UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | ¨ | |||
Pre-Effective Amendment No. | ¨ | |||
Post-Effective Amendment No. 214 | x |
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | x |
Unified Series Trust
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified In Charter)
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, Indiana 46208
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrants Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (317) 917-7000
Brian L. Blomquist
President
2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300
Indianapolis, Indiana 46208
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
Copies to:
Dee Anne Sjögren, Esq.
Thompson Coburn LLP
One US Bank Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63101
(314) 552-6295
It is proposed that this filing will become effective:
¨ | immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) |
¨ | on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b) |
¨ | 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) |
¨ | on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) |
x | 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) |
¨ | on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of rule 485 |
If appropriate check this box:
¨ | this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment |
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The Fund may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Martin Focused Value Fund
Institutional Class
[symbol]
Retail Class
[symbol]
Prospectus
, 2012
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved of
these securities or determined if this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any
representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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SUMMARY SECTION |
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Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries |
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS INVESTMENT STRATEGIES |
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ACCOUNT INFORMATION |
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND |
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SUMMARY SECTION
The investment objective of the Martin Focused Value Fund (the Fund) is long-term growth of capital.
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Institutional Class |
Retail Class |
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Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
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Redemption Fee |
2.00 | % | 2.00 | % | ||||
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
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Management Fees |
0.90 | % | 0.90 | % | ||||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
NONE | 0.25 | % | |||||
Other Expenses(1) |
1.23 | % | 1.38 | % | ||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
2.13 | % | 2.53 | % | ||||
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement(2) |
-1.13 | % | -1.13 | % | ||||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement(2) |
1.00 | % | 1.40 | % | ||||
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(1) | Because the Fund is new, these expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year. |
(2) | The Funds adviser contractually has agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse expenses through June 30, 2015 so that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding brokerage fees and commissions; borrowing costs; taxes; acquired fund fees and expenses; Retail Class 12b-1 and administrative services fees and extraordinary litigation expenses) do not exceed 1.00% of the Funds average daily net assets, subject to the advisers right to recoup reimbursements on a rolling three-year basis so long as the reimbursement would not exceed the 1.00% expense cap. This expense cap may not be terminated prior to this date except by the Board of Trustees. |
Expense Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Funds operating expenses remain the same. The Example reflects the advisers agreement to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses for three years. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
One Year | Three Years | |||||||
Institutional Class |
$ | 105 | $ | 328 | ||||
Retail Class |
$ | 147 | $ | 457 |
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Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Funds performance. The Fund does not expect to have a portfolio turnover rate in excess of 25% during its initial fiscal year.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to achieve long-term growth of capital by investing in companies that are undervalued as determined by the Adviser, Martin Capital Management, LLC. When selecting equity securities for the Funds portfolio, the Adviser focuses on three critical variables that it believes drive the long-term performance of a companys stock:
| quality of the business; |
| quality of the management running the business; and |
| price of the stock. |
For each stock reviewed by the Adviser, the Adviser assigns a grade to each variable to determine whether or not to purchase the stock. Most importantly, the price must reflect the true value of a companys underlying business over the long term, or no purchase will be made. In an effort to limit downside risk and maximize upside potential, the Fund typically will invest in companies whose stock prices are equal to (or lower than) the Advisers appraisal of the companies true worth or intrinsic value.
The Adviser seeks to preserve capital during market downturns through its disciplined research process that seeks to take advantage of securities when they are clearly on sale. When estimating a companys intrinsic value, the Adviser reviews economic and financial factors, including the overall economy, industry conditions and the financial condition and management of the company itself, to determine if the company is underpriced (indicating it might be a good time to buy) or overpriced (indicating it might be a good time to sell). The Adviser believes that undervalued companies offer the best growth prospects and the least business risk generally.
In an effort to preserve capital during market downtowns, or until compelling bargains in the securities markets are found, the Fund may have a substantial portion of its assets held in cash or cash equivalents, such as money market funds, investment grade, short-term money market instruments including U.S. Government and agency securities, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, repurchase agreements and other cash equivalents. When maintaining a defensive position, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective of long-term growth of capital.
The Fund intends to focus its investments in its best ideas. As a result, the Fund is non-diversified, which means that it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular company compared with diversified funds. The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of U.S. and foreign companies of any market capitalization, including small- and mid-cap
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companies. Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include common stocks, as well as securities convertible into common stocks and preferred stocks, The Fund may invest in foreign companies directly or through American Depositary Receipts or Global Depositary Receipts (ADRs and GDRs), which represent shares of a foreign company traded on a local exchange in the local currency. The Fund may also purchase debt securities of any maturity if the Adviser deems the risk/reward trade-off to be compelling. For example, the Fund may invest in corporate debt securities, municipal securities, and debt securities issued by the U.S. government and its agencies.
On a limited basis, the Fund may use derivative instruments in an effort to manage risk or generate returns. For example, the Fund may purchase put options on an equity index in an effort to profit from anticipated down periods in capital markets.
The Fund typically will sell securities of a portfolio company when the trading price of the companys stock exceeds the Advisers estimate of the companys fundamental value, if there are other companies that the Adviser believes offer better value, and/or if there has been an adverse change in a companys business or management.
All investments involve risk, and the Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective. As with any mutual fund investment, the Funds returns and share price will fluctuate, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. Below are some of the specific risks of investing in the Fund.
| Market Risk. The prices of securities held by the Fund may decline in response to certain events taking place around the world, including those directly involving the companies whose securities are owned by the Fund; conditions affecting the general economy; overall market changes; local, regional or global political, social or economic instability; and currency, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations. The equity securities purchased by the Fund may involve large price swings and potential for loss. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. |
| Value Risk. Undervalued stocks tend to be inexpensive relative to their earnings or assets compared to other types of stock. However, these stocks can continue to be inexpensive for long periods of time and may not realize their full economic value, and the Advisers value-oriented approach may fail to produce the intended results. |
| Non-Diversification Risk. As a non-diversified fund, the Funds portfolio may at times focus on a limited number of companies. The poor performance of an individual security in the Funds portfolio will have a greater negative impact on the Funds performance than if the Funds assets were diversified among a larger number of portfolio securities. |
| Small and Mid-Cap Risk. Investments in small- and mid-cap companies may be riskier than investments in larger, more established companies. The securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than securities of larger companies. In addition, smaller companies may be more vulnerable to economic, market and industry changes. As a result, share price changes may be more sudden or erratic |
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than the prices of other equity securities, especially over the short term. Because smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources or may depend on a few key employees, they may be more susceptible to particular economic events or competitive factors than larger companies. |
| Foreign Risk. Investment in securities of foreign issuers (whether directly or through ADRs or GDRs) involves somewhat different investment risks from those affecting securities of domestic issuers. Foreign securities may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than securities of U.S. companies because a limited number of companies represent a small number of industries. Foreign issuers are not subject to the same degree of regulation as U.S. issuers. Also, nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation or political changes could adversely affect the Funds investments in a foreign company. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies can change when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar. These currency movements may negatively impact the value of the Funds portfolio even when there is no change in the value of the related security in the issuers home country. |
| New Fund Risk. Although the Adviser has been managing private accounts on a discretionary basis using a value-oriented approach for many years, this is the first mutual fund managed by the Adviser. |
| Fixed Income Risk. The value of fixed income securities may fluctuate based upon changes in interest rates and market conditions. As interest rates rise, the value of most fixed income securities decreases. Interest rate risk is greater for long-term debt securities than for short-term and floating rate securities. It is possible that an issuer of a debt security will become unable to meet its obligations. |
| Municipal Securities Risk. The value of municipal obligations can fluctuate over time, and may be affected by adverse political, legislative and tax changes, as well as by financial developments that affect the municipal issuers. Municipal securities are also subject to payment and liquidity risk. |
| Derivatives Risk. Derivatives normally have economic leverage inherent in their terms. As a result, a small investment in derivatives could have a potentially large impact on the Funds performance; and certain gains or losses will be amplified, increasing the volatility of the share price of the Fund. Options in the Funds portfolio involve higher risk and may subject the Fund to higher price volatility. There is no guarantee that derivatives activities will be employed or that they will work, and their use could cause lower returns or even losses to the Fund. |
Performance information for the Fund has not been presented because, as of the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not been in operation for a full calendar year.
Investment Adviser Martin Capital Management, LLC
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Portfolio Manager Frank K. Martin, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer and managing member of the Adviser since 1987, has served as the sole portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Minimum Initial Investment | To Place Buy or Sell Orders | |
$100,000 for Institutional Class shares | By Mail: Martin Focused Value Fund | |
$2,500 for Retail Class shares | c/o: Huntington Asset Services, Inc. | |
P.O. Box 6110 | ||
Minimum Subsequent Investments | Indianapolis, IN 46206 | |
$1000 for Institutional Class shares | ||
$100 for Retail Class shares | By Phone: (xxx) xxx-xxxx |
You may sell or redeem shares through your dealer or financial adviser. Please contact your financial intermediary directly to find out of additional requirements apply.
The Funds distributions are taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. Tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those accounts.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase Fund shares through a broker-dealer, or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or trust company), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create conflicts of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediarys website for more information.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The Fund seeks to achieve long-term growth of capital by investing in companies that are undervalued as determined by the Adviser, Martin Capital Management, LLC. When selecting equity securities for the Funds portfolio, the Adviser focuses on three critical variables that it believes drive the long-term performance of a companys stock:
| quality of the business; |
| quality of the management running the business; and |
| price of the stock. |
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For each stock reviewed by the Adviser, the Adviser assigns a grade to each variable to determine whether or not to purchase the stock. Most importantly, the price must reflect the true value of a companys underlying business over the long term, or no purchase will be made. In an effort to limit downside risk and maximize upside potential, the Fund typically will invest in companies whose stock prices are equal to (or lower than) the Advisers appraisal of the companies true worth or intrinsic value.
The Adviser seeks to preserve capital during market downturns through its disciplined research process that seeks to take advantage of securities when they are clearly on sale. When estimating a companys intrinsic value, the Adviser reviews economic and financial factors, including the overall economy, industry conditions and the financial condition and management of the company itself, to determine if the company is underpriced (indicating it might be a good time to buy) or overpriced (indicating it might be a good time to sell). The Adviser believes that undervalued companies offer the best growth prospects and the least business risk generally.
In an effort to preserve capital during market downtowns, or until compelling bargains in the securities markets are found, the Fund may have a substantial portion of its assets held in cash or cash equivalents, such as money market funds, investment grade, short-term money market instruments including U.S. Government and agency securities, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, repurchase agreements and other cash equivalents. When maintaining a defensive position, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective of long-term growth of capital.
The Fund intends to focus its investments in its best ideas. As a result, the Fund is non-diversified, which means that it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular company compared with diversified funds. The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of U.S. and foreign companies of any market capitalization, including small- and mid-cap companies. Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include common stocks, as well as securities convertible into common stocks, preferred stocks, and the Fund may invest in up to 5% of its assets in other investment companies (including ETFs) that invest primarily in equity securities. The Fund may invest in foreign companies directly or through American Depositary Receipts or Global Depositary Receipts (ADRs and GDRs), which represent shares of a foreign company traded on a local exchange in the local currency. The Fund may also purchase debt securities of any maturity if the Adviser deems the risk/reward trade-off to be compelling. For example, the Fund may invest in corporate debt securities, municipal securities, and securities issued by the U.S. government and its agencies. Additionally, the Fund may invest in lower-rated debt securities of a company if the Adviser believes that the companys junk bonds offer more potential for participating in the companys long-term prospects than could be achieved by investing in the companys stock. The Fund may invest up to 5% of its assets in junk bonds rated at the time of purchase BB/Ba or lower by S&P or Moodys or, unrated, but determined to be of comparable quality by the Adviser. The Fund may retain securities that are subsequently downgraded or in default, or the Adviser may sell them in an orderly manner.
On a limited basis, the Fund may use derivative instruments in an effort to manage risk or generate returns. For example, the Fund may purchase put options on an equity index in an effort to profit from anticipated down periods in capital markets.
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The Fund typically will sell securities of a portfolio company when the trading price of the companys stock exceeds the Advisers estimate of the companys fundamental value, if there are other companies that the Adviser believes offer better value, and/or if there has been an adverse change in a companys business or management.
Principal Risks
All investments involve risk, and the Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective. As with any mutual fund investment, the Funds returns and share price will fluctuate, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. Below are some of the specific risks of investing in the Fund.
| Market Risk. The prices of securities held by the Fund may decline in response to certain events taking place around the world, including those directly involving the companies whose securities are owned by the Fund; conditions affecting the general economy; overall market changes; local, regional or global political, social or economic instability; and currency, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations. The equity securities purchased by the Fund may involve large price swings and potential for loss. Investors in the Fund should have a long-term perspective and be able to tolerate potentially sharp declines in value. |
| Value Risk. Undervalued stocks tend to be inexpensive relative to their earnings or assets compared to other types of stock. However, these stocks can continue to be inexpensive for long periods of time and may not realize their full economic value, and the Advisers value-oriented approach may fail to produce the intended results. |
| Non-Diversification Risk. As a non-diversified fund, the Funds portfolio may at times focus on a limited number of companies. The poor performance of an individual security in the Funds portfolio will have a greater negative impact on the Funds performance than if the Funds assets were diversified among a larger number of portfolio securities. |
| Small and Mid-Cap Risk. Investments in small- and mid-cap companies may be riskier than investments in larger, more established companies. The securities of smaller companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes than securities of larger companies. In addition, smaller companies may be more vulnerable to economic, market and industry changes. As a result, share price changes may be more sudden or erratic than the prices of other equity securities, especially over the short term. Because smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources or may depend on a few key employees, they may be more susceptible to particular economic events or competitive factors than larger companies. |
| Foreign Risk. Investment in securities of foreign issuers (whether directly or through ADRs or GDRs) involves somewhat different investment risks from those affecting securities of domestic issuers. Foreign securities may experience more rapid and extreme changes in value than securities of U.S. companies because a limited number of companies represent a small number of industries. Foreign issuers are not subject to the same degree of regulation as U.S. issuers. Also, nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation or political changes could adversely affect the Funds investments in a foreign company. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies can change when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. |
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dollar. These currency movements may negatively impact the value of the Funds portfolio even when there is no change in the value of the related security in the issuers home country. |
| New Fund Risk. Although the Adviser has been managing private accounts on a discretionary basis using a value-oriented approach for many years, this is the first mutual fund managed by the Adviser. |
| Fixed Income Risks. The value of fixed income securities may fluctuate based upon changes in interest rates and market conditions. As interest rates rise, the value of most fixed income securities decreases. Interest rate risk is greater for long-term debt securities than for short-term and floating rate securities. It is possible that an issuer of a debt security will become unable to meet its obligations. High yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as junk bonds) are subject to greater levels of interest rate, credit and liquidity risk than funds that do not invest in such securities. These securities are considered predominately speculative with respect to the issuers continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. |
| Municipal Securities Risk. The value of municipal obligations can fluctuate over time, and may be affected by adverse political, legislative and tax changes, as well as by financial developments that affect the municipal issuers. Because many municipal obligations are issued to finance similar projects by municipalities (e.g., housing, healthcare, water and sewer projects, etc.), conditions in the sector related to the project can affect the overall municipal market. Payment of municipal obligations may depend on an issuers general unrestricted revenues, revenue generated by a specific project, the operator of the project, or government appropriation or aid. There is a greater risk if investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project. In addition, municipal bonds generally are traded in the over-the-counter market among dealers and other large institutional investors. From time to time, liquidity in the municipal bond market (the ability to buy and sell bonds readily) may be reduced in response to overall economic conditions and credit tightening. |
| Derivatives Risk. Derivatives normally have economic leverage inherent in their terms. As a result, a small investment in derivatives could have a potentially large impact on the Funds performance; and certain gains or losses will be amplified, increasing the volatility of the share price of the Fund. Options in the Funds portfolio involve higher risk and may subject the Fund to higher price volatility. There is no guarantee that derivatives activities will be employed or that they will work, and their use could cause lower returns or even losses to the Fund. |
| Investment Company Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in another investment company, including ETFs, it will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses payable directly by the other investment company. The Fund will incur higher expenses, many of which may be duplicative. In addition, the Fund may be affected by losses of the underlying funds and the level of risk arising from the investment practices of the underlying funds (such as the use of leverage by the underlying funds). ETFs are subject to additional risks such as the fact that the ETFs shares may trade at a market price that is above or below its net asset value or an active market may not develop. Inverse and leveraged ETFs use investment techniques and financial instruments that may be considered aggressive, including the use of derivative transactions and short selling techniques. |
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Is the Fund right for you?
The Fund may be suitable for:
| Long-term investors seeking long-term growth of capital |
| Investors willing to accept price fluctuations in their investments |
General
The investment objective of the Fund may be changed without shareholder approval. From time to time, the Fund may take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Funds principal investment strategies, in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions. For example, the Fund may hold up to 100% of its assets in cash, short-term U.S. government securities, money market instruments, other investment companies including money market funds and exchange-traded funds, investment grade fixed income securities, or repurchase agreements. To the extent consistent with the Funds principal strategies as described above, the Fund may also invest in such instruments at any time to maintain liquidity or pending selection of investments in accordance with its investment strategies. As a result of engaging in these temporary measures, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Portfolio Holdings
A description of the Funds policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds portfolio securities is available in the Funds Statement of Additional Information.
ACCOUNT INFORMATION
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. This means that when you open an account, we will ask for your name, residential address, date of birth, government identification number and other information that will allow us to identify you. We also may ask to see your drivers license or other identifying documents, and may take additional steps to verify your identity. If we do not receive these required pieces of information, there may be a delay in processing your investment request, which could subject your investment to market risk. If we are unable to immediately verify your identity, the Fund may restrict further investment until your identity is verified. However, if we are unable to verify your identity, the Fund reserves the right to close your account without notice and return your investment to you at the NAV determined on the day on which your account is closed. If we close your account because we are unable to verify your identity, your investment will be subject to market fluctuation, which could result in a loss of a portion of your principal investment.
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Classes of Shares. The Fund currently offers two share classes: Institutional Class and Retail Class.
Institutional Class. Institutional Class shares are subject to a higher minimum initial investment of $100,000, and minimum subsequent investments are $1,000. Institutional Class shares do not pay any Rule 12b-1 or administrative services fees. Institutional Class shares can be purchased directly through the distributor or other financial institutions, which may charge transaction fees with respect to your purchase.
Retail Class. Retail Class shares require an initial minimum investment of $2,500 and minimum subsequent investments of $100. Retail Class shares charge a 0.25% 12b-1 fee and a 0.15% Administrative Services fee, and are offered to individual investors through mutual fund supermarkets or other platforms offered by broker-dealers, 401(k) plans, banks, or trust companies that have entered into an agreement with the Funds distributor.
You may be eligible to purchase both classes of shares. If so, you should compare the fees and expenses applicable to each class and decide which is better for you. The Retail Class shares will have ongoing 12b-1 and administrative services fees, whereas the Institutional Class shares do not, but may be subject to transaction fees payable to the financial institution you use to make your purchase. Depending on the length of time you intend to hold the shares, you may pay more with one class than you would with the other.
The Adviser may waive the minimums for either class of shares at its discretion, including for existing clients of the Adviser. The Fund may waive or lower investment minimums for investors who invest in the Fund through an asset-based fee program made available through a financial intermediary. If your investment is aggregated into an omnibus account established by an investment adviser, broker or other intermediary, the account minimums apply to the omnibus account, not to your individual investment, however, the financial intermediary may also impose minimum requirements that are different from those set forth in this prospectus. If you choose to purchase or redeem shares directly from the Fund, you will not incur charges on purchases and redemptions (other than for short-term redemptions). However, if you purchase or redeem shares through a broker-dealer or another intermediary, you may be charged a fee by that intermediary.
Initial Purchase
By Mail - Your initial purchase request must include:
| a completed and signed investment application form; and |
| a personal check with name pre-printed (subject to the minimum amounts) made payable to Martin Focused Value Fund; |
| an indication of whether Institutional Class or Retail Class shares are to be purchased. |
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Mail the application and check to:
U.S. Mail: | Martin Focused Value Fund | Overnight: | Martin Focused Value Fund | |||
c/o Huntington Asset Services, Inc. | c/o Huntington Asset Services, Inc. | |||||
P.O. Box 6110 | 2960 N. Meridian Street, Suite 300 | |||||
Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-6110 | Indianapolis, Indiana 46208 |
By Wire - You may also purchase shares of the Fund by wiring federal funds from your bank, which may charge you a fee for doing so. To wire money, you must call Shareholder Services at (xxx) xxx-xxxx to obtain instructions on how to set up your account and to obtain an account number.
You must provide a signed application to Huntington Asset Services, Inc., at the above address in order to complete your initial wire purchase. Wire orders will be accepted only on a day on which the Fund, its custodian and transfer agent are open for business. A wire purchase will not be considered made until the wired money is received and the purchase is accepted by the Fund. The purchase price per share will be the net asset value next determined after the wire purchase is received by the Fund. Any delays which may occur in wiring money, including delays which may occur in processing by the banks, are not the responsibility of the Fund or the transfer agent. There is presently no fee for the receipt of wired funds, but the Fund may charge shareholders for this service in the future.
Additional Investments
You may purchase additional shares of the Fund at any time (subject to minimum investment requirements) by mail, wire or automatic investment. Each additional mail purchase request must contain:
| your name |
| the name on your account(s) |
| your account number(s) |
| a check made payable to the Fund |
Checks should be sent to the Fund at the address listed under the heading Initial Purchase By Mail in this prospectus. To send a bank wire, call Shareholder Services at (xxx) xxx-xxxx to obtain instructions.
Automatic Investment Plan
You may make regular investments in the Fund with an Automatic Investment Plan by completing the appropriate section of the account application or completing a systematic investment plan form with the proper signature guarantee and attaching a voided personal check. Investments may be made monthly to allow dollar-cost averaging by automatically deducting $100 or more from your bank checking account. You may change the amount of your monthly purchase at any time. If an Automatic Investment Plan purchase is rejected by your bank, your shareholder account will be charged a fee to defray bank charges.
