N-2 1 ea0205498-02_n2.htm N-2

 

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 10, 2024

 

Securities Act File No. [          ]

1940 Act File No. 811-23965

 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM N-2

 

  REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 þ
  Pre-Effective Amendment No. __ ¨
  Post-Effective Amendment No. __ ¨
 

 

and

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940

 þ
  Amendment No. __ ¨

 

Variant Alternative Lending FUND

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

c/o UMB Fund Services, Inc.

235 West Galena Street

Milwaukee, WI 53212

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

414-299-2217

(Registrant’s Telephone Number)

 

Ann Maurer

235 West Galena Street

Milwaukee, WI 53212

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

Copy to:

Joshua B. Deringer, Esq.

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

One Logan Square, Ste. 2000

Philadelphia, PA 19103-6996

215-988-2700

 

APPROXIMATE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING:

AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE AFTER THE DATE ON WHICH THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT BECOMES EFFECTIVE

 

 

 

 

  ¨ Check box if the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans.
  þ Check box if any securities being registered on this Form will be offered on a delayed or continuous basis in reliance on Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”), other than securities offered in connection with a dividend reinvestment plan.
  ¨ Check box if this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction A.2 or a post-effective amendment thereto.
  ¨ Check box if this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction B or a post-effective amendment thereto that will become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act.
  ¨ Check box if this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction B to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act.

 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)

 

  ¨ when declared effective pursuant to Section 8(c) of the Securities Act

 

If appropriate, check the following box:

 

  ☐ This [post-effective] amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed [post-effective amendment] [registration statement].

 

  ☐ This Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is: .

 

  ☐ This Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is: .

 

  ☐ This Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is: .

 

Check each box that appropriately characterizes the Registrant:

 

  ☒ Registered Closed-End Fund (closed-end company that is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”)).

 

  ☐ Business Development Company (closed-end company that intends or has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act).

 

  ☐ Interval Fund (Registered Closed-End Fund or a Business Development Company that makes periodic repurchase offers under Rule 23c-3 under the Investment Company Act).

 

  ☐ A.2 Qualified (qualified to register securities pursuant to General Instruction A.2 of this Form).

 

  ☐ Well-Known Seasoned Issuer (as defined by Rule 405 under the Securities Act).

 

  ☐ Emerging Growth Company (as defined by Rule 12b-2 under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934).

 

  ☐ If an Emerging Growth Company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.

 

  ☒ New Registrant (registered or regulated under the Investment Company Act for less than 12 calendar months preceding this filing).

  

THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(A) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SECTION 8(A), MAY DETERMINE.

 

 

  

 

 

Subject to Completion, Dated May 10, 2024

 

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 is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

VARIANT ALTERNATIVE LENDING FUND

 

PROSPECTUS

 

Institutional Class Shares

 

[   ], 2024

 

The Variant Alternative Lending Fund (the “Fund”) is a newly organized Delaware statutory trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund operates under an Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated May 6, 2024 (the “Declaration of Trust”). Variant Investments, LLC serves as the investment adviser (the “Investment Manager”) of the Fund. The Investment Manager is an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Fund intends to qualify and elect to be treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

 

The investment objective of the Fund is to seek to provide a high level of current income. Capital appreciation is considered a secondary objective. Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes), directly or indirectly, in senior secured alternative income-generating lending investments (“Alternative Lending Investments”). For the purpose of this policy, Alternative Lending Investments are investments that the Investment Manager believes are outside of traditional public equity and bond markets and are likely to generate an interest payment, pay dividends or have other forms of distributions that generally accrue value over time, or securities that provide the Fund with exposure to such investments. The Fund’s Alternative Lending Investments may include, but are not limited to, specialty finance, litigation finance-related investments, real estate debt securities, transportation finance, portfolio finance, trade finance, royalties, warehouse facilities, purchases of interests in private credit funds in the secondary market, and warrants and equity securities acquired by the Fund in connection with the restructuring of Alternative Lending Investments. The Fund expects to allocate its assets primarily through direct investments and, on an opportunistic basis, other investment vehicles (“Underlying Funds”) purchased on a secondary basis. The Fund cannot guarantee that its investment objective will be achieved or that its investment strategy will be successful. SEE “PRINCIPAL RISK FACTORS” BEGINNING ON PAGE 11.

 

This Prospectus (the “Prospectus”) applies to the offering of shares of beneficial interest of the Fund, designated as Institutional Class (“Institutional Class Shares” or “Shares”). The Shares will generally be offered for purchase on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business, in each case subject to any applicable sales charges, early repurchase fees and other fees, as described herein. The Shares will be issued at net asset value (“NAV”) per Share. The Fund intends to register $[   ] for sale under the registration statement to which this Prospectus relates. No holder of Shares (each, a “Shareholder” and collectively, “Shareholders”) will have the right to require the Fund to redeem its Shares.

 

 

 

This Prospectus concisely provides information that you should know about the Fund before investing. You are advised to read this Prospectus carefully and to retain it for future reference. Additional information about the Fund, including the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”), dated [ ], 2024, has been filed with the SEC. This Prospectus and the SAI are available on the Fund’s website, https://funds.variantinvestments.com. The information on the Fund’s website is not incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and investors should not consider it a part of this Prospectus. You may also request a free copy of this Prospectus, the SAI, the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports (once available), and other information about the Fund, and make inquiries without charge by writing to the Fund, at Variant Alternative Lending Fund, c/o UMB Fund Services, Inc., 235 West Galena Street, Milwaukee, WI 53212, or by calling the Fund toll-free at (877) 770-7717. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus in its entirety. You can obtain the SAI, annual and semi-annual reports of the Fund (once available), and other information about the Fund on the SEC’s website https://www.sec.gov. The address of the SEC’s internet site is provided solely for the information of prospective investors and is not intended to be an active link.

 

Shares are an illiquid investment.

 

  ● The Fund has no operating history and the Shares have no history of public trading.
     
  ● You should generally not expect to be able to sell your Shares (other than through the limited repurchase process), regardless of how the Fund performs.

 

  ● Shares are subject to substantial restrictions on transferability. Although the Fund may offer to repurchase Shares from time to time, Shares will not be redeemable at a Shareholder’s option, nor will they be exchangeable for shares of any other fund. As a result, an investor may not be able to sell or otherwise liquidate its Shares.
     
  ● If you are permitted to sell your Shares to a third party rather than through the repurchase process, you may receive less than your purchase price.
     
  ● The Fund does not intend to list the Shares on any securities exchange and the Fund does not expect a secondary market in the Shares to develop.
     
  ● You should consider that you may not have access to the money you invest for an indefinite period of time.

 

  ● An investment in the Shares is not suitable for you if you need foreseeable access to the money you invest.

 

  ● Because you will be unable to sell your Shares or have them repurchased immediately, you will find it difficult to reduce your exposure on a timely basis during a market downturn.
     
  ● The amount of distributions that the Fund may pay, if any, is uncertain.

 

Investing in Shares may be considered speculative and involves a high degree of risk. Please review the “Principal Risk Factors” starting on page 11 of this Prospectus.

 

Total Offering(1)

 

    Institutional Class Shares    Total 
Price to Public (2)   At Current Net Asset Value   $[  ]
Sales Load   None   None
Proceeds to Fund(3)   Amount Invested at Current Net Asset Value   Up to $[  ]

 

(1)Shares are offered on a continuous, best-efforts basis and are offered at a price equal to the Fund’s NAV per Share as of the date that the request to purchase the Shares is received and accepted by or on behalf of the Fund.

 

ii

 

(2)UMB Distribution Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) acts as the principal underwriter of the Fund’s Shares on a best-efforts basis. The Shares are being offered through the Distributor and may also be offered through other brokers or dealers that have entered into selling agreements with the Distributor. The Investment Manager and/or its affiliates may make payments to selected affiliated or unaffiliated third parties (including the parties who have entered into selling agreements with the Distributor) from time to time in connection with the distribution of Shares and/or the servicing of Shareholders and/or the Fund. These payments will be made out of the Investment Manager’s and/or affiliates’ own assets and will not represent an additional charge to the Fund. The amount of such payments may be significant in amount and the prospect of receiving any such payments may provide such third parties or their employees with an incentive to favor sales of Shares of the Fund over other investment options. See “DISTRIBUTOR.” The minimum initial investment in Institutional Class Shares by any investor is $1 million. However, the Fund, in its sole discretion, may accept investments below the minimum with respect to Institutional Class Shares. See “FUND SUMMARY - The Offering.”

 

(3)Assumes all Shares currently registered are sold in the offering. The Fund will also bear certain ongoing offering costs associated with the Fund’s continuous offering of Shares. See “FUND EXPENSES” below.

 

Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has determined whether this Prospectus is truthful or complete, nor have they made, nor will they make, any determination as to whether anyone should buy these securities. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

You should not construe the contents of this Prospectus and the SAI as legal, tax or financial advice. You should consult with your own professional advisers as to legal, tax, financial, or other matters relevant to the suitability of an investment in the Fund.

 

You should rely only on the information contained in this Prospectus. The Fund has not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. You should not assume that the information provided by this Prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date shown below.

 

THE FUND’S PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITER IS UMB DISTRIBUTION SERVICES, LLC.

 

The date of this Prospectus is [   ], 2024

 

iii

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

  Page 
FUND SUMMARY 1
FUND FEES AND EXPENSES 6
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 8
USE OF PROCEEDS 8
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND STRATEGIES 8
PRINCIPAL RISK FACTORS 11
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND 35
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT FEE 36
DISTRIBUTOR 37
ADMINISTRATION 38
CUSTODIAN 39
FUND EXPENSES 39
VOTING 41
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST 41
OUTSTANDING SECURITIES 42
TENDER OFFERS/OFFERS TO REPURCHASE 42
TENDER/REPURCHASE PROCEDURES 44
TRANSFERS OF SHARES 45
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING 46
LEVERAGE 46
CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE 47
DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN 49
TAXES 50
ERISA AND CODE CONSIDERATIONS 54
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES 55
PURCHASING SHARES 55
TERM, DISSOLUTION AND LIQUIDATION 56
REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS 56
FISCAL YEAR 56
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM; LEGAL COUNSEL 56
INQUIRIES 56

 

iv

 

FUND SUMMARY

 

This is only a summary and does not contain all of the information that investors should consider before investing in the Fund. Investors should review the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this Prospectus and SAI, especially the information set forth under the heading “Principal Risk Factors.”

 

The Fund and the Shares

 

The Variant Alternative Lending Fund (the “Fund”) is a closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), and organized as a Delaware statutory trust on May 6, 2024. Variant Investments, LLC serves as the investment adviser (the “Investment Manager”) of the Fund. The Investment Manager provides day-to-day investment management services to the Fund. The Fund is non-diversified, which means that under the Investment Company Act, it is not limited in the percentage of its assets that it may invest in any single issuer of securities. The Fund is an appropriate investment only for those investors who can tolerate a high degree of risk and do not require a liquid investment.

 

The Fund offers one class of shares of beneficial interest designated as Institutional Class (“Institutional Class Shares” or “Shares”). The Fund may offer additional classes of Shares in the future.

 

The Fund intends to satisfy the requirements necessary to qualify as a RIC under the Code. First, the income requirement generally requires the Fund to derive with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, other income derived with respect to its business of investing in stock, securities or currencies, or net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships. Second, the diversification requirement generally requires that, at the end of each quarter: (1) at least 50% of the Fund’s total assets are invested in (i) cash and cash items (including receivables), Federal Government securities and securities of other RICs; and (ii) securities of separate issuers, each of which amounts to no more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets (and no more than 10% of the issuer’s outstanding voting shares), and (2) no more than 25% of the Fund’s total assets are invested in (i) securities (other than Federal Government securities or the securities of other RICs) of any one issuer; (ii) the securities (other than the securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the taxpayer controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses; or (iii) the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships. Third, the distribution requirement generally requires the Fund to distribute an amount equal to at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its tax-exempt income, if any, for the year.

 

Investment Objective and Strategies

 

The Fund’s primary objective is to provide a high level of current income. Capital appreciation is considered a secondary objective. Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes), directly or indirectly, in senior secured alternative income-generating lending investments (“Alternative Lending Investments”) (the “80% Policy”). For the purpose of the 80% Policy, Alternative Lending Investments are investments that the Investment Manager believes are outside of traditional public equity and bond markets and are likely to generate an interest payment, pay dividends, or have other forms of distributions that generally accrue value over time, or securities that provide the Fund with exposure to such investments. The Fund’s Alternative Lending Investments may include, but are not limited to, specialty finance, litigation finance-related investments, real estate debt securities, transportation finance, portfolio finance, trade finance, royalties and warehouse facilities, purchases of interests in private credit funds in the secondary market, and warrants and equity securities acquired by the Fund in connection with the restructuring of Alternative Lending Investments. The Fund expects to allocate its assets primarily through direct investments and, on an opportunistic basis, other investment vehicles (“Underlying Funds”) purchased on a secondary basis. The Fund may change the 80% Policy without Shareholder approval upon at least 60 days’ prior written notice to Shareholders.

 

1

 

The Fund allocates its investments across multiple strategies in both developed and emerging markets with varying levels of liquidity and credit quality, including distressed and defaulted investments. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective or that its investment strategy will be successful.

 

Except as otherwise indicated, the Fund may change its investment objective and any of its investment policies, restrictions, strategies, and techniques without Shareholder approval. The investment objective of the Fund is not a fundamental policy of the Fund and may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Fund (the “Board”) without a vote of a majority (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of the Fund’s outstanding Shares.

 

The Investment Manager

 

As Investment Manager, Variant Investments, LLC provides day-to-day investment management services to the Fund. Its principal place of business is located at [10300 SW Greenburg Road, Suite 308, Portland, OR 97223]. The Investment Manager is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. As of [ ], 2024 approximately $[ ] billion of assets were under the management of the Investment Manager and its affiliates.

 

The Administrator

 

The Fund has retained UMB Fund Services, Inc. (the “Administrator”) to provide it with certain administrative and accounting services. The Administrator also performs all actions related to the issuance and repurchase of Shares of the Fund. The Fund compensates the Administrator for these services and reimburses the Administrator for certain of its out-of-pocket expenses. See “Fees and Expenses” below.

 

Fees and Expenses

 

The Fund bears its own operating expenses (including, without limitation, its offering expenses not paid by the Investment Manager). A more detailed discussion of the Fund’s expenses can be found under “FUND EXPENSES.”

 

Investment Management Fee. The Fund pays the Investment Manager a management fee (the “Investment Management Fee”) at an annual rate of 1.00%, which is calculated daily and payable monthly in arrears, based upon the Fund’s average daily “Managed Assets” (defined as total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to leverage that may be outstanding) minus the sum of accrued liabilities (including accrued fees and expenses and other than debt representing financial leverage and the aggregate liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred shares)). Because the Investment Management Fee is based on Managed Assets, the Investment Manager is paid more if the Fund uses leverage, which creates a conflict of interest for the Investment Manager. The Investment Manager seeks to manage that potential conflict by utilizing leverage only when it determines such action is in the best interests of the Fund. The Investment Management Fee is paid to the Investment Manager before giving effect to any repurchase of Shares in the Fund effective as of that date, and will decrease the net profits or increase the net losses of the Fund that are credited to its Shareholders.

 

2

 

Administration Fee. The Fund pays the Administrator a minimum monthly administration fee of $[2,500], or $[30,000] on an annualized basis (the “Administration Fees”). The Administration Fees are paid to the Administrator out of the assets of the Fund, and therefore decrease the net profits or increase the net losses of the Fund. The Fund also reimburses the Administrator for certain out-of-pocket expenses and pays the Administrator a fee for transfer agency services. See “ADMINISTRATION.”

 

The Investment Manager has entered into an expense limitation and reimbursement agreement (the “Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement”) with the Fund, whereby the Investment Manager has agreed to waive fees that it would otherwise have been paid, and/or to assume expenses of the Fund (a “Waiver”), if required to ensure the Total Annual Expenses (excluding any taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with SEC Form N-2), expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation expenses) do not exceed 1.50% of the average daily net assets of Institutional Class Shares (the “Expense Limit”). Because taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses are excluded from the Expense Limit, Total Annual Expenses (after fee waivers and expense reimbursements) are expected to exceed 1.50% of the average daily net assets of Institutional Class Shares. For a period not to exceed three years from the date on which a Waiver is made, the Investment Manager may recoup amounts waived or assumed, provided it is able to effect such recoupment and remain in compliance with the Expense Limit in effect at the time of the Waiver and the Expense Limit in effect at the time of recoupment. The Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement is in effect until [ ], 2025 and will automatically renew for consecutive one-year terms thereafter. This Agreement may be terminated at any time by the Fund’s Board of Trustees upon thirty (30) days’ written notice to the Investment Manager. This Agreement may be terminated by the Investment Manager as of the end of its then-current term upon thirty (30) days’ written notice to the Fund. See “FUND EXPENSES.”

 

The Offering

 

The minimum initial investment in the Fund for Institutional Class Shares is $1 million. However, the Fund, in its sole discretion, may accept investments below the minimum with respect to Institutional Class Shares.

 

The Shares are offered in a continuous offering at net asset value per Share. Shares will generally be offered for purchase on each business day, except that Shares may be offered more or less frequently as determined by the Board in its sole discretion. Once a prospective investor’s purchase order is received, a confirmation is sent to the investor. Potential investors should send subscription funds by wire transfer pursuant to instructions provided to them by the Fund. Subscriptions are generally subject to the receipt of cleared funds on or prior to the acceptance date set by the Fund and notified to prospective investors.

 

 A prospective investor must submit a completed investor application prior to acceptance by the Fund. The Fund reserves the right to reject, in its sole discretion, any request to purchase Shares in the Fund at any time. The Fund also reserves the right to suspend or terminate offerings of Shares at any time at the Board’s discretion.

 

No sales charge will be imposed on the sale of Institutional Class Shares.

 

Distribution Policy

 

The Fund intends to pay distributions at least quarterly on the Shares in amounts representing substantially all of the Fund’s net investment income, if any, earned each year. The Fund will determine annually whether to distribute any net realized long-term capital gains in excess of net realized short-term capital losses (including capital loss carryover); however, it may distribute any excess annually to its Shareholders.

 

3

 

The exact amount of distributable income for each fiscal year can only be determined at the end of the Fund’s fiscal year, April 30. Under Section 19 of the Investment Company Act, the Fund is required to indicate the sources of certain distributions to shareholders. The estimated distribution composition may vary from quarter to quarter because it may be materially impacted by future income, expenses and realized gains and losses on securities and fluctuations in the value of the currencies in which Fund assets are denominated.

 

Each Shareholder whose Shares are registered in its own name will automatically be registered in the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan (the “DRIP”) and have all income dividends and distributions and/or capital gains distributions automatically reinvested in Shares priced at the then-current net asset value (“NAV”) unless such Shareholder, at any time, specifically elects to “opt out” of the DRIP so as to receive income dividends and/or capital gains distributions in cash. A Shareholder receiving Shares under the DRIP instead of cash distributions may still owe taxes and, because Fund Shares are generally illiquid, may need other sources of funds to pay any taxes due. All correspondence or requests for additional information regarding the DRIP, including inquiries and elections to receive income dividends and/or capital gains distributions in cash should be directed to the Fund’s Administrator, UMB Fund Services, Inc. at (877) 770-7717 or 235 West Galena Street, Milwaukee, WI 53212. Shareholders who hold their Shares in the name of a broker or dealer participating in the offering should contact the broker or dealer to determine whether and how they may participate in, or opt out of, the DRIP. See “DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN” and “TAXES – TAXATION OF THE FUND – Distributions to Shareholders.”

 

Repurchase Offers

 

The Fund is not a liquid investment. No Shareholder will have the right to require the Fund to redeem its Shares. In addition, no public market exists for the Shares and the Fund does not expect any trading market to develop for the Shares. As a result, if investors decide to invest in the Fund, they will have very limited opportunity to sell their Shares.

 

The Fund is not expected to conduct any repurchase offer before [February 15], 2025. Beginning on or about [February 15], 2025 (or such other or later date as the Board may determine), and at the sole discretion of the Board and provided that it is in the best interests of the Fund and Shareholders to do so, the Fund intends to provide a limited degree of liquidity to the Shareholders by conducting repurchase offers generally quarterly with a Valuation Date (as defined below) on or about February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15 of each year. In each repurchase offer, the Fund may offer to repurchase its Shares at their NAV as determined as of approximately February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15, of each year, as applicable (each, a “Valuation Date”). Each repurchase offer ordinarily will be limited to the repurchase of approximately 5% of the Fund’s Shares outstanding, but if the value of Shares tendered for repurchase exceeds the value the Fund intended to repurchase, the Fund may determine to repurchase less than the full number of Shares tendered. In such event, Shareholders will have their Shares repurchased on a pro rata basis, and tendering Shareholders will not have all of their tendered Shares repurchased by the Fund. Shareholders tendering Shares for repurchase will be asked to give written notice of their intent to do so by the date specified in the notice describing the terms of the applicable repurchase offer. In determining whether the Fund should offer to repurchase Shares from Shareholders pursuant to repurchase requests, the Board may consider, among other things, the recommendation of the Investment Manager as well as a variety of other operational, business and economic factors. See “TENDER OFFERS/OFFERS TO REPURCHASE.”

 

4

 

Repurchases will be made at such times and on such terms as may be determined by the Board, in its sole discretion. However, no assurance can be given that repurchases will occur or that any Shares properly tendered will be repurchased by the Fund. The Fund may choose not to conduct a repurchase offer or may choose to conduct a repurchase offer for less than 5% of its outstanding Shares. Investors may not have access to the money invested in the Fund for an indefinite time.

