instrument. By writing a call option, the Fund may be obligated to deliver instruments underlying an option at less than the market price. In the case of an uncovered call option, there is a risk of unlimited loss.
  • Counterparty Risk: The Fund may enter derivative contracts that will be privately negotiated in the over-the-counter market. These contracts also involve exposure to credit risk with respect to the counterparty, since contract performance depends in part on the financial condition of the counterparty.
  • Short Sale Risk: The Fund may take a short position in a derivative instrument, such as a futures contract. A short position on a derivative instrument involves the risk of a theoretically unlimited increase in the value of the underlying instrument which could cause the Fund to suffer a (potentially unlimited) loss. Short sales also involve transaction and financing costs that will reduce potential Fund gains and increase potential Fund losses.
  • Leverage Risk: As part of the Fund’s principal investment strategy, the Fund will make investments in derivative instruments. These derivative instruments provide the economic effect of financial leverage by creating additional investment exposure to the underlying asset, as well as the potential for greater loss. If the Fund uses leverage through activities such as entering into derivative instruments, the Fund has the risk that losses may exceed the net assets of the Fund. The net asset value of the Fund while employing leverage will be more volatile and sensitive to market movements.
  • Limited History of Operations Risk: The Fund has a limited history of operations for investors to evaluate. The Fund may fail to attract sufficient assets to operate efficiently.
  • Non-Diversification Risk: As a non-diversified fund, the Fund may invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of one or more issuers. The Fund also invests in underlying funds that are non-diversified. The Fund’s performance may be more sensitive to any single economic, business, political or regulatory occurrence than the value of shares of a diversified investment company.
  • Small- and Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk: Investing in or having exposure to the securities of small-capitalization and mid-capitalization companies involves greater risks and the possibility of greater price volatility than investing in larger capitalization and more-established companies. Investments in mid-cap companies involve less risk than investing in small cap companies. Smaller companies may have limited operating history, product lines, and financial resources, and the securities of these companies may lack sufficient market liquidity. Mid-cap companies often have narrower markets and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger, more established companies.
  • Turnover Risk: A higher portfolio turnover may result in higher transactional and brokerage costs. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate is expected to be above 100% annually.
  • U.S. Government Securities Risk: The Fund may invest directly or indirectly in obligations issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. government. The U.S. government may choose not to provide financial support to U.S. government sponsored agencies or instrumentalities if it is not legally obligated to do so, in which case, if the issuer defaulted, the Fund might not be able to recover its investment.
  • Models and Data Risk: The Fund’s investment exposure is heavily dependent on proprietary quantitative models as well as information and data supplied by third parties (“Models and Data”). When Models and Data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon may lead to securities being included in or excluded from the Fund’s portfolio that would have been excluded or included had the Models and Data been correct and complete. Some of the models used by the Fund are predictive in nature. The use of predictive models has inherent risks. For example, such models may incorrectly forecast future behavior, leading to potential losses. In addition, in unforeseen or certain low-probability scenarios (often involving a market disruption of some kind), such models may produce unexpected results, which can result in losses for the Fund.
  • Momentum Risk: Investing in or having exposure to securities with positive momentum entails investing in securities that have had above-average recent returns. These securities may be more volatile than a broad cross-section of securities. In addition, there may be periods during which the investment performance of the Fund while using a momentum strategy may suffer.

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