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Tax-Sheltered Retirement Plans
Shares of the Fund may be an appropriate investment for tax-sheltered retirement plans, including: individual retirement plans (IRAs); simplified employee pensions (SEPs); 401(k) plans; qualified corporate pension and profit-sharing plans (for employees); 403(b) plans and other tax-deferred investment plans (for employees of public school systems and certain types of charitable organizations); and other qualified retirement plans. Please contact Shareholder Services at (xxx) xxx-xxxx for information regarding opening an IRA or other retirement account. Please consult with an attorney or tax adviser regarding these plans. The Adviser has chosen to pay the custodial fees for IRAs. However, the Fund reserves the right to charge shareholders for this service in the future.
Distribution Plan
The Fund has adopted a distribution plan (the Plan) for its Retail Class shares in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Under the Funds plan, the Fund pays a fee of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of Retail Class shares to the Funds Adviser or any broker-dealer, investment adviser, bank or other financial institution to help defray the cost of distributing Retail Class shares or servicing Retail Class shareholders, including sales and marketing expenses. Because these fees are an ongoing expense, over time they reduce the net investment results of Retail Class shares and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
Administrative Services Plan
The Fund has adopted a Retail Class Administrative Services Plan, under which the Fund pays an annual fee equal to 0.15% of the average daily net assets of Retail Class shares to the Advisor to compensate financial intermediaries that provide administrative services to the Retail Class shareholders pursuant to a written agreement with the Fund or the Funds distributor. Financial intermediaries eligible to receive payments under the Administrative Services Plan include mutual fund supermarkets and other platforms sponsored by any 401(k) plan, bank, trust company or broker-dealer that has entered into an agreement with the Fund or the Funds distributor to sell the Funds Retail Class shares.
For purposes of the Administrative Services Plan, administrative services include, but are not limited to (i) acting as record holder and nominee of Retail Class shares beneficially owned by the financial intermediarys customers; (ii) providing sub-accounting services to such customers; (iii) processing and issuing confirmations with respect to orders to purchase, redeem or exchange Retail Class shares; (iv) processing dividend payments; and (v) providing periodic account statements. Over time, administrative services fees increase the cost of your investment in the Funds Retail Class shares because these fees are paid out of the Retail Class assets on an on-going basis.
Other Purchase Information
The Fund may limit the amount of purchases and refuse to sell shares to any person. If your check or wire does not clear, you will be responsible for any loss incurred by the Fund. You may
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be prohibited or restricted from making future purchases in the Fund. Checks must be made payable to the Fund. The Fund and its transfer agent may refuse any purchase order for any reason. Cash, third party checks (except for properly endorsed IRA rollover checks), counter checks, starter checks, travelers checks, money orders, (other than money orders issued by a bank), credit card checks, and checks drawn on non-U.S. financial institutions will not be accepted. Cashiers checks, bank official checks, and bank money orders may be accepted in amounts greater than $10,000. In such cases, a fifteen (15) business day hold will be applied to the funds (which means that you may not receive payment for your redeemed shares until the holding period has expired). Cashiers checks and bank official checks in amounts less than $10,000 will also be accepted for IRA transfers from other financial institutions.
The Fund has authorized certain broker-dealers and other financial institutions (including their designated intermediaries) to accept on its behalf purchase and sale orders. The Fund is deemed to have received an order when the authorized person or designee accepts the order, and the order is processed at the net asset value next calculated thereafter. It is the responsibility of the broker-dealer or other financial institution to transmit orders promptly to the Funds transfer agent.
You may receive redemption payments by check or federal wire transfer. The proceeds may be more or less than the purchase price of your shares, depending on the market value of the Funds securities at the time of your redemption. A wire transfer fee of $15 is charged to defray custodial charges for redemptions paid by wire transfer. This fee is subject to change. Any charges for wire redemptions will be deducted from your account by redemption of shares. The Fund does not intend to redeem shares in any form except cash. However, if the amount you are redeeming is over the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Funds net asset value, the Fund has the right to redeem your shares by giving you the amount that exceeds the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Funds net asset value in securities instead of cash. In the event that an in-kind distribution is made, a shareholder may incur additional expenses, such as the payment of brokerage commissions, on the sale or other disposition of the securities received from the Fund. If you redeem your shares through a broker-dealer or other institution, you may be charged a fee by that institution.
By Mail -You may redeem any part of your account in the Fund at no charge by mail. Your request should be addressed to:
U.S. Mail: | Martin Focused Value Fund | Overnight: | Martin Focused Value Fund | |||
c/o Huntington Asset Services, Inc. | c/o Huntington Asset Services, Inc. | |||||
P.O. Box 6110 | 2960 N. Meridian Street, Suite 300 | |||||
Indianapolis, Indiana 46206 | Indianapolis, Indiana 46208 |
Your request for a redemption must include your letter of instruction, including the Fund name, account number, account name(s), the address, and the dollar amount or number of shares you wish to redeem. Requests to sell shares that are received in good order are processed at the net asset value next calculated after the Fund receives your order in proper form. To be in proper
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order, your request must be signed by all registered share owner(s) in the exact name(s) and any special capacity in which they are registered. The Fund may require that signatures be guaranteed if you request the redemption check be made payable to any person other than the shareholder(s) of record, mailed to an address other than the address of record, if the mailing address has been changed within 30 days of the redemption request, or in certain other circumstances, such as to prevent unauthorized account transfers or redemptions. The Fund may also require a signature guarantee for redemptions of $25,000 or more. All documentation requiring a signature guarantee stamp must utilize a New Technology Medallion stamp, generally available from the bank where you maintain a checking or savings account. Signature guarantees are for the protection of shareholders. You can obtain a signature guarantee from most banks and securities dealers, but not from a notary public. For joint accounts, both signatures must be guaranteed. Please call Shareholder Services at (xxx) xxx-xxxx if you have questions. At the discretion of the Fund or its transfer agent, you may be required to furnish additional legal documents to insure proper authorization.
By Telephone - You may redeem any part of your account (up to $25,000) in the Fund by calling Shareholder Services at (xxx) xxx-xxxx. You must first complete the Optional Telephone Redemption and Exchange section of the investment application or provide a signed letter of instruction with the proper signature guarantee stamp to institute this option. The Fund, its transfer agent and custodian are not liable for following redemption or exchange instructions communicated by telephone to the extent that they reasonably believe the telephone instructions to be genuine. However, if they do not employ reasonable procedures to confirm that telephone instructions are genuine, they may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. Procedures employed may include recording telephone instructions and requiring a form of personal identification from the caller.
The Fund or its transfer agent may terminate the telephone redemption procedures at any time. During periods of extreme market activity, it is possible that shareholders may encounter some difficulty in telephoning the Fund, although neither the Fund nor the transfer agent have ever experienced difficulties in receiving and in a timely fashion responding to telephone requests for redemptions or exchanges. If you are unable to reach the Fund by telephone, you may request a redemption by mail.
Fund Policy on Market Timing
The Fund discourages market timing. Market timing is an investment strategy using frequent purchases, redemptions and/or exchanges in an attempt to profit from short-term market movements. Market timing may result in dilution of the value of Fund shares held by long-term shareholders, disrupt portfolio management and increase Fund expenses for all shareholders. The Board of Trustees has adopted a policy directing the Fund to reject any purchase order with respect to any investor, a related group of investors or their agent(s), where it detects a pattern of purchases and sales of the Fund that indicates market timing or trading that it determines is abusive. This policy generally applies to all Fund shareholders. To discourage short-term traders and/or market timers from investing in the Fund, a 2.00% short-term redemption fee will be assessed by the Fund against investment proceeds withdrawn within 60 calendar days of investment. Fund shares received from reinvested distributions or capital gains are not subject to
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the redemption fee. After excluding any shares that are associated with reinvested distributions from the redemption fee calculation, the Fund uses a first-in, first-out method to determine the 60-day holding period. Thus, if you bought shares on different days, the shares purchased first will be redeemed first for purposes of determining whether the redemption fee applies. The proceeds collected from redemption fees will be used for the benefit of existing shareholders. The Funds administrator performs automated monitoring of short-term trading activity, if any, in the Funds shares. Any instance of suspected short-term trading is investigated by the Administrators compliance department. If such trades were deemed to be a violation of the Funds short-term trading policy, then the Funds adviser would be notified and action taken, such as suspending future purchases by the short-term trader. The Administrator provides a quarterly certification to the Board of Trustees, confirming that it has monitored Fund shareholders trades for potential short-term trading activity and, if such activity were to be discovered, the Administrator would be required to report such short-term trading to the Board of Trustees.
If you invest in the Fund through a bank, broker-dealer, 401(k) plan, financial adviser or financial supermarket (Financial Intermediary), the Financial Intermediary may, in lieu of charging the redemption fee set forth in this Prospectus, enforce its own market timing policy. Omnibus accounts that include multiple customers of the Financial Intermediary also will be exempt from the redemption fee if the Financial Intermediary does not track and/or process redemption fees. Additionally, the transfer of shares from one retirement account to another, accounts participating in a wrap fee program and redemptions caused by decisions of employer-sponsored retirement plans may be exempt from the redemption fee. Redemption fees may be waived for mandatory retirement withdrawals, systematic withdrawals, redemptions made to pay for various administrative fees and, at the sole discretion of the Funds adviser, due to changes in an investors circumstances, such as death. No exceptions will be granted to persons believed to be market timers.
While the Fund attempts to deter market timing, there is no assurance that the Fund will be able to identify and eliminate all market timers. For example, certain accounts called omnibus accounts include multiple shareholders. Despite the Funds efforts to detect and prevent abusive trading activities, it may be difficult to identify such activity in certain omnibus accounts traded through a Financial Intermediary. Omnibus accounts typically provide the Fund with a net purchase or redemption request on any given day where purchasers of Fund shares and redeemers of Fund shares are netted against one another and the identity of individual purchasers and redeemers whose orders are aggregated is not known by the Fund. Consequently, the Fund may not have knowledge of the identity of investors and their transactions. The netting effect often makes it more difficult to apply redemption fees, and there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to apply the fee to such accounts in an effective manner. Under a federal rule, the Fund is required to have an agreement with many of its Financial Intermediaries obligating the Intermediaries to provide, upon the Funds request, information regarding the Financial Intermediaries customers and their transactions. However, there can be no guarantee that all excessive, short-term or other abusive trading activities will be detected, even with such an agreement in place. Certain Financial Intermediaries, in particular retirement plan sponsors and administrators, may have less restrictive policies regarding short-term trading. In addition to the redemption fee, the Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order for any reason, including
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purchase orders that it does not think are in the best interests of the Fund or its shareholders, or if the Fund thinks that the trading is abusive. The Fund has not entered into any arrangements with any person to permit frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares.
Additional Information
If you are not certain of the requirements for a redemption please call Shareholder Services at (xxx) xxx-xxxx. Redemptions specifying a certain date or share price cannot be accepted and will be returned. You will be mailed the proceeds on or before the fifth business day following the redemption. However, payment for redemption made against shares purchased by check will be made only after the check has been collected, which normally may take up to fifteen business days. Also, when the New York Stock Exchange is closed (or when trading is restricted) for any reason other than its customary weekend or holiday closing, or under any emergency circumstances (as determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission) the Fund may suspend redemptions or postpone payment dates. You may be assessed a fee if the Fund incurs bank charges because you direct the Fund to re-issue a redemption check.
Redemption proceeds sent by check by the Fund and not cashed within 180 days will be reinvested in the Fund at the current days NAV. Redemption proceeds that are reinvested are subject to the risk of loss like any other investment in the Fund.
Because the Fund incurs certain fixed costs in maintaining shareholder accounts, the Fund may require you to redeem all of your shares in the Fund on 30 days written notice if the value of your shares in the Fund is, due to redemptions, less than $10,000 for the Institutional Class or $2,500 for the Retail Class or such other minimum amount as the Fund may determine from time to time. You may increase the value of your shares in the Fund to the minimum amount within the 30-day period. All shares of the Fund are also subject to involuntary redemption if the Board of Trustees determines to liquidate the Fund. In such event, the Fund will provide notice to shareholders, but the Fund will not be required to obtain shareholder approval prior to such liquidation. An involuntary redemption will create a capital gain or capital loss, which may have tax consequences about which you should consult your tax adviser.
Determination of Net Asset Value
The price you pay for your shares is based on the Funds net asset value per share (NAV) for the applicable class. The NAV of each class of shares is calculated at the close of trading (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for business (the NYSE is closed on weekends, most Federal holidays and Good Friday). For each class, the NAV is calculated by dividing the total assets of the class (including interest and dividends accrued but not yet received) minus the liabilities of that class (including accrued expenses) by the total number of shares of the class outstanding. Requests to purchase and sell shares are processed at the applicable NAV next calculated after the Fund receives your order in proper form.
The Funds assets generally are valued at their market value. Securities which are traded on any exchange or on the Nasdaq over-the-counter market are valued at the closing price reported by
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the exchange on which the securities are traded. Lacking a closing price, a security is valued at its last bid price except when, in the Advisers opinion, the last bid price does not accurately reflect the current value of the security. If market quotations are not readily available or do not reflect fair value, or if an event occurs after the close of the trading market but before the calculation of the NAV that materially affects the value, the security will be valued by the Funds Adviser at a fair value (the amount which the Fund might reasonably expect to receive for the security upon its current sale) as determined in good faith by the adviser according to procedures established by the Board of Trustees. Fair valuation also is permitted if, in the Advisers opinion, the validity of market quotations appears to be questionable based on factors such as evidence of a thin market in the security based on a small number of quotations, a significant event occurs after the close of a market but before the Funds NAV calculation that may affect a securitys value, or the adviser is aware of any other data that calls into question the reliability of market quotations. Without fair valuation, short-term traders could take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity and dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Fair valuation of the Funds portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders. However, there is no assurance that fair valuation policies will prevent dilution of the Funds NAV by short-term traders, or that the Fund will realize fair valuation upon the sale of a security.
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes
Dividends and Distributions. The Fund typically distributes to its shareholders as dividends substantially all of its net investment income and any net realized capital gains. These distributions are automatically reinvested in the Fund unless you request cash distributions on your application or through a written request to the Fund. The Fund expects that its distributions will consist primarily of net realized capital gains. The Fund declares and pays dividends at least annually.
Taxes. Net investment income distributed by the Fund generally will consist of interest income, if any, and dividends received on investments, less expenses. The dividends you receive, whether or not reinvested, will be taxed as ordinary income, except as described below (including in the table).
The Fund will typically distribute net realized capital gains (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) to its shareholders once a year, and may make additional distributions as it deems desirable at any other time during a particular year. Capital gains are generated when the Fund sells its capital assets for a profit. Capital gains are taxed differently depending on how long the Fund has held the capital asset sold. Distributions of gains recognized on the sale of capital assets held for one year or less are taxed at ordinary income rates; distributions of gains recognized on the sale of capital assets held longer than one year are taxed at long-term capital gains rates regardless of how long you have held your shares. If the Fund distributes an amount exceeding its income and gains, this excess will generally be treated as a non-taxable return of capital.
Unless you indicate another option on your account application, any dividends and capital gain distributions paid to you by the Fund automatically will be invested in additional shares of the Fund. Alternatively, you may elect to have: (1) dividends paid to you in cash and the amount of
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any capital gain distributions reinvested; or (2) the full amount of any dividends and capital gain distributions paid to you in cash. The Fund will send dividends and capital gain distributions elected to be received as cash to the address of record or bank of record on the applicable account. Your distribution option will automatically be converted to having all dividends and other distributions reinvested in additional shares if any of the following occur:
| Postal or other delivery service is unable to deliver checks to the address of record; |
| Dividends and capital gain distributions are not cashed within 180 days; or |
| Bank account of record is no longer valid. |
Dividends and capital gain distribution checks issued by the Fund which are not cashed within 180 days will be reinvested in the Fund at the current days NAV. When reinvested, those amounts are subject to the risk of loss like any other investment in the Fund.
You may want to avoid making a substantial investment when the Fund is about to make a taxable distribution because you would be responsible for any taxes on the distribution regardless of how long you have owned your shares.
Selling shares (including redemptions) and receiving distributions (whether reinvested or taken in cash) usually are taxable events to the Funds shareholders. These transactions typically create the following tax liabilities for taxable accounts:
Summary of Certain Federal Income Tax Consequences for Taxable Accounts
The following discussion reflects current law.
Type of Transaction |
Tax Status |
|||
Qualified dividend income |
Generally maximum 15% rate on non-corporate taxpayers. | |||
Net short-term capital gain distributions | Ordinary income rate | |||
Net long-term capital gain distributions | Generally, maximum 15% rate on non-corporate taxpayers.* | |||
Sales of shares (including redemptions) owned more than one year | Gains taxed at generally maximum 15% rate on non-corporate taxpayers.* | |||
Sales of shares (including redemptions) owned for one year or less | Gains are taxed at the same rate as ordinary income; losses are subject to special rules. |
* | For gains realized before December 31, 2012. |
Effective through December 31, 2012, designated income dividends paid by the Fund to non-corporate shareholders generally will qualify for a maximum federal income tax rate of 15% to
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the extent such income dividends are attributable to qualified dividend income from the Funds investment in common and preferred stock of U.S. and foreign corporations, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met. However, to the extent that the Fund has ordinary income from investments in debt securities, for example, such as interest income, income dividends paid by the Fund and attributable to that income will not qualify for the reduced tax rate.
If shares of the Fund are purchased within 30 days before or after redeeming other shares of the Fund at a loss, all or a portion of that loss will not be deductible and will increase the basis of the newly purchased shares. If shares of the Fund are sold at a loss after being held by a shareholder for six months or less, the loss will be a long-term, instead of short-term, capital loss to the extent of any capital gain distributions received on the shares.
If you are a non-corporate shareholder and if the Fund does not have your correct social security or other taxpayer identification number, federal law requires us to withhold and pay to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 28% of your distributions and sales proceeds. If you are subject to back-up withholding, we also will withhold and pay to the IRS 28% of your distributions (under current law). Any tax withheld may be applied against the tax liability on your federal income tax return.
Because your tax situation is unique, you should consult your tax professional about federal, state and local tax consequences.
Cost Basis Reporting. Federal law requires that mutual fund companies report their shareholders cost basis, gain/loss, and holding period to the Internal Revenue Service on the Funds shareholders Form 1099s when covered securities are sold. Covered securities are any regulated investment company and/or dividend reinvestment plan shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012.
The Fund has chosen Average Cost as its default tax lot identification method for all shareholders. This tax lot identification method is the way the Fund will determine which specific shares are deemed to be sold when there are multiple purchases (including reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions) on different dates at differing net asset values, and the entire position is not sold at one time. The Funds default tax lot identification method is the method covered shares will be reported on your Consolidated Form 1099 if you do not select a specific tax lot identification method. You may choose a method different than the Funds default lot identification method and will be able to do so at the time of your purchase or upon the sale of covered shares. Please refer to the appropriate Treasury Department regulations or consult your tax adviser with regard to your personal circumstances.
General Disclaimer. For covered securities, the Fund is responsible for maintaining accurate cost basis and tax lot identification information for tax reporting purposes. The Fund is not responsible for the reliability or accuracy of the information for those securities that are not covered. The Fund and its service providers do not provide tax advice. You should consult independent sources, which may include a tax professional, with respect to any decisions you may make with respect to choosing a tax lot identification method.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
Martin Capital Management, LLC, 300 NIBCO Parkway, Suite 301, Elkhart, IN 46516, serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser was founded in 1987 by Mr. Frank K. Martin. The Adviser has overall supervisory management responsibility for the general management and investment of the Funds portfolio. The Adviser sets the Funds overall investment strategies, identifies securities for investment, determines when securities should be purchased or sold, selects brokers or dealers to execute transactions for the Funds portfolio and votes proxies solicited by portfolio companies. The Adviser is controlled by Frank K. Martin, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer and managing member of the Adviser.
For its advisory services, the Adviser is entitled to receive an annual fee of 0.90% of the Funds average daily net assets. The Adviser also has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse certain Fund operating expenses, but only to the extent necessary so that total annual operating expenses (excluding brokerage fees and commissions; borrowing costs, such as (a) interest and (b) dividend expenses on securities sold short; taxes; any indirect expenses, such as such as acquired fund fees and expenses; Retail Class 12b-1 fees and Administrative Services Fees; and extraordinary litigation expenses) do not exceed 1.00% of the Funds average daily net assets. The contractual agreement is in effect through June 30, 2015. Any fee waiver and expense reimbursement by the Adviser is subject to repayment by the Fund within the three fiscal years following the fiscal year in which the waiver or reimbursement was incurred, provided that the Fund is able to make the repayment without exceeding the 1.00% expense limitation.
The Adviser, not the Fund, may pay certain Financial Intermediaries a fee for providing distribution related services and/or for performing certain administrative servicing functions for Fund shareholders to the extent these institutions are allowed to do so by applicable statute, rule or regulation. The Fund may from time to time purchase securities issued by Financial Intermediaries that provide such services; however, in selecting investments for the Fund, no preference will be shown for such securities.
The Funds initial semi-annual report for the period ending August 31, 2012 will contain a discussion of the factors that the Board of Trustees considered in approving the Funds management agreement.
Frank K. Martin, CFA, is solely responsible for managing the Funds investments. Mr. Martin has 45 years of investment industry experience. He founded McDonald Capital Management in 1987, which later changed its name to Martin Capital Management. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer and managing member of the Adviser. Mr. Martin graduated from Northwestern University in 1964 with a major in investment management. He earned an MBA, with honors, from Indiana University at Sound Bend in 1978. Mr. Martin is currently a member of the boards of the Elkhart General Hospital Foundation, Fourth Freedom
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Forum, Sauder Stewardship Foundation, Inc., Western Reserve Partners LLC, and the Frank Martin Family Foundation. He is founder and chairman of the board of DreamsWork, a mentoring and scholarship program for inner-city children, and he is the author of three books.
The Funds Statement of Additional Information provides additional information about the Funds portfolio manager, including his compensation for serving as portfolio manager, other accounts that he manages, and ownership of Fund shares.
Because the Fund has recently commenced operations, there are no financial highlights available at this time.
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You can find additional information about the Fund in the following documents:
Annual and Semi-Annual Reports: While the Prospectus describes the Funds potential investments, the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports detail the Funds actual investments as of their report dates. The reports include a discussion by Fund management of recent market conditions, economic trends, and investment strategies that significantly affected Fund performance during the reporting period.