 

Risk Factors

 

The Fund is subject to substantial risks—including market risks, liquidity risks and strategy risks. There may also be certain conflicts of interest relevant to the management of the Fund, arising out of, among other things, activities of the Investment Manager and its affiliates and employees with respect to the management of accounts for other clients as well as the investment of proprietary assets. Prospective investors should review carefully the “PRINCIPAL RISK FACTORS” section of this Prospectus. An investment in the Fund should only be made by investors who understand the risks involved and who are able to withstand the loss of the entire amount invested.

 

Accordingly, the Fund should be considered a speculative investment, and you should invest in the Fund only if you can sustain a complete loss of your investment. Past results of the Investment Manager, its principals, and the Fund are not indicative of future results. See “PRINCIPAL RISK FACTORS.”

 

Summary of Taxation

 

The Fund intends to qualify and elect to be treated as a RIC for federal income tax purposes. As a RIC, the Fund will generally not be subject to federal corporate income tax, provided that when it is a RIC, it distributes out all of its income and gains each year. See “TAXES.”

 

5

 

FUND FEES AND EXPENSES

 

The following tables describe the aggregate fees and expenses that the Fund expects to incur and that the Shareholders can expect to bear, either directly or indirectly, through the Fund’s investments. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in the section titled “Purchasing Shares” beginning on page 55 of this Prospectus.

 

 

Institutional
Class Shares 

TRANSACTION EXPENSES:  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of subscription amount) None
Maximum Early Repurchase Fee (as a percentage of repurchased amount) None

 

ANNUAL EXPENSES (AS A PERCENTAGE OF NET ASSETS ATTRIBUTABLE TO SHARES)(1)
Investment Management Fees(2)    1.00%
Other Expenses(3)   [  ]%
Fees and Interest Payments on Borrowed Funds(3)   [  ]%
Acquired Fund Fees & Expenses(3) (4)    [  ]%
Total Annual Expenses   [  ]%
Expense Reimbursement(5)   [(  )]%
Net Annual  Expenses   [  ]%

 

(1)This table summarizes the expenses of the Fund and is designed to help investors understand the costs and expenses they will bear, directly or indirectly, by investing in the Fund.

 

(2)The fee charged by the Investment Manager is 1.00% of the average daily Managed Assets of the Fund on an annual basis, payable monthly in arrears and determined as of month end. “Managed Assets” means the total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to any leverage that may be outstanding) minus the sum of accrued liabilities (including accrued fees and expenses and other than debt representing financial leverage and the aggregate liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred shares). Because the Investment Management Fee is based on the Fund’s average daily Managed Assets the Fund’s use of leverage, if any, will increase the Investment Management Fee paid to the Investment Manager. For the current fiscal year, borrowings are estimated to represent between 0%-25% of the Fund’s assets after such issuance with a projected annual interest rate of 3%-4% above SOFR. These borrowings are primarily to be used for working capital to manage Fund liquidity needs. The Investment Management Fee will be paid to the Investment Manager before giving effect to any repurchase of Shares in the Fund effective as of that date, and will decrease the net profits or increase the net losses of the Fund that are credited to its Shareholders.

 

(3)Other Expenses, Fees and Interest Payments on Borrowed Funds, and Acquired Fund Fees Expenses represent estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

 

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(4)Shareholders indirectly bear a portion of the asset-based fees, incentive allocations and other expenses incurred by the Fund as an investor in Underlying Funds. Managers of registered investment companies and private funds generally receive management fees, typically ranging between 0% and 2% per annum of such fund’s assets under their management, as well as, in some cases, quarterly or annual incentive allocations typically ranging between 0% and 20% of any profits earned during the applicable calculation period. These incentive allocations are generally calculated on a “high water mark” basis or after a preferred return hurdle has been met. With a high water mark structure, incentive allocations are only payable on cumulative profits in excess of the previous quarter-end, year-end or lifetime high water mark. With a preferred return structure, the carried interest is only payable when the annual return is greater than the specified hurdle rate. The Investment Manager does not participate in any of the fees or allocations paid to these managers. The Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses indicated are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year. In the future, these fees and expenses may be substantially higher or lower than reflected, because certain fees are based on the performance of the Underlying Funds, which fluctuate over time. In addition, the Fund’s portfolio changes from time to time, which will result in different Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.

 

(5)The Investment Manager has entered into an expense limitation and reimbursement agreement (the “Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement”) with the Fund, whereby the Investment Manager has agreed to waive fees that it would otherwise have been paid, and/or to assume expenses of the Fund (a “Waiver”), if required to ensure the Total Annual Expenses (excluding any taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with SEC Form N-2), expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation expenses) do not exceed 1.50% of the average daily net assets of Institutional Class Shares (the “Expense Limit”). Because taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses are excluded from the Expense Limit, Total Annual Expenses (after fee waivers and expense reimbursements) are expected to exceed 1.50% of the average daily net assets of Institutional Class Shares. For a period not to exceed three years from the date on which a Waiver is made, the Investment Manager may recoup amounts waived or assumed, provided it is able to effect such recoupment and remain in compliance with the Expense Limit in effect at the time of the Waiver and the Expense Limit in effect at the time of recoupment. The Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement is in effect until [  ], 2025, and will automatically renew for consecutive one-year terms thereafter. This Agreement may be terminated at any time by the Fund’s Board of Trustees upon thirty (30) days’ written notice to the Investment Manager. This Agreement may be terminated by the Investment Manager as of the end of its then-current term upon thirty (30) days’ written notice to the Fund.

 

The purpose of the table above is to assist prospective investors in understanding the various fees and expenses Shareholders will bear directly or indirectly. “Other Expenses,” as shown above, is an estimate based on anticipated investments in the Fund and anticipated expenses for the current fiscal year of the Fund’s operations, and includes, among other things, professional fees and other expenses that the Fund will bear, including initial and ongoing offering costs and fees and expenses of the Administrator and Custodian. For a more complete description of the various fees and expenses of the Fund, see “INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT FEE,” “ADMINISTRATION,” “FUND EXPENSES,” and “PURCHASING SHARES.”

 

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that all distributions are reinvested at NAV and that the percentage amounts listed under annual expenses remain the same in the years shown (except that the example reflects the expense limitation for the [one-year period] and the first year of each additional period). The assumption in the hypothetical example of a 5% annual return is the same as that required by regulation of the SEC applicable to all registered investment companies. The assumed 5% annual return is not a prediction of, and does not represent, the projected or actual performance of the Shares.

 

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EXAMPLE

 

Institutional Class Shares

 

You Would Pay the Following Expenses Based on a $1,000 Investment in the Fund, Assuming a 5% Annual Return:  1 Year   3 Years   5 Years   10 Years 
   $[  ]   $[  ]   $[  ]   $[  ] 

 

The example is based on the annual fees and expenses of Institutional Class Shares set out in the table above and should not be considered a representation of future expenses. Actual expenses may be greater or less than those shown. Moreover, the rate of return of the Fund may be greater or less than the hypothetical 5% return used in the example. A greater rate of return than that used in the example would increase the dollar amount of the asset-based fees paid by the Fund.

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Because the Fund has no performance history as of the date of this Prospectus, there are no financial highlights for the Fund. 

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

The proceeds from the sale of Shares, not including the amount of any sales charges and the Fund’s fees and expenses (including, without limitation, offering expenses not paid by the Investment Manager), will be invested by the Fund in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and strategies as soon as practicable, but in no event later than three months after receipt, consistent with market conditions and the availability of suitable investments. Delays in investing the Fund’s assets may occur, for example, because of the time required to complete certain transactions, but any such delay will not exceed three months after the receipt of funds.

 

Pending the investment of the proceeds of any offering or any other available funds pursuant to the Fund’s investment objective and strategies, a portion of such amounts, which may include a substantial portion of the proceeds of an offering, may be invested in high-quality, short-term debt securities and money market instruments. In addition, subject to applicable law, the Fund may invest in high-quality short-term debt securities and money market instruments for (i) temporary defensive purposes in response to adverse market, economic, or political conditions and (ii) retaining flexibility in meeting Share repurchases, paying expenses and identifying and assessing investment opportunities. These short-term debt securities and money market instruments include cash, shares of mutual funds, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, U.S. government securities, and repurchase agreements. To the extent that the Fund invests in money market mutual funds for its cash position, there will be some duplication of expenses because the Fund will bear its pro rata portion of such money market funds’ management fees and operational expenses. Taking a temporary defensive position may result in the Fund not achieving its investment objective.

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND STRATEGIES

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

 

The Fund has a primary objective of providing a high level of current income. Capital appreciation is a secondary objective of the Fund. Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, directly or indirectly, a majority of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in senior secured alternative income-generating investments. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. 

 

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INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND OVERVIEW OF INVESTMENT PROCESS 

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes), directly or indirectly through a wide range of investment structures, in senior secured alternative income-generating lending investments (“Alternative Lending Investments”) (the “80% Policy”). For the purpose of the 80% Policy, Alternative Lending Investments are investments that the Investment Manager believes are outside of traditional public equity and bond markets and are likely to generate an interest payment, pay dividends, or have other forms of distributions that generally accrue value over time, or securities that provide the Fund with exposure to such investments. The Fund’s Alternative Lending Investments may include, but are not limited to, specialty finance, litigation finance-related investments, real estate debt securities, transportation finance, portfolio finance, trade finance, royalties and warehouse facilities, purchases of interests in private credit funds in the secondary market, and warrants and equity securities acquired by the Fund in connection with the restructuring of Alternative Lending Investments. The Fund expects to allocate its assets primarily through direct investments and, on an opportunistic basis, other investment vehicles (“Underlying Funds”) purchased on a secondary basis. The Fund may change the 80% Policy without Shareholder approval upon at least 60 days’ prior written notice to Shareholders.

 

The Fund allocates its investments across multiple strategies in both developed and emerging markets with varying levels of liquidity and credit quality, including distressed and defaulted investments.

 

The Fund invests in a wide range of privately issued or negotiated securities (securities for which the price is negotiated between private parties) including, but not limited to, asset-backed and other fixed income securities. The Fund may also utilize derivatives to hedge currency and other risks. The Fund will primarily invest in non-rated investments. There is no minimum credit standard as a prerequisite to an investment in any security. The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of any maturity and duration. However, the Fund has a preference for shorter-duration investments. At origination, the Investment Manager expects that 80% of the Fund’s new investments will have a maturity equal to four years or less. Duration is a measure of the fixed income investment’s sensitivity to interest rates. For example, a bond with a duration of 3 years would lose 3% of its value if interest rates rose by 1%, or would gain 3% if interest rates declined by 1%. The Fund will primarily invest in domestic securities, but may invest in foreign securities in both developed and/or emerging markets. The Fund’s allocation to various security types and various asset classes will vary over time in response to changing market opportunities.

 

The Fund is permitted to rely on SEC exemptive relief from the provisions of Section 17(d) of the Investment Company Act to invest in certain investment transactions alongside other funds managed by the Investment Manager or certain of its affiliates, subject to certain conditions. The Investment Manager will not cause the Fund to engage in certain investments alongside affiliates unless such investments are permitted under the order granting an exemption from Section 17 of the Investment Company Act or unless such investments are not prohibited by Section 17(d) of the Investment Company Act or interpretations of Section 17(d) as expressed in SEC no-action letters or other available guidance. The Fund could be limited in its ability to invest in certain investments in which the Investment Manager or any of its affiliates are investing or are invested.

 

For either investment or hedging purposes, certain Underlying Funds may engage in short sales and/or invest substantially in a broad range of derivative instruments. To manage risk, the Fund may engage in certain investment strategies involving derivatives, such as options, futures, forward currency contracts, interest rate swaps and futures, Euro dollar futures, and credit default swaps for which the initial margin and premiums do not exceed 5% of its net assets, in each case excluding bona fide hedging transactions. Certain Underlying Funds may be dependent on the use of futures and other derivative instruments, and to the extent that they become unavailable, this may limit an Underlying Fund from fully implementing its investment strategy.

 

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The Investment Manager is a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment (“PRI”). The PRI is an investor initiative in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative and the United Nations Global Compact. Commitments made as a signatory to the PRI are not legally binding but are voluntary and aspirational. They include efforts, where consistent with the Investment Manager’s fiduciary responsibilities, to incorporate environmental, social and corporate governance (“ESG”) issues into investment analysis and investment decision making, to be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into the Investment Manager’s ownership policies and practices, to seek appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities in which the Investment Manager invests, to promote acceptance and implementation of the PRI within the investment industry, to enhance the Investment Manager’s effectiveness in implementing the PRI, and to report on the Investment Manager’s activities and progress towards implementing the PRI. Being a signatory to the PRI does not obligate the Investment Manager to take, or not take, any particular action as it relates to investment decisions or other activities.

 

Except as otherwise indicated, the Fund may change its investment objective and any of its investment policies, restrictions, strategies, and techniques without Shareholder approval. The investment objective of the Fund is not a fundamental policy of the Fund and may be changed by the Board without the vote of a majority (as defined by the Investment Company Act) of the Fund’s outstanding Shares.

 

Investment Process

 

The Investment Manager seeks to achieve its investment objectives primarily through the allocation of the Fund’s assets to a broad range of investment opportunities in a manner that supports the Fund’s objectives, subject to risk and liquidity constraints. In general, the principal elements of the Investment Manager’s process include (i) opportunity identification and analysis; (ii) portfolio construction; (iii) liquidity management; and (iv) exposure monitoring.

 

  ● Opportunity Identification and Analysis. The investment process generally begins with the identification of compelling investment opportunities that are consistent with the investment mandate of the Fund. In general, the Investment Manager emphasizes assets that generate a large percentage of total return from income or accrual of value rather than capital gains. The Fund generally emphasizes alternative investment opportunities that are less common in the traditional public debt and equity markets. Upon discovery of a potentially suitable opportunity, the Investment Manager conducts extensive due diligence on the underlying assets. Using available quantitative and qualitative inputs, the Investment Manager assesses whether the expected return from the asset class, under a range of potential market conditions and economic scenarios, is sufficient relative to the expected risk of the asset. In addition to traditional analysis of investment risk, such as volatility, drawdown, sensitivity and stress testing, the assessment process may also involve the Investment Manager’s consideration of liquidity risk, under both normal and adverse market conditions, and idiosyncratic risks, including legal, regulatory and operational risks.

 

  ● Portfolio Construction. Each potential position in the Fund is assessed for its contribution to overall portfolio objectives as well its relationship to other existing positions in the portfolio. The Investment Manager seeks to diversify exposures in terms of distinct investment ideas and also common risk factors over a range of scenarios. Where appropriate, the Investment Manager may implement hedges to reduce exposure to common risk factors.

 

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  ● Liquidity Management. The investment selection process will also be impacted by the potential liquidity needs of the Fund, including compliance with all Investment Company Act requirements. Every position is assessed in terms of length of commitment, the timing and probability of future cash flows, and the ability to liquidate or redeem the exposure under a variety of market conditions. Certain private funds may also involve pledging commitments to invest at future dates and require multi-year commitments that are subject to extensions and holdbacks. The Investment Manager aims to structure the portfolio in a manner that balances meeting the potential liquidity needs of investors with the attractive return potential associated with longer-term investment commitments. The Investment Manager seeks to minimize uninvested cash balances and deploys a variety of tools, including the potential use of borrowing, to guard against underinvestment.

 

  ● Exposure Monitoring. After an investment is executed, the Investment Manager will continuously monitor the exposure to ensure that it is advancing portfolio objectives relative to expectations and other potential opportunities.

 

Temporary and Defensive Strategies

 

The Fund may, from time to time in its sole discretion, for temporary or defensive purposes, deviate from its investment strategy by taking positions in money market mutual funds, cash, cash equivalents, securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its instrumentalities or agencies, high quality, short-term money market instruments, short-term debt securities, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and other bank obligations, commercial paper or other liquid debt securities. The Fund may not achieve its investment objectives when it does so. 

 

PRINCIPAL RISK FACTORS

 

All investments carry risks to some degree. The Fund cannot guarantee that its investment objective will be achieved or that its strategy of investing will be successful. An investment in the Fund involves substantial risks, including the risk that the entire amount invested may be lost. The following principal risks, which are listed in order of significance with the most significant appearing first, could affect the value of your investment:

 

GENERAL RISKS

 

NO OPERATING HISTORY. The Fund is a newly-organized closed-end management investment company that has no operating history and no public trading of its Shares. The Fund is designed primarily as a long-term investment vehicle and not as a trading tool. An investment in the Fund’s securities should not constitute a complete investment program for any investor and involves a high degree of risk. The value of the Fund’s shares could decline substantially and cause you to lose some or all of your investment.

 

LIMITED LIQUIDITY. Shares in the Fund provide limited liquidity since Shareholders will not be able to redeem Shares on a daily basis. A Shareholder may not be able to tender its Shares in the Fund promptly after it has made a decision to do so. There is no assurance that you will be able to tender your Shares when or in the amount that you desire. In addition, with very limited exceptions, see “TRANSFERS OF SHARES” below, Shares are not transferable, and liquidity will be provided only through repurchase offers made from time to time by the Fund. Shares in the Fund are therefore suitable only for investors who can bear the risks associated with the limited liquidity of Shares and should be viewed as a long-term investment.

 

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REPURCHASE OFFERS. The Fund has been organized as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company and is designed primarily for long-term investors. An investor should not invest in the Fund if the investor needs a liquid investment. Closed-end funds differ from open-end management investment companies (commonly known as mutual funds) in that investors in a closed-end fund do not have the right to redeem their shares on a daily basis. Unlike most closed-end funds, which typically list their shares on a securities exchange, the Fund does not intend to list the Shares for trading on any securities exchange, and the Fund does not expect any secondary market to develop for the Shares. Shares are considerably less liquid than Shares of funds that trade on a stock exchange, or Shares of open-end registered investment companies.

 

The Fund expects to offer to purchase only a small portion of its Shares (generally each quarter), and there is no guarantee that Shareholders will be able to sell all of the Shares that they desire to sell in any particular repurchase offer. If a repurchase offer is oversubscribed, the Fund may repurchase only a pro rata portion of the Shares tendered by each Shareholder. The potential for proration may cause some investors to tender more Shares for repurchase than they wish to have repurchased. The decision to offer to repurchase Shares is in the complete and absolute discretion of the Board, and the Board may, under certain circumstances, elect not to offer to repurchase Shares. There can be no assurance that the Fund will conduct repurchase offers in any particular period, and Shareholders may be unable to tender Shares for repurchase for an indefinite period of time.

 

There will be a substantial period of time between the date as of which Shareholders must submit a request to have their Shares repurchased and the date they can expect to receive payment for their Shares from the Fund. Shareholders whose Shares are accepted for repurchase bear the risk that the Fund’s NAV may fluctuate significantly between the time that they submit their repurchase requests and the date as of which such Shares are valued for purposes of such repurchase. Shareholders will have to decide whether to request that the Fund repurchase their Shares without the benefit of having current information regarding the value of Shares on a date proximate to the date on which Shares are valued by the Fund for purposes of effecting such repurchases.

 

In considering whether to repurchase Shares during periods of financial market stress, the Board may offer to repurchase Shares at a discount to their prevailing net asset value that appropriately reflects market conditions, subject to applicable law. Further, repurchases of Shares, if any, may be suspended, postponed or terminated by the Board under certain circumstances. An investment in the Fund is suitable only for investors who can bear the risks associated with the limited liquidity of Shares and the underlying investments of the Fund. Also, because Shares are not listed on any securities exchange, the Fund is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of its Shareholders unless called for under the provisions of the Investment Company Act. See “TENDER OFFERS/OFFERS TO REPURCHASE” and “TENDER/REPURCHASE PROCEDURES.”

 

The Fund’s repurchases of Shares will have the effect of decreasing the size of the Fund over time from what it otherwise would have been. Such a decrease may therefore force the Fund to sell assets it would not otherwise sell. It may also reduce the investment opportunities available to the Fund and cause its expense ratio to increase. Payment for repurchased Shares may require the Fund to liquidate portfolio holdings earlier than the Investment Manager would otherwise want, potentially resulting in losses, and may increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover, subject to such policies as may be established by the Board in an attempt to avoid or minimize potential losses and turnover resulting from the repurchase of Shares.

 

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LEGAL, TAX AND REGULATORY. Legal, tax and regulatory changes could occur that may materially adversely affect the Fund, its investments, and its ability to pursue its investment strategies and/or increase the costs of implementing such strategies. Certain changes have already been proposed, and additional changes are expected. For example, the regulatory and tax environment for derivative instruments in which the Fund may participate is evolving, and changes in the regulation or taxation of derivative instruments may materially adversely affect the value of derivative instruments held by the Fund and the ability of the Fund to pursue its trading strategies. On August 19, 2022 Rule 18f-4 under the Investment Company Act relating to a registered investment company’s use of derivatives and related instruments took effect. Rule 18f-4 prescribes specific value-at-risk leverage limits for certain derivatives users and requires certain derivatives users to adopt and implement a derivatives risk management program (including the appointment of a derivatives risk manager and the implementation of certain testing requirements), and prescribes reporting requirements in respect of derivatives. Subject to certain conditions, if a fund qualifies as a “limited derivatives user,” as defined in Rule 18f-4, it is not subject to the full requirements of Rule 18f-4. In connection with the adoption of Rule 18f-4, the SEC rescinded certain of its prior guidance regarding asset segregation and coverage requirements in respect of derivatives transactions and related instruments. With respect to reverse repurchase agreements or other similar financing transactions in particular, Rule 18f-4 permits a fund to enter into such transactions if the fund either (i) complies with the asset coverage requirements of Section 18 of the Investment Company Act, and combines the aggregate amount of indebtedness associated with all tender option bonds or similar financing with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness when calculating the relevant asset coverage ratio, or (ii) treats all tender option bonds or similar financing transactions as derivatives transactions for all purposes under Rule 18f-4.

