0001752724-19-001368.txt : 20190114 0001752724-19-001368.hdr.sgml : 20190114 20190111173535 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001752724-19-001368 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: N-CEN PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 2 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20181031 FILED AS OF DATE: 20190114 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20190111 EFFECTIVENESS DATE: 20190114 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: FIRST TRUST SERIES FUND CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001497778 IRS NUMBER: 000000000 STATE OF INCORPORATION: MA FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: N-CEN SEC ACT: 1940 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 811-22452 FILM NUMBER: 19523116 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 120 EAST LIBERTY DRIVE, SUITE 400 CITY: WHEATON STATE: IL ZIP: 60187 BUSINESS PHONE: 630-765-8000 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 120 EAST LIBERTY DRIVE, SUITE 400 CITY: WHEATON STATE: IL ZIP: 60187 0001497778 S000030198 First Trust Preferred Securities and Income Fund 0001497778 S000030199 First Trust/Confluence Small Cap Value Fund 0001497778 S000038285 First Trust Short Duration High Income Fund 0001497778 S000051546 First Trust AQA Equity Fund N-CEN 1 primary_doc.xml X0101 N-CEN LIVE 0001497778 XXXXXXXX 811-22452 false false false N-1A S000030199 true S000030198 true S000038285 true S000051546 true First Trust Series Fund 811-22452 0001497778 549300RL1B5O4HI4N885 120 E. Liberty Drive Suite 400 Wheaton 60187 US-IL US 630-765-8000 Confluence Investment Management LLC 20 Allen Avenue Suite 300 Saint Louis 63119 314-743-5090 Records related to the registrant and investment sub-adviser. The Bank of New York Mellon 240 Greenwich Street New York 10286 212-495-1784 Records related to fund accounting, custody, transfer agent, and administration. First Trust Advisors L.P. 120 East Liberty Drive Suite 400 Wheaton 60187 630-765-8000 Records related to the registrant and investment adviser. Stonebridge Advisors LLC 10 Westport Road Suite C101 Wilton 06897 203-762-0004 Records related to the registrant and investment sub-adviser. J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC 500 West Jefferson Street Louisville 40202 833-604-3163 Records related to the registrant and investment sub-adviser. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 50 Post Office Square Boston 02110 617-772-1818 Fund Accounting, Custody and certain Administration records. BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. 301 Bellevue Parkway Wilmington 19809 302-791-1700 Records related to transfer agent. Y N N-1A 4 Y Richard E. Erickson N/A N Thomas R. Kadlec 001721772 N Niel B. Nielson N/A N Robert F. Keith N/A N James A. Bowen 001123316 Y Kristi A. Maher N/A 120 E. 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INC. 008-01447 000000793 5WUVMA08EYG4KEUPW589 16855.08000000 16855.08 0.00000000 Y 19912376.92 N true INTERNAL CONTROL RPT 2 g1aiii_seriesfund.htm Form 8-K

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholders and Board of Trustees of First Trust Series Fund:

In planning and performing our audits of the financial statements of First Trust Series Fund (the “Trust”), including the First Trust/Confluence Small Cap Value Fund, First Trust Preferred Securities and Income Fund, First Trust AQA® Equity Fund, and First Trust Short Duration High Income Fund, as of and for the year ended October 31, 2018, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), we considered the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting, including controls over safeguarding securities, as a basis for designing our auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our opinion on the financial statements and to comply with the requirements of Form N-CEN, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

The management of the Trust is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting. In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and judgments by management are required to assess the expected benefits and related costs of controls. A fund’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A fund’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the fund; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the fund are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the fund; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of a fund’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

A deficiency in internal control over financial reporting exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the fund’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

Our consideration of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting was for the limited purpose described in the first paragraph and would not necessarily disclose all deficiencies in internal control that might be material weaknesses under standards established by the PCAOB. However, we noted no deficiencies in the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting and its operation, including controls for safeguarding securities that we consider to be a material weakness, as defined above, as of October 31, 2018.

This report is intended solely for the information and use of management and the Board of Trustees of the Trust and the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties.

/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Chicago, Illinois

December 20, 2018