Statement of Additional Information (SAI): The SAI supplements the Prospectus and contains detailed information about the Fund and its investment restrictions, risks and policies and operations, including the Funds policies and procedures relating to the disclosure of portfolio holdings by the Funds affiliates. A current SAI for the Fund is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference, which means it is considered part of this Prospectus.
You can get free copies of the current Annual and Semi-Annual Reports, as well as the SAI, by contacting Shareholder Services at (xxx) xxx-xxxx. You may also request other information about the Fund and make shareholder inquiries. Alternatively, the Funds SAI and Annual and Semi-Annual reports will also be made available, free of charge, at the Funds web site at .com.
You may review and copy information about the Fund (including the SAI and other reports) at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Call the SEC at 1-202-551-8090 for room hours and operation. You may also obtain reports and other information about the Fund on the EDGAR Database on the SECs Internet site at http://sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the SECs Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-0109.
Investment Company Act #811-21237
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MARTIN FOCUSED VALUE FUND
Institutional Class Shares (symbol)
Retail Class Shares (symbol)
A Series of the Unified Series Trust
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
, 2012
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus of Martin Focused Value Fund (the Fund) dated , 2012. A free copy of the Prospectus can be obtained by writing the transfer agent at Huntington Asset Services, Inc., 2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300, Indianapolis, Indiana 46208, or by calling Shareholder Services at (xxx) xxx-xxxx.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND FUND
Martin Focused Value Fund was organized as a non-diversified series of Unified Series Trust (the Trust) on November 7, 2011. The Trust is an open-end investment company established under the laws of Ohio by an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated October 17, 2002 (the Trust Agreement). The Trust Agreement permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest of separate series without par value. The Fund is one of a series of funds currently authorized by the Trustees. The investment adviser to the Fund is Martin Capital Management, LLC (the Adviser).
The Fund currently offers two classes of shares, Institutional Class and Retail Class. Each share represents an equal proportionate interest in the assets and liabilities belonging to the Fund and is entitled to such dividends and distributions out of income belonging to the Fund as are declared by the Trustees. Expenses attributable to any class are borne by that class. On matters that affect the Fund as a whole, each class has the same voting and other rights and preferences as any other class. On matters that affect only one class, only shareholders of that class may vote. Each class votes separately on matters affecting only that class, or expressly required to be voted on separately by state or federal law. Shares of each class of a series have the same voting and other rights and preferences as the other classes and series of the Trust for matters that affect the Trust as a whole. The Fund may offer additional classes of shares in the future.
The Fund does not issue share certificates. All shares are held in non-certificate form registered on the books of the Fund and the Funds transfer agent for the account of the shareholder. The shares do not have cumulative voting rights or any preemptive or conversion rights, and the Trustees have the authority from time to time to divide or combine the shares of any series into a greater or lesser number of shares of that series so long as the proportionate beneficial interest in the assets belonging to that series and the rights of shares of any other series are in no way affected. In case of any liquidation of a series, the holders of shares of the series being liquidated will be entitled to receive as a class a distribution out of the assets, net of the liabilities, belonging to that series. Expenses attributable to any series are borne by that series. Any general expenses of the Trust not readily identifiable as belonging to a particular series are allocated by or under the direction of the Trustees in such manner as the Trustees determine to be fair and equitable. No shareholder is liable to further calls or to assessment by the Trust without his or her express consent.
Any Trustee of the Trust may be removed by vote of the shareholders holding not less than two-thirds of the outstanding shares of the Trust. The Trust does not hold an annual meeting of shareholders. When matters are submitted to shareholders for a vote, each shareholder is entitled to one vote for each whole share he owns and fractional votes for fractional shares he owns. All shares of the Fund have equal liquidation rights. The Trust Agreement can be amended by the Trustees, except that certain amendments that could adversely affect the rights of shareholders must be approved by the shareholders affected. All shares of the Fund are subject to involuntary redemption if the Trustees determine to liquidate the Fund. The Fund will provide notice to the shareholders if the Board determines, in its sole judgment, to liquidate the Fund, but the Fund will not be required to obtain shareholder approval prior to such liquidation. An involuntary liquidation will create a capital gain or a capital loss, which may have tax consequences about which you should consult your tax adviser.
For information concerning the purchase and redemption of shares of the Fund, see How to Buy Shares and How to Redeem Shares in the Funds Prospectus. For a description of the methods used to determine the share price and value of the Funds assets, see Determination of Net Asset Value in the Funds Prospectus and this SAI.
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The Fund has authorized one or more brokers to receive on its behalf purchase and redemption orders. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on the Funds behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a brokers authorized designee, receives the order.
Customer orders will be priced at the Funds net asset value next computed after they are received by an authorized broker or the brokers authorized designee and accepted by the Fund. The performance of the Fund may be compared in publications to the performance of various indices and investments for which reliable performance data is available. The performance of the Fund may be compared in publications to averages, performance rankings, or other information prepared by recognized mutual fund statistical services. The Funds annual report will contain additional performance information and will be made available to investors upon request and without charge.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT FUND INVESTMENTS AND RISK CONSIDERATIONS
This section contains additional information regarding some of the investments the Fund may make and some of the techniques it may use.
A. Equity Securities. Equity securities include common stock and common stock equivalents (such as rights and warrants, and convertible securities). Warrants are options to purchase equity securities at a specified price valid for a specific time period. Rights are similar to warrants, but normally have a short duration and are distributed by the issuer to its shareholders. The Fund will invest principally in a portfolio of equity securities of companies that the Adviser believes to be undervalued. Securities of a company may be undervalued as a result of overreaction by investors to unfavorable news about a company, industry or the stock market in general, or as a result of a market decline, poor economic conditions, tax-loss selling or actual or anticipated unfavorable developments affecting the company. The Fund will invest in equity securities that the Adviser believes have above-average total return potential.
B. Foreign Securities. The Fund may invest in foreign securities, either directly or through depositary receipts, including American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) and European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) (collectively, Depositary Receipts). ADRs are receipts, issued by domestic banks, for shares of a foreign-based company that entitle the holder to dividends and capital gains on the underlying security. EDRs and GDRs are typically issued by foreign banks or trust companies, although they also may be issued by U.S. banks or trust companies, and evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by either a foreign or a U.S. corporation. Generally, Depositary Receipts in registered form are designed for use in the U.S. securities market and depositary receipts in bearer form are designed for use in securities markets outside the U.S.
Prices of ADRs are quoted in U.S. dollars, and ADRs are traded in the U.S. on exchanges or over-the-counter. While ADRs do not eliminate all the risk associated with foreign investments, by investing in ADRs rather than directly in the stock of foreign issuers, the Fund will avoid currency risks
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during the settlement period for either purchases or sales. In general, there is a large, liquid market in the U.S. for ADRs quoted on a national securities exchange or on NASDAQ. The information available for ADRs is subject to the accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards of the U.S. market or exchange on which they are traded, which standards are more uniform and more exacting than those to which many foreign issuers may be subject. EDRs and GDRs may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted.
Depositary Receipts reduce but do not eliminate all the risk inherent in investing in the securities of foreign issuers. To the extent that the Fund acquires Depositary Receipts through banks that do not have a contractual relationship with the foreign issuer of the security underlying the Depositary Receipt to issue and service such Depositary Receipts, there may be an increased possibility that the Fund would not become aware of and be able to respond to corporate actions such as stock splits or rights offerings involving the foreign issuer in a timely manner.
Other foreign securities may be denominated in U.S. dollars and trade on domestic stock exchanges. Investing abroad also involves different political and economic risks. Foreign investments may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors, including the possibility of expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment or on the ability to repatriate assets or convert currency into U.S. dollars, or other government intervention. There may be a greater possibility of default by foreign governments or foreign government-sponsored enterprises. Investments in foreign countries also involve a risk of local political, economic or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments. There is no assurance that the Adviser will be able to anticipate or counter these potential events and their impacts on the Funds share price.
C. Convertible Securities. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, preferred stock or other security that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock. The Fund may invest in convertible securities rated B or higher by Standard & Poors Corporation (S&P) or by Moodys Investors Services, Inc. (Moodys), or if unrated, determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality. Generally, investments in securities in the lower rating categories provide higher yields but involve greater volatility of price and risk of loss of principal and interest than investments in securities with higher ratings. Securities rated lower than Baa by Moodys or BBB by S&P are considered speculative. In addition, lower ratings reflect a greater possibility of an adverse change in the financial conditions affecting the ability of the issuer to make payments of principal and interest. The market price of lower-rated securities generally responds to short-term corporate and market developments to a greater extent than higher-rated securities which react primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates. Lower-rated securities will also be affected by the markets perception of their credit quality and the outlook for economic growth.
In the past, economic downturns or an increase in interest rates have under certain circumstances caused a higher incidence of default by the issuers of these securities and may do so in the future, especially in the case of highly leveraged issuers.
The prices for these securities may be affected by legislative and regulatory developments. For example, federal rules were adopted that required savings and loan associations gradually to reduce their holdings of high-yield securities. An effect of this legislation may be to significantly depress the prices of outstanding lower-rated securities. The market for lower-rated securities may be less liquid than the market for higher-rated securities. Furthermore, the liquidity of lower-rated securities may be affected
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by the markets perception of their credit quality. Therefore, judgment may at times play a greater role in valuing these securities than in the case of higher-rated securities, and it also may be more difficult during certain adverse market conditions to sell lower-rated securities at their fair value to meet redemption requests or to respond to changes in the market.
If the rating of a security by S&P or Moodys drops below B the Adviser will dispose of the security as soon as practicable (depending on market conditions) unless the Adviser determines based on its own credit analysis that the security provides the opportunity of meeting the Funds objective without presenting excessive risk. The Adviser will consider all factors which it deems appropriate, including ratings, in making investment decisions for the Fund and will attempt to minimize investment risk through conditions and trends. While the Adviser may refer to ratings, it does not rely exclusively on ratings, but makes its own independent and ongoing review of credit quality.
D. Preferred Stock. Preferred stock has a preference in liquidation (and, generally dividends) over common stock but is subordinated in liquidation to debt. As a general rule the market value of preferred stocks with fixed dividend rates and no conversion rights varies inversely with interest rates and perceived credit risk, with the price determined by the dividend rate. Some preferred stocks are convertible into other securities (for example, common stock) at a fixed price and ratio or upon the occurrence of certain events. The market price of convertible preferred stocks generally reflects an element of conversion value. Because many preferred stocks lack a fixed maturity date, these securities generally fluctuate substantially in value when interest rates change; such fluctuations often exceed those of long-term bonds of the same issuer. Some preferred stocks pay an adjustable dividend that may be based on an index, formula, auction procedure or other dividend rate reset mechanism. In the absence of credit deterioration, adjustable rate preferred stocks tend to have more stable market values than fixed rate preferred stocks. All preferred stocks are also subject to the same types of credit risks of the issuer as corporate bonds. In addition, because preferred stock is junior to debt securities and other obligations of an issuer, deterioration in the credit rating of the issuer will cause greater changes in the value of a preferred stock than in a more senior debt security with similar yield characteristics. Preferred stocks may be rated by S&P and Moodys although there is no minimum rating which a preferred stock must have (and a preferred stock may not be rated) to be an eligible investment for the Fund. The Adviser expects, however, that generally the preferred stocks in which the Fund invests will be rated at least CCC by S&P or Caa by Moodys or, if unrated, of comparable quality in the opinion of the Adviser. Preferred stocks rated CCC by S&P are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuers capacity to pay preferred stock obligations and represent the highest degree of speculation among securities rated between BB and CCC; preferred stocks rated Caa by Moodys are likely to be in arrears on dividend payments. Moodys rating with respect to preferred stocks does not purport to indicate the future status of payments of dividends.
E. Repurchase Agreements. A repurchase agreement is a short-term investment in which the purchaser (i.e., the Fund) acquires ownership of an obligation issued by the U.S. Government or by an agency of the U.S. Government (U.S. Government Obligations) (which may be of any maturity) and the seller agrees to repurchase the obligation at a future time at a set price, thereby determining the yield during the purchasers holding period (usually not more than seven days from the date of purchase). Any repurchase transaction in which the Fund engages will require full collateralization of the sellers obligation during the entire term of the repurchase agreement. In the event of a bankruptcy or other default of the seller, the Fund could experience both delays in liquidating the underlying security and losses in value. However, the Fund intends to enter into repurchase agreements only with its custodian, other banks with assets of $1 billion or more and registered securities dealers determined by the Adviser to be creditworthy. The Adviser monitors the creditworthiness of the banks and securities dealers with which the Fund engages in repurchase transactions.
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F. Derivatives Transactions. The Fund may utilize various investment strategies as described below for a variety of purposes, such as hedging various market risks or enhancing potential gain.
In the course of pursuing these investment strategies, the Fund may purchase and sell exchange-listed and over-the-counter put and call options on securities, equity indices and other instruments, and purchase and sell futures contracts and options thereon (collectively, Strategic Transactions). In addition, Strategic Transactions may also include new techniques, instruments or strategies that are permitted as regulatory changes occur. Strategic Transactions may be used without limit (subject to certain limits imposed by the 1940 Act) to attempt to protect against possible changes in the market value of securities held in or to be purchased for the Funds portfolio resulting from securities markets or currency exchange rate fluctuations, to protect the Funds unrealized gains in the value of its portfolio securities, to facilitate the sale of such securities for investment purposes, to manage the effective maturity or duration of the Funds portfolio, or to establish a position in the derivatives markets as a substitute for purchasing or selling particular securities. Some Strategic Transactions may also be used to enhance potential gain although no more than 10% at cost of the Funds assets will be committed to Strategic Transactions entered into for hedging and non-hedging purposes combined. Any or all of these investment techniques may be used at any time and in any combination, and there is no particular strategy that dictates the use of one technique rather than another, as use of any Strategic Transaction is a function of numerous variables including market conditions. The ability of the Fund to utilize these Strategic Transactions successfully will depend on the Advisers ability to predict pertinent market movements, which cannot be assured. The Fund will comply with applicable regulatory requirements when implementing these strategies, techniques and instruments. Strategic Transactions will not be used to alter fundamental investment purposes and characteristics of the Fund, and the Fund will segregate assets (or as provided by applicable regulations, enter into certain offsetting positions) to cover its obligations under options and futures to limit leveraging of the Fund.
Strategic Transactions have risks associated with them including possible default by the other party to the transaction, illiquidity and, to the extent the Advisers view as to certain market movements is incorrect, the risk that the use of such Strategic Transactions could result in losses greater than if they had not been used. Use of put and call options may result in losses to the Fund, force the sale or purchase of portfolio securities at inopportune times or for prices higher than (in the case of put options) or lower than (in the case of call options) current market values, limit the amount of appreciation the Fund can realize on its investments or cause the Fund to hold a security it might otherwise sell. The use of options and futures transactions entails certain other risks. In particular, the variable degree of correlation between price movements of futures contracts and price movements in the related portfolio position of the Fund creates the possibility that losses on the hedging instrument may be greater than gains in the value of the Funds position. In addition, futures and options markets may not be liquid in all circumstances. As a result, in certain markets, the Fund might not be able to close out a transaction without incurring substantial losses, if at all. Although the use of futures and options transactions for hedging should tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged position, at the same time they tend to limit any potential gain which might result from an increase in value of such position. Finally, the daily variation margin requirements for futures contracts would create a greater ongoing potential financial risk than would purchases of options, where the exposure is limited to the cost of the initial premium. Losses resulting from the use of Strategic Transactions would reduce net asset value, and possibly income, and such losses can be greater than if the Strategic Transactions had not been utilized.
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1. Options on Securities Indices. The Fund may purchase and sell call and put options on securities indices and, in so doing, can achieve many of the same objectives it would achieve through the sale or purchase of options on individual securities or other instruments. Options on securities indices are similar to options on a security or other instrument except that, rather than settling by physical delivery of the underlying instrument, they settle by cash settlement, i.e., an option on an index gives the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the index upon which the option is based exceeds, in the case of a call, or is less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the excess of the closing price of the index over the exercise price of the option, which also may be multiplied by a formula value. The seller of the option is obligated, in return for the premium received, to make delivery of this amount. The gain or loss on an option on an index depends on price movements in the instruments making up the market, market segment, industry or other composite on which the underlying index is based, rather than price movements in individual securities, as is the case with respect to options on securities.
2. Options on Foreign Currencies. The Fund may buy and write (sell) put and call options on foreign currencies traded on U.S. exchanges or in the over-the-counter markets. Like other kinds of options, the writing of an option on foreign currency will be only a partial hedge, up to the amount of the premium received, and the Fund could be required to buy or sell foreign currencies at disadvantageous exchange rates, thereby incurring losses. The purchase of an option on foreign currency may be an effective hedge against fluctuations in exchange rates although, in the event of rate movements adverse to the Funds position, the Fund may forfeit the entire amount of the premium plus related transaction costs.
3. General Characteristics of Options. Put options and call options typically have similar structural characteristics and operational mechanics regardless of the underlying instrument on which they are purchased or sold. Thus, the following general discussion relates to each of the particular types of options discussed in greater detail below. In addition, many Strategic Transactions involving options require segregation of the Funds assets in special accounts, as described below under Use of Segregated and Other Special Accounts.
A put option gives the purchaser of the option, upon payment of a premium, the right to sell, and the writer the obligation to buy, the underlying security, index or other instrument at the exercise price. For instance, the Funds purchase of a put option on a security might be designed to protect its holdings in the underlying instrument (or, in some cases, a similar instrument) against a substantial decline in the market value by giving the Fund the right to sell such instrument at the option exercise price. A call option, upon payment of a premium, gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the seller the obligation to sell, the underlying instrument at the exercise price. The Funds purchase of a call option on a security, financial future, index or other instrument might be intended to protect the Fund against an increase in the price of the underlying instrument that it intends to purchase in the future by fixing the price at which it may purchase such instrument. The Fund is authorized to purchase and sell exchange-listed options. However, the Fund may not purchase or sell over-the-counter options, which are considered illiquid by the SEC staff. Exchange-listed options are issued by a regulated intermediary such as the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC), which guarantees the performance of the obligations of the parties to such options. The discussion below uses the OCC as an example, but is also applicable to other financial intermediaries.
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With certain exceptions, OCC-issued and exchange-listed options generally settle by physical delivery of the underlying security or currency, although in the future cash settlement may become available. Index options are cash settled for the net amount, if any, by which the option is in-the-money (i.e., where the value of the underlying instrument exceeds, in the case of a call option, or is less than, in the case of a put option, the exercise price of the option) at the time the option is exercised.
Frequently, rather than taking or making delivery of the underlying instrument through the process of exercising the option, listed options are closed by entering into offsetting purchase or sale transactions that do not result in ownership of the new option.
The Funds ability to close out its position as a purchaser or seller of an OCC or exchange-listed put or call option is dependent, in part, upon the liquidity of the option market. Among the possible reasons for the absence of a liquid option market on an exchange are: (i) insufficient trading interest in certain options; (ii) restrictions on transactions imposed by an exchange; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities including reaching daily price limits; (iv) interruption of the normal operations of the OCC or an exchange; (v) inadequacy of the facilities of an exchange or OCC to handle current trading volume; or (vi) a decision by one or more exchanges to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the relevant market for that option on that exchange would cease to exist, although outstanding options on that exchange would generally continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
The hours of trading for listed options may not coincide with the hours during which the underlying financial instruments are traded. To the extent that the option markets close before the markets for the underlying financial instruments, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the option markets.
If the Fund sells a call option, the premium that it receives may serve as a partial hedge, to the extent of the option premium, against a decrease in the value of the underlying securities or instruments in its portfolio or will increase its income. The sale of put options can also provide income.
The Fund may purchase and sell call options on equity securities (including convertible securities that are traded on U.S. and foreign securities exchanges, and on securities indices and futures contracts. All calls sold by the Fund must be covered (i.e., the Fund must own the securities or futures contract subject to the call) or must meet the asset segregation requirements described below as long as the call is outstanding. Even though the Fund will receive the option premium to help protect it against loss, a call sold by the Fund exposes it during the term of the option to possible loss of opportunity to realize appreciation in the market price of the underlying security or instrument and may require it to hold a security or instrument which it might otherwise have sold.
The Fund may purchase and sell put options on equity securities (including convertible securities) and on securities indices. The Fund will not sell put options if, as a result, more than 50% of the Funds total assets would be required to be segregated to cover its potential obligations under such put options other than those with respect to futures and options thereon. In selling put options, there is a risk that the Fund may be required to buy the underlying security at a disadvantageous price above the market price.
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4. General Characteristics of Futures. The Fund may enter into futures contracts or purchase or sell put and call options on such futures as a hedge against anticipated interest rate or equity market changes, and for duration management, risk management and return enhancement purposes. Futures are generally bought and sold on the commodities exchanges where they are listed with payment of initial and variation margin as described below. The sale of a futures contract creates a firm obligation by the Fund, as seller, to deliver to the buyer the specific type of financial instrument called for in the contract at a specific future time for a specified price (or, with respect to index futures and Eurodollar instruments, the net cash amount). Options on futures contracts are similar to options on securities except that an option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right in return for the premium paid to assume a position in a futures contract and obligates the seller to deliver such position.
The Funds use of futures and options thereon will in all cases be consistent with applicable regulatory requirements and in particular the rules and regulations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and will be entered into for bona fide hedging, risk management (including duration management) or other portfolio and return enhancement management purposes. Typically, maintaining a futures contract or selling an option thereon requires the Fund to deposit with a financial intermediary as security for its obligations an amount of cash or other specified assets (initial margin) which initially is typically 1% to 10% of the face amount of the contract (but may be higher in some circumstances). Additional cash or assets (variation margin) may be required to be deposited thereafter on a daily basis as the mark to market value of the contract fluctuates. The purchase of an option on financial futures involves payment of a premium for the option without any further obligation on the part of the Fund. If the Fund exercises an option on a futures contract it will be obligated to post initial margin (and potential subsequent variation margin) for the resulting futures position just as it would for any position. Futures contracts and options thereon are generally settled by entering into an offsetting transaction but there can be no assurance that the position can be offset prior to settlement at an advantageous price, nor that delivery will occur.