 

The Fund has adopted procedures for investing in derivatives and other transactions in compliance with Rule 18f-4. The Fund intends to be a limited derivatives user under Rule 18f-4 of the Investment Company Act. As a limited derivatives user, the Fund’s derivatives exposure, excluding certain currency and interest rate hedging transactions, may not exceed 10% of its net assets. This restriction is not fundamental and may be changed by the Fund without a shareholder vote. Rule 18f-4 may require the Fund to observe more stringent asset coverage and related requirements than were previously imposed by the Investment Company Act, which could adversely affect the value or performance of the Fund. Limits or restrictions applicable to the counterparties or issuers, as applicable, with which the Fund may engage in derivative transactions could also limit or prevent the Fund from using certain instruments. Managers of the Underlying Funds, to the extent they are subject to the Investment Company Act, may also be impacted by the requirements of Rule 18f-4. Similarly, the regulatory environment for leveraged investors is evolving, and changes in the direct or indirect regulation of leveraged investors may materially adversely affect the ability of the Fund to pursue its investment objective or strategies. Increased regulatory oversight and other legislation or regulation could result. Such legislation or regulation could pose additional risks and result in material adverse consequences to the Fund or Underlying Fund and/or limit potential investment strategies that would have otherwise been used by the Fund in order to seek to obtain higher returns. New or revised laws or regulations may be imposed by the SEC, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”), the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), the U.S. Federal Reserve or other governmental regulatory authorities or self-regulatory organizations that could adversely affect the Fund. The Fund also may be adversely affected by changes in the enforcement or interpretation of existing statutes and rules by governmental regulatory authorities or self-regulatory organizations. The Investment Manager has claimed an exclusion from the definition of “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) and the rules of the CFTC with respect to the Fund, and, therefore, the Investment Manager is not subject to CFTC registration or regulation as a CPO with respect to the Fund. In addition, the Investment Manager is relying upon a related exemption from the definition of “commodity trading advisor” under the CEA and the rules of the CFTC.

 

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In addition, there is uncertainty with respect to legislation, regulation and government policy at the federal, state and local levels, notably with regard to U.S. trade, tax, healthcare, immigration, foreign and government regulatory policy. To the extent the U.S. Congress or presidential administration implements additional changes to U.S. policy, those changes may impact, among other things, the U.S. and global economy, international trade and relations, unemployment, immigration, healthcare, tax rates, the U.S. regulatory environment and inflation, among other areas. Until any additional policy changes are finalized, it cannot be known whether the Fund, managers of the Underlying Funds or their investments or future investments may be positively or negatively affected, or the impact of continuing uncertainty. Each prospective investor should also be aware that developments in the tax laws of the United States or other jurisdictions where the Fund or its Underlying Funds invest could have a material effect on the tax consequences to the shareholders. In the event of any such change in law, each Shareholder is urged to consult its own tax advisers.

 

BORROWING; USE OF LEVERAGE. The Fund may leverage its investments by “borrowing,” use of swap agreements, options or other derivative instruments, use of short sales or issuing preferred stock or preferred debt. The use of leverage increases both risk of loss and profit potential. The Investment Manager may cause the Fund to use various methods to leverage investments, including (i) borrowing, (ii) issuing preferred stock or preferred debt, (iii) swap agreements or other derivative instruments, or (iv) a combination of these methods. The Fund expects that under normal business conditions it will utilize a combination of the leverage methods described above. The Fund is subject to the Investment Company Act requirement that an investment company limit its borrowings to no more than 50% of its total assets for preferred stock or preferred debt and 33 1/3% of its total assets for debt securities, including amounts borrowed, measured at the time the investment company incurs the indebtedness. Although leverage may increase profits, it exposes the Fund to credit risk, greater market risks and higher current expenses. The effect of leverage with respect to any investment in a market that moves adversely to such investment could result in a loss to the investment portfolio of the Fund that would be substantially greater than if the investment were not leveraged. Also, access to leverage and financing could be impaired by many factors, including market forces or regulatory changes, and there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to secure or maintain adequate leverage or financing.

 

Margin borrowings and transactions involving forwards, swaps, futures, options and other derivative instruments could result in certain additional risks to the Fund. In such transactions, counterparties and lenders will likely require the Fund to post collateral to support its obligations. Should the securities and other assets pledged as collateral decline in value or should brokers increase their maintenance margin requirements (i.e., reduce the percentage of a position that can be financed), the Fund could be subject to a “margin call,” pursuant to which it must either deposit additional funds with the broker or suffer mandatory liquidation of the pledged assets to compensate for the decline in value. In the event of a precipitous drop in the value of pledged securities, the Fund might not be able to liquidate assets quickly enough to pay off the margin debt or provide additional collateral and may suffer mandatory liquidation of positions in a declining market at relatively low prices, thereby incurring substantial losses.

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER. The Fund may sell securities without regard to the length of time they have been held to take advantage of new investment opportunities, when the Investment Manager feels either the securities no longer meet its investment criteria or the potential for capital appreciation has lessened, or for other reasons. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may vary from year to year. A high portfolio turnover rate (100% or more) increases the Fund’s transaction costs (including brokerage commissions and dealer costs), which would adversely impact the Fund’s performance. Higher portfolio turnover may result in the realization of more short-term capital gains than if the Fund had lower portfolio turnover. The turnover rate will not be a limiting factor, however, if the Investment Manager considers portfolio changes appropriate.

 

NON-DIVERSIFIED STATUS. The Fund is a “non-diversified” management investment company. Thus, there are no percentage limitations imposed by the Investment Company Act on the Fund’s assets that may be invested, directly or indirectly, in the securities of any one issuer. Consequently, if one or more securities are allocated a relatively large percentage of the Fund’s assets, losses suffered by such securities could result in a higher reduction in the Fund’s capital than if such capital had been more proportionately allocated among a larger number of securities. The Fund may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company.

 

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NON-QUALIFICATION AS A RIC. If for any taxable year the Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Code, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions. To qualify as a RIC, the Fund must meet three tests each year regarding (i) the diversification of the assets it holds, (ii) the income it earns, and (iii) the amount of taxable income that it distributes to shareholders. These requirements and certain additional tax risks associated with investments in the Fund are discussed in “TAXES” in this Prospectus.

 

PANDEMIC RISK. In early 2020, an outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus (known as COVID-19) emerged globally. The outbreak of COVID-19 and its variants resulted in closing international borders, enhanced health screenings, quarantines, cancellations, disruptions to supply chains and customer activity, as well as general public concern and uncertainty. This outbreak negatively affected the worldwide economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial health of individual companies and the market in general in significant and unforeseen ways. On May 5, 2023, the World Health Organization declared the end of the global emergency status for COVID-19. The United States subsequently ended the federal COVID-19 public health emergency declaration effective May 11, 2023. Although vaccines for COVID-19 are widely available, it is unknown how long certain circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic will persist, whether they will reoccur in the future, and what additional implications may follow from the pandemic. The impact of other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics that may arise in the future, could adversely affect the economies of many nations or the entire global economy, the financial performance of individual issuers, borrowers and sectors and the health of the markets generally in potentially significant and unforeseen ways. In addition, the impact of infectious illnesses, in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems. This crisis or other public health crises may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally.

 

The Fund and the Investment Manager have in place business continuity plans reasonably designed to ensure that they maintain normal business operations, and that the Fund, its portfolio and assets are protected. However, in the event of a pandemic or an outbreak, there can be no assurance that the Fund, its Investment Manager and service providers, or the Fund’s portfolio companies, will be able to maintain normal business operations for an extended period of time or will not lose the services of key personnel on a temporary or long-term basis due to illness or other reasons. A pandemic or disease could also impair the information technology and other operational systems upon which the Fund’s Investment Manager relies and could otherwise disrupt the ability of the Fund’s service providers to perform essential tasks.

 

To satisfy any repurchase requests during periods of extreme volatility, such as those associated with a public health emergency, it is more likely the Fund will be required to dispose of portfolio investments at unfavorable prices compared to their intrinsic value. In addition, any repurchase completed while the Fund has unrealized losses may cause the investors whose shares were repurchased to crystalize their losses even if such unrealized losses do not ultimately convert into realized losses. You should review this Prospectus and the SAI to understand the Fund’s discretion to implement temporary defensive measures.

 

The foregoing could lead to a significant economic downturn or recession, increased market volatility, a greater number of market closures, higher default rates and adverse effects on the values and liquidity of securities or other assets. Such impacts, which may vary across asset classes, may adversely affect the performance of the Fund’s investments, the Fund and your investment in the Fund. In certain cases, an exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on either specific securities or even the entire market, which may result in the Fund being, among other things, unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments or to accurately price its investments.

 

Governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world, such as the U.S. Federal Reserve, have in the past responded to major economic disruptions with changes to fiscal and monetary policy, including but not limited to, direct capital infusions, new monetary programs and dramatically lower interest rates. Such policy changes may adversely affect the value, volatility and liquidity of dividend and interest paying securities.

 

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INVESTMENT-RELATED RISKS

 

GENERAL INVESTMENT-RELATED RISKS

 

LIQUIDITY RISK. The Fund may invest in securities of any market capitalization and may be exposed to liquidity risk when trading volume, lack of a market maker, or legal restrictions impair the Fund’s ability to sell particular securities or close derivative positions at an advantageous price or in a timely manner. In the event certain securities experience limited trading volumes, the prices of such securities may display abrupt or erratic movements at times. In addition, it may be more difficult for the Fund to buy and sell significant amounts of such securities without an unfavorable impact on prevailing market prices. The Fund may purchase securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). An insufficient number of qualified institutional buyers interested in purchasing Rule 144A-eligible securities held by the Fund, could affect adversely the marketability of certain Rule 144A securities, and the Fund might be unable to dispose of such securities promptly or at reasonable prices. To the extent that liquid Rule 144A securities held by the Fund become illiquid, due to the lack of sufficient qualified institutional buyers or market or other conditions, the assets invested in illiquid assets would increase and the fair value of such investments may become not readily determinable. In addition, if for any reason the Fund is required to liquidate all or a portion of a portfolio quickly, such portfolio may realize significantly less than the fair value at which it previously recorded these investments. The sale of restricted and illiquid securities often requires more time and results in higher brokerage charges or dealer discounts and other selling expenses than does the sale of securities eligible for trading on national securities exchanges or in the over the counter markets. Restricted securities may sell at prices that are lower than similar securities that are not subject to restrictions on resale. The market prices, if any, for such illiquid investments tend to be volatile and may not be readily ascertainable and the Fund or an Underlying Fund may not be able to sell them when it desires to do so or to realize what it perceives to be their fair value in the event of a sale. Because of valuation uncertainty, the fair values of such illiquid investments reflected in the NAV of the Fund or Underlying Funds attributable to such investment may not necessarily reflect the prices that would actually be obtained by the Fund or Underlying Funds when such investments are realized. If the realization occurs at a price that is significantly lower than the NAV attributable to such investment, the Fund will suffer a loss. Moreover, securities in which the Fund or an Underlying Fund may invest include those that are not listed on a stock exchange or traded in an over-the-counter market. As a result of the absence of a public trading market for these securities, they may be less liquid than publicly traded securities. The size of the Fund’s or Underlying Funds’ position may magnify the effect of a decrease in market liquidity for such instruments. Changes in overall market leverage, deleveraging as a consequence of a decision by the counterparties with which the Fund or an Underlying Fund enters into repurchase/reverse repurchase agreements or derivative transactions to reduce the level of leverage available, or the liquidation by other market participants of the same or similar positions, may also adversely affect the Fund’s or an Underlying Fund’s portfolio.

 

VALUATION RISKS. Given the substantial investment by the Fund in private securities, there is no reliable liquid market available for the purposes of valuing the majority of the Fund’s investments. Valuation may require more research, and elements of judgment may play a greater role in the valuation of private securities as compared to public securities because there is less reliable objective data available. There can be no guarantee that the basis of calculation of the value of the Fund’s investments used in the valuation process will reflect the actual value on realization of those investments. The Investment Manager is entitled to receive a management fee for its services to the Fund, which is based, in part, on the value of the Fund’s investments. This creates a potential conflict of interest as the Investment Manager is involved in the valuation of the Fund’s investments. For listed securities for which market quotations are readily available, the Fund’s Administrator obtains prices from recognized independent pricing agents at the last quoted sale price at which a security is traded as of the close of business on a day when the Fund calculates its NAV. If there is no such reported sale on that day, a listed security is generally priced at the closing bid price for securities held long or at the closing ask price for securities held short. Moreover, the Fund’s compliance with the asset diversification tests under the Code depends on the fair market values of the Fund’s assets, and, accordingly, a challenge to the valuations ascribed by the Fund could affect its ability to comply with those tests or require it to pay penalty taxes in order to cure a violation thereof.

 

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DUE DILIGENCE RISK. The Fund conducts, and may use third parties to conduct, due diligence on prospective investments. In conducting such due diligence, the investment professionals of the Fund’s Investment Manager, will use publicly available information as well as information from their relationships with former and current management teams, consultants, competitors and investment bankers. Such level of due diligence may not, however, reveal all matters and issues, material or otherwise, relating to prospective investments. In addition, the Investment Manager may rely upon independent consultants in connection with its evaluation of proposed investments. There can be no assurance that these consultants will accurately evaluate such investments.

 

FRAUD RISK. Of paramount concern in loan investments is the possibility of material misrepresentation or omission on the part of the borrower or loan seller. Such inaccuracy or incompleteness may adversely affect the valuation of the collateral underlying the loans or may adversely affect the ability of the Fund to perfect or effectuate a lien on the collateral securing the loan. The Fund will rely upon the accuracy and completeness of representations made by borrowers to the extent reasonable, but cannot guarantee such accuracy or completeness.

 

ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS RISK. Alternative investments provide limited liquidity and include, among other things, the risks inherent in investing in securities, futures, commodities and derivatives, using leverage and engaging in short sales. An investment in alternative investment products is speculative, involves substantial risks, and should not constitute a complete investment program.

 

GENERAL ECONOMIC AND MARKET CONDITIONS. The success of the Fund’s investment program may be affected by general economic and market conditions, such as interest rates, availability of credit, inflation rates, economic uncertainty, changes in laws, and national and international political circumstances. These factors may affect the level and volatility of securities prices and the liquidity of investments held by the Fund. Unexpected volatility or illiquidity could impair the Fund’s profitability or result in losses.

 

In addition, the Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. War, terrorism, and related geopolitical events (and their aftermath) have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on U.S. and world economies and markets generally. Likewise, natural and environmental disasters, such as, for example, earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and weather-related phenomena generally, as well as the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, including widespread epidemics or pandemics, and systemic market dislocations can be highly disruptive to economies and markets. Such events, as well as other changes in non-U.S. and domestic economic and political conditions, also could adversely affect individual issuers or related groups of issuers, securities markets, interest rates, credit ratings, inflation, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of the Fund’s investments.

 

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Interest rates in the United States and many other countries have risen in recent periods and may rise in the future. See “INTEREST RATE RISK” for more information. Additionally, as a result of increasing interest rates, reserves held by banks and other financial institutions in bonds and other debt securities could face a significant decline in value relative to deposits and liabilities which, coupled with general economic headwinds resulting from a changing interest rate environment, creates liquidity pressures at such institutions. As a result, certain sectors of the credit markets could experience significant declines in liquidity, and it is possible that the Fund will not be able to manage this risk effectively.

 

ASSET ALLOCATION RISK. The Fund’s investment performance depends, at least in part, on how its assets are allocated and reallocated among asset classes and strategies. Such allocation could result in the Fund holding asset classes or investments that perform poorly or underperform other asset classes, strategies or available investments.

 

EXPEDITED INVESTMENT DECISIONS RISK. Investment analyses and decisions may frequently be required to be undertaken on an expedited basis to take advantage of investment opportunities. In such cases, the information available may be more limited and there may be insufficient time available to complete typical due diligence processes, thereby potentially increasing the risk of an adverse investment result.

 

DIFFICULTY IN LOCATING SUITABLE INVESTMENTS RISK. The success of the Fund will depend, in part, on the ability to identify and execute suitable investments that meet its investment objectives. The targeted asset classes are often limited in capacity or inconsistent in the supply of available opportunities. In addition, the market for attractive investment opportunities is highly competitive and the ability to execute at attractive prices and terms may deteriorate as new competitors enter the market. The investment process requires a substantial amount of upfront work and may involve a high degree of uncertainty around the ultimate execution of a deal. As a result of these factors, the Fund may hold elevated levels of cash or experience reduced returns on investments over time.

 

COUNTERPARTY RISK. Investments and investment transactions are subject to various counterparty risks. The counterparties to transactions in over-the-counter or “inter-dealer” markets are typically subject to lesser credit evaluation and regulatory oversight compared to members of “exchange-based” markets. This may increase the risk that a counterparty will not settle a transaction because of a credit or liquidity problem, thus causing the Fund to suffer losses. In addition, in the case of a default, an investment could become subject to adverse market movements while replacement transactions are executed. Such counterparty risk is accentuated for investments with longer maturities or settlement dates where events may intervene to prevent settlement or where transactions are concentrated with a single or small group of counterparties. Furthermore, upon the bankruptcy, insolvency or liquidation of any counterparty, the investor may be deemed to be a general, unsecured creditor of such counterparty and could suffer a total loss with respect to any positions and/or transactions with such counterparty. Under current market conditions, counterparty risk is substantially increased and more difficult to predict. In addition to heightened risk of bankruptcy, in this environment there is a greater risk that counterparties may have their assets frozen or seized as a result of government intervention or regulation. The Fund is not restricted from dealing with any particular counterparty or from concentrating any or all of its transactions with one or a limited number of counterparties. To the extent the Fund invests in swaps, derivative or synthetic instruments, or other over the counter transactions, on these markets, the Fund is assuming a credit risk with regard to parties with whom it trades and may also bear the risk of settlement default. These risks may differ materially from those associated with transactions effected on an exchange, which generally are backed by clearing organization guarantees, daily marking to market and settlement, and segregation and minimum capital requirements applicable to intermediaries. Transactions entered into directly between two counterparties generally do not benefit from such protections. The ability of the Fund to transact business with any one or number of counterparties, the lack of any independent evaluation of such counterparties’ financial capabilities and the absence of a regulated market to facilitate settlement may increase the potential for losses by the Fund.

 

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PRIVATE MARKETS RISK. The securities in which the Fund, directly or indirectly, may invest include privately issued securities of both public and private companies. Private securities have additional risk considerations than investments in comparable public investments. Whenever the Fund invests in companies that do not publicly report financial and other material information, it assumes a greater degree of investment risk and reliance upon the Investment Manager’s ability to obtain and evaluate applicable information concerning such companies’ creditworthiness and other investment considerations. Certain private securities may be illiquid. Because there is often no readily available trading market for private securities, the Fund may not be able to readily dispose of such investments at prices that approximate those at which the Fund could sell them if they were more widely traded. Private securities that are debt securities generally are of below-investment grade quality, frequently are unrated and present many of the same risks as investing in below-investment grade public debt securities. Investing in private debt instruments is a highly specialized investment practice that depends more heavily on independent credit analysis than investments in other types of obligations.

 

COMMITMENT STRATEGY RISK. Certain of the instruments in which the Fund invests are structured to draw-down capital from investors through capital calls for purposes of private investments. Investors in such vehicles may not contribute the full amount of their commitment to the investment at the time of their initial purchase. Instead, investors may be required to make incremental contributions pursuant to capital calls. The overall impact on performance due to holding a portion of the investment portfolio in cash could be a drag on the Fund’s performance.

 

SERVICER RISK. The Fund may rely upon third-party loan or asset servicers, who among other duties, play a critical role in collecting, processing and accounting for payments as well as engage in efforts to repair or collect on delinquent or non-performing borrowers. As such, the Fund’s investments may be adversely affected by the inability of such servicers to perform their duties in a satisfactory manner, or if the servicer becomes unwilling or unable to continue to provide such services. In the event that the servicer is unable to service the loans, there can be no guarantee that a backup servicer will be able to assume responsibility for servicing the loans in a timely or cost-effective manner; any resulting disruption or delay could jeopardize payments due to the Fund in respect of its investments or increase the costs associated with the Fund’s investments.

 

LITIGATION AND COLLECTIONS COSTS RISK. Should the Fund need to collect on a defaulted loan, litigation could result. There is a high cost associated with any litigation and the results of litigation are always uncertain. Even before litigation is commenced, the Fund could experience substantial costs in trying to collect on defaulted investments, such as legal fees, collection agency fees, or discounts related to the assignment of a defaulted loan to a third party.

 

Such prices are indicative of the price that could be received in the marketplace if transacted on the day the Fund is valued and in a position size considered to be standard for that type of security. There may be no central place or exchange for certain of the securities or instruments in which the Fund invests. The independent pricing agents may employ methodologies that utilize actual market transactions (if the security is actively traded), broker-dealer supplied valuations, or matrix pricing. Matrix pricing determines a security’s value by taking into account such factors as security prices, yields, maturities, call features, ratings and developments relating to comparable securities. Due to the potential lack of comparable information and trading, the valuation of bonds and certain other debt securities may carry more risk than that of common stock traded on national exchanges. Uncertainties in the conditions of the financial market, unreliable reference data, lack of transparency and inconsistency of valuation models and processes may lead to inaccurate asset pricing. In addition, other market participants may value securities differently than the Fund. As a result, the Fund may be subject to the risk that when a bond or other debt security is sold in the market, the amount received by the Fund is less than the value of such bond or other debt security carried on the Fund’s books.

 

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ACTIVE TRADING AND RISKS OF SECURITIES ACTIVITIES. The Fund is actively managed and may purchase and sell investments without regard to the length of time held. Active trading may have a negative impact on performance by increasing brokerage and other transaction costs and may generate greater amounts of net short-term capital gains, which, for taxable accounts, would be subject to tax at ordinary income tax rates. The Fund invests and trades in a variety of different securities, and utilizes a variety of investment instruments and techniques. Each security and each instrument and technique involves the risk of loss of capital. While the Investment Manager attempts to moderate these risks, there can be no assurance that the Fund’s investment activities will be successful or that the Shareholders will not suffer losses.

 

LIMITED VOTING RIGHTS. Debt securities typically do not provide any voting rights, except in cases when interest payments have not been made and the issuer is in default. Even in such cases, such rights may be limited to the terms of the debenture or other agreements.

 

CYBERSECURITY RISK. Cybersecurity refers to the combination of technologies, processes and procedures established to protect information technology systems and data from unauthorized access, attack or damage. The Fund, the Underlying Funds and their affiliates and third-party service providers are subject to cybersecurity risks. Cyber security risks have significantly increased in recent years and the Fund could suffer such losses in the future. Computer systems, software and networks may be vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer viruses or other malicious code and other events that could have a security impact. If one or more of such events occur, this potentially could jeopardize confidential and other information, including non-public personal information and sensitive business data, processed and stored in, and transmitted through, computer systems and networks, or otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in the Fund’s operations or the operations of the Underlying Funds or their respective affiliates and third-party service providers. This could result in significant losses, reputational damage, litigation, regulatory fines or penalties, or otherwise adversely affect the Fund’s business, financial condition or results of operations. Privacy and information security laws and regulation changes, and compliance with those changes, may result in cost increases due to system changes and the development of new administrative processes. In addition, the Fund may be required to expend significant additional resources to modify the Fund’s protective measures and to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities or other exposures arising from operational and security risks. There can be no assurance that the Fund or its service providers, or the issuers of the securities in which the Fund invest, will not suffer losses relating to cybersecurity breaches in the future. Despite reasonable precautions, the risk remains that such incidents could occur, and that such incidents could cause damage to individual investors due to the risk of exposing confidential personal data about investors to unintended parties.

 

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST RELATING TO CO-INVESTING. The Fund is permitted to rely on an order of exemptive relief from the SEC (the “Order”) that permits the Fund to participate in certain negotiated investments alongside other funds managed by the Investment Manager or certain of its affiliates outside the parameters of Section 17 of the Investment Company Act. The Order imposes various conditions on the Fund and the Investment Manager intended to ensure that any co-investment transactions are done in a fair and equitable manner.

 

The Investment Manager's investment allocation policy is designed to manage the potential conflicts of interest between its fiduciary obligations to the Fund and its similar fiduciary obligations to other clients; however, there can be no assurance that the Investment Manager's efforts to allocate any particular investment opportunity fairly among all clients for whom such opportunity is appropriate will result in an allocation of all or part of such opportunity to the Fund.

 

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The allocation of investment opportunities among the Fund and any of the other investment funds sponsored or accounts managed by the Investment Manager may not always, and often will not, be proportional. In general, pursuant to the Investment Manager's investment allocation policy, the process for making an allocation determination includes an assessment as to whether a particular investment opportunity (including any follow-on investment in, or disposition from, an existing investment held by the Fund or another investment fund or account) is suitable for the Fund or another investment fund or accounts. In making this assessment, the Investment Manager may consider a variety of factors, including, without limitation: the investment objectives, guidelines and strategies applicable to the investment fund or account; the nature of the investment, including its risk-return profile and expected holding period; portfolio diversification and concentration concerns; the liquidity needs of the investment fund or account; the ability of the investment fund or account to accommodate structural, timing and other aspects of the investment process; the life cycle of the investment fund or account; legal, tax and regulatory requirements and restrictions, including, as applicable, compliance with the Investment Company Act (including requirements and restrictions pertaining to co-investment opportunities); compliance with existing agreements of the investment fund or account; the available capital of the investment fund or account; diversification requirements for RICs; the gross asset value and net asset value of the investment fund or account; the current and targeted leverage levels for the investment fund or account; and portfolio construction considerations. The relevance of each of these criteria will vary from investment opportunity to investment opportunity.

 

Also, conflicts may nonetheless arise, including, but not limited to, the following:

 

The Investment Manager may be incentivized to pursue a co-investment transaction for reputational or other reasons that are not directly advantageous to the Fund. For example, the Investment Manager may receive a higher advisory fee from an affiliated fund that would be a participant in a co-investment transaction with the Fund, in which case the Investment Manager might be incentivized to recommend that the Fund participate in riskier co-investment transactions than would be the case if the Fund was the only participant.

 

By reason of the various activities of the Investment Manager and its affiliates, the Investment Manager and such affiliates may acquire confidential or material non-public information or otherwise be restricted from purchasing certain potential Fund investments that otherwise might have been purchased or be restricted from selling certain Fund investments that might otherwise have been sold at the time.

 

LIMITS OF RISK DISCLOSURES. The discussions of the various risks, and the related discussion of risks here and in the SAI, that are associated with the Fund or Underlying Funds and its Shares are not, and are not intended to be, a complete enumeration or explanation of the risks involved in an investment in the Fund. Prospective investors should read this entire Prospectus and consult with their own advisers before deciding whether to invest in the Fund. In addition, as the Fund’s investment program changes or develops over time, an investment in the Fund may be subject to risk factors not currently contemplated or described in this Prospectus.

  

INVESTMENT STRATEGY-SPECIFIC INVESTMENT-RELATED RISKS

 

In addition to the risks generally described in this Prospectus and the SAI, the following are some of the specific risks of the investment strategy, and are applicable to investments made by the Investment Manager and investments of the Fund’s assets in Underlying Funds:

 

SPECIALTY FINANCE. The Fund may arrange credit facilities with other lenders, fund managers and originators of risk assets. The Fund may also invest in other funds that focus on similar specialty finance transactions. Specialty finance investments can take form in a wide variety of forms, structures and terms. In general, the debt financing is typically arranged in the form of a senior secured credit facility and provided on the basis of pre-defined parameters and limitations on the types of loans or investments it can be used to fund. In certain cases, the Fund will be directly exposed to the credit risk of the borrower’s balance sheet, however this risk is typically mitigated by the senior position of the facility and therefore any losses are first borne by the borrower. In addition, the facility is secured by the underlying collateral, which are typically diversified pools of assets. In the event of default, the Fund may incur additional expenses and will rely on the collection efforts of the Investment Manager. Terms of the facility may vary but are typically commitments of a few years in duration or less. There is no reliable secondary market to liquidate the exposures in advance of the maturity date.

 

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NON-BANK LENDING. The Fund may engage with a variety of U.S. and non-U.S. non-bank lenders, including but not limited to, providing senior credit facilities secured by their origination, investing in whole loans or pooled vehicles that hold their origination and taking equity warrants in the non-bank lender. Non-bank lenders pose unique risks relative to traditional banks, not the least of which is that they generally operate in a less regulated environment, which may result in weaker capitalization, less robust operational and risk controls, higher and more variable costs of capital and heightened legal and fraud risk. In addition, the regulatory requirements for non-bank lenders are variable across local and national jurisdictions and subject to sudden change in ways that may have a material adverse impact on their ability to continue to conduct business.

 

LITIGATION FINANCE. The Fund may invest in litigation finance-related investments. Some litigation finance investments pertain to litigation in which a settlement agreement or some form of agreement in principle between the parties exists. However, in some circumstances, these settlements, whether finalized or under a memorandum of understanding, require court approval or procedural steps beyond the Investment Manager’s or the Fund’s control. If parties to an agreement or agreement in principle, or the relevant judicial authorities, terminate or reject a settlement, the Fund could suffer losses in its litigation finance investments.

 

Evaluation and Disclosure of Cases and Case Performance. Due to competitive and legal considerations and restrictions, the Fund and the Investment Manager may not be able to provide to investors details regarding any underlying investment opportunity. Investors will be wholly dependent upon the Investment Manager’s ability to assess and manage investments made by the Fund.

 

Recovery Risks and Timing Uncertainty. Parties to a litigation, arbitration or settlement agreement must have the ability to pay a fee, judgment, award or the agreed upon amount if a case outcome or transaction is ultimately successful or completed. Part of the investment process involves the Investment Manager’s assessment of this ability to pay. However, if the party is unable to pay or further challenges the validity of a judgment or award, the Fund may have difficulties ultimately collecting its share of monetary judgments or awards. Further, given the nature of these recoveries, the Fund cannot always control the ultimate timing of an amount recovered, and there is no assurance that the Investment Manager will be able to predict the timing of any such payments.

 

Legal Professional Duties. For most investments made by the Fund, the Fund will not be the client of the law firm representing the party to the litigation or transaction and will not have the ability to control decisions made by the parties or the law firm. Lawyers are generally required to act pursuant to their clients’ directives and are fiduciaries to their clients, not to the Fund. The law firms involved also will be subject to an overriding duty to the courts and not the Fund.

 

Reliance on Outside Counsel and Experts. As part of the due diligence process in which the Funds engages, the Fund might rely on the advice and opinion of outside counsel and other experts in assessing potential opportunities. Further, the Fund and the Investment Manager will sometimes be dependent upon the skills and efforts of independent law firms to complete any settlement or underlying litigation or transactional matter. There is no guarantee that the ultimate outcome of any opportunities will be in line with a law firm’s or expert’s initial assessment.

 

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SMALL BUSINESS LENDING. The Fund may make investments in a variety of structures that involve lending to small businesses and newly formed companies. Lending to small businesses and startups presents unique risks. Small businesses and startups generally have limited borrowing and operating histories, making it more difficult to assess their creditworthiness. In addition, small businesses and startups may have fewer assets available to use as collateral, leaving the Fund with little recourse in the event of default on the loan. The businesses of the borrowers may not have steady earnings growth, may be operated by less experienced individuals, may have limited resources and may be more vulnerable to adverse general market or economic developments.

 

RECEIVABLES. The Fund may invest in loans or advances made to businesses, secured by invoice receivables, originated by specialty finance managers, marketplace lending platforms or other originators. The Fund will be reliant on the originator’s ability to source suitable deals, detect fraud, assess the credit worthiness of both the borrower and the obligor on the invoice, manage operational and financial risk and, in the event of default, pursue and collect collateral. In the event of default, the Fund incurs the risk that it may only rank as an unsecured creditor. The obligor on the invoice may dispute any aspect of its obligation and delay, reduce or withhold payments, which may affect the value of the collateral.

 

RESTRICTED SECURITIES. The Fund may invest in restricted securities, primarily through direct placements. Restricted securities are less liquid than securities traded in the open market because of statutory and contractual restrictions on resale. Such securities are, therefore, unlike securities that are traded in the open market, which can be expected to be sold immediately if the market is adequate. As discussed further below, this lack of liquidity creates special risks. However, the Fund could sell such securities in privately negotiated transactions with a limited number of purchasers or in public offerings under the Securities Act. Convertible subordinated units of master limited partnerships convert to publicly-traded common units upon the passage of time and/or satisfaction of certain financial tests. Although the means by which convertible subordinated units convert into senior common units depend on a security’s specific terms, convertible subordinated units typically are exchanged for common shares. Restricted securities are subject to statutory and contractual restrictions on their public resale, which may make it more difficult to value them, may limit the Fund’s ability to dispose of them and may lower the amount the Fund could realize upon their sale. To enable the Fund to sell its holdings of a restricted security not registered under the Securities Act, the Fund may have to cause those securities to be registered. The expenses of registering restricted securities may be negotiated by the Fund with the issuer at the time the Fund buys the securities. When the Fund must arrange registration in order to sell the security, a considerable period may elapse between the time the decision is made to sell the security and the time the security is registered so that the Fund could sell it. The Fund would bear the risks of any downward price fluctuation during that period.

 

WARRANTS AND RIGHTS. Warrants are derivative instruments that permit, but do not obligate, the holder to subscribe for other securities or commodities. Rights are similar to warrants, but normally have a shorter duration and are offered or distributed to shareholders of a company. Warrants and rights do not carry with them the right to dividends or voting rights with respect to the securities that they entitle the holder to purchase, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, the values of warrants and rights do not necessarily change with the values of the underlying securities or commodities and these instruments cease to have value if they are not exercised prior to their expiration dates. As a result, warrants and rights may be considered more speculative than certain other types of equity-like securities.

 

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Rights (sometimes referred to as “subscription rights”) and warrants may be purchased separately or may be received as part of a distribution in respect of, or may be attached to, other securities that the Fund have purchased. Rights and warrants are securities that give the holder the right, but not the obligation, to purchase equity securities of the company issuing the rights or warrants, or a related company, at a fixed price either on a date certain or during a set period. Typically, rights have a relatively short term (e.g., two to four weeks), whereas warrants can have much longer terms. At the time of issue, the cost of a right or warrant is substantially less than the cost of the underlying security itself.

 

Particularly in the case of warrants, price movements in the underlying security are generally magnified in the price movements of the warrant. This effect would enable the Fund to gain exposure to the underlying security with a relatively low capital investment but increases the Fund’s risk in the event of a decline in the value of the underlying security and can result in a complete loss of the amount invested in the warrant. In addition, the price of a warrant tends to be more volatile than, and may not correlate exactly to, the price of the underlying security. If the market price of the underlying security is below the exercise price of the warrant on its expiration date, the warrant will generally expire without value. The equity security underlying a warrant is authorized at the time the warrant is issued or is issued together with the warrant, which may result in losses to the Fund. Investing in warrants can provide a greater potential for profit or loss than an equivalent investment in the underlying security, and, thus, can be a speculative investment. The value of a warrant may decline because of a decline in the value of the underlying security, the passage of time, changes in interest rates or in the dividend or other policies of the company whose equity underlies the warrant or a change in the perception as to the future price of the underlying security, or any combination thereof. Warrants and rights do not carry with them the right to dividends or voting rights with respect to the securities that they entitle the holder to purchase, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer.

 

ROYALTIES. The Fund may invest in royalties, either directly purchasing the asset generating royalties or providing loans secured by royalties. Investments in royalties incorporate a number of general market risks along with risks specific to various underlying royalty strategies, such as oil & gas, music and healthcare, among others. Included in those risks could be volatility in commodities, regulatory changes, delays in government approvals, patent defense and enforcement, product liabilities, product pricing and the dependence on third parties to market or distribute the product. The market performance of the target products, therefore, may be diminished by any number of factors that are beyond the Fund’s control.

 

SECONDARY PURCHASES OF PRIVATE CREDIT FUNDS. Secondary purchases involve the acquisition of pre-existing investor commitments to private funds in privately negotiated transactions. The Fund will largely focus on secondary purchases in private credit funds where the underlying assets, such as loans to private companies, are consistent with the investment objectives of the Fund. When purchasing a secondary, the buyer will agree to purchase an investor’s existing limited partnership position in an Underlying Fund and take on existing obligations to fund future capital calls. At the time of purchase, the buyer may have limited, dated and imperfect information about the fund which may create challenges to value the opportunity properly.

 

PORTFOLIO FINANCE. The Fund may engage, either directly or through Underlying Funds, in portfolio financing transactions. These investments will typically be loans secured by a pool of underlying investments and are subject to the inherent risks typically found in debt origination or investment in debt securities. Additional risks for these types of loans could include difficulty in valuing the underlying portfolio assets, underlying limited partners resisting or contesting such loans, the removal of the investment manager and/or general partner subjecting the investment to additional management instability and the potential to have the investment subordinated to current and/or future debt at the fund level. Further, if the debt is secured by uncalled committed capital, there is a risk that underlying limited partners could default on their commitment. These pools of collateral could also be concentrated in only a few companies or the ownership could be diluted by further capital funding that may be required.

 

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TRADE FINANCE. Trade finance as an asset class typically consists of the financing of goods or materials during the time it takes to transport the goods from one geographic location to another. The Fund may invest in trade finance, structured trade finance, export finance, and project finance, or related obligations of companies or other entities with potential for exposure to emerging markets, all through a variety of forms, structures, and terms. Investing in trade finance may present emerging market risk, where the Fund considers risks tied to political and economic factors (different and often more complex than those faced domestically), ranging from but not limited to: expropriation, confiscation, nationalization, election, or war. Emerging market risk can also produce risk associated with loan market health, additional costs, regulatory practices, accounting standards, credit systems, taxation, and currency risk. Additionally, trade finance may entail transportation and warehousing risk, legal risk, collateral value risk, liquidity risk, and global market risk. Counterparty risk exists in default and fraud, as well as custody risks of theft and natural disaster. Finally, to the extent the buyer does not follow through on the contractual purchase, the Fund bears the price risk of reselling the goods to a new buyer.

 

TRANSPORTATION FINANCE. The Fund may invest in transportation finance-related instruments. The transportation finance sector is cyclical in nature and will likely be dependent upon continued economic growth in the world’s economies. Economic recessions, terrorism, pandemics, the price of fuel, and newer, more efficient vehicles are all risks to these types of investments. Further, funds operating in these sectors will often have greater portfolio concentration.

 

WAREHOUSING AND SEASONAL FACILITIES. The Fund may provide warehousing and seasoning credit facilities to a variety of lenders, funds, platforms, companies and other entities. These facilities are typically secured by the borrower’s investment activities, acquisitions and lending assets. The intent of such facilities is to provide the borrower with short-term financing to support their ongoing investment activities in an anticipation of redistribution of the same assets to another capital provider, such as a fund, a platform or public offering. The facilities may also be used to season certain investment assets, as required by tax, legal or regulatory requirements, before passing from one legal entity to another. Although the intent of such facilities to be short-term in nature, there can be no assurance that the borrower will be successful in redistributing the assets as intended to the long-term providers of capital. In such cases, the length of the exposure to such assets may extend considerably, and in certain circumstances, may lead to the Fund owning such assets outright which may further lengthen the term of exposure. In certain situations, the value of the assets may decline considerably over the life of the exposure resulting in adverse results for the Fund.

 

REAL ESTATE RELATED RISK. The main risk of real estate related investments is that the value of the underlying real estate may go down. Many factors may affect real estate values. These factors include both the general and local economies, the amount of new construction in a particular area, the laws and regulations (including zoning and tax laws) affecting real estate and the costs of owning, maintaining and improving real estate. The availability of mortgages and changes in interest rates may also affect real estate values. If the Fund’s real estate-related investments are concentrated in one geographic area or in one property type, the Fund will be particularly subject to the risks associated with that area or property type. The Fund may invest in a wide array of real estate exposures that involve equity or equity-like risk in the underlying properties. Real estate historically has experienced significant fluctuation and cycles in value, and specific market conditions may result in a permanent reduction in value. The value of the real estate will depend on many factors beyond the control of the general partner, including, without limitation: changes in general economic or local conditions; changes in supply of or demand for competing properties in an area (as a result, for instance, of over-building); changes in interest rates; the promulgation and enforcement of governmental regulations relating to land use and zoning restrictions, environmental protection and occupational safety; unavailability of mortgage funds which may render the construction, leasing, sale or refinancing of a property difficult; the financial condition of borrowers and of tenants, buyers and sellers of property; changes in real estate tax rates and other operating expenses; the imposition of rent controls; energy and supply shortages; various uninsured or uninsurable risks; and natural disasters.

 

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ASSET-BACKED (INCLUDING MORTGAGE-BACKED) SECURITIES. Asset-backed exposures are investments that are backed primarily by the cash flows of a discrete pool of fixed or revolving receivables or other financial assets that by their terms convert into cash within a finite time period. These could include assets such as unsecured consumer or other receivables, credit card receivables, trade receivables, equipment leases, and other assets that produce streams of payments. Asset backed exposures are generally not insured or guaranteed by the related sponsor or any other entity and therefore, if the assets or sources of funds available to the issuer are insufficient to pay those outstanding liabilities, the Funds will incur losses. In addition, asset-backed exposures entail prepayment risk that may vary depending on the type of asset, but is generally less than the prepayment risk associated with mortgage-backed securities. Asset-backed investments present certain risks that are not presented by mortgage-backed securities. Primarily, these securities may provide the Fund with a less effective security interest in the related collateral than do mortgage-backed securities. Therefore, there is the possibility that recoveries on the underlying collateral may not, in some cases, be available to support payments on these investments.

 

Real Estate Loans

 

  ● Senior Mortgage Loans: These mortgage loans are typically secured by first liens on properties, including office, multifamily, retail, industrial, senior living facilities, hospitality and mixed-use. In some cases, first lien mortgages may be divided into an A-Note and a B-Note. The A-Note is typically a privately negotiated loan that is secured by a first mortgage on a commercial property or group of related properties that is senior to a B-Note secured by the same first mortgage property or group.

 

  ● Subordinated Debt: These loans may include structurally subordinated first mortgage loans and junior participations in first mortgage loans or participations in these types of assets. As noted above, a B-Note is typically a privately negotiated loan that is secured by a first mortgage on a commercial property or group of related properties and is subordinated ty an A-Note secured by the same first mortgage property or group. The subordination of a B-Note or junior participation typically is evidenced by participation or intercreditor agreements with other holders of interests in the note. B-Notes are subject to more credit risk with respect to the underlying mortgage collateral than the corresponding A-Note.

 

  ● Preferred Equity: Real estate preferred equity investments are subordinate to first mortgage loans and are not collateralized by the property underlying the investment. As a holder of preferred equity, the Fund seeks to enhance its position with covenants that limit the activities of the entity in which the Fund has an interest and protect its equity by obtaining an exclusive right to control the underlying property after an event of default, should such default occur on the Fund’s investment.

 

  ● Mezzanine Loans: Like B-Notes, these loans are also subordinated, but are usually secured by a pledge of the borrower’s equity ownership in the entity that owns the property or by a second lien mortgage on the property. In a liquidation, these loans are generally junior to any mortgage liens on the underlying property, but senior to any preferred equity or common equity interests in the entity that owns the property. Investor rights are usually governed by intercreditor agreements. See “Mezzanine Debt” below.

 

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Asset-backed securities entail certain risks not presented by mortgage-backed securities, including the risk that in certain states it may be difficult to perfect the liens securing the collateral backing certain asset-backed securities. In addition, certain asset-backed securities are based on loans that are unsecured, which means that there is no collateral to seize if the underlying borrower defaults.