The Fund will not enter into a futures contract or related option (except for closing transactions) if, immediately thereafter, the sum of the amount of its initial margin and premiums on open futures contracts and options thereon would exceed 15% of the Funds total assets (taken at current value); however, in the case of an option that is in-the-money at the time of the purchase, the in-the-money amount may be excluded in calculating the 15% limitation. The segregation requirements with respect to futures contracts and options thereon are described below.
5. Use of Segregated and Other Special Accounts. Many Strategic Transactions, in addition to other requirements, require that the Fund segregate cash or liquid assets with its custodian to the extent Fund obligations are not otherwise covered through ownership of the underlying security or financial instrument. In general, either the full amount of any obligation by the Fund to pay or deliver securities or assets must be covered at all times by the securities or instruments required to be delivered, or, subject to any regulatory restrictions, an amount of cash or liquid assets at least equal to the current amount of the obligation must be segregated with the custodian. The segregated assets cannot be sold or transferred unless equivalent assets are substituted in their place or it is no longer necessary to segregate them. For example, a call option written by the Fund will require it to hold the securities subject to the call (or securities convertible into the needed securities without additional consideration) or to segregate cash or liquid assets sufficient to purchase and deliver the securities if the call is exercised. A call option sold by the Fund on an index will require it to own portfolio securities which correlate with the index or to segregate cash or liquid assets equal to the excess of the index value over the exercise price on a current basis. A put option written by the Fund requires the Fund to segregate cash or liquid assets equal to the exercise price.
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OCC-issued and exchange-listed index options will generally provide for cash settlement. As a result, when the Fund sells these instruments it will only segregate an amount of cash or liquid assets equal to its accrued net obligations, as there is no requirement for payment or delivery of amounts in excess of the net amount. These amounts will equal 100% of the exercise price in the case of a non cash-settled put, the same as an OCC-guaranteed listed option sold by the Fund, or the in-the-money amount plus any sell-back formula amount in the case of a cash-settled put or call. In addition, when the Fund sells a call option on an index at a time when the in-the-money amount exceeds the exercise price, the Fund will segregate, until the option expires or is closed out, cash or cash equivalents equal in value to such excess. OCC-issued and exchange-listed options sold by the Fund other than those above generally settle with physical delivery, or with an election of either physical delivery or cash settlement and the Fund will segregate an amount of cash or liquid assets equal to the full value of the option.
In the case of a futures contract or an option thereon, the Fund must deposit initial margin and possible daily variation margin in addition to segregating cash or liquid assets sufficient to meet its obligation to purchase or provide securities, or to pay the amount owed at the expiration of an index-based futures contract. Such liquid assets may consist of cash, cash equivalents, liquid debt or equity securities or other acceptable assets.
Strategic Transactions may be covered by other means when consistent with applicable regulatory policies. The Fund may also enter into offsetting transactions so that its combined position, coupled with any segregated assets, equals its net outstanding obligation in related options and Strategic Transactions. For example, the Fund could purchase a put option if the strike price of that option is the same or higher than the strike price of a put option sold by the Fund. Moreover, instead of segregating cash or liquid assets, if the Fund held a futures or forward contract, it could purchase a put option on the same futures or forward contract with a strike price as high as or higher than the price of the contract held. Other Strategic Transactions may also be offset in combinations. If the offsetting transaction terminates at the time of or after the primary transaction no segregation is required, but if it terminates prior to such time, cash or liquid assets equal to any remaining obligation would need to be segregated.
G. Corporate Debt Securities. The Fund may invest in corporate debt securities. Corporate debt securities are bonds or notes issued by corporations and other business organizations, including business trusts, in order to finance their credit needs. Corporate debt securities include commercial paper which consists of short-term (usually from one to two hundred seventy days) unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations in order to finance their current operations. Investments in corporate debt securities involve both credit and interest rate risk. The value of fixed income securities will fluctuate with changes in interest rates and bond market conditions, tending to rise as interest rates decline and to decline as interest rates rise. Corporate debt securities generally offer less current yield than securities of lower quality, but lower quality securities generally have less liquidity, greater credit and market risk and, as a result, more price volatility. Longer-term bonds are, however, generally more volatile than bonds with shorter maturities.
H. Lower Quality Debt Securities. The Fund may invest up to 5% of its assets in lower-rated securities or comparable unrated securities. These securities (commonly called junk bonds) often are considered to be speculative and involve greater risk of default or price change due to changes in the issuers creditworthiness or changes in economic conditions. The market prices of these securities will
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fluctuate over time, may fluctuate more than higher quality securities and may decline significantly in periods of general economic difficulty, which may follow periods of rising interest rates. The market for lower quality securities may be less liquid than the market for securities of higher quality. Furthermore, the liquidity of lower quality securities may be affected by the markets perception of their credit quality. Therefore, judgment may at times play a greater role in valuing these securities than in the case of higher quality securities, and it also may be more difficult during certain adverse market conditions to sell lower quality securities at their fair value to meet redemption requests or to respond to changes in the market.
Lower quality securities present risks based on payment expectations. For example, high yield bonds may contain redemption or call provisions. If an issuer exercises the provisions in a declining interest rate market, the Fund would have to replace the security with a lower yielding security, resulting in a decreased return for investors. Conversely, a high yield bonds value will decrease in a rising interest rate market, as will the value of the Funds assets. If the Fund experiences unexpected net redemptions, it may be forced to sell its high yield bonds without regard to their investment merits, thereby decreasing the asset base upon which the Funds expenses can be spread and possibly reducing the Funds rate of return.
Since the risk of default is higher for lower quality securities and sometimes increases with the age of these securities, the Advisers research and credit analysis are an integral part of managing any securities of this type held by the Fund. In considering investments for the Fund, the Adviser attempts to identify those issuers of high-yielding securities whose financial condition is adequate to meet future obligations, has improved or is expected to improve in the future. The Advisers analysis focuses on relative values based on such factors as interest or dividend coverage, asset coverage, earning prospects, and the experience and managerial strength of the issuer.
I. Investment Company Securities. Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include shares of other investment companies, including money market funds, open-end and closed-end funds, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) whose portfolios primarily consist of equity securities. The Fund may invest in inverse ETFs, including leveraged ETFs. Inverse ETFs seek to provide investment results that match a certain percentage of the inverse of the results of a specific index on a daily or monthly basis. The Fund also may invest in ETFs whose portfolios primarily consist of commodities.
When the Fund invests in an underlying mutual fund or ETF, the Fund indirectly will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses payable directly by the underlying fund. Therefore, the Fund will incur higher expenses, many of which may be duplicative. In addition, the Fund may be affected by losses of the underlying funds and the level of risk arising from the investment practices of the underlying funds (such as the use of leverage by the funds). The Fund has no control over the investments and related risks taken by the underlying funds in which it invests. Because the Fund is not required to hold shares of underlying funds for any minimum period, it may be subject to, and may have to pay, short-term redemption fees imposed by the underlying funds.
In addition to risks generally associated with investments in investment company securities, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to traditional mutual funds: (i) an ETFs shares may trade at a market price above or below its net asset value; (ii) an active trading market for an ETFs shares may not develop or be maintained; (iii) the ETF may employ an investment strategy that utilizes high leverage ratios; or (iv) trading of an ETFs shares may be halted if the listing exchanges officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are de-listed from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide circuit breakers (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally.
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Inverse and leveraged ETFs are subject to additional risks not generally associated with traditional ETFs. To the extent that the Fund invests in inverse ETFs, the value of the Funds investment will decrease when the index underlying the ETFs benchmark rises, a result that is the opposite from traditional equity or bond funds. The net asset value and market price of leveraged or inverse ETFs is usually more volatile than the value of the tracked index or of other ETFs that do not use leverage. This is because inverse and leveraged ETFs use investment techniques and financial instruments that may be considered aggressive, including the use of derivative transactions and short selling techniques. The use of these techniques may cause the inverse or leveraged ETFs to lose more money in market environments that are adverse to their investment strategies than other funds that do not use such techniques.
To the extent that the Fund invests in ETFs that invest in commodities, it will be subject to additional risks. Commodities are real assets such as oil, agriculture, livestock, industrial metals, and precious metals such as gold or silver. The values of ETFs that invest in commodities are highly dependent on the prices of the related commodity. The demand and supply of these commodities may fluctuate widely based on such factors as interest rates, investors expectation with respect to the rate of inflation, currency exchange rates, the production and cost levels of the producing countries and/or forward selling by such producers, global or regional political, economic or financial events, purchases and sales by central banks, and trading activities by hedge funds and other commodity funds. Commodity ETFs may use derivatives, such as futures, options and swaps, which exposes them to further risks, including counterparty risk (i.e., the risk that the institution on the other side of their trade will default).
A. Fundamental. The investment limitations described below have been adopted by the Trust with respect to the Fund and are fundamental (Fundamental), i.e., they may not be changed without the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. As used in the Prospectus and this SAI, the term majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund means the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented at such meeting; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. Other investment practices which may be changed by the Board of Trustees without the approval of shareholders to the extent permitted by applicable law, regulation or regulatory policy are considered non-fundamental (Non-Fundamental).
1. Borrowing Money. The Fund will not borrow money, except (a) from a bank, provided that immediately after such borrowing there is an asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings of the Fund; or (b) from a bank or other persons for temporary purposes only, provided that such temporary borrowings are in an amount not exceeding 5% of the Funds total assets at the time when the borrowing is made. This limitation does not preclude the Fund from entering into reverse repurchase transactions, provided that the Fund has an asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings and repurchase commitments of the Fund pursuant to reverse repurchase transactions.
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2. Senior Securities. The Fund will not issue senior securities. This limitation is not applicable to activities that may be deemed to involve the issuance or sale of a senior security by the Fund, provided that the Funds engagement in such activities is consistent with or permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or interpretations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or its staff.
3. Underwriting. The Fund will not act as underwriter of securities issued by other persons. This limitation is not applicable to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities (including restricted securities), the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.
4. Real Estate. The Fund will not purchase or sell real estate. This limitation is not applicable to investments in marketable securities which are secured by or represent interests in real estate. This limitation does not preclude the Fund from investing in mortgage-related securities or investing in companies engaged in the real estate business or that have a significant portion of their assets in real estate (including real estate investment trusts).
5. Commodities. The Fund will not purchase or sell commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other investments. This limitation does not preclude the Fund from purchasing or selling options or futures contracts, from investing in securities or other instruments backed by commodities or from investing in companies which are engaged in a commodities business or have a significant portion of their assets in commodities.
6. Loans. The Fund will not make loans to other persons, except (a) by loaning portfolio securities, (b) by engaging in repurchase agreements, or (c) by purchasing nonpublicly offered debt securities. For purposes of this limitation, the term loans shall not include the purchase of a portion of an issue of publicly distributed bonds, debentures or other securities.
7. Concentration. The Fund will not invest 25% or more of its total assets in any particular industry. This limitation is not applicable to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities or repurchase agreements with respect thereto.
With respect to the percentages adopted by the Trust as maximum limitations on the Funds investment policies and limitations, an excess above the fixed percentage will not be a violation of the policy or limitation unless the excess results immediately and directly from the acquisition of any security or the action taken. This paragraph does not apply to the borrowing policy set forth in paragraph 1 above.
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing limitations, any investment company, whether organized as a trust, association or corporation, or a personal holding company, may be merged or consolidated with or acquired by the Trust, provided that if such merger, consolidation or acquisition results in an investment in the securities of any issuer prohibited by said paragraphs, the Trust shall, within ninety days after the consummation of such merger, consolidation or acquisition, dispose of all of the securities of such issuer so acquired or such portion thereof as shall bring the total investment therein within the limitations imposed by said paragraphs above as of the date of consummation.
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B. Non-Fundamental. The following limitations have been adopted by the Trust with respect to the Fund and are Non-Fundamental (see Investment Limitations - Fundamental above).
1. Pledging. The Fund will not mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or in any manner transfer, as security for indebtedness, any assets of the Fund except as may be necessary in connection with borrowings described in Fundamental limitation (1) above. Margin deposits, security interests, liens and collateral arrangements with respect to transactions involving options, futures contracts, short sales and other permitted investments and techniques are not deemed to be a mortgage, pledge or hypothecation of assets for purposes of this limitation.
2. Borrowing. The Fund will not purchase any security while borrowings (including reverse repurchase agreements) representing more than 5% of its total assets are outstanding.
3. Margin Purchases. The Fund will not purchase securities or evidences of interest thereon on margin. This limitation is not applicable to short-term credit obtained by the Fund for the clearance of purchases and sales or redemption of securities, or to arrangements with respect to transactions involving options, futures contracts, short sales and other permitted investments and techniques.
4. Short Sales. The Fund will not effect short sales of securities except as described in the Prospectus or this SAI.
5. Options. The Fund will not purchase or sell puts, calls, options or straddles except as described in the Prospectus or this SAI.
6. Illiquid Securities. The Fund will not purchase illiquid securities which cannot be sold in the ordinary course of business or due to contractual or legal restrictions on resale.
7. Loans of Portfolio Securities. The Fund will not make loans of portfolio securities.
The Funds Adviser is Martin Capital Management, LLC, 300 NIBCO Parkway, Suite 301, Elkhart, IN 46516. The investment decisions for the Fund are made by Frank K. Martin, CFA. The Adviser is controlled by Mr. Martin, its Founder and Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Martin is the sole member of the Adviser and has overall control of the firm, with oversight by a board of directors.
Under the terms of the management agreement (the Agreement), the Adviser manages the Funds investments subject to oversight by the Board of Trustees. As compensation for its management services, the Fund is obligated to pay the Adviser a fee computed and accrued daily and paid monthly at an annual rate of 0.90% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The Adviser contractually has agreed to waive its fee and, to the extent necessary, reimburse certain Fund operating expenses, so that the Funds total annual expenses, excluding any 12b-1 fees (Retail Class shares only), brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short), taxes, indirect expenses (such as fees and expenses of acquired funds) and extraordinary litigation expenses, do not exceed 1.00% of the average daily net assets of the Fund. The contractual agreement is in place through . Each waiver or reimbursement of an expense by the Adviser is subject to
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repayment by the Fund within the three fiscal years following the fiscal year in which the expense or reimbursement was incurred, provided that the Fund is able to make the repayment without exceeding the applicable expense limitation.
The Adviser retains the right to use the name Martin in connection with another investment company or business enterprise with which the Adviser is or may become associated. The Trusts right to use the name Martin automatically ceases 90 days after termination of the Agreement and may be withdrawn by the Adviser on 90 days written notice.
The Adviser may make payments to banks or other financial institutions that provide shareholder services and administer shareholder accounts. If a bank or other financial institution were prohibited from continuing to perform all or a part of such services, the Adviser believes that there would be no material impact on the Fund or its shareholders. Banks and other financial institutions may charge their customers fees for offering these services to the extent permitted by applicable regulatory authorities, and the overall return to those shareholders availing themselves of the bank services will be lower than to those shareholders who do not. The Fund may from time to time purchase securities issued by banks and other financial institutions which provide such services; however, in selecting investments for the Fund, no preference will be shown for such securities.
About the Portfolio Manager
Frank K. Martin is responsible for managing the Fund (the Portfolio Manager). The Portfolio Manager was responsible for management of the following types of accounts as of September 30, 2011 in addition to the Fund:
Account Type |
Number of Accounts by Account Type |
Total Assets By Account Type |
Number of Accounts by Type Subject to a Performance Fee |
Total Assets By Account Type Subject to a Performance Fee | ||||
Registered Investment Companies | 0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||||
Pooled Investment Vehicles | 2 | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||||
Other Accounts | 142 | $200 million | 94 | $173.5 million |
The Portfolio Manager is compensated for his services by the Adviser. As sole owner of the Adviser, he receives a fixed salary and a percentage of the firms net profits. This compensation is not based on the performance of the Fund or other private client accounts of the Adviser. As with all other employees of the Adviser, the Portfolio Manager also participated in the Advisers profit sharing and other benefit plans.
Conflicts may arise as a result of the Portfolio Managers dual role as portfolio manager to the Fund and to other clients of the Adviser, with respect to his allocation of time among such clients. However, because of the similarities in the investment strategies of the various accounts, many of his duties overlap. Moreover, as a result of combining responsibilities such as research and asset selection, the Portfolio Manger believes that he is able to provide both the Fund and the other clients with more thorough research and higher quality asset selection. However, from time to time, potential conflicts of interest may arise because the Portfolio Manager may be required to pursue different investment strategies on behalf of the Fund and other clients of the Adviser. For example, the Portfolio Manager
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may be required to consider an individual clients existing positions, personal tax situation, suitability, personal biases and investment time horizon, which considerations would not affect his investment decisions on behalf of the Fund. This means that research on securities to determine the merits of including them in the Funds portfolio are similar, but not identical, to those employed in building the Advisers separate account client portfolios. The Adviser monitors the Portfolio Managers work load and, in the event of an overload, will take any necessary steps to allocate certain responsibilities to other employees of the Adviser.
To the extent the Fund and another of the Advisers clients seek to acquire the same security at about the same time, the Fund may not be able to acquire as large a position in such security as it desires or it may have to pay a higher price for the security. Similarly, the Fund may not be able to obtain as large an execution of an order to sell or as high a price for any particular security if the other client desires to sell the same portfolio security at the same time. On the other hand, if the same securities are bought or sold at the same time by more than one client, the resulting participation in volume transactions could produce better executions for the Fund. In the event that more than one client wants to purchase or sell the same security on a given date and limited quantities are available, the purchases and sales will normally be made by random client selection.
As of the date of this SAI, the Portfolio Manager owned no shares of the Fund.
GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS. The Board of Trustees supervises the business activities of the Trust. Each Trustee serves as a trustee until termination of the Trust unless the Trustee dies, resigns, retires, or is removed. The Chairman of the Board and more than 75% of the Trustees are Independent Trustees, which means that they are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust or any adviser, sub-adviser or distributor of the Trust.
The following table provides information regarding the Independent Trustees.
Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust**, Term of Position with Trust |
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships |
|||
Gary E. Hippenstiel (Age - 64)
Chairman of the Audit and Pricing Committees; Independent Trustee, December 2002 to present |
President and founder of Hippenstiel Investment Counsel LLC, a registered investment advisor, since November 2008; Director, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of Legacy Trust Company, N.A. from September 1991 to September 2008; Chairman of the investment committee for W.H. Donner Foundation and Donner Canadian Foundation from June 2005 to September 2011; Chairman of investment committee for the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation since October 2011; Chairman and Founder, Constitution Education Foundation since February 2011. | |||
Stephen A. Little (Age - 65)
Chairman, December 2004 to present; Independent Trustee, December 2002 to present |
President and founder of The Rose, Inc., a registered investment advisor, since April 1993. | |||
Daniel J. Condon (Age - 61)
Independent Trustee, December 2002 to present |
CEO of Standard Steel, LLC since August 2011; Director Steel Wheels Acquisition Corp. since August 2011; Director Standard Steel, Inc. since August 2011; President and CEO of International Crankshaft Inc., an automotive supply manufacturing company, from 2004 to August 2011; Director International Crankshaft, Inc. since 2004; Chairman, SMI Crankshaft LLC, an automotive and truck supplier, from July 2010 to August 2011. |
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Ronald C. Tritschler (Age - 59)
Independent Trustee, January 2007 to present; Interested Trustee, December 2002 to December 2006 |
Chief Executive Officer, Director and Legal Counsel of The Webb Companies, a national real estate company, since 2001; Director of First State Financial since 1998; Director, Vice President and Legal Counsel of The Traxx Companies, an owner and operator of convenience stores, since 1989; Chairman, Bluegrass Tomorrow, nonprofit organization. | |||
Kenneth G.Y. Grant (Age - 62)
Independent Trustee, May 2008 to present |
Senior Vice President of Global Trust Company since 2008; Senior Vice President of Advisors Charitable Gift Fund since May 2005; Senior Vice President and Chief Officer, Corporate Development, of Northeast Retirement Services, Inc. since February 2003; Senior Vice President of Savings Banks Employees Retirement Association since February 2003; Director, Lift Up Africa since 2008; Chair Investment Committee since January 2011 and past Chair, Board of Directors of Massachusetts Council of Churches; Member, Presbytery of Boston, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) since June 1975. |
* | The address for each trustee is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | As of the date of this SAI, the Trust currently consists of 26 series. |
The following table provides information regarding the interested Trustee and the Officers of the Trust.
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Name, Address*, (Age), Position with Trust,** Term of Position with Trust |
Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years and Other Directorships | |
Nancy V. Kelly (Age -56)***
Interested Trustee, November 2007 to present |
Executive Vice President of Huntington National Bank, the Trusts custodian, since December 2001; Director, Greenlawn Cemetery since October 2007; Director, Directions for Youth and Families, a social service agency, since August 2006. | |
Brian L. Blomquist (Age - 52)
President, March 2011 to present |
President of Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trusts administrator, since February 2010; Senior Vice President of Institutional Custody at Huntington National Bank, the Trusts custodian, from July 2008 to May 2011; Director of Trust Operations at Huntington National Bank from March 2008 to February 2010; Board Member of King Park Area Development Corporation since February 2011; President of TCL Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in bank acquisitions and integrations for several large financial institutions, from February 2000 to March 2008. | |
John C. Swhear (Age - 50)
Senior Vice President, May 2007 to present |
Vice President of Legal Administration and Compliance for Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trusts administrator, since April 2007; Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President of Valued Advisers Trust since August 2008; Chief Compliance Officer of Unified Financial Securities, Inc., the Trusts distributor, since May 2007; Secretary of Huntington Funds since April 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer of Dreman Contrarian Funds, March 2010 to March 2011; Vice President and Acting Chief Executive Officer of Dreman Contrarian Funds, 2007 to March 2010; Employed in various positions with American United Life Insurance Company from June 1983 to April 2007, including: Associate General Counsel, April 2007; Investment Adviser Chief Compliance Officer, June 2004 to April 2007; Assistant Secretary to the Board of Directors, December 2002 to April 2007 and Chief Compliance Officer of OneAmerica Funds, Inc., June 2004 to April 2007; Chief Counsel, OneAmerica Securities Inc., February 2007 to April 2007; Secretary, OneAmerica Securities, Inc., December 2002 to April 2007. | |
Robert W. Silva (Age - 45)
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, June 2011 to present |
Vice President, Fund Administration for Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trusts administrator, since September 2010; Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of Dreman Contrarian Funds since March 2011; Treasurer of Huntington Funds since November 2010; Senior Vice President of Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. from September 2007 to September 2010; Assistant Vice President of Citizens Advisers, Inc. from May 2002 to August 2007. | |
Lynn E. Wood (Age - 65)
Chief Compliance Officer, October 2004 to present |
Chief Compliance Officer of Unified Series Trust, since October 2004. | |
Tara Pierson (Age - 36)
Secretary, May 2010 to present |
Employed by Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trusts Administrator, since February, 2000; Assistant Secretary of Dividend Growth Trust from March 2006 to present. Assistant Secretary of the Trust from November 2008 to May 2010. |
* | The address for each trustee and officer is 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
** | As of the date of this SAI, the Trust consists of 26 series. |
*** | Ms. Kelly is deemed an interested trustee because she is an officer of an entity that is under common control with Unified Financial Securities, Inc., one of the Trusts distributors. The Board has reviewed and approved this arrangement. |
In addition to the information provided above, below is a summary of the specific experience, qualifications, attributes or skills of each Trustee and the reason why he or she was selected to serve as Trustee:
Stephen A. Little Mr. Little has been an Independent Trustee of the Trust since its inception in 2002, and he currently serves as Chairman of the Board. He previously served as trustee to three other registered investment companies. In 1993, he founded an investment advisory firm that provides discretionary investment advice and advice on socially responsible investing. Mr. Little previously held NASD Series 6, 7, and 22 licenses. Mr. Little received a B.A. from Wabash College and a M. Div. from Christian Theological Seminary. Prior to completing his education, Mr. Little served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Mr. Little was selected to serve as Trustee of the Trust based primarily on his experience in the investment management industry.