 

MEZZANINE DEBT. Mezzanine securities generally are rated below investment grade and frequently are unrated and present many of the same risks as senior loans, second lien loans and non-investment grade bonds. However, unlike senior loans and second lien loans, mezzanine securities are not a senior or secondary secured obligation of the related borrower. They typically are the most subordinated debt obligation in an issuer’s capital structure. Mezzanine securities also may often be unsecured. Mezzanine securities therefore are subject to additional risk that the cash flow of the related borrower and the property securing the loan may be insufficient to repay the scheduled obligation after giving effect to any senior obligations of the related borrower. Mezzanine securities are also expected to be a highly illiquid investment. Mezzanine securities will be subject to certain additional risks to the extent that such loans may not be protected by financial covenants or limitations upon additional indebtedness. Investment in mezzanine securities is a highly specialized investment practice that depends more heavily on independent credit analysis than investments in other types of debt obligations.

 

MERCHANT CASH ADVANCES. For a variety of reasons, many small- and medium-sized merchants, retailers and businesses may have difficulties securing loans from traditional lenders and rely on merchant cash advances for operating liquidity. Merchant cash advances are made largely based on factors such as the value of a business’ account receivables. In exchange, the provider of the advance may receive a share of a business’ future sales and/or a fixed fee. The remittances from the borrower will generally be drawn from the borrower’s customer debit- and credit-card purchases until the advance is repaid. Such cash advances come with the additional risks associated with small business lending which may lead to losses to the Fund. Since the cash advances are technically sales of future assets, rather than direct loans or credit, when making such advances the Fund is not believed to be currently subject to state usury laws or any of the restrictions under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. However, there have been discussions of increasing regulation of merchant cash advances and other alternative lending. Any such increased regulation may have an adverse effect on the Fund by increasing the cost of executing merchant cash advances, or making the strategy economically unfeasible or unlawful. There have also been claims that certain merchant cash advances should be re-characterized as loans. Any such claims, if successful, could result in an inability to collect on the merchant cash advances, as well as a potential for fines, penalties, and required refunds of amounts previously collected.

 

INCOME SHARE AGREEMENTS. Income Share Agreements (“ISAs”) are an alternative way for students to finance tuition instead of a student loan. In a typical ISA, students would agree to pay a fixed percentage of their income once they are employed and earning in excess of a specified threshold salary. In addition, most ISAs have a maximum amount required to be paid by the obligor and a defined term, typically three to ten years. There are significant variations in the terms of ISAs. Investments in the ISAs generally will be subject to risks incident to the ownership of contract rights against third party obligors, including: (i) risks associated with the general domestic economic climate; (ii) local employment conditions; (iii) risks due to dependence on cash flow; (iv) risks arising out of problems in certain industries that would otherwise employ the ISA obligors; (v) changes in supply of, or demand for, the types of employees who are the ISA obligors; (vi) the general financial condition of the ISA obligors; (vii) changes in tax laws and regulations; and (viii) the ability of the company, its affiliates or third-party servicers to manage and service the ISAs.

 

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The U.S. Department of Education has recently issued regulations to create new income-driven repayment plans to reduce future monthly payments for lower- and middle-income student loan borrowers. Income-driven repayment plans are a form of debt relief for students under which repayments are based on the borrower’s income. Under these plans, monthly payments are generally based on a percentage of the borrower’s discretionary income and family size and, by the end of the repayment period, any remaining balance not paid off is forgiven. While it is too early to discern the full impact of the repayment flexibility provided by these regulations, under these plans, the ultimate repayment may be delayed for a period significantly longer than the originally scheduled repayment term.

 

INFRASTRUCTURE. The Fund may invest its assets in securities issued by companies in the infrastructure industry. Infrastructure companies are subject to a variety of factors that may adversely affect their business or operations, including high interest costs in connection with capital construction programs, high leverage, costs associated with environmental and other regulations, the effects of economic slowdown including surplus capacity, government budgetary constraints and other factors. Additionally, infrastructure companies may be subject to regulation by various governmental authorities and also may be affected by governmental regulation of rates charged to customers, service interruptions and/or legal challenges due to environmental, operational or other issues and the imposition of special tariffs and changes in tax laws, regulatory policies and accounting standards. There is also the risk that publicly-funded infrastructure projects, especially in emerging markets, may be subject to the effects of public corruption resulting in delays and cost overruns. Other risks include environmental damage due to a company’s operations or an accident, changes in market sentiment toward infrastructure and terrorist acts. Infrastructure securities may also be highly illiquid investments.

  

INTEREST RATE RISK. The Fund is subject to the risks of changes in interest rates. A decline in interest rates could reduce the amount of current income the Fund is able to achieve from interest on fixed income securities, investments in bank loans and participations, convertible debt and the proceeds of short sales. An increase in interest rates could reduce the value of any fixed income securities and convertible securities owned by the Fund. To the extent that the cash flow from a fixed income security is known in advance, the present value (i.e., discounted value) of that cash flow decreases as interest rates increase; to the extent that the cash flow is contingent, the dollar value of the payment may be linked to then prevailing interest rates. Moreover, the value of many fixed income securities depends on the shape of the yield curve, not just on a single interest rate. Thus, for example, a callable cash flow, the coupons of which depend on a short rate, may shorten (i.e., be called away) if the long rate decreases. In this way, such securities are exposed to the difference between long rates and short rates. The Fund may also invest in floating rate securities. The value of these investments is closely tied to the absolute levels of such rates, or the market’s perception of anticipated changes in those rates. This introduces additional risk factors related to the movements in specific interest rates that may be difficult or impossible to hedge, and that also interact in a complex fashion with prepayment risks. A wide variety of factors can cause interest rates or yields of U.S. Treasury securities or other types of bonds to rise (e.g., central bank monetary policies, inflation rates, general economic conditions, reduced market demand for low yielding investments, etc.).

 

Interest rates in the United States and many other countries have risen in recent periods and may rise in the future. Because longer-term inflationary pressure may result from the U.S. government’s fiscal policies, the Fund may experience rising interest rates, rather than falling rates, over its investment horizon. To the extent the Fund or an Underlying Fund borrows money to finance its investments, the Fund’s or Underlying Fund’s performance will depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which it borrows funds and the rate at which it invests those funds. In periods of rising interest rates, the Fund’s cost of funds could increase. Adverse developments resulting from changes in interest rates could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s or an Underlying Fund’s financial condition and results.

 

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In addition, a decline in the prices of the debt the Fund or an Underlying Fund owns could adversely affect the Fund’s NAV. Changes in market interest rates could also affect the ability of operating companies in which the Fund or an Underlying Fund invests to service debt, which could materially impact the Fund.

 

GENERAL CREDIT RISKS. The value of any underlying collateral, the creditworthiness of the borrower and the priority of the lien are each of great importance. An investor could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security or the counterparty to a derivatives contract, repurchase agreement, or a loan of portfolio securities defaults or is unable or unwilling to make timely principal and/or interest payments or to otherwise honor its obligations. A downgrade of the credit of a security may also decrease its value.

 

EXTENSION RISK. If interest rates rise, repayments of fixed income securities may occur more slowly than anticipated by the market. This may drive the prices of these securities down, because their interest rates are lower than the current interest rate and they remain outstanding longer.

 

ISSUER RISK. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons that directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage, and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets.

 

PREPAYMENT OR CALL RISK. Many issuers have a right to prepay their debt securities. If interest rates fall, an issuer may exercise this right. In that event, the security holder will not benefit from the rise in market price that normally accompanies a decline in interest rates and will be forced to reinvest prepayment proceeds at a time when yields on securities available in the market are lower than the yield on the prepaid security.

 

REINVESTMENT RISK. Income from the Fund’s portfolio will decline if and when the Fund invests the proceeds from matured, traded or called debt obligations at market interest rates that are below the portfolio’s current earnings rate. For instance, during periods of declining interest rates, an issuer of debt obligations may exercise an option to redeem securities prior to maturity, forcing the Fund to reinvest the proceeds in lower-yielding securities. A decline in income received by the Fund from its investments is likely to have a negative effect on the market price, NAV and/or overall return of the Fund.

 

SPREAD RISK. Wider credit spreads and decreasing market values typically represent a deterioration of the debt security’s credit soundness and a perceived greater likelihood or risk of default by the issuer.

  

DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS. Derivatives are financial contracts whose value depend on, or are derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate, or index. The use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Certain derivative instruments can lose more than the principal amount invested. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying references do not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives costlier, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.

 

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The Fund may engage in foreign currency transactions for a variety of purposes, including “locking in” the U.S. dollar price of a security between trade and settlement date, or hedging the U.S. dollar value of securities held in the Fund. The Fund may also engage in foreign currency transactions for non-hedging purposes to generate returns. Foreign currency transactions may involve, for example, the purchase of foreign currencies for U.S. dollars or the maintenance of short positions in foreign currencies. Foreign currency transactions may involve the Fund agreeing to exchange an amount of a currency it does not currently own for another currency at a future date. The Fund would typically engage in such a transaction in anticipation of a decline in the value of the currency it sells relative to the currency that the Fund has contracted to receive in the exchange. The Investment Manager’s success in these transactions will depend principally on their ability to predict accurately the future exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar.

 

The Fund may enter into forward contracts for hedging and non-hedging purposes in pursuing its investment objective. Forward contracts are transactions involving an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date at a specified price. Forward contracts may be used for hedging purposes to protect against uncertainty in the level of future non-U.S. currency exchange rates, such as when the Investment Manager anticipates purchasing or selling a non-U.S. security. This technique would allow the Investment Manager to “lock in” the U.S. dollar price of the security. Forward contracts may also be used to attempt to protect the value of an existing holding of non-U.S. securities. Imperfect correlation may exist, however, between the non-U.S. securities holdings of the Fund, and the forward contracts entered into with respect to those holdings. In addition, forward contracts may be used for non-hedging purposes, such as when the Investment Manager anticipates that particular non-U.S. currencies will appreciate or depreciate in value, even though securities denominated in those currencies are not then held in the applicable investment portfolio. The Fund is not required to hedge all or any portion of their exposure to non-U.S. currency risks, and there can be no assurance that hedging techniques will be successful if used.

 

In addition, the Fund is required to comply with Rule 18f-4 under the Investment Company Act and has adopted procedures for investing in derivatives and other transactions in compliance with Rule 18f-4. See “LEGAL, TAX AND REGULATORY” for more information.

 

UNDERLYING FUNDS RISK. Your cost of investing in the Fund, due to its investments in Underlying Funds, may be higher than the cost of investing in a fund that only invests directly in individual securities. If the Fund invests its assets in underlying closed-end funds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, private funds or other pooled vehicles, the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective depends largely on the performance of the Underlying Funds selected. Each of the Underlying Funds has its own investment risks, and those risks can affect the value of the Underlying Funds’ shares and therefore the value of the Fund’s investments. There can be no assurance that the investment objective of any Underlying Fund will be achieved. An Underlying Fund may change its investment objective or policies without the Fund’s approval, which could force the Fund to withdraw its investment from such Underlying Fund at a time that is unfavorable to the Fund. In addition, one Underlying Fund may buy the same securities that another Underlying Fund sells. Therefore, the Fund would indirectly bear the costs of these trades without accomplishing any investment purpose.

 

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ESG INVESTING. The Investment Manager may include the potential impacts of ESG or other factors on a particular investment, in its assessment of portfolio investments, alongside traditional financial and economic analysis (e.g., expected return on investment). The Investment Manager does not base their investment decisions solely on such factors, and therefore the Fund may still invest in securities of issuers with a significant ESG risk. Any ESG analysis utilized by the Investment Manager as part of its investment process may involve the use of third-party research as well as proprietary research. ESG considerations that may be assessed as part of a Fund’s investment process may change over time and may vary across types of eligible investments. The Investment Manager does not assess every investment or issuer for ESG factors and, when they do, not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated. A Fund may underperform funds that do not incorporate ESG factors when making investment decisions or funds that use a different methodology to identify and/or incorporate ESG factors. ESG is not a uniformly defined characteristic and ESG standards differ by region and industry. A company’s ESG practices or third-party service providers’ (e.g., data and/or ratings providers) assessment of a company’s ESG practices may change over time. Any assessment by the Investment Manager of an issuer’s ESG factors is subjective and will likely differ from that of investors, third-party service providers and other funds. As a result, securities selected by the Investment Manager that exhibits ESG factors may not reflect the beliefs and values of any particular investor. The Investment Manager also may be dependent on the availability of timely, complete and accurate ESG data reported by issuers and/or third-party service providers, the timeliness, completeness and accuracy of which is out of the Investment Manager’s control. There is no guarantee that the evaluation of ESG considerations will be additive to a Fund’s performance.

 

NON-U.S. INVESTMENTS. It is expected that the Fund will invest in securities of companies that have non-U.S. exposure. Foreign obligations have risks not typically involved in domestic investments. Foreign investing can result in higher transaction and operating costs for the Fund Foreign issuers are not subject to the same accounting and disclosure requirements to which U.S. issuers are subject and consequently, less information may be available to investors in companies located in such countries than is available to investors in companies located in the United States. The value of foreign investments may be affected by exchange control regulations; fluctuations in the rate of exchange between currencies and costs associated with currency conversions; the potential difficulty in repatriating funds; expropriation or nationalization of a company’s assets; delays in settlement of transactions; changes in governmental economic or monetary policies in the United States or abroad; or other political and economic factors.

 

Securities of issuers in emerging and developing markets present risks not found in securities of issuers in more developed markets. Securities of issuers in emerging and developing markets may be more difficult to sell at acceptable prices and their prices may be more volatile than securities of issuers in more developed markets. Settlements of securities trades in emerging and developing markets may be subject to greater delays than in other markets so that the Fund might not receive the proceeds of a sale of a security on a timely basis. Emerging markets generally have less developed trading markets and exchanges, and legal and accounting systems.

 

The Fund and Underlying Funds may invest directly or indirectly from time to time in European companies and assets, including investments located in the United Kingdom (“UK”). The UK left the European Union (“EU”) on January 31, 2020, and a transition period during which the UK and EU negotiated terms of departure ended on December 31, 2020. The departure is commonly referred to as “Brexit.” The UK and EU reached an agreement, effective January 1, 2021, on the terms of their future trading relationship, which principally relates to the trading of goods. Uncertainties remain relating to certain aspects of the UK’s future economic, trading and legal relationships with the EU and other countries. Brexit may have significant political and financial consequences for the Eurozone markets and broader global economy, including greater volatility in the global stock markets and illiquidity, fluctuations in currency and exchange rates, and an increased likelihood of a recession in the UK. Securities issued by companies domiciled in the UK could be subject to changing regulatory and tax regimes. Banking and financial services companies that operate in the UK or EU could be disproportionately impacted by these actions. Further insecurity in EU membership or the abandonment of the euro could exacerbate market and currency volatility and negatively impact investments in securities issued by companies located in EU countries. Brexit also may cause additional member states to contemplate departing the EU, which would likely perpetuate political and economic instability in the region and cause additional market disruption in global financial markets. As a result, markets in the UK, Europe and globally could experience increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth which in return could potentially have an adverse effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. Market disruption in the EU and globally may have a negative effect on the value of the Fund’s and Underlying Funds’ investments.

 

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NON-U.S. INVESTMENTS – EMERGING MARKETS. Securities, loans, advances and other investment exposures originating in emerging and developing markets present risks not found in more developed markets. Exposures in emerging and developing markets may be more difficult to sell at acceptable prices and their prices may be more volatile than those in more developed markets. Settlements of securities trades in emerging and developing markets may be subject to greater delays than in other markets so that the Fund might not receive the proceeds of a sale of a security on a timely basis. Emerging markets generally have less developed trading markets and exchanges, and legal and accounting systems. In addition, emerging markets countries may have more or less government regulation and generally do not impose as extensive and frequent accounting, auditing, financial and other reporting requirements as the securities markets of more developed countries. The accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices applicable to emerging market companies may be less rigorous, and there may be significant differences between financial statements prepared in accordance with those accounting standards as compared to financial statements prepared in accordance with international accounting standards. Consequently, the quality of certain foreign audits may be unreliable, which may require enhanced procedures, and the Fund may not be provided with the same level of protection or information as would generally apply in developed countries, potentially exposing the Fund to significant losses. As a result, there could be less information available about issuers in emerging market countries, which could negatively affect the Investment Manager’s ability to evaluate local companies or their potential impact on the Fund’s performance. Further, investments in securities of issuers located in certain emerging countries involve the risk of loss resulting from problems in share registration, settlement or custody, substantial economic, political and social disruptions and the imposition of exchange controls (including repatriation restrictions). The legal remedies for investors in emerging markets may be more limited than the remedies available in the U.S., and the ability of U.S. authorities (e.g., SEC and the U.S. Department of Justice) to bring actions against bad actors may be limited.

 

CURRENCY. The value of securities denominated in foreign currencies fluctuates as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. dollar change. Currency conversion costs and currency fluctuations could reduce or eliminate investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and are affected by, among other factors, the general economics of a country; the actions of U.S. and foreign governments or central banks; the imposition of currency controls; and speculation.

 

CO-INVESTMENT REVENUE. The Fund may invest in co-investment vehicles owned and managed by unaffiliated entities. The investment strategy of any co-investment vehicle in which the Fund invests will be consistent with the investment objective, investment strategies, and risk factors of the Fund. The Fund may receive an asset-based fee from other investors in the co-investment fund for rendering certain services to the co-investment fund such as warehousing investments and acting as the collateral agent. The asset-based fees may be subordinated to outside investor capital and thus subject to first loss if the investment underperforms.

 

Loan Syndication Risk. The Fund may originate loans with the intention of selling a portion of the Fund’s interests in such loans to third parties. In the event that the Fund does not or is unable to syndicate a loan or loans, the Fund may be forced to retain larger amounts of such loan or loans than originally intended. In such event, the Fund’s investment portfolio could become significantly concentrated in a particular loan or loans. In addition, the Investment Manager may receive fees as a result of a loan syndication from other participants in the loan but will not receive such fees with respect to the Fund’s investment.

 

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SECTOR RISK. To the extent the Fund invests more heavily in particular sectors of the economy, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors.

 

FINANCIAL SECTOR RISK. Companies in the financial sector of an economy are often subject to extensive governmental regulation and intervention, which may adversely affect the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Governmental regulation may change frequently and may have significant adverse consequences for companies in the financial sector, including effects not intended by such regulation. The impact of recent or future regulation in various countries on any individual financial company or on the sector as a whole cannot be predicted.

 

Certain risks may impact the value of investments in the financial sector more severely than those of investments outside this sector, including the risks associated with companies that operate with substantial financial leverage. Companies in the financial sector may also be adversely affected by increases in interest rates and loan losses, decreases in the availability of money or asset valuations, credit rating downgrades and adverse conditions in other related markets.

 

In certain transactions, the Fund may not be “hedged” against market fluctuations, or, in liquidation situations, may not accurately value the assets of the company being liquidated. This can result in losses, even if the proposed transaction is consummated.

 

LIBOR DISCONTINUATION RISK. The Fund’s investments, interest payment obligations and financing terms may be based on floating rates, such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). The ICE Benchmark Administration Limited, the administrator of LIBOR, ceased publishing most LIBOR tenors, including some U.S. dollar LIBOR tenors, on December 31, 2021, and ceased publishing the remaining and most liquid U.S. dollar LIBOR tenors on June 30, 2023. As a result, many market participants have transitioned to the use of alternative reference or benchmark rates prior to the applicable LIBOR publication cessation date. The UK Financial Conduct Authority has announced that it will require the publication of synthetic LIBOR for the one-month, three-month and six-month U.S. dollar LIBOR settings after June 30, 2023 through at least September 30, 2024. The U.S. Federal Reserve, based on the recommendations of the Alternative Reference Rate Committee (comprised of major derivative market participants and their regulators) of the New York Federal Reserve, has begun publishing the Secured Overnight Financial Rate Data (“SOFR”), which is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Alternative reference rates for other currencies have also been announced or have already begun publication. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new rates.

 

Uncertainty related to the liquidity impact of the change in rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, poses risks for the Fund. The discontinuation of LIBOR could have a significant impact on the financial markets in general and may also present heightened risk to market participants, including public companies, investment advisers, investment companies, and broker-dealers. The risks associated with this discontinuation and transition will be exacerbated if the work necessary to effect an orderly transition to an alternative reference rate is not completed in a timely manner. Accordingly, it is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund or the Fund’s investments until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled. The transition process might lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets for instruments whose terms currently include LIBOR. It could also lead to a reduction in the value of some LIBOR-based investments. Since the usefulness of LIBOR as a benchmark could deteriorate during the transition period, these effects could occur prior to the completion of the transition. All of the aforementioned may adversely affect the Fund’s performance or NAV.

 

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SOFR RISK. SOFR is intended to be a broad measure of the cost of borrowing funds overnight in transactions that are collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities. SOFR is calculated based on transaction-level repo data collected from various sources. For each trading day, SOFR is calculated as a volume-weighted median rate derived from such data. SOFR is calculated and published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (“FRBNY”). If data from a given source required by the FRBNY to calculate SOFR is unavailable for any day, then the most recently available data for that segment will be used, with certain adjustments. If errors are discovered in the transaction data or the calculations underlying SOFR after its initial publication on a given day, SOFR may be republished at a later time that day. Rate revisions will be effected only on the day of initial publication and will be republished only if the change in the rate exceeds one basis point.

 

Because SOFR is a financing rate based on overnight secured funding transactions, it differs fundamentally from LIBOR. LIBOR is intended to be an unsecured rate that represents interbank funding costs for different short-term maturities or tenors. It is a forward-looking rate reflecting expectations regarding interest rates for the applicable tenor. Thus, LIBOR is intended to be sensitive, in certain respects, to bank credit risk and to term interest rate risk. In contrast, SOFR is a secured overnight rate reflecting the credit of U.S. Treasury securities as collateral. Thus, it is largely insensitive to credit-risk considerations and to short-term interest rate risks. SOFR is a transaction-based rate, and it has been more volatile than other benchmark or market rates, such as three-month LIBOR, during certain periods. For these reasons, among others, there is no assurance that SOFR, or rates derived from SOFR, will perform in the same or a similar way as LIBOR would have performed at any time, and there is no assurance that SOFR-based rates will be a suitable substitute for LIBOR. SOFR has a limited history, having been first published in April 2018. The future performance of SOFR, and SOFR-based reference rates, cannot be predicted based on SOFR’s history or otherwise. Levels of SOFR in the future, including following the discontinuation of LIBOR, may bear little or no relation to historical levels of SOFR, LIBOR or other rates.

 

SENIOR LOANS. Senior loans hold a senior position in the capital structure of a business entity, are typically, but not always, secured with specific collateral and have a claim on the general assets of the borrower that is senior to that held by subordinated debtholders and stockholders of the borrower. Senior loans typically have floating interest rates determined by a reference to a base lending rate, such as LIBOR, plus a premium. Senior loans are subject to the risk of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal. Although the Fund may seek to dispose of loan collateral in the event of default, it may be delayed in exercising such rights or its rights may be contested by others. In addition, the value of the collateral may deteriorate so that the collateral is insufficient for the Fund to recover its investment in the event of default. No active trading market may exist for many senior loans, and some senior loans may be subject to restrictions on resale.

  

SHORT POSITIONS. Short positions may comprise a small portion of any Underlying Fund’s investments and, therefore, of the Fund’s overall portfolio. In short selling, the Fund or Underlying Funds will sell securities it does not own by borrowing such securities from a third party, such as a broker-dealer. The Fund or Underlying Funds are required to pay to the lender amounts equal to any dividend which accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow a security, the Fund or Underlying Funds also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. Short positions may be held for both profit opportunities and for hedging purposes.

 

* * *

 

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In view of the risks noted above, the Fund should be considered a speculative investment and prospective investors should invest in the Fund only if they can sustain a complete loss of their investment.

 

No guarantee or representation is made that the investment program of the Fund will be successful or that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

 

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. The Board has overall responsibility for the management and supervision of the business operations of the Fund on behalf of the Shareholders. A majority of the Board is and will be persons who are not “interested persons,” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act (the “Independent Trustees”). To the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act and other applicable law, the Board may delegate any of its rights, powers and authority to, among others, the officers of the applicable fund, any committee of such board, or service providers. See “BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS” in the Fund’s SAI for the identities of the Trustees and executive officers of the Fund, brief biographical information regarding each of them, and other information regarding the election and membership of the Board.

 

THE INVESTMENT MANAGER. Variant Investments, LLC serves as the investment adviser (the “Investment Manager”) of the Fund and is responsible for determining and implementing the Fund’s overall investment strategy, including direct investments. The Investment Manager is an investment adviser registered with the SEC under the Advisers Act. As of [   ], 2024, the Investment Manager and its affiliates had assets under management of approximately $[   ] billion.

 

The Investment Manager and its affiliates may serve as investment managers to other funds that have investment programs that are similar to the investment program of the Fund, and the Investment Manager or one of its affiliates may in the future serve as the investment manager or otherwise manage or direct the investment activities of other registered and/or private investment companies with investment programs similar to the investment program of the Fund. See “CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.”

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS. The personnel of the Investment Manager who currently have primary responsibility for management of the Fund (the “Portfolio Managers”) are as follows:

 

Curtis Fintel – Curt Fintel has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since the Fund’s inception in [ ], 2024. Curt Fintel is a principal and co-founder of the Investment Manager with over 27 years of experience in the investment management industry. Prior to founding the Investment Manager, Curt was the Chief Investment Strategist at CTC | myCFO. Before joining the organization in 1996, Curt worked as a computer consultant for Iowa State University’s College of Business. Curt is a member of the CFA Society of Portland, and has been a CFA charterholder since 1999. He received a BS and MS in Economics from Iowa State University and constructed his graduate thesis on the empirical analysis of alternative option valuations.

 

Robert Elsasser – Bob Elsasser has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since the Fund’s inception in [ ], 2024. Bob Elsasser is a principal and co-founder of the Investment Manager with over 33 years of experience in the industry. Prior to founding the Investment Manager, Bob was the Director of Fixed Income Research at CTC | myCFO. Before joining the organization in 2006, Bob was the Senior Vice President of Fixed Income and Foreign Exchange at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Bob received his BA in Finance from the University of Washington and his MBA in Finance from New York University.

 

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Jerald B. Hayes – J.B. Hayes has been a Portfolio Manager of the Fund since the Fund’s inception in [   ], 2024. J.B. Hayes is a principal and co-founder of the Investment Manager with over 23 years of experience in the industry. Prior to founding the Investment Manager, J.B. was the Director of Private Markets at CTC | myCFO. Before joining the organization in 2001, J.B. was with the Private Client Group at Merrill Lynch. J.B. is a member of the CFA Society of Portland, and has been a CFA charterholder since 2004. He received a BS in Business with a focus on finance from the University of Oregon.

 

See “INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICES” in the Fund’s SAI for additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of Shares.

 

THE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT. The Investment Management Agreement between the Investment Manager and the Fund became effective as of [   ], 2024, and will continue in effect for an initial two-year term. Thereafter, the Investment Management Agreement will continue in effect from year to year provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (i) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, or a majority of the Board, and (ii) the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees of the Fund, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. See “VOTING.” The Investment Management Agreement will terminate automatically if assigned (as defined in the Investment Company Act), and is terminable by vote of the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund at any time without penalty upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Investment Manager. The Investment Manager may terminate the Investment Management Agreement at any time without penalty upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Fund. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Investment Management Agreement will be available in the Fund’s first annual or semi-annual report to Shareholders.

 

The Investment Management Agreement provides that, the Investment Manager will not be liable in any way for any default, failure or defect in any of the securities comprising the Fund’s portfolio if it has satisfied the duties and the standard of care, diligence and skill set forth in the Investment Management Agreement. However, the Investment Manager shall be liable to the Fund for any loss, damage, claim, cost, charge, expense or liability resulting from the Investment Manager’s willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence or disregard by the Investment Manager of the Investment Manager’s duties or standard of care, diligence and skill set forth in the Investment Management Agreement or a material breach or default of the Investment Manager’s obligations under the Investment Management Agreement.

 

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT FEE

 

The Fund pays to the Investment Manager an investment management fee (the “Investment Management Fee”) in consideration of the advisory and other services provided by the Investment Manager to the Fund. Pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement, the Fund pays the Investment Manager an Investment Management Fee equal to 1.00% on an annualized basis of the average monthly “Managed Assets” of the Fund. “Managed Assets” means the total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to any leverage that may be outstanding) minus the sum of accrued liabilities (other than debt representing financial leverage and the aggregate liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred shares). Average monthly Managed Assets is the sum of the daily Managed Assets for the month divided by the number of days in the month. Because the Investment Management Fee is based on Managed Assets, the Investment Manager is paid more if the Fund uses leverage, which creates a conflict of interest for the Investment Manager. The Investment Manager seeks to manage that potential conflict by utilizing leverage only when it determines such action is in the best interests of the Fund. Accrued liabilities are expenses incurred in the normal course of the Fund’s operations. The Investment Management Fee will be calculated and accrued daily and paid monthly within five (5) days of the end of each calendar month.

 

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DISTRIBUTOR

 

UMB Distribution Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) is the distributor (also known as principal underwriter) of the Shares of the Fund and is located at 235 West Galena Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).

 

Under a Distribution Agreement with the Fund, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Fund in connection with the continuous offering of shares of the Fund. The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Fund on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund Shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Fund.

 

The Distributor may enter into agreements with selected broker-dealers, banks or other financial intermediaries for distribution of shares of the Fund. With respect to certain financial intermediaries and related fund “supermarket” platform arrangements, the Fund and/or the Investment Manager, rather than the Distributor, typically enter into such agreements. These financial intermediaries may charge a fee for their services and may receive shareholder service or other fees from parties other than the Distributor. These financial intermediaries may otherwise act as processing agents and are responsible for promptly transmitting purchase, redemption and other requests to the Fund.

 

Investors who purchase Shares through financial intermediaries will be subject to the procedures of those intermediaries through which they purchase shares, which may include charges, investment minimums, cutoff times and other restrictions in addition to, or different from, those listed herein. Information concerning any charges or services will be provided to customers by the financial intermediary through which they purchase shares. Investors purchasing shares of the Fund through financial intermediaries should acquaint themselves with their financial intermediary’s procedures and should read the Prospectus in conjunction with any materials and information provided by their financial intermediary. The financial intermediary, and not its customers, will be the shareholder of record, although customers may have the right to vote Shares depending upon their arrangement with the intermediary. The Distributor does not receive compensation from the Fund for its distribution services. The Investment Manager pays the Distributor a fee for certain distribution-related services.

 

Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor is solely responsible for its costs and expenses incurred in connection with its qualification as a broker-dealer under state or federal laws. The Distribution Agreement also provides that the Fund will indemnify the Distributor, its affiliates and each of their respective members, managers, directors, officers, employees, representatives and any person who controls or previously controlled the Distributor within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act (collectively, the “Distributor Indemnitees”), free and harmless from and against: (1) any and all losses, claims, demands, liabilities, damages and expenses (including the reasonable costs of investigating or defending any alleged losses, claims, demands, liabilities, damages or expenses and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) (collectively, “Losses”) that the Distributor or any Distributor Indemnitee may incur under the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Investment Company Act and any other statute (including Blue Sky laws) or any rule or regulation thereunder, or under common law or otherwise arising out of or based upon any untrue statement, or alleged untrue statement, of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any Prospectus, an annual or interim report to shareholders or sales literature, or any amendments or supplements thereto, or arising out of or based upon any omission, or alleged omission, to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (2) any and all Losses which Distributor and each of the Distributor Indemnitees may incur in connection with this Agreement or Distributor’s performance hereunder; or (3) any and all Losses which Distributor and each Distributor Indemnitee may incur when acting in accordance with instructions from the Fund or its representatives. The Fund’s agreement to indemnify the Distributor and any of the Distributor Indemnitees shall not cover (i) any Losses to the extent they arise out of or result from the Distributor’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties, under this Agreement; or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading made in the Registration Statement, Prospectus, annual or interim report to shareholders, or sales literature, or any amendments or supplements thereto in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information relating to the Distributor and furnished to the Fund or its counsel by the Distributor in writing for use is such Registration Statement, Prospectus, shareholder reports, sales literature.

 

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There is no minimum aggregate amount of Shares required to be purchased in any offering. However, shareholders purchasing Shares of the Fund may be subject to minimum investment requirements.

 

The Investment Manager and/or its affiliates may make payments to selected affiliated or unaffiliated third parties (including the parties that have entered into selling agreements with the Distributor) from time to time in connection with the distribution of Shares and/or the servicing of Shareholders and/or the Fund. These payments will be made out of the Investment Manager’s and/or affiliates’ own assets and will not represent an additional charge to the Fund. The amount of such payments may be significant in amount and the prospect of receiving any such payments may provide such third parties or their employees with an incentive to favor sales of Shares of the Fund over other investment options. Contact your financial intermediary for details about revenue sharing payments it receives or may receive.

 

ADMINISTRATION

 

The Fund has retained the Administrator, UMB Funds Services, Inc., whose principal business address is 235 West Galena Street, Milwaukee, WI 53212, to provide administrative services, and to assist with operational needs. The Administrator provides such services to the Fund pursuant to an administration agreement between the Fund and the Administrator (the “Administration Agreement”). The Administrator is responsible directly or through its agents for, among other things, providing the following services to the Fund; (1) maintaining a list of Shareholders and generally performing all actions related to the issuance and repurchase of Shares of the Fund, if any, including delivery of trade confirmations and capital statements; (2) providing certain administrative, clerical and bookkeeping services; (3) providing transfer agency services, services related to the payment of distributions, and accounting services; (4) computing the NAV of the Fund in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and procedures defined in consultation with the Investment Manager; (5) overseeing the preparation of semi-annual and annual financial statements of the Fund in accordance with GAAP, quarterly reports of the operations of the Fund and information required for tax returns; (6) supervising regulatory compliance matters and preparing certain regulatory filings; and (7) performing additional services, as agreed upon, in connection with the administration of the Fund. The Administrator may from time to time delegate its responsibilities under the Administration Agreement to one or more parties selected by the Administrator, including its affiliates or affiliates of the Investment Manager.

 

In consideration for these services, the Fund pays the Administrator a minimum monthly administration fee of $[2,500], or $[30,000] on an annualized basis (the “Administration Fee”). The Administration Fee is paid to the Administrator out of the assets of the Fund and therefore decreases the net profits or increases the net losses of the Fund. The Administrator is also reimbursed by the Fund for out-of-pocket expenses relating to services provided to the Fund and receives a fee for transfer agency services. The Administration Fee and the other terms of the Administration Agreement may change from time to time as may be agreed to by the Fund and the Administrator.

 

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The Administration Agreement provides that, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations to the Fund, the Administrator and any partner, director, officer or employee of the Administrator, or any of their affiliates, executors, heirs, assigns, successors or other legal representatives, will not be liable to the Fund for any error of judgment, for any mistake of law or for any act or omission by the person in connection with the performance of administration services for the Fund. The Administration Agreement also provides for indemnification, to the fullest extent permitted by law, by the Fund or the Administrator, or any partner, director, officer or employee of the Administrator, and any of their affiliates, executors, heirs, assigns, successors or other legal representatives, against any liability or expense to which the person may be liable that arises in connection with the performance of services to such fund, so long as the liability or expense is not incurred by reason of the person’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations to such fund.

 

CUSTODIAN

 

UMB Bank, n.a. (the “Custodian”), an affiliate of the Administrator, serves as the primary custodian of the assets of the Fund, and may maintain custody of such assets with U.S. and non-U.S. subcustodians (which may be banks and trust companies), securities depositories and clearing agencies in accordance with the requirements of Section 17(f) of the Investment Company Act and the rules thereunder. Assets of the Fund are not held by the Investment Manager or commingled with the assets of other accounts other than to the extent that securities are held in the name of the Custodian or U.S. or non-U.S. subcustodians in a securities depository, clearing agency or omnibus customer account of such custodian. The Custodian’s principal business address is 1010 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64106.

 

FUND EXPENSES

 

The Fund pays all of its expenses or reimburses the Investment Manager or its affiliates to the extent they have previously paid such expenses on behalf of the Fund. The expenses of the Fund include, but are not limited to, any fees and expenses in connection with the offering and issuance of Shares; all fees and expenses reasonably incurred in connection with the operation of the Fund; all fees and expenses directly related to portfolio transactions and positions for the Fund’s account such as direct and indirect expenses associated with the Fund’s investments, and enforcing the Fund’s rights in respect of such investments; quotation or valuation expenses; the Investment Management Fee; the Administration Fee; brokerage commissions; interest and fees on any borrowings by the Fund; professional fees; research expenses (including, without limitation, expenses of consultants who perform fund manager due diligence research); fees and expenses of outside legal counsel (including fees and expenses associated with the review of documentation for prospective investments by the Fund), including foreign legal counsel; accounting, auditing and tax preparation expenses; fees and expenses in connection with repurchase offers and any repurchases or redemptions of Shares; taxes and governmental fees (including tax preparation fees); fees and expenses of any custodian, sub-custodian, transfer agent, and registrar, and any other agent of the Fund; all costs and charges for equipment or services used in communicating information regarding the Fund’s transactions with any custodian or other agent engaged by the Fund; bank services fees; costs and expenses relating to any amendment of the Fund’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust (“Declaration of Trust”) or other organizational documents of the Fund; expenses of preparing, amending, printing, and distributing the Prospectus and any other sales material (and any supplements or amendments thereto), reports, notices, other communications to Shareholders, and proxy materials; expenses of preparing, printing, and filing reports and other documents with government agencies; expenses of Shareholders’ meetings, including the solicitation of proxies in connection therewith; expenses of corporate data processing and related services; shareholder recordkeeping and account services, fees, and disbursements; expenses relating to investor and public relations; fees and expenses of the members of the Board who are not employees of the Investment Manager or its affiliates; insurance premiums; Extraordinary Expenses (as defined below); and all costs and expenses incurred as a result of dissolution, winding-up and termination of the Fund. The Fund may need to sell portfolio securities to pay fees and expenses, which could cause the Fund to realize taxable gains.

 

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“Extraordinary Expenses” means all expenses incurred by the Fund outside of the ordinary course of its business, including, without limitation, costs incurred in connection with any claim, litigation, arbitration, mediation, government investigation or dispute and the amount of any judgment or settlement paid in connection therewith, or the enforcement of the rights against any person or entity; costs and expenses for indemnification or contribution payable to any person or entity; expenses of a reorganization, restructuring or merger, as applicable; expenses of holding, or soliciting proxies for, a meeting of shareholders (except to the extent relating to items customarily addressed at an annual meeting of a registered closed-end management investment company); and the expenses of engaging a new administrator, custodian or transfer agent.

 

The Investment Manager bears all of its expenses and costs incurred in providing investment management services to the Fund, as well as travel and other expenses related to the selection and monitoring of investments. In addition, the Investment Manager is responsible for the payment of the compensation and expenses of those officers of the Fund affiliated with the Investment Manager, and making available, without expense to the Fund, the services of such individuals, subject to their individual consent to serve and to any limitations imposed by law.

 

The Fund bears directly certain ongoing offering costs associated with any periodic offers of Shares which will be expensed as they are incurred. Offering costs cannot be deducted by the Fund or the Shareholders.

 

The Investment Manager has entered into an expense limitation and reimbursement agreement (the “Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement”) with the Fund, whereby the Investment Manager has agreed to waive fees that it would otherwise have been paid, and/or to assume expenses of the Fund (a “Waiver”), if required to ensure the Total Annual Expenses (excluding any taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with SEC Form N-2), expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation expenses) do not exceed [1.50]% of the average daily net assets of Institutional Class Shares (the “Expense Limit”). Because taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses are excluded from the Expense Limit, Total Annual Expenses (after fee waivers and expense reimbursements) are expected to exceed [1.50]% of the average daily net assets of Institutional Class Shares. For a period not to exceed three years from the date on which a Waiver is made, the Investment Manager may recoup amounts waived or assumed, provided it is able to effect such recoupment and remain in compliance with the Expense Limit in effect at the time of the Waiver and the Expense Limit in effect at the time of recoupment. The Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement is in effect until [ ], 2025. The Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement will automatically renew for consecutive one-year terms thereafter. This Agreement may be terminated at any time by the Fund’s Board of Trustees upon thirty (30) days’ written notice to the Investment Manager. This Agreement may be terminated by the Investment Manager as of the end of its then-current term upon thirty (30) days’ written notice to the Fund.

 

The Fund’s fees and expenses will decrease the net profits or increase the net losses of the Fund that are credited to Shareholders.

 

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VOTING

 

Each Shareholder will have the right to cast a number of votes, based on the number of such Shareholder’s Shares, at any meeting of Shareholders called by the Board. Except for the exercise of such voting privileges, Shareholders will not be entitled to participate in the management or control of the Fund’s business and may not act for or bind the Fund.

 

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

 

The Fund may be subject to a number of actual and potential conflicts of interest.

 

The Investment Manager and its affiliates engage in financial advisory activities that are independent from, and may from time to time conflict with, those of the Fund. In the future, there might arise instances where the interests of such affiliates conflict with the interests of the Fund. The Investment Manager and its affiliates may provide services to, invest in, advise, sponsor and/or act as investment manager to investment vehicles and other persons or entities (including prospective investors in the Fund) which may have structures, investment objectives and/or policies that are similar to (or different than) those of the Fund; which may compete with the Fund for investment opportunities; and which may, subject to applicable law, co-invest with the Fund in certain transactions. The Fund may also invest, subject to applicable rules and regulations, in affiliated entities or accounts that may directly or indirectly benefit the Investment Manager or its affiliates, including Underlying Funds managed by affiliates of the Investment Manager. In addition, the Investment Manager and its affiliates and respective clients may themselves invest in securities that would be appropriate for the Fund. By acquiring Shares, each Shareholder will be deemed to have acknowledged the existence of any such actual and potential conflicts of interest and to have waived any claim with respect to any liability arising from the existence of any such conflict of interest, except as may otherwise be provided under provisions of Federal securities law which cannot be waived or modified.

 

The Fund is permitted to rely on an order of exemptive relief from the SEC that permits the Fund to participate in certain negotiated investments alongside other funds managed by the Investment Manager or certain of its affiliates outside the parameters of Section 17 of the Investment Company Act, subject to certain conditions including (i) that a majority of the Trustees who have no financial interest in the co-investment transaction and a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons,” as defined in the Investment Company Act, approve the 17(d) investment and (ii) that the price, terms and conditions of the 17(d) investment will be identical for each fund participating pursuant to the exemptive relief. The Fund will not engage in 17(d) investments alongside affiliates unless such investments are permitted under the order granting such exemptive relief or unless such investments are not prohibited by Section 17(d) of the Investment Company Act or interpretations of Section 17(d) as expressed in SEC no-action letters or other available guidance. The Fund could be limited in its ability to invest in certain investments in which the Investment Manager or any of its affiliates are investing or are invested. Furthermore, the Fund's participation in co-investment transactions in reliance on the Order may give rise to actual or perceived conflicts of interest among the Fund and the other participating accounts. For example, certain co-investment transactions may be more or less advantageous to the Fund relative to one or more other participating accounts. In addition, the Investment Manager may be incentivized to pursue a co-investment transaction for the Fund for reputational or other reasons that are not directly advantageous to the Fund.

 

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If any Supervised Person of the Investment Manager (“Supervised Person” means any officer, director, managing director or employee of the Investment Manager, or other person who provides investment advice on behalf of the Investment Manager and is subject to the supervision and control of the Investment Manager, including interns, temporary workers or particular persons designated by the compliance officer) is aware of a personal interest that is, or might be, in conflict with the interest of any client, that Supervised Person should disclose the situation or transaction and the nature of the conflict to the Investment Manager’s compliance officer for appropriate consideration. In addition, no Supervised Person of the Investment Manager may use knowledge about pending or currently considered securities transactions for clients to directly or indirectly profit personally. Without limiting the foregoing, Supervised Persons of the Investment Manager who are planning to invest in or make a recommendation to invest in a Contemplated Security (“Contemplated Security” shall mean any security that the Investment Manager may recommend to its clients for purchase or sale, and any security related to or connected with such security), and who have a material interest in the security or a related security, must first disclose such interest to his or her manager and the Investment Manager’s compliance officer. Such manager or compliance officer shall conduct an independent review of the recommendation to purchase the security for clients and written evidence of such review shall be maintained by the compliance officer. Supervised Persons may not fail to timely recommend a suitable security to, or purchase or sell a suitable security for, a client in order to avoid an actual or apparent conflict with a personal transaction in a security.