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Gary E. Hippenstiel Mr. Hippenstiel has served as a mutual fund trustee since 1995. He has been an Independent Trustee of the Trust since its inception in 2002, and he currently serves as Chairman of the Audit and Pricing Committees of the Board of Trustees. He previously served as a trustee to three other registered investment companies and a variable insurance trust. In 2008, Mr. Hippenstiel founded an investment consulting firm and he also serves as Chairman of the investment committee for two family foundations. Prior to that, he served as Chief Investment Officer of Legacy Trust Company for 17 years, where he was responsible for establishing investment strategies and selecting and monitoring independent managers of trust accounts. Mr. Hippenstiel received a B.S. in Business Administration and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Hippenstiel was selected as Trustee based primarily on his experience in the investment management industry.
Daniel J. Condon Mr. Condon has been an Independent Trustee of the Trust since its inception in 2002. He has also served as trustee of three other registered investment companies. From 1990 to 2002, he served as Vice President and General Manager of an international automotive equipment manufacturing company. Since 2002, he has served as President and director of the company. Mr. Condon received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from Eastern Illinois University. He also received his registered Professional Engineer license. Mr. Condon was selected as Trustee based on his over 20 years of international business experience.
Ronald C. Tritschler Mr. Tritschler has been a Trustee of the Trust since its inception in 2002. He also has served as trustee of three other registered investment companies. Since 1989, he has been a director, vice president and general counsel of a company that operates convenience stores. Since 2001, Mr. Tritschler has been CEO, director and general counsel of a national real estate company. He also is a director of a bank holding company. Mr. Tritschler received a B.A. in Business Administration from Baldwin-Wallace College and his J.D. and M.B.A. from the University of Toledo. Mr. Tritschler was selected to serve as a Trustee based primarily on his substantial business and legal experience.
Kenneth G.Y. Grant Mr. Grant has been an Independent Trustee of the Trust since 2008. He is a founder of a trust company that offers collective investment trust products to qualified plans. Mr. Grant has over 25 years of executive leadership experience, including experience in management, business development for financial services firms, strategic planning, and investing. Mr. Grant also has experience developing trust and plan accounting services for institutional investors. He currently serves as a senior executive of a retirement plan services provider, as senior vice president of a retirement association and as Treasurer of a council of churches. Mr. Grant received his B.A. in Psychology from Syracuse University, his Th.M. in Theology and Ethics from Boston University, and his M.B.A. from Clark University. Mr. Grant was selected to serve as a Trustee based primarily on his substantial experience in the retirement plan and financial services industry.
Nancy V. Kelly Ms. Kelly has been a Trustee of the Trust since 2007. She has served as Executive Vice President of Huntington National Bank since December 2001. She is active as a community leader and she serves on the Board of several local organizations, including a youth social services agency. Ms. Kelly was selected to serve as a Trustee based primarily on her experience in managing securities-related businesses operated by banks and her senior position within Huntington Bank, which is an affiliate of the Trusts administrator and distributor and also serves as custodian of certain series of the Trust. Ms. Kelly received a B.S. from Hood College in 1977, and an M.B.A. in 1981 from Xavier University.
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Independent Trustees Messrs. Hippenstiel, Tritschler, Condon, and Little each have previous experience serving as trustees to other multi-series trusts, which means that they are familiar with issues relating to overseeing multiple advisers and multiple funds. Messrs. Hippenstiel, Little, and Grant have experience conducting due diligence on and evaluating investment advisers - Mr. Hippenstiel as the Chief Investment Officer of Legacy Trust, Mr. Little as the President of a registered investment adviser, and Mr. Grant as an officer of a bank which operated a collective investment trust. This means that they are qualified to review annually each advisers qualifications, including the qualification of Martin Capital Management, LLC to serve as adviser to the Fund. Ms. Kellys experience as an officer of the Trusts custodial bank and former supervisor of the Trusts administrator provides the Independent Trustees with insight into the operations of the service providers and their day-to-day administration of the Fund.
RISK MANAGEMENT. As part of its efforts to oversee risk management associated with the Trust, the Board has established the Audit Committee, Pricing Committee, and the Advisory Contract Renewal Committee as described below:
| The Audit Committee consists of Independent Trustees Messrs. Hippenstiel, Condon, Tritschler and Grant. The Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing the Trusts accounting and financial reporting policies and practices, internal controls and, as appropriate, the internal controls of certain service providers; overseeing the quality and objectivity of financial statements and the independent audits of the financial statements; and acting as a liaison between the independent auditors and the full Board of Trustees. The Audit Committee met times during the year ended December 31, 2011. |
| The Pricing Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving fair valuation determinations. The members of the Pricing Committee are all of the Trustees, except that any one member of the Pricing Committee constitutes a quorum for purposes of reviewing and approving a fair value. In addition to meetings to approve fair valuations, the Pricing Committee met times during the year ended December 31, 2011. |
| The Advisory Contract Renewal Committee is responsible for conducting due diligence on the initial approval and subsequent renewals of investment advisory contracts between the Trust and the advisers and sub-advisers to each series of the Trust, and making a recommendation to the full Board of Trustees regarding approvals and renewals of these contracts. The Committee reviews materials of the type required by Section 15(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, which are provided by the investment advisers and sub-advisers and the Trusts Administrator. The Committee also conducts interviews of advisers and sub-advisers to the Trust. The Advisory Contract Renewal Committee is comprised of all of the Trustees, although at least two Independent Trustees are required to establish a quorum. This Committee held meetings during the year ended December 31, 2011. |
Each Committee meets at least quarterly, and reviews reports provided by administrative service providers, legal counsel and independent accountants. The Committees report directly to the Board of Trustees.
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The Independent Trustees have engaged their own independent legal counsel to provide advice on regulatory, compliance and other topics. In addition, the Board has engaged on behalf of the Trust a full-time Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) who is responsible for overseeing compliance risks. He reports to the Board at least quarterly any material compliance items that have arisen, and annually he provides to the Board a comprehensive compliance report outlining the effectiveness of compliance policies and procedures of the Trust and its service providers. As part of the CCOs risk oversight function, the CCO seeks to understand the risks inherent in the operations of the Trusts series and their advisers and sub-advisers. Periodically the CCO provides reports to the Board that:
| Assess the quality of the information the CCO receives from internal and external sources; |
| Assess how Trust personnel monitor and evaluate risks; |
| Assess the quality of the Trusts risk management procedures and the effectiveness of the Trusts organizational structure in implementing those procedures; |
| Consider feedback from and provide feedback regarding critical risk issues to Trust and administrative and advisory personnel responsible for implementing risk management programs; and |
| Consider economic, industry, and regulatory developments, and recommend changes to the Trusts compliance programs as necessary to meet new regulations or industry developments. |
The Trustees meet in-person on a quarterly basis, typically for two days of meetings. Trustees also participate in special meetings and conference calls as needed. In addition to Board meetings, Trustees also participate in teleconferences each quarter to review and discuss 15(c) materials, and to interview advisers and sub-advisers whose contracts are up for renewal. Legal counsel to the Trust provides quarterly reports to the Board regarding regulatory developments. On a quarterly basis, the Trustees review and discuss some or all of the following compliance and risk management reports relating to the series of the Trust:
(1) | Fund Performance/Morningstar Report/Portfolio Managers Commentary |
(2) | Code of Ethics review |
(3) | NAV Errors, if any |
(4) | Distributor Compliance Reports |
(5) | Timeliness of SEC Filings |
(6) | Dividends and other Distributions |
(7) | List of Brokers, Brokerage Commissions Paid and Average Commission Rate |
(8) | Review of 12b-1 Payments |
(9) | Multiple Class Expense Reports |
(10) | Anti-Money Laundering/Customer Identification Reports |
(11) | Administrator and CCO Compliance Reports |
(l2) | Market Timing Reports |
The Board of Trustees has not adopted a formal diversity policy. When soliciting future nominees for Trustee, the Board will make efforts to identify and solicit qualified minorities and women.
On an annual basis, the Trustees conduct an assessment of the Boards and their individual effectiveness in overseeing the Trust. Based upon its assessment, the Board determines whether additional risk assessment or monitoring processes are required with respect to the Trust or any of its service providers.
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Based on the qualifications of each of the Trusts Trustees and officers, the risk management practices adopted by the Board, including a regular review of several compliance and operational reports, and the committee structure adopted by the Board, the Trust believes that its leadership is appropriate.
The following table provides information regarding shares of the Fund and other portfolios of the Trust owned by each Trustee as of December 31, 2011.
Trustee |
Dollar Range of the Funds Shares |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Shares of All Funds Within the Trust* | ||
Gary E. Hippenstiel |
None | None | ||
Ronald C. Tritschler |
None | $10,001 $50,000 | ||
Stephen A. Little |
None | None | ||
Daniel J. Condon |
None | None | ||
Kenneth G.Y. Grant |
None | $1 - $10,000 | ||
Nancy V. Kelly |
None | None |
* | The Trust currently consists of 26 series. |
Set forth below are estimates of the annual compensation to be paid to the Trustees and officers by the Fund on an individual basis and by the Trust on an aggregate basis. Trustees and officers fees and expenses are Trust expenses and are allocated by or under the direction of the Trustees in such manner as the Trustees determine to be fair and equitable. As a result, the amount paid by the Fund will increase or decrease as new series are added or removed from the Trust.
Independent Trustees |
Aggregate Compensation from the Fund |
Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued As Part of Fund Expenses |
Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement |
Total Compensation from Trust1 |
||||||||||||
Gary E. Hippenstiel, Trustee and Chairman of the Audit Committee |
$ | 1,846 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 48,000 | ||||||||
Stephen A. Little, Chairman of the Board |
$ | 1,846 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 48,000 | ||||||||
Daniel J. Condon, Trustee |
$ | 1,462 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 38,000 | ||||||||
Ronald C. Tritschler, Trustee |
$ | 1,462 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 38,000 | ||||||||
Kenneth G.Y. Grant, Trustee |
$ | 1,462 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 38,000 |
Interested Trustees and Officers |
Aggregate Compensation from the Fund |
Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued As Part of Fund Expenses |
Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement |
Total Compensation from Trust1 |
||||||||||||
Nancy V. Kelly, Trustee |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | ||||||||
Brian L. Blomquist, President and CEO |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | ||||||||
John C. Swhear, Senior Vice President |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | ||||||||
Robert W. Silva, Treasurer and CFO |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | ||||||||
Lynn E. Wood, Chief Compliance Officer |
$ | 6,077 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 158,000 | 2 | |||||||
Tara Pierson, Secretary |
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 |
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1 | The Trust currently consists of 26 series. |
2 | This amount does not include the value of benefits provided to the CCO. In addition to the CCOs salary listed in the table, the CCO is allocated $25,000 for potential bonus compensation, as well as to pay for the CCOs expenses in connection with compliance-related activities, including audits of advisers to the series of the Trust, attendance at compliance seminars, etc. These expenses are shared, pro rata, by each series of the Trust. |
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
A principal shareholder is any person who owns (either of record or beneficially) 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund. A control person is one who owns, either directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the voting securities of the Fund or acknowledges the existence of such control. As a controlling shareholder, each of these persons could control the outcome of any proposal submitted to the shareholders for approval, including changes to the Funds fundamental policies or the terms of the management agreement with the Adviser. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund had no principal shareholders or control persons.
As of the date of this SAI, the officers and Trustees as a group owned no shares of the Fund.
Although the Fund generally will not invest for short-term trading purposes, portfolio securities may be sold without regard to the length of time they have been held when, in the opinion of the Adviser, investment considerations warrant such action. The Funds portfolio turnover rate is a measure of the Funds portfolio activity, and is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of securities by the average value of the portfolio securities held during the period. A high rate of portfolio turnover (100% or more) generally leads to higher transaction costs and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions.
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING COMPLIANCE PROGRAM
Customer identification and verification is part of the Funds overall obligation to prevent money laundering under federal law. The Trust has, on behalf of the Fund, adopted an anti-money laundering compliance program designed to prevent the Fund from being used for money laundering or financing of terrorist activities (the AML Compliance Program). The Trust has delegated the responsibility to implement the AML Compliance Program to the Funds transfer agent, Huntington Asset Services, Inc., subject to oversight by the Trusts Chief Compliance Officer and, ultimately, by the Board of Trustees.
When you open an account with the Fund, the Funds transfer agent will request that you provide your name, physical address, date of birth, and Social Security number or tax identification number.
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You may also be asked for other information that, in the transfer agents discretion, will allow the Fund to verify your identity. Entities are also required to provide additional documentation. This information will be verified to ensure the identity of all persons opening an account with the Fund. The Fund reserves the right to (i) refuse, cancel or rescind any purchase or exchange order, (ii) freeze any account and/or suspend account activities, or (iii) involuntarily redeem your account in cases of threatening conduct or suspected fraudulent or illegal activity. These actions will be taken when, in the sole discretion of the Funds transfer agent, they are deemed to be in the best interest of the Fund, or in cases where the Fund is requested or compelled to do so by governmental or law enforcement authority.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
Subject to policies established by the Board of Trustees of the Trust, the Adviser is responsible for the Funds portfolio decisions and the placing of the Funds portfolio transactions. In placing portfolio transactions, the Adviser seeks the best qualitative execution for the Fund, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), the execution capability, financial responsibility, responsiveness of the broker or dealer, clearance procedures, wire service quotations, statistical and other research services provided by the broker or dealer to the Fund and the Adviser. The Adviser generally seeks favorable prices and commission rates that are reasonable in relation to the benefits received.
The Adviser is specifically authorized to select brokers or dealers who also provide brokerage and research services to the Fund and/or the other accounts over which the Adviser exercises investment discretion and to pay such brokers or dealers a commission in excess of the commission another broker or dealer would charge if the Adviser determines in good faith that the commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided. The determination may be viewed in terms of a particular transaction or the Advisers overall responsibilities with respect to the Trust and to other accounts over which it exercises investment discretion.
Research services include supplemental research, securities and economic analyses, statistical services and information with respect to the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities and analyses of reports concerning performance of accounts. The research services and other information furnished by brokers through whom the Fund effects securities transactions may also be used by the Adviser in servicing all of its accounts. Similarly, research and information provided by brokers or dealers serving other clients may be useful to the Adviser in connection with its services to the Fund.
Over-the-counter transactions will be placed either directly with principal market makers or with broker-dealers, if the same or a better price, including commissions and executions, is available. Fixed income securities are normally purchased directly from the issuer, an underwriter or a market maker. Purchases include a concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter and the purchase price paid to a market maker may include the spread between the bid and asked prices.
When the Fund and another of the Advisers clients seek to purchase or sell the same security at or about the same time, the Adviser may execute the transaction on a combined (blocked) basis. Blocked transactions can produce better execution for the Fund because of the increased volume of the transaction. If the entire blocked order is not filled, the Fund may not be able to acquire as large a position in such security as it desires, or it may have to pay a higher price for the security. Similarly, the
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Fund may not be able to obtain as large an execution of an order to sell, or as high a price for any particular portfolio security, if the other client desires to sell the same portfolio security at the same time. In the event that the entire blocked order is not filled, the purchases and sales will normally be made by random client selection.
The Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor have each adopted a Code of Ethics (the Codes) pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act, and the Advisers Code of Ethics also conforms to Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The personnel subject to the Codes are permitted to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund. You may obtain a copy of the Codes from the Fund or the Adviser, free of charge, by calling Shareholder Services at (xxx) xxx-xxxx. You may also obtain copies of the Trusts Code from documents filed with the SEC and available on the SECs web site at www.sec.gov.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Fund is required to include a schedule of portfolio holdings in its annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, which is sent to shareholders within 60 days of the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters and which is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) on Form N-CSR within 70 days of the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters. The Fund also is required to file a schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-Q within 60 days of the end of the first and third fiscal quarters. The Fund must provide a copy of the complete schedule of portfolio holdings as filed with the SEC to any shareholder of the Fund, upon request, free of charge. This policy is applied uniformly to all shareholders of the Fund without regard to the type of requesting shareholder (i.e., regardless of whether the shareholder is an individual or institutional investor).
The Fund releases portfolio holdings to third party servicing agents on a daily basis in order for those parties to perform their duties on behalf of the Fund. These third party servicing agents include the Adviser, Distributor, Transfer Agent, Fund Accounting Agent, Administrator and Custodian. The Fund also may disclose portfolio holdings, as needed, to auditors, legal counsel, proxy voting services (if applicable), printers, pricing services, parties to merger and reorganization agreements and their agents, and prospective or newly hired investment advisers or sub-advisers. The lag between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed will vary based on the identity of the party to whom the information is disclosed. For instance, the information may be provided to auditors within days of the end of an annual period, while the information may be given to legal counsel or prospective sub-advisers at any time. This information is disclosed to all such third parties under conditions of confidentiality. Conditions of confidentiality include (i) confidentiality clauses in written agreements, (ii) confidentiality implied by the nature of the relationship (e.g., attorney-client relationship), (iii) confidentiality required by fiduciary or regulatory principles (e.g., custody relationships) or (iv) understandings or expectations between the parties that the information will be kept confidential.
Additionally, the Fund may enter into ongoing arrangements to release portfolio holdings to Morningstar, Inc., Lipper, Inc., Bloomberg, Standard & Poors, Thompson Financial and Vickers-Stock (Rating Agencies) in order for those organizations to assign a rating or ranking to the Fund. In these instances portfolio holdings will be supplied within approximately 25 days after the end of the month. The Rating Agencies may make the Funds top portfolio holdings available on their websites and may make the Funds complete portfolio holdings available to their subscribers for a fee. Neither the Fund,
24
the Adviser nor any of their affiliates receive any portion of this fee. Information released to Rating Agencies is not released under conditions of confidentiality nor is it subject to prohibitions on trading based on the information. The Fund also may post its complete portfolio holdings to its website within approximately 25 days after the end of the month. The information will remain posted on the website until replaced by the information for the succeeding month. If the Fund does not have a website or the website is for some reason inoperable, the information will be supplied no more frequently than quarterly and on a delayed basis.
Except as described above, the Fund is prohibited from entering into any arrangements with any person to make available information about the Funds portfolio holdings without the prior authorization of the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) and the specific approval of the Board. The Adviser must submit any proposed arrangement pursuant to which the Adviser intends to disclose the Funds portfolio holdings to the Trusts CCO, who will review such arrangement to determine whether the arrangement is in the best interests of Fund shareholders. Additionally, the Adviser, and any affiliated persons of the Adviser, are prohibited from receiving compensation or other consideration, for themselves or on behalf of the Fund, as a result of disclosing the Funds portfolio holdings. Finally, the Fund will not disclose portfolio holdings as described above to third parties that the Fund knows will use the information for personal securities transactions.
The Trust and the Adviser each have adopted proxy voting policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in shareholders best interests. As a brief summary, the Trusts policy delegates proxy voting to the Adviser, subject to the Advisers proxy voting policy and the supervision of the Board of Trustees. The Trusts policy provides that, if a conflict of interest between the Adviser or its affiliates and the Fund arises with respect to any proxy, the Adviser must disclose the conflict to the Board of Trustees and vote the proxy in accordance with the Boards instructions. The Advisers policy provides that proxies generally will be voted in the best interests of shareholders. The Adviser will generally vote in favor of routine corporate housekeeping proposals such as the election of directors and selection of auditors, absent conflicts of interest raised by an auditors non-audit services. The Adviser will generally vote against proposals that cause board members to become entrenched or cause unequal voting rights. In reviewing proposals, the Adviser will further consider the opinion of management and the effect on management, and the effect on shareholder value and the issuers business practices.
You may obtain a copy of the Trusts and the Advisers proxy voting policy by calling Shareholder Services at (xxx) xxx-xxxx to request a copy from the Trusts Chief Compliance Officer, or by writing to Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Funds transfer agent, at 2960 N. Meridian Street, Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208, Attn: Unified Series Trust Chief Compliance Officer. A copy of the policies will be mailed to you within three days of receipt of your request. You also may obtain a copy from Fund documents filed with the SEC and available on the SECs web site at www.sec.gov. A copy of the votes cast by the Fund with respect to portfolio securities for each year ended June 30th will be filed by the Fund with the SEC on Form N-PX. The Funds proxy voting record will be available to shareholders free of charge upon request by calling or writing the Fund as described above or from the SECs web site.
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DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE
The net asset value of the shares of the Fund is determined as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which is normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time on each day the Trust is open for business and on any other day on which there is sufficient trading in the Funds securities to materially affect the net asset value. The Trust is open for business on every day on which the NYSE is open for trading. The NYSE is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and the following holidays: New Years Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. For a description of the methods used to determine the net asset value (share price), see Determination of Net Asset Value in the Prospectus.