 

Although the Investment Manager and its affiliates seek to allocate investment opportunities among the Fund and their other clients in a fair and reasonable manner, there can be no assurance that an investment opportunity which comes to the attention of the Investment Manager or its affiliates will be appropriate for the Fund or will be referred to the Fund. The Investment Manager and its affiliates are not obligated to refer any investment opportunity to the Fund.

 

The directors, partners, trustees, managers, members, officers and employees of the Investment Manager and its affiliates may buy and sell securities or other investments for their own accounts (including through funds managed by the Investment Manager or its affiliates). As a result of differing trading and investment strategies or constraints, investments may be made by directors, partners, trustees, managers, members, officers and employees that are the same, different from or made at different times than investments made for the Fund. To reduce the possibility that the Fund will be materially adversely affected by the personal trading described above, the Fund and the Investment Manager individually adopted codes of ethics (collectively, the “Codes of Ethics”) in compliance with Section 17(j) of the Investment Company Act that restrict securities trading in the personal accounts of investment professionals and others who normally come into possession of information regarding the portfolio transactions of the Fund. The Codes of Ethics are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov. and copies may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by email at publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

OUTSTANDING SECURITIES

 

As of the date of this Prospectus, there were no outstanding Shares of the Fund.

 

TENDER OFFERS/OFFERS TO REPURCHASE 

 

The Fund is not a liquid investment. No Shareholder will have the right to require the Fund to redeem its Shares. In addition, no public market exists for the Shares and the Fund does not expect any trading market to develop for the Shares. As a result, if investors decide to invest in the Fund, they will have very limited opportunity to sell their Shares, as described below.

 

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The Fund is not expected to conduct any repurchase offer before [February 15], 2025. Beginning on or about [February 15], 2025 (or such other or later date as the Board may determine), the Fund may from time to time offer to repurchase Shares from investors in accordance with written tenders by investors at those times, in those amounts, and on such terms and conditions as the Board may determine in its sole discretion. It is expected that, under normal market circumstances, the Investment Manager generally will recommend to the Board, subject to the Board’s discretion, that any such tender offer would be for an amount that is approximately 5% of the Fund’s NAV (“Tender Offer Amount”). If a tender offer is oversubscribed by Shareholders, the Fund may decide to repurchase only a pro rata portion of the Shares tendered by each Shareholder, in which case tendering Shareholders will not have all of their tendered Shares repurchased by the Fund, or the Fund may take any other action permitted by the tender offer rules under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and described in the written tender offer notice to Shareholders.

 

The Investment Manager currently expects that it will generally recommend to the Board that the Fund offer to repurchase Shares from Shareholders quarterly with tender offer valuation dates occurring on or about February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15 of each year (each, a “Valuation Date”); however, there can be no assurance that any such tender offers will be conducted on quarterly basis or at all. The Board may elect not to conduct a tender offer, notwithstanding the recommendation of the Investment Manager. The decision to offer to repurchase Shares is in the complete and absolute discretion of the Board. The Fund is not required to conduct tender offers.

 

The Board may consider the following factors, among others, in making its determination for the Fund to make each tender offer:

 

·the recommendation of the Investment Manager;
·whether any Shareholders have requested to tender Shares or portions thereof to the Fund;
·the liquidity of the Fund’s assets (including fees and costs associated with withdrawing from investments);
·the investment plans and working capital requirements of the Fund;
·the relative economies of scale with respect to the size of the Fund;
·the history of the Fund in repurchasing Shares or portions thereof;
·the availability and quality of information as to the value of the Fund’s assets;
·the economic condition of the securities markets and the economy generally as well as political, national or international developments or current affairs; and
·the anticipated tax or regulatory consequences to the Fund of any proposed repurchases of Shares or portions thereof.

 

Repurchases will be made at such times and on such terms as may be determined by the Board, in its sole discretion. However, no assurance can be given that repurchases will occur or that any Shares properly tendered will be repurchased by the Fund.

 

In any given quarter, the Investment Manager may or may not recommend to the Board that the Fund conduct a repurchase offer. For example, if adverse market conditions cause the Fund’s investments to become more illiquid or trade at depressed prices, or if the Investment Manager believes that conducting a repurchase offer would impose an undue burden on Shareholders who do not tender compared to the benefits of giving Shareholders the opportunity to tender all or a portion of their Shares at NAV, the Fund may choose not to conduct a repurchase offer or may choose to conduct a repurchase offer for less than 5% of its outstanding Shares. Regardless of the recommendation of the Investment Manager, the Board may or may not determine to cause the Fund to conduct a repurchase offer in any given quarter.

 

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The Fund may sell portfolio investments to fund repurchase offers. Moreover, if the Fund’s portfolio does not provide adequate liquidity to fund repurchase offers, the Fund may extend the last day of any repurchase offer. Although repurchase offers generally would be beneficial to Shareholders by providing them with some ability to sell their Shares at NAV, the acquisition of Shares by the Fund will decrease the total assets of the Fund. Repurchase offers are, therefore, likely to increase the Fund’s expense ratio, may result in untimely sales of portfolio securities, may increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover and/or may limit the Fund’s ability to execute its investment strategy. To the extent the Fund maintains a cash position to satisfy Fund repurchases, the Fund would not be fully invested, which may reduce the Fund’s investment performance. Consummating a repurchase offer may require the Fund to liquidate portfolio securities, and realize gains or losses, at a time when the Investment Manager would otherwise consider it disadvantageous to do so.

 

 A Shareholder who tenders for repurchase only a portion of its Shares in the Fund will be required to maintain a minimum account balance of $[1,000,000]. Subject to certain requirements under the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder, the Fund reserves the right to reduce the amount to be repurchased from a Shareholder so that the required minimum account balance is maintained. Such minimum capital account balance requirement may also be waived by the Board in its sole discretion, subject to applicable federal securities laws.

 

See “TAXES” for information on the potential tax consequences to the Fund and Shareholders.

 

TENDER/REPURCHASE PROCEDURES

 

Each tender offer will be made and Shareholders will be notified in accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the Investment Company Act, either by publication or mailing or both. The tender offer documents will contain information prescribed by such laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Shareholders tendering Shares for repurchase will be asked to give written notice of their intent to do so by the date specified in the notice describing the terms of the applicable repurchase offer (“Repurchase Request Deadline”). A Shareholder whose Shares (or a portion thereof) are repurchased by the Fund will not be entitled to a return of any sales charge that was charged in connection with the Shareholder’s purchase of the Shares.

 

Following the commencement of an offer to repurchase Shares, the Fund may suspend, postpone or terminate such offer in certain circumstances upon the determination of a majority of the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, that such suspension, postponement or termination is advisable for the Fund and its Shareholders, including, without limitation, circumstances as a result of which it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to dispose of its investments or to determine its NAV, and other unusual circumstances. The Fund’s NAV per Share may change materially from the date a repurchase offer is mailed to the applicable Valuation Date (or any later date if the repurchase offer is extended), and it also may change materially shortly after the Valuation Date. Once the tender has been accepted for payment, the Fund will repurchase the Shares and remit the repurchase price to Shareholders, less any applicable repurchase fee, within five (5) business days after the applicable expiration date.

 

If Shareholders tender for repurchase more than the Tender Offer Amount for a given tender offer, the Fund may, but is not required to, repurchase an additional amount of Shares not to exceed 2% of the outstanding Shares of the Fund on the Repurchase Request Deadline. If the Fund determines not to repurchase more than the Tender Offer Amount, or if Shareholders tender Shares in an amount exceeding the Tender Offer Amount plus 2% of the outstanding Shares on the Repurchase Request Deadline, the Fund will repurchase the Shares on a pro rata basis. However, the Fund may accept all Shares tendered for repurchase by Shareholders who own less than $[1,000,000] worth of Shares and who tender all of their Shares, before prorating other amounts tendered. In addition, the Fund will accept the total number of Shares tendered in connection with required minimum distributions from an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other qualified retirement plan. It is the Shareholder’s obligation to both notify and provide the Fund supporting documentation of a required minimum distribution from an IRA or other qualified retirement plan. 

 

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Repurchase of Shares by the Fund are subject to certain regulatory requirements imposed by SEC rules. If the Fund’s repurchase procedures must be revised in order to comply with regulatory requirements, the Board will adopt modified procedures reasonably designed to provide investors substantially the same liquidity for Shares as would be available under the procedures described above. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Fund may repurchases during any period or at any time. The Fund will provide notice to Shareholders of any suspension or postponement of a repurchase offer.

  

In certain circumstances, the Board may require a Shareholder to tender its Shares. The Fund may cause a mandatory repurchase or redemption of all or some of the Shares of a Shareholder, or any person acquiring Shares from or through a Shareholder, at NAV in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Declaration of Trust.

 

TRANSFERS OF SHARES

 

There is no public market for the Shares and none is expected to develop. The Fund does not list its Shares on a stock exchange or similar market. Shares are transferable only in limited circumstances as described below, and liquidity for investments in Shares may be provided only through the repurchase offers described above. If a shareholder attempts to transfer Shares in violation of the Fund’s transfer restrictions, the transfer will not be permitted and will be void. An investment in the Fund is therefore suitable only for investors that can bear the risks associated with the limited liquidity of Shares and should be viewed as a long-term investment.

 

No person shall become a substituted Shareholder of the Fund without the consent of the Fund, which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion. Shares held by Shareholders may be transferred only: (i) by operation of law in connection with the death, divorce, bankruptcy, insolvency, or adjudicated incompetence of the Shareholder; or (ii) under other limited circumstances, with the consent of the Board (which may be withheld in its sole discretion and is expected to be granted, if at all, only under extenuating circumstances).

 

Notice to the Fund of any proposed transfer must include evidence satisfactory to the Board that the proposed transferee, at the time of transfer, meets any requirements imposed by the Fund with respect to investor eligibility and suitability. Notice of a proposed transfer of a Share must also be accompanied by a properly completed investor application in respect of the proposed transferee. In connection with any request to transfer Shares, the Fund may require the Shareholder requesting the transfer to obtain, at the Shareholder’s expense, an opinion of counsel selected by the Fund as to such matters as the Fund may reasonably request. The Board generally will not consent to a transfer of Shares by a Shareholder (i) unless such transfer is to a single transferee, or (ii) if, after the transfer of the Shares, the balance of the account of each of the transferee and transferor is less than $[1,000,000]. Each transferring Shareholder and transferee may be charged reasonable expenses, including, but not limited to, attorneys’ and accountants’ fees, incurred by the Fund in connection with the transfer.

 

Any transferee acquiring Shares by operation of law in connection with the death, divorce, bankruptcy, insolvency, or adjudicated incompetence of the Shareholder, will be entitled to the distributions allocable to the Shares so acquired, to transfer the Shares in accordance with the terms of the Declaration of Trust and to tender the Shares for repurchase by the Fund, but will not be entitled to the other rights of a Shareholder unless and until the transferee becomes a substituted Shareholder as specified in the Declaration of Trust. If a Shareholder transfers Shares with the approval of the Board, the Fund shall as promptly as practicable take all necessary actions so that each transferee or successor to whom the Shares are transferred is admitted to the Fund as a Shareholder.

 

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By subscribing for Shares, each Shareholder agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund, the Board, the Investment Manager, and each other Shareholder, and any affiliate of the foregoing against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including legal or other expenses incurred in investigating or defending against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses or any judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement), joint or several, to which such persons may become subject by reason of or arising from any transfer made by that Shareholder in violation of the Declaration of Trust or any misrepresentation made by that Shareholder in connection with any such transfer.

 

ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING

 

If the Fund, the Investment Manager or any governmental agency believes that the Fund has sold Shares to, or is otherwise holding assets of, any person or entity that is acting, directly or indirectly, in violation of U.S., international or other anti-money laundering laws, rules, regulations, treaties or other restrictions, or on behalf of any suspected terrorist or terrorist organization, suspected drug trafficker, or senior foreign political figure(s) suspected of engaging in corruption, the Fund, the Investment Manager or such governmental agency may freeze the assets of such person or entity invested in the Fund or suspend the repurchase of Shares. The Fund may also be required to, or deem it necessary or advisable to, remit or transfer those assets to a governmental agency, in some cases without prior notice to the investor.

 

LEVERAGE

 

The borrowing of money, use of swap agreements, options or other derivative instruments, use of short sales, and the issuance of preferred stock and debt securities represent the leveraging of the Fund’s common stock. The issuance of additional common stock may enable the Fund to increase the aggregate amount of its leverage or to maintain any existing leverage. The financing entity or counterparty on any swap, option or other derivative instrument may be any entity or institution which the Investment Manager determines to be creditworthy.

 

The Fund may be subject to certain restrictions on investments imposed by lenders or by one or more rating agencies that may issue ratings for any senior securities issued by the Fund. Borrowing covenants or rating agency guidelines may impose asset coverage or Fund composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed on the Fund by the Investment Company Act.

 

As a result of this leverage, a relatively small movement in the spread relationship between the securities and commodities interests the Fund indirectly owns and those which it has indirectly sold short may result in substantial losses.

 

The Fund reserves the right at any time to use financial leverage to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act (50% of total assets for preferred stock and 33 1/3% of total assets for senior debt securities) or the Fund may elect to reduce the use of leverage or use no leverage at all. The Fund considers market conditions at the time leverage is incurred and monitors for asset coverage ratios relative to Investment Company Act requirements and the Fund’s financial covenants on an ongoing basis. The timing and terms of any leverage transactions will be determined by the Board. Additionally, the percentage of the Fund’s assets attributable to leverage may vary significantly during periods of extreme market volatility and will increase during periods of declining market prices of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. The Fund generally will not use leverage unless the Fund believes that leverage will serve the best interests of the Fund’s Shareholders. The principal factor used in making this determination is whether the potential return is likely to exceed the cost of leverage. The Fund will not issue additional leverage where the estimated costs of issuing such leverage and the on-going cost of servicing the payment obligations on such leverage exceed the estimated return on the proceeds of such leverage. In making the determination of whether to issue leverage, the Fund must rely on estimates of leverage costs and expected returns. Actual costs of leverage vary over time depending on interest rates and other factors. In addition, the percentage of the Fund’s assets attributable to leverage may vary significantly during periods of extreme market volatility and will increase during periods of declining market prices of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Actual returns vary depending on many factors. The Board also will consider other factors, including whether the current investment opportunities will help the Fund achieve its investment objective and strategies.

 

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Under the Investment Company Act, the Fund is not permitted to issue preferred stock unless immediately after such issuance, the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the proceeds of such issuance) less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities is at least equal to 200% of the total of the aggregate amount of senior securities representing indebtedness plus the aggregate liquidation value of any outstanding preferred stock. Stated another way, the Fund may not issue preferred stock that, together with outstanding preferred stock and debt securities, has a total aggregate liquidation value and outstanding principal amount of more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets, including the proceeds of such issuance, less liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities. In addition, the Fund is not permitted to declare any distribution on its common stock, or purchase any of the Fund’s shares of common stock (through tender offers or otherwise) unless the Fund would satisfy this 200% asset coverage requirement test after deducting the amount of such distribution or share price, as the case may be. The Fund may, as a result of market conditions or otherwise, be required to purchase or redeem preferred stock, or sell a portion of its investments when it may be disadvantageous to do so, in order to maintain the required asset coverage. Common stockholders would bear the costs of issuing additional preferred stock, which may include offering expenses and the ongoing payment of distributions. Under the Investment Company Act, the Fund may only issue one class of preferred stock.

 

Under the Investment Company Act, the Fund is not permitted to incur indebtedness unless immediately after doing so the Fund has an asset coverage of at least 300% of the aggregate outstanding principal balance of indebtedness. Additionally, under the Investment Company Act, the Fund may not declare any dividend or other distribution upon any class of its Shares, or repurchase any such Shares, unless the aggregate indebtedness of the Fund has, at the time of the declaration of any such dividend or distribution or at the time of any such repurchase, asset coverage of at least 300% after deducting the amount of such dividend, distribution, or repurchase price, as the case may be.

 

CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

GENERAL

 

The Fund calculates its NAV as of the close of business on each business day and at such other times as the Board may determine, including in connection with repurchases of Shares, in accordance with the procedures described below or as may be determined from time to time in accordance with policies established by the Board (each, a “Determination Date”).

 

The Board has approved valuation procedures for the Fund (the “Valuation Procedures”). The Valuation Procedures provide that the Fund will value its investments at fair value. The Board has approved the delegation of the day-to-day responsibility for fair value determinations in accordance with the Valuation Procedures to the Investment Manager, as valuation designee (the “Valuation Designee”), subject to oversight by the Board.

 

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Short-term securities, including bonds, notes, debentures and other debt securities, such as certificates of deposit, commercial paper, bankers’ acceptances and obligations of domestic and foreign banks, with maturities of 60 days or less, for which reliable market quotations are readily available shall each be valued at current market quotations as provided by an independent pricing service or principal market maker. The Fund’s investments in money market instruments are valued at NAV. 

 

For equity, equity-related securities and options that are freely tradable and listed on a securities exchange or over-the-counter market, the Fund fair values those securities at their last sale price on that exchange or over-the-counter market on the valuation date. If the security is listed on more than one exchange, the Fund will use the price from the exchange that it considers to be the principal exchange on which the security is traded. Securities listed on the NASDAQ will be valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price, which may not necessarily represent the last sale price. If there has been no sale on such exchange or over-the-counter market on such day, the security will be valued at the mean between the last bid price and last ask price on such day.

 

Fixed income securities (i.e. credit facilities, other than the short-term securities as described above) shall be valued by (a) using readily available market quotations based upon the last updated sale price or a market value from an approved pricing service generated by a pricing matrix based upon yield data for securities with similar characteristics or (b) by obtaining a direct written broker-dealer quotation from a dealer who has made a market in the security. If no price is obtained for a security in accordance with the foregoing, because either an external price is not readily available or such external price is believed by the Investment Manager not to reflect the market value, the Valuation Designee will make a determination in good faith of the fair value of the security in accordance with the Valuation Procedures. The credit facilities in which the Fund invests generally do not have a readily available external price. Under these circumstances, the Valuation Designee determines in good faith that cost is the best fair value for such securities in absence of material changes in market interest rates, the facility’s pledged collateral, and/or the borrower’s ability to pay. In general, fair value represents a good faith approximation of the current value of an asset and will be used when there is no public market or possibly no market at all for the asset. The fair values of one or more assets may not be the prices at which those assets are ultimately sold and the differences may be significant.

 

Prior to investing in any Underlying Fund, the Investment Manager will conduct an initial due diligence review of the valuation methodologies utilized by the Underlying Fund, which generally shall be based upon readily observable market values when available, and otherwise utilize principles of fair value that are reasonably consistent with those used by the Fund for valuing its own investments. Subsequent to investment in an Underlying Fund, the Investment Manager will monitor the valuation methodologies used by each Underlying Fund. The Fund bases its NAV on valuations of its interests in Underlying Funds provided by the managers of the Underlying Funds and/or their agents. These valuations involve significant judgment by the managers of the Underlying Funds and may differ from their actual realizable value. Under certain circumstances, the Valuation Designee may modify the managers’ valuations based on updated information received since the last valuation date. The Valuation Designee may also modify valuations if the valuations are deemed to not fully reflect the fair value of the investment. Valuations will be provided to the Fund based on interim unaudited financial records of the Underlying Funds, and, therefore, will be estimates and may fluctuate as a result. The Board and the Valuation Designee may have limited ability to assess the accuracy of these valuations.

 

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In circumstances in which market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable, or in the case of the valuation of private, direct investments, such investments may be valued as determined in good faith using methodologies approved by the Board. In these circumstances, the Fund determines fair value in a manner that seeks to reflect the market value of the security on the valuation date based on consideration by the Valuation Designee of any information or factors deemed appropriate. The Valuation Designee may engage third party valuation consultants on an as-needed basis to assist in determining fair value.

 

Fair valuation involves subjective judgments, and there is no single standard for determining the fair value of an investment. The fair value determined for an investment may differ materially from the value that could be realized upon the sale of the investment. Fair values used to determine the Fund’s NAV may differ from quoted or published prices, or from prices that are used by others, for the same investment. Thus, fair valuation may have an unintended dilutive or accretive effect on the value of shareholders’ investments in the Fund. Information that becomes known to the Fund or its agents after the NAV has been calculated on a particular day will not be used to retroactively adjust the price of a security or the NAV determined earlier. Prospective investors should be aware that situations involving uncertainties as to the value of investments could have an adverse effect on the Fund’s NAV if the judgments of the Board or the Valuation Designee regarding appropriate valuations should prove incorrect.

 

SUSPENSION OF CALCULATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

As noted above, the Fund calculates its NAV as of the close of business on each business day. However, there may be circumstances where it may not be practicable to determine an NAV, such as during any period when the principal stock exchanges for securities in which the Fund has invested its assets are closed other than for weekends and customary holidays (or when trading on such exchanges is restricted or suspended). In such circumstances, the Board (after consultation with the Investment Manager) may suspend the calculation of NAV. The Fund will not accept subscriptions for Shares if the calculation of NAV is suspended, and the suspension may require the termination of a pending repurchase offer by the Fund (or the postponement of the Valuation Date for a repurchase offer). Notwithstanding a suspension of the calculation of NAV, the Fund will be required to determine the value of its assets and report NAV in its semi-annual and annual reports to Shareholders, and in its reports on Form N-PORT filed with the SEC after the end of the first and third quarters of the Fund’s fiscal year. The Fund will resume calculation of its NAV after the Board (in consultation with the Investment Manager) determines that conditions no longer require suspension of the calculation of NAV.