Equity securities generally are valued by using market quotations furnished by a pricing service when the Adviser believes such prices accurately reflect the fair market value of such securities. Securities that are traded on any stock exchange are generally valued by the pricing service at the last quoted sale price. Lacking a last sale price, an exchange-traded security is generally valued by the pricing service at its last bid price. Securities traded in the NASDAQ over-the-counter market are generally valued by the pricing service at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. Options traded on major exchanges are valued at the last quoted sales price on their primary exchange or, if there is no sale on the applicable exchange on such day, then the last quoted bid price as of the close of such exchange will be used. When market quotations are not readily available, when the Adviser determines that the market quotation or the price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the current market value or when restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, such securities are valued at a fair value as determined by the Adviser in good faith according to procedures established by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees annually approves the pricing services used by the fund accounting agent. The fund accounting agent maintains a pricing review committee, which consults with an Independent Trustee who is a member of the Pricing Committee as fair valuation issues arise. Fair valued securities held by the Fund (if any) are reviewed by the Board of Trustees on a quarterly basis.
Fixed income securities are generally valued by a pricing service when the Adviser believes such prices are accurate and reflect the fair market value of such securities. If the Adviser decides that a price provided by the pricing service does not accurately reflect the fair market value of the securities, when prices are not readily available from a pricing service, or when restricted or illiquid securities are being valued, securities are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, according to guidelines established by the Board of Trustees. Short-term investments in fixed income securities with maturities of less than 60 days when acquired, or which subsequently are within 60 days of maturity, are valued by using the amortized cost method of valuation, which the Board has determined will represent fair value.
The Funds net asset value per share is computed by dividing the value of the securities held by the Fund plus any cash or other assets (including interest and dividends accrued but not yet received) minus all liabilities (including accrued expenses) by the total number of shares in the Fund outstanding at such time.
The Fund does not intend to redeem shares in any form except cash. However, if the amount you are redeeming is over the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Funds net asset value, pursuant to an election
26
by the Trust on behalf of the Fund under Rule 18f-1 of the 1940 Act, the Fund has the right to redeem your shares by giving you the amount that exceeds the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Funds net asset value in securities instead of cash. In the event that an in-kind distribution is made, a shareholder may incur additional expenses, such as the payment of brokerage commissions, on the sale or other disposition of the securities received from the Fund.
STATUS AND TAXATION OF THE FUND
The Fund was organized as a series of a business trust, but intends to continue to qualify for treatment as an regulated investment company (RIC) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code) in each taxable year. There can be no assurance that it actually will so qualify. If the Fund qualifies as a RIC, its dividend and capital gain distributions generally are subject only to a single level of taxation, to the shareholders. This differs from distributions of a regular business corporation which, in general, are taxed first as taxable income of the distributing corporation, and then again as dividend income of the shareholder.
If the Fund does qualify as a RIC but (in a particular tax year) distributes less than 98% of its ordinary income and 98.2% of its capital gain net income (as the Code defines each such term), the Fund is subject to an excise tax. The excise tax, if applicable, is 4% of the excess of the amount required to have been distributed over the amount actually distributed for the applicable year. If the Fund does not qualify as a RIC, its income will be subject to taxation as a regular business corporation, without reduction by dividends paid to shareholders of the Fund. In such event, dividend distributions would be taxable to shareholders to the extent of the Funds earnings and profits, and would be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporations.
To continue to qualify for treatment as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, the Fund must, among other requirements:
| Derive at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, and certain other income (including gains from options, futures, or forward contracts derived with respect to the RICs business of investing in stock, securities, or foreign currencies) (the Income Requirement); |
| Diversify its investments in securities within certain statutory limits; and |
| Distribute annually to its shareholders at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (generally, taxable net investment income less net capital gain) (the Distribution Requirement). |
Pursuant to the recently enacted Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010 (the Modernization Act), if the Fund fails the gross income test for a taxable year, it will nevertheless be considered to have satisfied the test for such year if (i) the Fund satisfies certain procedural requirements and (ii) the Funds failure to satisfy the gross income test is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect. However, in such case, a tax is imposed on the Fund for the taxable year in which, absent the application of this provision, it would have failed the gross income test equal to the amount by which (i) the Funds non-qualifying gross income exceeds (ii) one-ninth of the Funds qualifying gross income, each as determined for purposes of applying the gross income test for such year.
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Also pursuant to the Modernization Act, if the Fund fails the asset diversification test as of the end of a quarter, it will nevertheless be considered to have satisfied the test as of the end of such quarter in the following circumstances. If the Funds failure to satisfy the asset diversification test at the end of the quarter is due to the ownership of assets the total value of which does not exceed the lesser of (i) one percent of the total value of the Funds assets at the end of such quarter and (ii) $10,000,000 (a de minimis failure), the Fund will be considered to have satisfied the asset diversification test as of the end of such quarter if, within six months of the last day of the quarter in which the Fund identifies that it failed the asset diversification test (or such other prescribed time period), the Fund either disposes of assets in order to satisfy the asset diversification test, or otherwise satisfies the asset diversification test.
In the case of a failure to satisfy the asset diversification test at the end of a quarter in a case that does not constitute a de minimis failure, the Fund will nevertheless be considered to have satisfied the asset diversification test as of the end of such quarter if (i) the Fund satisfies certain procedural requirements; (ii) the Funds failure to satisfy the asset diversification test is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect; and (iii) within six months of the last day of the quarter in which the Fund identifies that it failed the asset diversification test (or such other prescribed time period), the Fund either disposes of assets in order to satisfy the asset diversification test, or otherwise satisfies the asset diversification test. However, in this case, a tax is imposed on the Fund, at the current rate of 35%, on the net income generated by the assets that caused the Fund to fail the asset diversification test during the period for which the asset diversification test was not met. However, in all events, such tax will not be less than $50,000.
The Fund may acquire zero coupon or other securities issued with original issue discount (including pay-in-kind securities). If it does so, the Fund will have to include in its income its share of the original issue discount that accrues on the securities during the taxable year, even if the Fund receives no corresponding payment on the securities during the year. Because the Fund annually must distribute (a) 98% of its ordinary income in order to avoid imposition of a 4% excise tax, and (b) 90% of its investment company taxable income, including any original issue discount, to satisfy the Distribution Requirement, the Fund may be required in a particular year to distribute as a dividend an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash it actually receives. Those distributions would be made from the Funds cash assets, if any, or from the sales of portfolio securities, if necessary. The Fund might realize capital gains or losses from any such sales, which would increase or decrease the Funds investment company taxable income and/or net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss).
Hedging strategies, to reduce risk in various ways, are subject to complex rules that determine for federal income tax purposes, the character and time for recognition of gains and losses the Fund realizes in connection with the hedge. The Funds income from options, futures, and forward contracts, in each case derived with respect to its business of investing in stock, securities, or foreign currencies, should qualify as allowable income for the Fund under the Income Requirement.
Fund distributions received by your qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA, are generally tax-deferred; this means that you are not required to report Fund distributions on your income tax return when paid to your plan, but, rather, when your plan makes payments to you or your beneficiary. Special rules apply to payouts from Roth and Education IRAs.
The portion of the dividends the Fund pays (other than capital gain distributions) that does not exceed the aggregate dividends it receives from U.S. corporations will be eligible for the dividends
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received deduction allowed to corporations; however, dividends received by a corporate shareholder and deducted by it pursuant to the dividends received deduction are generally subject indirectly to the federal alternative minimum tax.
The Funds net realized capital gains from securities transactions will be distributed only after reducing such gains by the amount of any available capital loss carryforwards. Capital losses may be carried forward to offset any capital gains for an indefinite period pursuant to the provisions of the Modernization Act.
If you are a non-retirement plan holder, the Fund will send you a Form 1099 each year that tells you the amount of distributions you received for the prior calendar year, the tax status of those distributions, and a list of reportable sale transactions. Generally, the Funds distributions are taxable to you in the year you received them. However, any dividends that are declared in October, November or December but paid in January are taxable as if received in December of the year they are declared. Investors should be careful to consider the tax consequences of buying shares shortly before a distribution. The price of shares purchased at that time may reflect the amount of the anticipated distribution. However, any such distribution will be taxable to the purchaser of the shares and may result in a decline in the share value by the amount of the distribution.
The foregoing is only a summary of some of the important federal income tax considerations affecting the Fund and its shareholders and is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Accordingly, prospective investors should consult their own tax advisers for more detailed information regarding the above and for information regarding federal, state, local and foreign taxes.
Huntington National Bank, 41 South High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, is Custodian of the Funds investments. The Custodian acts as the Funds depository, safekeeps its portfolio securities, collects all income and other payments with respect thereto, disburses funds at the Funds request and maintains records in connection with its duties. A Trustee of the Trust is a member of the Custodians management. The Custodians parent company, Huntington Bancshares, Inc., is also the parent company of Huntington Asset Services, Inc. (Huntington), the Trusts transfer agent, fund accountant and administrator, and of Unified Financial Securities, Inc. (the Distributor), the Trusts distributor. Huntington and the Distributor each operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares, Inc.
For its custodial services, the Custodian receives a monthly fee from the Fund based on the market value of assets under custody. The monthly fee is equal to an annual rate of 0.0125% of the first $75 million of market value; 0.0100% of the next $75 million of market value; and 0.0075% of market value in excess of $150 million. The Custodian also receives various transaction-based fees. Custodial fees are subject to a $250 monthly minimum fee per Fund account.
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Huntington Asset Services, Inc. (Huntington), 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208, acts as the Funds transfer agent, fund accountant, and administrator. Certain officers of the Trust are members of management and/or employees of Huntington. Huntington is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares, the parent company of the Custodian and the Distributor. Certain officers of the Trust also are officers of Huntington.
Huntington maintains the records of each shareholders account, answers shareholders inquiries concerning their accounts, processes purchases and redemptions of the Funds shares, acts as dividend and distribution disbursing agent and performs other transfer agent and shareholder service functions. Huntington receives a monthly fee from the Fund of $1.67 per shareholder account (subject to a minimum monthly fee of $1,667) for these transfer agency services.
In addition, Huntington provides the Fund with fund accounting services, which includes certain monthly reports, record keeping and other management-related services. For its services as fund accountant, Huntington receives a monthly fee from the Fund equal to an annual rate of 0.040% of the Funds average daily net assets up to $100 million, 0.020% of the Funds average daily net assets from $100 million to $250 million, 0.010% of the Funds average daily net assets from $250 million to $1 billion, and 0.005% of the Funds average daily net assets over $1 billion (subject to a minimum monthly fee of $2,083).
Huntington also provides the Fund with administrative services, including all regulatory reporting and necessary office equipment, personnel and facilities. Huntington receives a monthly fee from the Fund equal to an annual rate of 0.08% of the Funds average daily net assets under $100 million, 0.06% of the Funds average daily net assets from $100 million to $250 million, 0.04% of the Funds average daily net assets from $250 million to $1 billion, and 0.02% of the Funds average daily net assets over $1 billion (subject to a minimum monthly fee of $3,125).
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The firm of Cohen Fund Audit Services, Ltd., 800 Westpoint Pkwy, Suite 1100, Westlake, OH 44145 has been selected as the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Fund for the initial fiscal period ending . Cohen Fund Audit Services, Ltd. will perform an annual audit of the Funds financial statements and provides financial, tax and accounting consulting services as requested, in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
Unified Financial Securities, Inc., 2960 N. Meridian St., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208 (the Distributor), is the exclusive agent for distribution of shares of the Fund. Certain officers of the Trust are also officers of the Distributor, and a Trustee of the Trust is an officer of the Custodian, which, together with the Distributor and Huntington, are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Huntington Bancshares. As a result, such persons may be deemed to be affiliates of the Distributor.
The Distributor is obligated to sell the shares of the Fund on a best efforts basis only against purchase orders for the shares. Shares of the Fund are offered to the public on a continuous basis.
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Retail Class Shares. The Fund has adopted a Retail Class Distribution Plan (the Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. The Plan was approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trust, including the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust or the Fund, and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Plan or in any other Rule 12b-1 agreement, cast in person at a meeting on called for the purpose of, among other things, voting on such Plan, and was effective as of the date the Fund commenced operations with respect to the Retail Class shares. The Plan will continue in effect from year to year, provided that each such continuance is approved at least annually by a vote of the Board of Trustees, including a majority vote of the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such continuance.
Under the Plan, the Fund pays a fee to the Distributor, the Adviser or other financial institutions of 0.25% of the Retail Class average daily net assets in connection with the promotion and distribution of the Funds Retail Class shares or the provision of personal services to Retail Class shareholders. These services include, but are not necessarily limited to, advertising, compensation to underwriters, dealers and selling personnel, the printing and mailing of prospectuses to other than current Fund shareholders, the printing and mailing of sales literature and servicing shareholder accounts (12b-1 Expenses). Because these fees are an ongoing expense, over time they reduce the net investment results of the Retail Class shares of the Fund and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. Depending on the amount of your investment and the length of time you hold your shares, your investment results will not equal the results of a different class of shares having a different 12b-1 fee structure.
The Plan is a compensation plan, which means that compensation is provided regardless of 12b-1 Expenses actually incurred. The Trustees expect that the Plan will significantly enhance the Funds ability to expand distribution of Retail Class shares of the Fund. It is also anticipated that an increase in the size of the Fund will facilitate more efficient portfolio management and assist the Fund in seeking to achieve its investment objective. Pursuant to the Distribution Plan, the Board of Trustees reviews a written report of the distribution expenses incurred on behalf of the Fund.
The financial statements and the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm report required to be included in this SAI are incorporated herein by reference to the Funds Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010. You can obtain the Annual Report, without charge, upon written request or by calling Shareholder Services at (800) 431-1716.
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PART C. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. | Exhibits | |||||
(a) | (i) | Agreement and Declaration of Trust as filed with the State of Ohio on October 17, 2002 Filed with Registrants initial registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 21, 2002 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||
(ii) | First Amendment to Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as filed with the State of Ohio on September 15, 2005 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated March 31, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(iii) | Amendment No. 2 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as filed with the State of Ohio on May 17, 2006 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 24, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(iv) | Amendment No. 3 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as filed with the State of Ohio on September 1, 2006 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated September 19, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(v) | Amendments No. 4 and 6 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A on July 5, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(vi) | Amendment No. 5 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 1, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(vii) | Amendment No. 7 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 31, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(viii) | Amendment No. 8 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 17, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(ix) | Amendment No. 9 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 29, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(x) | Amendment No. 10 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust as filed with the State of Ohio on November 12, 2008 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 28, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(xi) | Amendment No. 11 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust as filed with the State of Ohio on February 13, 2009 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated March 2, 2009 and incorporated herein by reference. |
(xii) | Amendment No. 12 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust as filed with the State of Ohio on August 11, 2009 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 29, 2009 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||||
(xiii) | Amendment No. 13 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust as filed with the State of Ohio on October 20, 2010 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 5, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||||
(xiv) | Amendment No. 14 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust as filed with the State of Ohio on November 23, 2010 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 29, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||||
(xv) | Amendment No. 15 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust as filed with the State of Ohio on April 5, 2011 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||||
(xvi) | Amendment No. 16 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust as filed with the State of Ohio on August 23, 2011 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 24, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||||
(xvii) | Amendment No. 17 to Agreement and Declaration of Trust as filed with the State of Ohio on November 17, 2011 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 28, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||||
(b) | By-laws adopted as of October 17, 2002 Filed with Registrants initial registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 21, 2002 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||||
(c) | Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders None. | |||||||||
(d) | Investment Advisory Contracts: | |||||||||
1. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Amended and Restated Management Agreement with Spectrum Advisory Services, Inc. (Spectrum) with regard to the Marathon Value Portfolio Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 26, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||||
(b) | Copy of the Side Letter Agreement with Spectrum regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Marathon Value Portfolio for the 2011 fiscal year Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 28, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. |
2. | (a | ) | Copy of Registrants Amended and Restated Management Agreement with Becker Capital Management, Inc. with regard to the Becker Value Equity Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 24, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(b | ) | Copy of the Side Letter Agreement with Becker Capital Management, Inc., regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Becker Value Equity Fund for the period ended February 28, 2013 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 24, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||||
3. | (a | ) | Copy of Registrants Amended and Restated Management Agreement with Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. with regard to the Crawford Dividend Growth Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 2, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(b | ) | Copy of Registrants Side Letter Agreement with Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Crawford Dividend Growth Fund for the period ended April 30, 2013 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 14, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||||
4. | |
Copy of Registrants Amended and Restated Management Agreement with IMS Capital Management, Inc. with regard to the IMS Capital Value Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 22, 2007, and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||||
5. | (a | ) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with IMS Capital Management, Inc. with regard to the IMS Dividend Growth Fund (formerly known as the Strategic Allocation Fund) approved June 6, 2004 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated September 28, 2004 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(b | ) | Copy of Registrants Side Letter Agreement with IMS Capital Management, Inc. regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the IMS Dividend Growth Fund for the period ending October 31, 2012 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 28, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||||
6. | |
Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with IMS Capital Management, Inc. with regard to the IMS Strategic Income Fund approved June 6, 2004 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated September 28, 2004 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||||
7. | (a | ) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with Financial Counselors, Inc. with regard to the FCI Value Equity Fund approved June 13, 2005 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated June 15, 2005 and incorporated herein by reference. |
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with Financial Counselors, Inc. regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the FCI Value Equity Fund for the period ending January 31, 2013 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated January 30, 2012 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
8. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with Financial Counselors, Inc. with regard to the FCI Bond Fund approved June 13, 2005 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated June 15, 2005 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with Financial Counselors, Inc. regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the FCI Bond Fund for the period ending January 31, 2013 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated January 30, 2012 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
9. | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with The Roosevelt Investment Group with respect to the Roosevelt Multi-Cap Fund, approved September 12, 2005 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 5, 2005 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
10. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with SMI Advisory Services, LLC with regard to the Sound Mind Investing Fund approved August 29, 2005 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 6, 2005 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with SMI Advisory Services, LLC regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Sound Mind Investing Fund for the 2011 fiscal year Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 28, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
11. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Amended Management Agreement with Toreador Research & Trading LLC with regard to Toreador Large Cap Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 31, 2009 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with Toreador Research & Trading LLC regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Toreador Large Cap Fund for the 2011 fiscal year Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
12. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Amended and Restated Management Agreement with Iron Financial, LLC dated November 10, 2008 with regard to the Iron Strategic Income Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated January 28, 2009 and incorporated herein by reference. |
13. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with Leeb Capital Management, Inc. with regard to Leeb Focus Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 30, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with Leeb Capital Management, Inc. regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Leeb Focus Fund for the period ended June 30, 2012 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 1, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
14. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management, Inc. with regard to Appleseed Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 2, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management, Inc. regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Appleseed Fund for period ending February 28, 2013 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated January 30, 2012 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
15. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with Symons Capital Management, Inc. with regard to the Symons Capital Appreciation Institutional Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 14, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with Symons Capital Management, Inc. regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Symons Capital Appreciation Institutional Fund for the period ended March 31, 2016 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
16. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with Symons Capital Management, Inc. with regard to the Symons Value Institutional Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 14, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with Symons Capital Management, Inc. regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Symons Value Institutional Fund for the period ended March 31, 2016 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
17. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Interim Management Agreement with Dean Investment Associates, LLC with regard to the Dean Mid Cap Value Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. |
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with Dean Investment Associates, LLC regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Dean Mid Cap Value Fund for the period ended July 31, 2012 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated March 31, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
18. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Interim Management Agreement with Dean Investment Associates, LLC with regard to the Dean Small Cap Value Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with Dean Investment Associates, LLC regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Dean Small Cap Value Fund for the period ended July 31, 2012 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
19. | Copy of Interim Subadvisory Agreement between Dean Investment Associates, LLC and Dean Capital Management, LLC with regard to the Dean Mid Cap Value Fund and Dean Small Cap Value Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
20. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with Mirzam Asset Management, LLC with regard to the Mirzam Capital Appreciation Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 22, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with Mirzam Asset Management, LLC regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Mirzam Capital Appreciation Fund for the period ending November 30, 2013 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 29, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(c) | Copy of Sub-Advisory Agreement between Mirzam Asset Management, LLC and Bastiat Capital, LLC with regard to Mirzam Capital Appreciation Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 22, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
21. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with SB-Auer Funds, LLC with regard to the Auer Growth Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with SB-Auer Funds, LLC regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Auer Growth Fund for the 2011 fiscal year Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated March 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. |
22. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with Envestnet Asset Management, Inc. with regard to 3 to 1 Diversified Equity Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Side Letter Agreement with Envestnet Asset Management, Inc. regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the 3 to 1 Diversified Equity Fund for the 2011 fiscal year Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1a dated April 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(c) | Copy of Subadvisory Agreement between Envestnet Asset Management, Inc. and London Company of Virginia with regard to 3 to 1 Diversified Equity Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(d) | Copy of Subadvisory Agreement between Envestnet Asset Management, Inc. and Pictet Asset Management, Ltd. with regard to 3 to 1 Diversified Equity Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(e) | Copy of Subadvisory Agreement between Envestnet Asset Management, Inc. and Victory Capital Management, Inc. with regard to 3 to 1 Diversified Equity Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(f) | Copy of Subadvisory Agreement between Envestnet Asset Management, Inc. and Loomis, Sayles & Company, LP with regard to 3 to 1 Diversified Equity Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
23. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with Envestnet Asset Management, Inc. with regard to 3 to 1 Strategic Income Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Side Letter Agreement with Envestnet Asset Management, Inc. regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the 3 to 1 Strategic Income Fund for the 2011 fiscal year Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(c) | Copy of Subadvisory Agreement between Envestnet Asset Management, Inc. and Loomis, Sayles & Company, LP with regard to 3 to 1 Strategic Income Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. |
(d) | Copy of Subadvisory Agreement between Envestnet Asset Management, Inc. and SMH Capital Advisors, Inc. with regard to 3 to 1 Strategic Income Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
24. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with Symons Capital Management, Inc. with regard to the Symons Small Cap Institutional Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 29, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with Symons Capital Management, Inc. regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Symons Small Cap Institutional Fund for the period ended March 31, 2016 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
25. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with Jones Villalta Asset Management, LLC with regard to the Jones Villalta Opportunity Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 16, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Form of Side Letter Agreement with Jones Villalta Asset Management, LLC regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Jones Villalta Opportunity Fund for the 2011 fiscal year Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 28, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
26. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with SMI Advisory Services, LLC with regard to the Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 23, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with SMI Advisory Services, LLC regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund for the 2010 fiscal year Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 23, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(c) | Copy of Subadvisory Agreement between SMI Advisory Services, LLC and Reams Asset Management Co., LLC with regard to the Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 23, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
27. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with Leeb Capital Management, Inc. with regard to the Leeb Resources Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 8, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. |
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with Leeb Capital Management, Inc. regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Leeb Resources Fund for the period ended June 30, 2012 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 1, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
28. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with 1492 Capital Management, LLC with regard to the 1492 Small Cap Growth Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 14, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with 1492 Capital Management, LLC regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the 1492 Small Cap Growth Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 14, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
29. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with 1492 Capital Management, LLC with regard to the 1492 Small Cap Value Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 14, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with 1492 Capital Management, LLC regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the 1492 Small Cap Value Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 14, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
30. | (a) | Copy of Registrants Management Agreement with Martin Capital Management, LLC with regard to the Martin Focused Value Fund filed herewith. | ||||||
(b) | Copy of Side Letter Agreement with Martin Capital Management, LLC regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Martin Focused Value Fund for the period ending June 30, 2015 Filed herewith. | |||||||
(e) | (1) | Underwriting Contracts. | ||||||
(a) | Copy of Registrants Distribution Agreement with Unified Financial Securities, Inc., dated December 18, 2002, as amended December 13, 2004 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 30, 2004 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(b) | Copy of Registrants amended and restated Distribution Agreement with Unified Financial Securities, Inc., dated January 17, 2007 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 3, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference. |
(2) | Underwriting Contracts. Copy of Distribution Agreement among Registrant, Becker Capital Management, Inc. and Unified Financial Securities, Inc., dated October 17, 2003 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 31, 2003 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(3) | Underwriting Contracts. Copy of Distribution Agreement among Registrant, Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. and Unified Financial Securities, Inc., approved December 7, 2003 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 29, 2003 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(4) | Underwriting Contracts. Copy of Distribution Agreement among Registrant, IMS Capital Management, Inc. and Foreside Distribution Services, L.P., dated July 1, 2008 - Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 30, 2009 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(f) | Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts None. | |||||||
(g) | Custodian Agreements. | |||||||
(1) | Copy of Registrants Custodian Agreement with Huntington National Bank, dated December 18, 2002 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 31, 2002 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(2) | (a) | Custodian Agreement. Copy of Registrants Custodian Agreement with U.S. Bank, N.A., dated September 23, 2005 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated September 30, 2005 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||
(b) | Amendment to Custodial Agreement between U.S. Bank, N.A. and Registrant, dated December 2005 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A December 7, 2005 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(h) | (1) | (a) | Other Material Contracts. Amended Mutual Fund Services Agreement between Registrant and Unified Fund Services, Inc. Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 1, 2005 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(b) | Amendment to Amended Mutual Fund Services Agreement between Registrant and Unified Fund Services, Inc., effective as of October 1, 2007 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 30, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(c) | Registrants Investor Class Administration Plan for the Iron Strategic Income Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 5, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||
(d) | Registrants Retail Class Administrative Services Plan for the Toreador Large Cap Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 31, 2009 and incorporated herein by reference. |
(e) | Registrants Investor Class Administrative Services Plan for the Appleseed Fund - Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated January 28, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||||||
(f) | Registrants Retail Class Administrative Services Plan for the Becker Value Equity Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 24, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||||||
(g) | Registrants Class R Administrative Services Plan for the Crawford Dividend Growth Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 14, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||||||
(h) | Registrants Retail Class Administrative Services Plan for the Martin Focused Value Fund To be filed. | |||||||||||
(i) |
|
Legal Opinion and Consent Legal opinion was filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated November 28, 2011 and is incorporated herein by reference. The consent of Thompson Hine LLP is filed herewith. | ||||||||||
(j) |
Other Opinions None. | |||||||||||
(k) |
Omitted Financial Statements None. | |||||||||||
(l) |
|
Initial Capital Agreements. Copy of Letter of Investment Intent from Unified Fund Services, Inc., dated December 30, 2002 Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 31, 2002 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||||||
(m) |
(1 | ) | Copy of Revised Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan for Crawford Dividend Growth Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated May 2, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||||||
(2 | ) | Copy of Revised Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan for the Roosevelt Multi-Cap Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 24, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||||||
(3 | ) | Copy of Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan for FCI Value Equity Fund and FCI Bond Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 30, 2005 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||||||
(4 | ) | Copy of Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan with respect to the Toreador Large Cap Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 2, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||||||||
(5 | ) | Copy of Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan with respect to the Appleseed Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 2, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference. |
(6) | Copy of Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan with respect to the Mirzam Capital Appreciation Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 30, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(7) | Copy of Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan with respect to the 3 to 1 Diversified Equity Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(8) | Copy of Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan with respect to the 3 to 1 Strategic Income Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 1, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(9) | Copy of Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan with respect to the Auer Growth Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(10) | Copy of Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan with respect to the Jones Villalta Opportunity Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 16, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(11) | Copy of Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan with respect to the Investor Class Shares of the Iron Strategic Income Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 5, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(12) | Copy of Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan with respect to the Class A Shares of the Leeb Resources Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(13) | Copy of Rule 12b-1 Distribution Plan with respect to the Retail Class Shares of the Martin Focused Value Fund To be filed. | |||||
(n) | (1) | Copy of Amended and Restated Rule 18f-3 Plan for Crawford Dividend Growth Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 14, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||
(2) | Copy of Rule 18f-3 Plan for Iron Strategic Income Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 5, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(3) | Copy of Rule 18f-3 Plan for the Toreador Large Cap Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 31, 2009 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(4) | Copy of Rule 18f-3 Plan for the Appleseed Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated January 28, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(5) | Copy of Rule 18f-3 Plan for the Becker Value Equity Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 24, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. |
(6) | Copy of Rule 18f-3 Plan for the Martin Focused Value Fund To be filed. | |||||
(o) | Reserved. | |||||
(p) | (1) | Registrants Amended Code of Ethics Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A on June 20, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||
(2) | Code of Ethics for Senior Executive Officers Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 31, 2003 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(3) | Code of Ethics adopted by Unified Financial Securities, Inc., as distributor to Registrant Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A on July 3, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(q) | (1) | Registrants Revised Proxy Voting Policy Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated July 1, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | ||||
(2) | ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines adopted by Becker Capital Management, Inc. Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 31, 2003 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(3) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 29, 2003 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(4) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Spectrum Advisory Services, Inc. Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 27, 2004 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(5) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by IMS Capital Management, Inc. with regard to each of the IMS Funds Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated September 28, 2004 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(6) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Financial Counselors, Inc. with regard to each of the FCI Funds Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated June 15, 2005 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(7) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by with Toreador Research & Trading LLC as advisor to Toreador Large Cap Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated February 2, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(8) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Leeb Capital Management, Inc. as advisor to Leeb Focus Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated September 19, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference. |
(9) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management, Inc. as advisor to Appleseed Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 2, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(10) | Updated Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Symons Capital Management, Inc. as advisor to Symons Institutional Funds Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 1, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(11) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by SMI Advisory Services, LLC as advisor to Sound Mind Investing Funds Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 13, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(12) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Dean Investment Associates, LLC as advisor to the Dean Funds Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated March 7, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(13) | Proxy Voting Guidelines used with respect to Roosevelt Multi-Cap Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 11, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(14) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Bastiat Capital, LLC as sub-advisor to the Mirzam Capital Appreciation Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated August 22, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(15) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by London Company of Virginia as sub-adviser to the 3 to 1 Diversified Equity Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(16) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Pictet Asset Management, Ltd. as sub-adviser to the 3 to 1 Diversified Equity Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(17) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by SMH Capital Advisors, Inc. as sub-adviser to the 3 to 1 Strategic Income Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(18) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Loomis, Sayles & Company, LP as sub-adviser to the 3 to 1 Strategic Income Fund and 3 to 1 Diversified Equity Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. |
(19) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by SBAuer Funds, LLC as adviser to the Auer Growth Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(20) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Jones Villalta Asset Management, LLC as adviser to the Jones Villalta Opportunity Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated October 16, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(21) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Victory Capital Management, Inc. as sub-adviser to the 3 to 1 Diversified Equity Fund Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated April 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(22) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by 1492 Capital Management, LLC as advisor to the 1492 Funds Filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A dated December 14, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference. | |||||
(23) | Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures adopted by Martin Capital Management, LLC as advisor to the Martin Focused Value Fund To be filed. |
Item 29. | Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant |
The controlling shareholder of each of the FCI Bond Fund and FCI Value Equity Fund (together, the FCI Funds), Midtrusco, is under common control with the FCI Funds investment adviser, Financial Counselors, Inc. Financial Counselors, Inc. is owned 100% by FCI Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation.
Dean Investment Associates, LLC may be deemed to be under common control with each of the Dean Funds because various persons that own Dean Wealth Management LLP, a controlling shareholder of the Dean Funds, also indirectly own more than 75% of Dean Investment Associates, LLC.
Item 30. | Indemnification |
Article VI, Section 6.4 of the Declaration of Trust of Unified Series Trust, an Ohio business trust, provides that:
Indemnification of Trustees, Officers, etc. Subject to and except as otherwise provided in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the 1940 Act, the Trust shall indemnify each of its Trustees and officers (including persons who serve at the Trusts request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise (hereinafter referred to as a Covered Person) against all liabilities, including but not limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and penalties, and expenses, including reasonable accountants and counsel fees, incurred by any Covered Person in connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil or criminal, before any court or administrative or legislative body, in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved as a party or otherwise or with which such person
may be or may have been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of being or having been such a Trustee or officer, director or trustee, and except that no Covered Person shall be indemnified against any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to which such Covered Person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Persons office.
Item 31. | Business and Other Connections of the Investment Advisers |
1. | Bastiat Capital, LLC (Bastiat) serves as sub-advisor to Mirzam Capital Appreciation Fund. Albert J. Meyer and William L. Culbertson, III, portfolio managers of the Mirzam Capital Appreciation Fund, each is a managing member of Bastiat. Further information about Bastiat can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
2. | Becker Capital Management, Inc. (Becker) serves as the investment adviser for the Becker Value Equity Fund, a series of the Trust. Patrick E. Becker serves as the Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Becker. Further information about Becker can be obtained from the Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
3. | Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. (Crawford) serves as the investment adviser for the Crawford Dividend Growth Fund, a series of the Trust. John H. Crawford III serves as President and Chief Investment Officer of Crawford. Further information about Crawford can be obtained from the Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
4. | Dean Investment Associates, LLC (Dean), serves as investment advisor to the Dean Funds. Stephen M. Miller serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of Dean, and each of Mark E. Schutter, Ronald A. Best and Debra E. Rindler are executive officers. Further information about Dean can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
5. | Dean Capital Management, LLC (DCM), serves as sub-advisor to the Dean Funds. Douglas Leach is an executive officer. Further information about DCM can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
6. | Financial Counselors, Inc. (FCI) serves as the investment adviser to the FCI Value Equity Fund and FCI Bond Fund, each a series of the Trust. Mr. Robert T. Hunter serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of FCI. Further information about FCI can be obtained from the Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
7. | IMS Capital Management, Inc.(IMS) serves as the investment adviser to the IMS Capital Value Fund, IMS Dividend Growth Fund and IMS Strategic Income Fund, each a series of the Trust. Mr. Carl W. Marker serves as Chairman and President of IMS. Further information about IMS can be obtained from the Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
8. | Iron Financial, LLC serves as investment advisor to the Iron Strategic Income Fund. Mr. Aaron Izenstark is the President and Mr. Richard Lakin is the Chief Compliance Officer of Iron Financial. Further information about Iron Financial can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
9. | Jones Villalta Asset Management, LLC (JVAM), serves as investment advisor to the Jones Villalta Opportunity Fund. Stephen M. Jones and Thomas E. Villalta are executive officers. Further information about JVAM can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
10. | Leeb Capital Management, Inc. (Leeb) serves as investment advisor to the Leeb Focus Fund and the Leeb Resources Fund. Steven L. Leeb is the Chief Executive Officer, and Patrick DeSouza and Donna A. Leeb are executive officers. Further information about Leeb can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
11. | Mirzam Asset Management, LLC (Mirzam) serves as investment advisor to Mirzam Capital Appreciation Fund. Mr. Clifford R. Morris is a managing member of Mirzam. Further information about Mirzam will be available from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
12. | Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management, Inc. (Pekin) serves as investment advisor to the Appleseed Fund. Mr. Ronald L. Strauss is the President of Pekin; Richard A. Singer, Brandon Hardy, Alan L. Zable, William A. Pekin, Adam Strauss, Joshua Strauss, and William Schmidle all are executive officers. Further information about Pekin can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
13. | SMI Advisory Services, LLC (SMI) serves as investment advisor to the Sound Mind Investing Fund and Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund, each a series of Registrant. Mr. Eric Collier, Mr. Mark Biller, and Mr. Anthony Ayers are all principals of SMI. Further information about SMI can be obtained from the Form ADV Part I of SMI available on the IAPD. |
14. | Spectrum Advisory Services, Inc. (Spectrum) serves as the investment advisor for the Marathon Value Portfolio, a series of the Trust. Mr. Marc Heilweil serves as President of Spectrum. Further information about Spectrum can be obtained from the Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
15. | Symons Capital Management, Inc. (Symons) serves as the investment advisor for the Symons Value Institutional Fund, Symons Capital Appreciation Institutional Fund, and Symons Small Cap Institutional Fund, each a series of the Trust. Edward L. Symons, Jr. is the Chairman and Founder, and Colin E. Symons, CFA, is the Chief Investment Officer. Christopher Rickard, Vickilynn Ellis, Richard F. Foran and Michael P. Czajka each are executive officers of Symons. Further information about Symons can be obtained from the Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
16. | The Roosevelt Investment Group (Roosevelt) serves as investment advisor to the Roosevelt Multi-Cap Fund. Mr. Arthur Sheer serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Roosevelt. David Sheer and Steven Weiss are executive officers. Further information about Roosevelt can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
17. | Toreador Research & Trading LLC (Toreador) serves as investment advisor to Toreador Large Cap Fund. Mr. Paul Blinn and Dan Obrycki are executive officers of Toreador. Further information about Toreador can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
18. | Envestnet Asset Management, Inc. (Envestnet) serves as investment adviser to the 3 to 1 Funds. Judson T. Bergman is the Chairman and CEO of Envestnet. Further information about Envestnet can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
19. | London Company of Virginia (London Company) serves as sub-adviser to the 3 to 1 Diversified Equity Fund. Mr. Stephen M. Goddard is the President of London Company. Further information about London Company can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
20. | Pictet Asset Management, Ltd. (Pictet) serves as sub-adviser to the 3 to 1 Diversified Equity Fund. Renaud Deplanta is the CEO and Richard Heelis is the CIO of Pictet. Further information about Pictet can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
21. | SMH Capital Advisors, Inc. (SMH Capital) serves as sub-adviser to the 3 to 1 Strategic Income Fund. Jeffrey Cummer is the President and a director of SMH Capital. Further information about SMH Capital can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
22. | Loomis, Sayles & Company, LP (Loomis Sayles) serves as sub-adviser to the 3 to 1 Strategic Income Fund and the 3 to 1 Diversified Equity Fund. Robert J. Blanding is the CEO of Loomis Sayles. Further information about Loomis Sayles can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
23. | SBAuer Funds, LLC (SBA) serves as investment adviser to the Auer Growth Fund. Mr. David Gilreath and Mr. Ronald Brock are executive officers of SBA and members of Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors, LLC. Further information about SBA and Sheaff Brock can be obtained from their respective Forms ADV Part I available on the IAPD |
24. | Reams Asset Management Company, LLC (Reams) serves as sub-adviser to the Sound Mind Investing Balanced Fund. David McKinney is the President of Reams. Further information about Reams can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
25. | Victory Capital Management, Inc. (Victory) serves as sub-adviser to the 3 to 1 Diversified Equity Fund. Mr. Robert L. Wagner is the President and CEO of Victory. Further information about Victory can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
26. | 1492 Capital Management, LLC (1492) serves as adviser to the 1492 Funds. Timothy T. Stracka and Joseph A. Frohna are the Managing Members of 1492. Further information about 1492 can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
27. | Martin Capital Management, LLC (Martin) serves as adviser to the Martin Focused Value Fund. Frank K. Martin is the sole Member of Martin. Further information about Martin can be obtained from its Form ADV Part I available on the IAPD. |
Item 32. | Unified Financial Securities, Inc. Unified Financial Securities, Inc. serves as the principal underwriter for the Trust. |
(a) | Unified Financial Securities, Inc. also serves as a principal underwriter for the following investment companies: American Pension Investors Trust, The Appleton Funds, Bruce Fund, Dividend Growth Trust, Dreman Contrarian Funds, H C Capital Trust, Huntington Funds, and Valued Advisers Trust. |
(b) | The directors and officers of Unified Financial Securities, Inc. are as follows: |
Name |
Title |
Position with Trust | ||
Daniel B. Benhase* |
Director | None | ||
AnnaMaria Spurgin** |
President | None | ||
John C. Swhear** |
Chief Compliance Officer | Sr. Vice President | ||
Edward J. Kane* |
Vice President | None | ||
A. Dawn Story* |
Vice President | None | ||
Varanont O. Ruchira** |
Assistant Vice President | None | ||
Karyn E. Cunningham** |
Controller | None | ||
Richard A. Cheap* |
Secretary | None | ||
Larry D. Case* |
Assistant Secretary | None |
* | The principal business address of these individuals is 41 S. High St. Columbus, OH 43215. |
** | The principal business address of these individuals is 2960 N. Meridian Street, Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208. |
(c) | Not applicable. |
Item 33. | Location of Accounts and Records |
Huntington Asset Services, Inc.
2960 N. Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
Will maintain physical possession of the accounts, books, and other documents required to be maintained by Rule 31a-(b)(1), 31a-1(b)(2), and 31a-1(b)(4) through 31a-1(b)(11).
Huntington National Bank
41 South High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
U.S. Bank, National Association
425 Walnut Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Will maintain physical possession of accounts, books, and other documents required to be maintained by Rule 31(b)(3) for each separate series for which the entity acts as custodian.
Unified Financial Securities, Inc.
2960 N. Meridian Street, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46208
Foreside Distribution Services, L.P.
100 Summer Street, Suite 1500
Boston, MA 02110
Will maintain physical possession of the accounts, books, and other documents required to be maintained by a principal underwriter under by Rule 31a-1(d) for each separate series for which the entity acts as principal underwriter.
Bastiat Capital, LLC
Granite Parkway, Suite 200
Plano, TX, 75024
Becker Capital Management, Inc.
1211 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 2185
Portland, OR 97204
Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc.
600 Galleria Parkway NW
Suite 1650
Atlanta, GA 30339
Dean Investment Associates, LLC
3500 Pentagon Blvd., Suite 200
Beavercreek, OH 45431
Dean Capital Management, LLC
7450 West 130th Street, Suite 150
Overland Park, KS 66213
Envestnet Asset Management, Inc.
35 East Wacker Drive, 16th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Financial Counselors, Inc.
442 West 47th Street
Kansas City, Missouri 63112
IMS Capital Management, Inc.
8995 S.E. Otty Road
Portland, Oregon 97266
Iron Financial, LLC
630 Dundee Rd.
Suite 200
Northbrook, IL 60062
Jones Villalta Asset Management, LLC
805 Las Cimas Parkway
Suite 125
Austin, TX 78746
Leeb Capital Management, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, 57th Floor
New York, NY 10110
Loomis, Sayles & Company, LP,
One Financial Center
Boston, Massachusetts 02111
London Company of Virginia
1801 Bayberry Court, Suite 301
Richmond, Virginia 23226
Mirzam Asset Management, LLC
930 W. Indiantown Road, Suite 204
Jupiter, FL 33458
Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management, Inc.
21 S. Clark Street, Suite 3325
Chicago, IL 60603
Pictet Asset Management, Ltd.
25 Old Broad Street
Tower 42, Level 37
London, EC2N 1HQ
Reams Asset Management Co., LLC
227 Washington St.
Columbus, IN 47202
SMI Advisory Services, LLC
11135 Baker Hollow Rd.
Columbus, IN 47201
Spectrum Advisory Services, Inc.
1050 Crown Pointe Parkway, Suite 750
Atlanta, GA 30338
Symons Capital Management, Inc.
650 Washington Road, Suite 800
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15228
The Roosevelt Investment Group
317 Madison Ave., Suite 1004
New York, New York 10017
Toreador Research & Trading LLC
7493 North Ingram
Suite 104
Fresno, California 93711
SMH Capital Advisors, Inc.
600 Travis, Suite 3100
Houston, Texas 77002
Victory Capital Management, Inc.
127 Public Square, 20th Floor
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
1492 Capital Management, LLC
309 North Water Street, Suite 505
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Martin Capital Management, LLC
300 NIBCO Parkway, Suite 301
Elkhart, IN 46516
Each advisor (or sub-advisor) will maintain physical possession of the accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Rule 31a-1(f) at the address listed above for each separate series of the Trust that the advisor manages.
Item 34. | Management Services |
None.
Item 35. | Undertakings |
Registrant hereby undertakes, if requested by the holders of at least 10% of the Registrants outstanding shares, to call a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of voting upon the question of removal of a trustee(s) and to assist in communications with other shareholders in accordance with Section 16(c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as though Section 16(c) applied.
Registrant hereby undertakes to furnish each person to whom a prospectus is delivered with a copy of its latest annual report to shareholders, upon request and without charge.
Registrant hereby undertakes to carry out all indemnification provisions of its Declaration of Trust in accordance with Investment Company Act Release No. 11330 (Sept. 4, 1980) and successor releases.
Insofar as indemnifications for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (1933 Act), may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling person of the Registrant
pursuant to the provision under Item 27 herein, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and is, therefor, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 214 to its Registration Statement on Form N-1A to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of Indianapolis and the State of Indiana on February 6, 2012.
UNIFIED SERIES TRUST | ||
By: | /s/ Brian L. Blomquist **** | |
Brian L. Blomquist, President |
Attest:
By: | /s/ Robert W. Silva***** | |
Robert W. Silva, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer | ||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated by the consent of all of Registrants trustees.
Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
/s/ Brian L. Blomquist **** |
President | February 6, 2012 | ||
Brian L. Blomquist | ||||
/s/ Robert W. Silva***** |
Treasurer and CFO | February 6, 2012 | ||
Robert W. Silva | ||||
/s/ Daniel Condon * |
Trustee | February 6, 2012 | ||
Daniel Condon | ||||
/s/ Gary E. Hippenstiel * |
Trustee | February 6, 2012 | ||
Gary E. Hippenstiel | ||||
/s/ Stephen Little * |
Trustee | February 6, 2012 | ||
Stephen Little | ||||
/s/ Ronald Tritschler * |
Trustee | February 6, 2012 | ||
Ronald Tritschler | ||||
/s/ Nancy V. Kelly ** |
Trustee | February 6, 2012 | ||
Nancy V. Kelly | ||||
/s/ Kenneth Grant *** |
Trustee | February 6, 2012 | ||
Kenneth Grant |
*/**/***/****/***** |
/s/ Carol Highsmith |
|||
Carol Highsmith, Attorney in Fact |
*Signed pursuant to a Power of Attorney dated May 21, 2007 and filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A on June 21, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference.
**Signed pursuant to a Power of Attorney dated December 12, 2007 and filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A on December 17, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference.
***Signed pursuant to a Power of Attorney dated June 19, 2008 and filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A on July 3, 2008 and incorporated herein by reference.
****Signed pursuant to a Power of Attorney dated March 18, 2011 and filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A on March 29, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference.
*****Signed pursuant to a Power of Attorney dated June 24, 2011 and filed with Registrants registration statement on Form N-1A on June 24, 2011 and incorporated herein by reference.
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit |
Description | |
EX.99.d | (1) Management Agreement with Martin Capital Management, LLC with respect to the Martin Focused Value Fund | |
(2) Side Letter Agreement with Martin Capital Management, LLC regarding fee waiver and expense reimbursement with respect to the Martin Focused Value Fund | ||
EX.99.i | Consent of Legal Counsel |
MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
To: | Martin Capital Management, LLC | |
300 NIBCO Parkway, Suite 301 | ||
Elkhart, IN 46516 |
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
Unified Series Trust, an Ohio business trust (the Trust), herewith confirms our agreement with you.
The Trust has been organized to engage in the business of a registered open-end investment company. The Trust currently offers several series of shares to investors, one of which is the Martin Focused Value Fund (the Fund).
You have been selected to act as the investment adviser of the Fund and to provide certain other services, as more fully set forth below, and you are willing to act as such investment adviser and to perform such services under the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth. Accordingly, the Trust agrees with you as set forth below.
1. | ADVISORY SERVICES |
You will regularly provide the Fund with such investment advice as you in your discretion deem advisable and will furnish a continuous investment program for the Fund consistent with the Funds investment objectives and policies as set forth in its then current Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information. You will determine the securities to be purchased for the Fund, the portfolio securities to be held or sold by the Fund and the portion of the Funds assets to be held uninvested, subject always to the Funds investment objectives, policies and restrictions, as each of the same shall be from time to time in effect, and subject further to such policies and instructions as the Board of Trustees for the Trust (the Board) may from time to time establish. You will advise and assist the officers of the Trust in taking such steps as are necessary or appropriate to carry out the decisions of the Board and committees of the Board regarding the conduct of the business of the Fund. You also will be responsible for voting proxies with respect to securities held by the Fund and reporting the Funds proxy voting record to the Funds administrator in the form required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or its staff on Form N-PX.
You may delegate any or all of the responsibilities, rights or duties described in this Agreement, with respect to all or a portion of the Fund, to one or more sub-advisers who shall enter into agreements with you; provided that each sub-adviser and your agreement with such sub-adviser are approved by the Board including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of you, the sub-adviser or of the Trust, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and (unless exempted by an
applicable order of the SEC or its staff issued under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act)) by a vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Any such delegation shall not relieve you from any liability hereunder.
2. | ALLOCATION OF CHARGES AND EXPENSES |
You will pay the compensation and expenses of any persons rendering any services to the Fund who are officers, directors, equity owners or employees of your company, and will make available, without expense to the Fund, the services of such of your employees as may duly be elected officers or trustees of the Trust, subject to their individual consent to serve and to any limitations imposed by law. The compensation and expenses of any officers, trustees and employees of the Trust who are not officers, directors, equity owners or employees of your company will be paid by the Fund. You will pay all expenses incurred by the Trust in connection with the organization of the Fund and the costs of obtaining the initial registration of Fund shares with the SEC pursuant to a post-effective amendment to the Trusts registration under the 1940 Act. You also will bear any expenses incurred in connection with voting proxies with respect to securities held in the Funds portfolio.
The Fund will be responsible for the payment of all expenses of the Fund, including fees and expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with membership in investment company organizations; brokerage fees and commissions; its allocable share of the fees and expenses of legal counsel to the Trust and legal counsel to the independent Trustees, fees and expenses of the Trusts independent public accountants; expenses of registering Fund shares under federal and state securities laws; insurance expenses; taxes or governmental fees; borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expenses on securities sold short); fees and expenses of the custodian, transfer agent, shareholder services agent, dividend disbursing agent, plan agent, administrator, accounting and pricing services agent and distributor of the Fund; expenses, including clerical expenses, of issue, sale, redemption or repurchase of shares of the Fund; the fees and expenses of officers and trustees of the Trust who are not affiliated with you (including, but not limited to, fees and expenses of the Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust); the cost of preparing and distributing reports and notices to shareholders; the cost of printing or preparing prospectuses and statements of additional information for delivery to the Funds shareholders; the cost of printing or preparing stock certificates or any other documents, statements or reports to shareholders; expenses of shareholders meetings and proxy solicitations; such extraordinary or non-recurring expenses as may arise, including any Legal Action (defined below) to which the Trust may be a party or to which it may otherwise be subject and indemnification for the Trusts officers and Trustees with respect thereto; or any other expense not specifically described above incurred in the performance of the Funds obligations. All other expenses not assumed by you and incurred by the Fund in connection with its operations will be borne by the Fund. The Fund will also pay expenses which it is authorized to pay pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
2
You may obtain reimbursement from the Fund, at such time or times as you may determine in your sole discretion, for any of the expenses advanced by you, which the Fund is obligated to pay, and such reimbursement shall not be considered to be part of your compensation pursuant to this Agreement.
In the event that the Fund is subject to an examination, inquiry or administrative action by the SEC staff or other federal or state regulator or self-regulatory organization, or if the Fund becomes the subject of any complaint, lawsuit or subpoena by any regulator, shareholder of the Fund or other party (collectively, Legal Action), you agree that any expense or cost incurred as a result of the Legal Action (including settlement costs) and not paid by the Fund as required above shall be paid directly by you. Expenses may include, but are not limited to, legal expenses; out-of-pocket expenses and normal hourly fees of the Trusts administrator, fund accountant, transfer agent, distributor, or auditor; standard fees related to meetings of the Board; out-of-pocket expenses and normal hourly fees of the Trusts Chief Compliance Officer; and any other expenses incurred as reasonably necessary, as determined by the Board, in order to respond to or comply with any Legal Action. If not paid by the Fund as required above, you agree to pay or reimburse such expenses promptly upon receipt of an invoice outlining each expense. This provision shall not apply to the extent that such Legal Action is brought as a result of the negligence, willful misfeasance or fraud of another service provider to the Fund as determined by the Board in its reasonable discretion. Section 2 shall survive termination of this Agreement.
3. | COMPENSATION OF THE ADVISER |
For all of the services to be rendered and payments to be made as provided in this Agreement, as of the last business day of each month, the Fund will pay you a fee at the annual rate of 0.90% of the average value of the Funds daily net assets:
The average value of the daily net assets of the Fund shall be determined pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Trusts Declaration of Trust or a resolution of the Board, if required. If, pursuant to such provisions, the determination of net asset value of the Fund is suspended for any particular business day, then for the purposes of this paragraph, the value of the net assets of the Fund as last determined shall be deemed to be the value of the net assets as of the close of the business day, or as of such other time as the value of the Funds net assets may lawfully be determined, on that day. If the determination of the net asset value of the Fund has been suspended for a period including such month, your compensation payable at the end of such month shall be computed on the basis of the value of the net assets of the Fund as last determined (whether during or prior to such month).
You agree that the Board of Trustees may suspend the payment of the advisory fee set forth above if you fail to follow directions of the Board as communicated to you in writing on behalf of the Board by its officers or legal counsel or the Trusts administrator, and that such suspension may continue until such time as you reasonably comply with such directions.
3
4. | EXECUTION OF PURCHASE AND SALE ORDERS |
In connection with purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the account of the Fund, it is understood that you (and/or any sub-advisers retained pursuant to paragraph 1 above (collectively for this purpose referred to as you)) will arrange for the placing of all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities for the Fund with brokers or dealers selected by you, subject to review of this selection by the Board from time to time. You will be responsible for providing trade tickets on a timely basis to Huntington Asset Services, Inc., the Trusts administrator, following the execution of trade orders. You agree to comply with the Trusts Valuation Policies and Procedures, as adopted by the Board and amended from time to time, in determining the fair value of securities held in the Funds portfolio as required by the Valuation Procedures from time to time.
You will be responsible for the negotiation and the allocation of principal trades and portfolio brokerage. In the selection of brokers or dealers and placing of orders, you are directed at all times to seek for the Fund the best qualitative execution, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), the execution capability, financial responsibility and responsiveness of the broker or dealer and the brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer.
You should generally seek favorable prices and commission rates that are reasonable in relation to the benefits received. In seeking best qualitative execution, you are authorized to select brokers or dealers who also provide brokerage and research services to the Fund and the other accounts over which you exercise investment discretion to the extent permitted by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and applicable SEC guidance. You are authorized to pay a broker or dealer who provides such eligible brokerage and research services a commission for executing a Fund portfolio transaction which is in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction; provided that you determine that the research or brokerage service meets the statutory definition, that the eligible product or service actually provides lawful and appropriate assistance in the performance of your investment decision-making responsibilities; and that the amount of commissions paid by the Fund is reasonable in light of the value of products or services received. The determination may be viewed in terms of either a particular transaction or your overall responsibilities with respect to the Fund and to accounts over which you exercise investment discretion. The Board shall periodically review the commissions paid by the Fund to determine if the commissions paid over representative periods of time were reasonable.
You may place portfolio transactions with brokers or dealers that promote or sell the Funds shares so long as such placements are made pursuant to policies approved by the Board that are designed to ensure that the selection is based on the quality of the brokers execution and not on its sales efforts.
4
Subject to the provisions of the 1940 Act, and other applicable law, you, any of your affiliates or any affiliate of your affiliates may retain compensation in connection with effecting the Funds portfolio transactions, including transactions effected through others. If any occasion should arise in which you give any advice to clients of yours concerning shares of the Fund, you will act solely as investment adviser for such client and not in any way on behalf of the Fund. Your services to the Fund pursuant to this Agreement are not to be deemed to be exclusive and it is understood that you may render investment advice, management and other services to others, including other registered investment companies.
5. | LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF ADVISER |
You may rely on information reasonably believed by you to be accurate and reliable. Except as may otherwise be required by the 1940 Act or the rules thereunder, neither you nor your shareholders, members, officers, directors, employees, agents, control persons or affiliates of any thereof shall be subject to any liability for, or any damages, expenses or losses incurred by the Trust in connection with, any error of judgment, mistake of law, any act or omission connected with or arising out of any services rendered under, or payments made pursuant to, this Agreement or any other matter to which this Agreement relates, except by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence on the part of any such persons in the performance of your duties under this Agreement, or by reason of reckless disregard by any of such persons of your obligations and duties under this Agreement.
Any person, even though also a director, officer, employee, member, shareholder or agent of you, who may be or become an officer, director, Trustee, employee or agent of the Trust, shall be deemed, when rendering services to the Trust or acting on any business of the Trust (other than services or business in connection with your duties hereunder), to be rendering such services to or acting solely for the Trust and not as a director, officer, employee, member, shareholder or agent of you, or one under your control or direction, even though paid by you.
6. | DURATION AND TERMINATION OF THIS AGREEMENT |
This Agreement shall take effect on the date that the Fund commences investment operations, and shall remain in force for a period of two (2) years from such date, and from year to year thereafter, subject to annual approval by: (i) the Board; or (ii) a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act); provided that in either event continuance is also approved by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of you or the Trust, by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting such approval.
If the shareholders of the Fund fail to approve this Agreement in the manner set forth above, upon request of the Board, you will continue to serve or act in such capacity for the Fund for the period of time pending required approval of this Agreement, of a new agreement with you or a different adviser or other definitive action; provided that the
5
compensation to be paid by the Fund to you for your services to and payments on behalf of the Fund will be equal to the lesser of your actual costs incurred in furnishing such services and payments or the amount you would have received under this Agreement for furnishing such services and payments.
This Agreement may, on 60 days written notice, be terminated with respect to the Fund, at any time without the payment of any penalty, by the Board, by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, or by you. This Agreement shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act).
This provision shall survive termination of the Agreement.
7. | FUND CLOSING |
You hereby acknowledge that if you: (i) advise the Board that you no longer wish to continue managing the Fund, or (ii) become financially unable or refuse to fulfill any of your obligations under any agreement with the Fund, including any expense limitation agreement, the Board may determine to cease operations of the Fund and to redeem all outstanding shares of the Fund after notice to shareholders. In the event that your actions result in the closing of the Fund, you agree as follows:
(A) | you will provide at least 90 days advance notice to the Trusts Board of Trustees in the event that you no longer wish to continue managing the Fund; |
(B) | you will execute the Trusts standard Plan of Liquidation in the form approved by the Board of Trustees from time to time; |
(C) | any expense limitation agreement in place between you and the Fund shall remain in full force and effect through the date that the Fund is closed. You agree to promptly pay the amount of any outstanding adviser receivable that you owe to the Fund upon demand by the Board; |
(D) | you (and not Fund shareholders) shall bear all reasonable costs incurred by the Fund in connection with the closing. Closing costs include, but may not be limited to, fees and expenses of the Trustees and legal counsel, custodial costs, Fund operating costs incurred during the termination period, insurance costs, administrative fees and expenses incurred in connection with filing final notices or reports to the SEC and/or other regulatory agencies on behalf of the Fund, and fees charged by the Funds independent public accountants; and |
(E) | to the extent that you fail to pay any amount owed to the Fund under this Agreement, you agree that the Board may deduct such amount from any redemption proceeds payable to any Fund account held in your name or in the name of any of your principals, officers, directors, managers or affiliates. |
6
This Section 7 shall survive termination of the Agreement.
8. | USE OF NAME |
The Trust and you acknowledge that all rights to the term Martin Focused Value Fund belong to you, and that the Trust is being granted a limited license to use such term in its Fund name or in any class name. In the event you cease to be the adviser to the Fund, the Trusts right to the use of the term Martin Focused Value Fund shall automatically cease on the 90th day following the termination of this Agreement. The right to the name may also be withdrawn by you during the term of this Agreement upon 90 days written notice by you to the Trust. Nothing contained herein shall impair or diminish in any respect, your right to use the term Martin in the name of, or in connection with, any other business enterprises with which you are or may become associated. There is no charge to the Trust for the right to use this name.
9. | AMENDMENT OF THIS AGREEMENT |
No provision of this Agreement may be changed, waived, discharged or terminated orally, and no amendment of this Agreement shall be effective until approved by the Board, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of you or of the Trust, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, and (if required under interpretations of the 1940 Act by the SEC or its staff) by vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the series to which the amendment relates.
10. | LIMITATION OF LIABILITY TO TRUST PROPERTY |
The term Trustees means and refers to the Trusts trustees from time to time serving under the Trusts Declaration of Trust as the same may be amended from time to time. It is expressly agreed that the obligations of the Trust hereunder shall not be binding upon any of the trustees, shareholders, nominees, officers, agents or employees of the Trust personally, but bind only the trust property of the Trust, as provided in the Trusts Declaration of Trust. The execution and delivery of this Agreement have been authorized by the Trustees and shareholders of the Fund and signed by officers of the Trust, acting as such, and neither such authorization by such Trustees and shareholders nor such execution and delivery by such officers shall be deemed to have been made by any of them individually or to impose any liability on any of them personally, but shall bind only the trust property of the Trust as provided in its Declaration of Trust. A copy of the Declaration of Trust is on file with the Secretary of the State of Ohio.
7
11. | SEVERABILITY |
In the event any provision of this Agreement is determined to be void or unenforceable, such determination shall not affect the remainder of this Agreement, which shall continue to be in force.
12. | QUESTIONS OF INTERPRETATION |
(a) This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Ohio.
(b) For the purpose of this Agreement, the terms majority of the outstanding voting securities, control, assignment and interested person shall have their respective meanings as defined in the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder, subject, however, to such exemptions as may be granted by the SEC under the 1940 Act.
(c) Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the 1940 Act shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the 1940 Act and to interpretation thereof, if any, by the United States courts or in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by the SEC or its staff. In addition, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act, reflected in any provision of this Agreement, is revised by rule, regulation, order or interpretation of the SEC or its staff, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation, order or interpretation.
13. | NOTICES |
Any notices under this Agreement shall be in writing, addressed and delivered or mailed postage paid to the other party at such address as such other party may designate for the receipt of such notice. Until further notice to the other party, it is agreed that the address of the Trust is 2960 N. Meridian Street, Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46208, and your address for this purpose shall be 300 NIBCO Parkway, Suite 301, Elkhart, IN 46516.
14. | COUNTERPARTS |
This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
15. | BINDING EFFECT |
Each of the undersigned expressly warrants and represents that he has the full power and authority to sign this Agreement on behalf of the party indicated, and that his signature will operate to bind the party indicated to the foregoing terms.
8
16. | CAPTIONS |
The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no way define or limit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.
If you are in agreement with the foregoing, please sign the form of acceptance below and return it to the Trust, whereupon this letter shall become a binding contract effective as of the date set forth above.
Approved by the Board of Trustees on November 14, 2011.
Yours very truly,
UNIFIED SERIES TRUST | ||
By: | /s/ John C. Swhear | |
John Swhear, Senior Vice President |
ACCEPTANCE | ||
The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted. | ||
MARTIN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC | ||
By: | /s/ Frank K. Martin | |
Name: | Frank K. Martin | |
Title: | CEO & Chief Investment Officer |
9
Martin Capital Management, LLC
300 NIBCO Parkway, Suite 301
Elkhart, IN 46516
Letter Agreement
February 3, 2012
To: | Unified Series Trust | |
2960 North Meridian Street, Suite 300 | ||
Indianapolis, Indiana 46208 |
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have been engaged as the investment adviser to the Martin Focused Value Fund (the Fund) pursuant to the Management Agreement approved by the Board of Trustees as of the date set forth above.
Effective as of the date that the Fund commences investment operations, we hereby agree to waive our advisory fee and/or reimburse expenses of the Fund, but only to the extent necessary to maintain the Funds total annual operating expenses, excluding brokerage fees and commissions; borrowing costs (such as (a) interest and (b) dividend expenses on securities sold short); any 12b-1 fees; taxes; any indirect expenses, such as fees and expenses of acquired funds; and extraordinary litigation expenses) at 1.00% of the Funds average daily net assets. This Agreement shall continue in place until the earlier to occur of June 30, 2015, or such date as the Fund is liquidated in accordance with the provisions of the Declaration of Trust or Bylaws. We understand that we may not terminate this Agreement prior to such date, except that we may voluntarily agree to lower the expense cap.
Any waiver or reimbursement by us is subject to repayment by the Fund in the three fiscal years following the fiscal year in which the particular waiver or reimbursement occurred; provided that the Fund is able to make the repayment without exceeding the 1.00% expense limitation.
Very truly yours, | ||
Martin Capital Management, LLC | ||
By: | /s/ Frank K. Martin | |
Name: | Frank K. Martin | |
Title: | CEO and Chief Investment Officer | |
Acceptance |
The foregoing is hereby accepted.
UNIFIED SERIES TRUST | ||
By: | /s/ John C. Swhear | |
John Swhear, Senior Vice President |
January 5, 2012
Unified Series Trust
2960 North Meridian Street
Suite 300
Indianapolis, Indiana 46208
Re: Unified Series Trust, File Nos. 333-100654 and 811-21237
Gentlemen:
A legal opinion (the Legal Opinion) that we prepared was filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 203 to the Unified Series Trusts Registration Statement (the Registration Statement). We hereby give you our consent to incorporate by reference the Legal Opinion into Post-Effective Amendment No. 214 to the Registration Statement (the Amendment), and consent to all references to us in the Amendment.
Very truly yours, |
/s/ Thompson Hine LLP |
THOMPSON HINE LLP |
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THOMPSON COBURN LLP
One US Bank Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63101
(314) 552-6295
February 8, 2012
EDGAR CORRESPONDENCE
Deborah ONeal-Johnson, Esq.
Senior Counsel
Securities and Exchange Commission
450 5th Street, NW, 5-6
Washington, DC 20549
Re: | Unified Series Trust (SEC File Nos. 811-21237 and 333-100654) |
Dear Ms. ONeal-Johnson:
Enclosed for filing is Post-Effective Amendment (PEA) No. 214 to the registration statement on Form N-1A of Unified Series Trust (the Trust) in respect of its new series, Martin Focused Value Fund (the Fund).
We respectfully request that the SEC Staff selectively review only those sections of the Prospectus and SAI that relate to the new Fund as set forth below. We hereby affirm to the Staff that the other sections in the Funds Prospectus and SAI are the same in all material respects as the standard provisions included in numerous Trust filings, which previously have been reviewed by the Staff.
PROSPECTUS
SUMMARY SECTION |
Investment Objective |
Fees and Expenses of the Fund |
Principal Investment Strategies & Principal Risks |
Portfolio Management |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS INVESTMENT STRATEGIES |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND |
Adviser |
Portfolio Manager |
SAI
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND FUND |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT FUNDS INVESTMENTS AND RISK CONSIDERATIONS |
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS |
INVESTMENT ADVISER |
Please contact me at (314) 552-6295 with your comments. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
THOMPSON COBURN LLP
By: /s/ Dee Anne Sjögren
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