 

DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN

 

The Fund has a dividend reinvestment plan (the “DRIP”). Unless a Shareholder elects to receive cash by contacting the Fund’s Administrator, UMB Fund Services, Inc. at (877) 770-7717 or 235 West Galena Street, Milwaukee, WI 53212, all dividends and/or capital gains distributions declared on Shares will be automatically reinvested in additional Shares at the Fund’s then current NAV. Shareholders who elect not to participate in the DRIP will receive all dividends and capital gains distributions in cash paid by check mailed directly to the shareholder of record (or, if the Shares are held in street or other nominee name, then to such nominee) by the Administrator as dividend disbursing agent. Participation in the DRIP is completely voluntary and may be terminated or resumed at any time without penalty by notice if received and processed by the Administrator prior to the dividend record date; otherwise such termination or resumption will be effective with respect to any subsequently declared dividend or other distribution. Such notice will be effective with respect to a particular dividend or other distribution (together, a “Dividend”). Some brokers or dealers may automatically elect to receive cash on behalf of Shareholders who hold their Shares in the broker or dealer’s name and may re-invest that cash in additional Shares. Reinvested Dividends will increase the Fund’s assets on which the Investment Management Fee is payable to the Investment Manager.

 

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Whenever the Fund declares a dividend and/or capital gain payable in cash, non-participants in the DRIP will receive cash and participants in the DRIP will receive the equivalent in Shares. The Shares will be acquired by the Administrator for the DRIP participants’ accounts through receipt of additional unissued but authorized Shares from the Fund (“Newly Issued Shares”).

 

The Administrator maintains all Shareholders’ accounts in the DRIP and furnishes written confirmation of all transactions in the accounts, including information needed by Shareholders for tax records. Shares in the account of each DRIP participant will be held by the Administrator on behalf of the DRIP participant, and each Shareholder proxy will include those Shares purchased or received pursuant to the DRIP. The Administrator will forward all proxy solicitation materials to participants and vote proxies for Shares held under the DRIP in accordance with the instructions of the participants.

 

Beneficial owners of Shares who hold their Shares in the name of a broker or dealer should contact the broker or nominee to determine whether and how they may participate in, or opt out of, the DRIP. In the case of Shareholders such as banks, brokers or dealers that hold shares for others who are the beneficial owners, the Administrator will administer the DRIP on the basis of the number of Shares certified from time to time by the record shareholder’s name and held for the account of beneficial owners who participate in the DRIP.

 

There will be no brokerage charges with respect to Shares issued directly by the Fund. The automatic reinvestment of dividends and/or capital gains in Shares under the DRIP will not relieve participants of any federal, state or local income tax that may be payable (or required to be withheld) on such dividends and/or capital gains, even though such participants have not received any cash with which to pay the resulting tax. See “TAXES – TAXATION OF THE FUND – Distributions to Shareholders” below.

 

The Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate the DRIP. There is no direct service charge to participants with regard to purchases in the DRIP; however, the Fund reserves the right to amend the DRIP to include a service charge payable by the participants.

 

All correspondence or questions concerning the Plan should be directed to the Fund’s Administrator, UMB Fund Services, Inc. at (877) 770-7717 or 235 West Galena Street, Milwaukee, WI 53212.

 

TAXES

 

INTRODUCTION

 

The following is a summary of certain material federal income tax consequences of acquiring, holding and disposing of Shares. Because the federal income tax consequences of investing in the Fund may vary from Shareholder to Shareholder depending on each Shareholder’s unique federal income tax circumstances, this summary does not attempt to discuss all of the federal income tax consequences of such an investment. Among other things, except in certain limited cases, this summary does not purport to deal with persons in special situations (such as financial institutions, non-U.S. persons, insurance companies, entities exempt from federal income tax, RICs, dealers in commodities and securities and pass-through entities). Further, to the limited extent this summary discusses possible foreign, state and local income tax consequences, it does so in a very general manner. Finally, this summary does not purport to discuss federal tax consequences (such as estate and gift tax consequences) other than those arising under the federal income tax laws. You are therefore urged to consult your tax advisers to determine the federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of acquiring, holding and disposing of Shares.

 

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The following summary is based upon the Code as well as administrative regulations and rulings and judicial decisions thereunder, as of the date hereof, all of which are subject to change at any time (possibly on a retroactive basis). Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the tax consequences to the Fund or its Shareholders will continue to be as described herein.

 

The Fund has not sought or obtained a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) (or any other federal, state, local or foreign governmental agency) or an opinion of legal counsel as to any specific federal, state, local or foreign tax matter that may affect it. Accordingly, although this summary is considered to be a correct interpretation of applicable law, no assurance can be given that a court or taxing authority will agree with such interpretation or with the tax positions taken by the Fund.

 

Except where specifically noted, this summary relates solely to U.S. Shareholders. A U.S. Shareholder for purposes of this discussion is a person who is a citizen or a resident alien of the U.S., a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) organized under the laws of the U.S. or any political subdivision thereof, an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source or a trust if: (i) a U.S. court can exercise primary supervision over the trust’s administration and one or more U.S. persons are authorized to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (ii) the trust has a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury Regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.

 

TAXATION OF THE FUND

  

Distributions To Shareholders. The Fund contemplates declaring as distributions each year all or substantially all of its taxable income, including its net capital gain (the excess of any net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss). In general, distributions will be taxable to you for federal, state and local income tax purposes unless you are a tax-exempt entity, including qualified retirement plans or individual retirement accounts. Distributions are taxable whether they are received in cash or reinvested in Fund Shares under the DRIP. Each Shareholder whose Shares are registered in its own name will automatically be a participant under the Fund’s DRIP and have all income dividends and/or capital gains distributions automatically reinvested in Shares priced at the then-current NAV unless such Shareholder, at any time, specifically elects to receive income dividends and/or capital gains distributions in cash. A Shareholder receiving Shares under the DRIP instead of cash distributions may still owe taxes and, because Fund Shares are generally illiquid, may need other sources of funds to pay any taxes due. A Shareholder may thus recognize income and gains taxable for federal, state and local income tax purposes and not receive any cash distributions to pay any resulting taxes. Fund distributions attributable to short-term capital gains and net investment income will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income, except as discussed below.

 

Fund distributions, if any, that are attributable to “qualified dividend income” or “long-term capital gains” earned by the Fund would be taxable to non-corporate Shareholders at reduced rates. Shareholders must have owned the Fund Shares for at least sixty-one (61) days during the one hundred twenty-one (121) day period beginning sixty (60) days before the ex-dividend date (and the Fund will need to have a similar holding period requirement with respect to the shares of the corporation paying the qualifying dividend) to benefit from the lower rates on qualified dividend income.

 

U.S. individuals with modified adjusted gross income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 for married couples filing jointly) and trusts and estates with income above specified levels are subject to an additional 3.8% tax on their net investment income, which includes interest, dividends and capital gains.

 

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Shareholders are generally taxed on any dividends from the Fund in the year they are actually distributed. Dividends declared in October, November or December of a year, and paid in January of the following year, will generally be treated for federal income tax purposes as having been paid to Shareholders on December 31st of the year in which the dividend was declared.

 

If you purchase shares just before a distribution, the purchase price will reflect the amount of the upcoming distribution, but you will be taxed on the entire amount of the distribution received, even though, as an economic matter, the distribution simply constitutes a return of capital. This is known as “buying into a dividend.”

 

Shareholders should contact the Fund’s Administrator, UMB Fund Services, Inc. at (877) 770-7717 or 235 West Galena Street, Milwaukee, WI 53212 to make elections to receive income dividends and/or capital distributions in cash; to terminate their participation in the DRIP; and for any other inquiries related to the DRIP.

 

Certain Withholding Taxes. The Fund may be subject to taxes, including foreign withholding taxes, attributable to investments of the Fund. If at the close of the Fund’s taxable year more than 50% of the value of its assets were to consist of foreign stock or securities, the Fund will be eligible to elect, for federal income tax purposes, to treat certain foreign taxes paid by it, including generally any withholding and other foreign income taxes, as paid by Shareholders. If eligible and the Fund so elects, the pro rata amount of such foreign taxes paid by the Fund would be included in Shareholders’ income and each such Shareholder will be entitled either (1) to credit that proportional amount of taxes against its U.S. federal income tax liability as a foreign tax credit or (2) to take that amount as an itemized deduction. To date, the Fund has not been able to make such election, nor does the Fund expect to be able to make such election in the future.

 

Sales, Exchanges And Redemptions. You will recognize taxable gain or loss on a sale, exchange or redemption of your Shares in an amount equal to the difference between your tax basis in the Shares and the amount you receive for them. Generally, this gain or loss will be long-term or short-term depending on whether your holding period exceeds twelve (12) months. Certain special tax rules may apply to losses realized in some cases. Any loss realized on shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends that were received on the Fund Shares. Additionally, any loss realized on a disposition of Shares of the Fund may be disallowed under “wash sale” rules to the extent the Shares disposed of are replaced with other Shares of the Fund within a period of sixty-one (61) days beginning thirty (30) days before and ending thirty (30) days after the Shares are disposed of, such as pursuant to a dividend reinvestment in Shares of the Fund. If disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an upward adjustment to the basis of the Shares acquired.

 

The Fund is required to compute and report to the IRS and furnish to Shareholders the cost basis of Shares sold or exchanged. The Fund has elected to use the First In, First Out (“FIFO”) method, unless you instruct the Fund to select a different IRS-accepted method or choose to specifically identify your Shares at the time of each sale or exchange. If your account is held by your broker or other advisor, they may select a different method. In these cases, please contact the holder of your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available methods and elections for your account. You should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on your federal and state income tax returns. Shareholders should consult with their tax advisers to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the cost basis reporting requirements apply to them.

 

IRAs and Other Tax Qualified Plans. In general, dividends received and gain or loss realized with respect to shares held in an IRA or other tax qualified plan are not currently taxable unless the Fund Shares were acquired with borrowed funds.

 

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U.S. Tax Treatment of Foreign Shareholders. Nonresident aliens, foreign corporations and other foreign investors may be subject to a 30% withholding tax on some of the Fund’s dividends. However, dividends attributable to U.S.-source interest income of the Fund or to capital gains recognized by the Fund will generally qualify for exemption from that withholding tax. Any applicable withholding tax may also be reduced (and, in some cases, eliminated) under an applicable tax treaty between the United States and a Shareholder’s country of residence or incorporation, provided that the Shareholder furnishes the Fund with a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E, as applicable, to establish entitlement for these treaty benefits.

 

A foreign investor will generally not be subject to U.S. tax on gains realized on sales or exchanges of Fund Shares unless the investment in the Fund is connected to a trade or business of the investor in the United States or if the investor is present in the United States for one hundred eighty-three (183) days or more in a year and certain other conditions are met.

 

In addition, the Fund will also generally be required to withhold 30% tax on certain payments to foreign entities that do not provide a Form W-8BEN-E that evidences their compliance with, or exemption from, specified information reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.

 

All foreign investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of an investment in the Fund in their country of residence.

  

State and Local Taxes. In addition to the U.S. federal income tax consequences summarized above, you may be subject to state and local taxes on distributions and redemptions. State income taxes may not apply, however, to the portions of the Fund’s distributions, if any, that are attributable to interest on U.S. government securities.

 

Backup Withholding. Under applicable “backup withholding” requirements, the Fund may be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the IRS a percentage of taxable dividends or gross proceeds realized upon sale payable to Shareholders who have failed to provide a correct tax identification number in the manner required, or who are subject to withholding by the IRS for failure to properly include on their return payments of taxable interest or dividends, or who have failed to certify to the Fund that they are not subject to backup withholding when required to do so or that they are “exempt recipients.” The current backup withholding rate is 24%. The amount of any backup withholding from a payment to a Shareholder will be allowed as a credit against the Shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle such a Shareholder to a refund, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

 

OTHER TAX MATTERS

 

The preceding is a summary of some of the tax rules and considerations affecting Shareholders and the Fund’s operations and does not purport to be a complete analysis of all relevant tax rules and considerations, nor does it purport to be a complete listing of all potential tax risks inherent in making an investment in the Fund. A Shareholder may be subject to other taxes, including but not limited to, state and local taxes, estate and inheritance taxes, and intangible taxes that may be imposed by various jurisdictions. The Fund also may be subject to state, local, and foreign taxes that could reduce cash distributions to Shareholders. It is the responsibility of each Shareholder to file all appropriate tax returns that may be required. Each prospective Shareholder is urged to consult with his or her tax adviser with respect to any investment in the Fund.

 

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ERISA AND CODE CONSIDERATIONS

 

Persons who are fiduciaries with respect to an employee benefit plan or other arrangements subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) (an “ERISA Plan”), certain IRAs, or certain Keogh plans, should consider, among other things, the matters described below before determining whether to invest in the Fund. ERISA imposes certain general and specific responsibilities on persons who are fiduciaries with respect to an ERISA Plan, including prudence, diversification, the avoidance of prohibited transactions, and other standards. In determining whether a particular investment is appropriate for an ERISA Plan, U.S. Department of Labor regulations provide that a fiduciary of the ERISA Plan must give appropriate consideration to, among other things, the role that the investment plays in the ERISA Plan’s portfolio, whether the investment is designed reasonably to further the ERISA Plan’s purposes, the risk and return factors, the portfolio’s composition with regard to diversification, the liquidity and current total return of the portfolio relative to the anticipated cash flow needs of the ERISA Plan and the proposed investment, the income taxes (if any) attributable to the investment, and the projected return of the investment relative to the ERISA Plan’s funding objectives. Before investing the assets of an ERISA Plan in the Fund, an ERISA Plan fiduciary should determine whether such an investment is consistent with ERISA’s fiduciary responsibilities and the foregoing considerations. If a fiduciary with respect to any such ERISA Plan breaches such responsibilities with regard to selecting an investment or an investment course of action for such ERISA Plan, the fiduciary may be held personally liable for losses incurred by the ERISA Plan as a result of such breach. Non-ERISA-covered IRAs and Keogh plans and other arrangements not subject to ERISA, but subject to the prohibited transaction rules of Section 4975 of the Code (“Code Plans”; together with ERISA Plans, “Plans”), should determine whether an investment in the Fund will violate those rules.

 

Because the Fund is registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, the underlying assets of the Fund will not be considered “plan assets” of the Plans investing in the Fund for purposes of ERISA’s fiduciary responsibility rules and ERISA and the Code’s prohibited transaction rules. Thus, the Investment Manager will not be a fiduciary within the meaning of ERISA and the Code with respect to the assets of any Plan that becomes a Shareholder of the Fund, solely as a result of the Plan’s investment in the Fund.

 

Certain prospective ERISA Plan investors may currently maintain relationships with the Investment Manager or one or more managers of the Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests, or with other entities that are affiliated with the Investment Manager. Each of such persons may be deemed to be a party in interest to, a disqualified person of, and/or a fiduciary of any ERISA Plan to which it provides investment management, investment advisory, or other services. ERISA and the Code prohibit ERISA Plan assets from being used for the benefit of a party in interest or disqualified person and also prohibit a fiduciary from using its position to cause the ERISA Plan to make an investment from which it or certain third parties in which such fiduciary has an interest would receive a fee or other consideration. ERISA Plan investors should consult with legal counsel to determine if participation in the Fund is a transaction that is prohibited by ERISA or the Code. ERISA Plan fiduciaries will be required to represent that the decision to invest in the Fund was made by them as fiduciaries that are independent of such affiliated persons, that they are duly authorized to make such investment decisions, and that they have not relied on any individualized advice or recommendation of such affiliated persons as a primary basis for the decision to invest in the Fund.

 

The provisions of ERISA and the Code are subject to extensive and continuing administrative and judicial interpretation and review. The discussion of ERISA and the Code contained herein is, of necessity, general and may be affected by the future publication or the future applicability of final regulations and rulings. Potential investors should consult with their legal advisers regarding the consequences under ERISA and the Code of the acquisition and ownership of Shares.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SHARES

 

The Fund is authorized to offer Shares designated as Institutional Class Shares. While the Fund presently offers one class of Shares, it may offer other classes of Shares as well in the future. From time to time, the Board may create and offer additional classes of Shares, or may vary the characteristics of the Institutional Class Shares described herein, including without limitation, in the following respects: (1) the amount of fees permitted by a distribution and/or service plan as to such class; (2) voting rights with respect to a distribution and/or service plan as to such class; (3) different class designations; (4) the impact of any class expenses directly attributable to a particular class of Shares; (5) differences in any dividends and net asset values resulting from differences in fees under a distribution and/or service plan or in class expenses; (6) the addition of sales loads; or (7) any conversion features, as permitted under the Investment Company Act.

 

PURCHASING SHARES

 

PURCHASE TERMS

 

The minimum initial investment in Institutional Class Shares by any investor is $1 million. However, the Fund, in its sole discretion, may accept investments below the minimum with respect to Institutional Class Shares. Shares may be purchased by principals and employees of the Investment Manager or its affiliates and their immediate family members without being subject to the minimum investment requirements. The purchase price for each class of Shares is based on the NAV per Share of that Class as of the date such Shares are purchased.

 

The Institutional Class Shares are not subject to any initial sales charge. However, investors will be assessed fees for returned checks and stop payment orders at prevailing rates charged by the Administrator. The returned check and stop payment fees are currently $25.

 

Shares are generally offered for purchase on each business day, except that Shares may be offered more or less frequently as determined by the Board in its sole discretion. The Board may also suspend or terminate offerings of Shares at any time.

 

Except as otherwise permitted by the Board, initial and subsequent purchases of Shares will be payable in cash. Orders will be priced at the appropriate price next computed after the order is received by the Fund. The Fund reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to accept or reject any subscription to purchase Shares in the Fund at any time.

 

In general, an investment will be accepted if the investor meets the Fund’s eligibility requirement and a completed investor application and funds are received in good order. The Fund reserves the right to reject, in its sole discretion, any request to purchase Shares in the Fund at any time.

 

Investors may also buy Shares of the Fund through financial intermediaries and their agents that have made arrangements with the Fund and are authorized to buy Shares of the Fund (collectively, “Financial Intermediaries”). Orders will be priced at the appropriate price next computed after it is received by a Financial Intermediary and received by the Fund. A Financial Intermediary may hold Shares in an omnibus account in the Financial Intermediary’s name or the Financial Intermediary may maintain individual ownership records. The Fund may pay the Financial Intermediary for maintaining individual ownership records as well as providing other shareholder services. Financial intermediaries may charge fees for the services they provide in connection with processing your transaction order or maintaining an investor’s account with them. Investors should check with their Financial Intermediary to determine if it is subject to these arrangements. Financial Intermediaries are responsible for placing orders correctly and promptly with the Fund and forwarding payment promptly. Orders transmitted with a Financial Intermediary before the close of regular trading (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on a day that the New York Stock Exchange is open for business, will be priced based on the Fund’s NAV per Share of that Class next computed after it is received by the Financial Intermediary.

 

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Investors may be charged a fee if they effect transactions through an intermediary, broker or agent. The Fund has authorized one or more brokers to receive on its behalf purchase orders. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase orders on the Fund’s behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a broker’s authorized designee, receives the order. Purchase orders will be priced at the Fund’s NAV per Share of that Class next computed after they are received by an authorized broker or the broker’s authorized designee.

 

TERM, DISSOLUTION AND LIQUIDATION

 

The Fund may be dissolved upon approval of a majority of the Trustees. Upon the liquidation of the Fund, its assets will be distributed first to satisfy (whether by payment or the making of a reasonable provision for payment) the debts, liabilities and obligations of the Fund, including actual or anticipated liquidation expenses, other than debts, liabilities or obligations to Shareholders, and then to the Shareholders proportionately in accordance with the amount of Shares that they own. Assets may be distributed in-kind on a proportionate basis if the Board or liquidator determines that the distribution of assets in-kind would be in the interests of the Shareholders in facilitating an orderly liquidation.

 

REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS

 

The Fund will provide Shareholders with an unaudited semi-annual and an audited annual report within 60 days after the close of the period for which the report is being made, or as otherwise required by the Investment Company Act. The Fund’s semi-annual and annual reports to Shareholders (once available) will be made available on the Fund's website at https://funds.variantinvestments.com/. 

 

Unless you have elected to receive the Fund’s shareholder reports in paper, you will be notified by mail each time that a report is posted and provided a website link to access the report. You may elect to receive future reports in paper free of charge. If you hold Shares at the Fund’s transfer agent, you may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically by contacting the Fund, c/o UMB Fund Services, Inc., 235 West Galena Street, Milwaukee, WI 53212, or by calling the Fund toll-free at (877) 770-7717. If you own your Shares through a financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank), you must contact your financial intermediary. You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. You can inform the Fund or your financial intermediary, as applicable, that you wish to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports by contacting them directly. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to the Fund and all funds held through your financial intermediary, as applicable.

 

FISCAL YEAR

 

The Fund’s fiscal year is the 12-month period ending on April 30. The Fund’s taxable year is the 12-month period ending on October 31.

 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM; LEGAL COUNSEL

 

The Board has selected [   ] located at [   ], as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Fund.

 

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, One Logan Square, Suite 2000, Philadelphia, PA 19103, serves as counsel to the Fund.

 

INQUIRIES

 

Inquiries concerning the Fund and Shares (including procedures for purchasing Shares) should be directed to the Fund’s Administrator, UMB Fund Services, Inc. at 235 West Galena Street, Milwaukee, WI 53212 or by calling the Fund toll-free at (877) 770-7717.

 

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THE VARIANT ALTERNATIVE LENDING FUND

 

c/o UMB Fund Services, Inc.
235 West Galena Street
Milwaukee, WI 53212

 

Investment Manager Transfer Agent / Administrator
   
Variant Investments, LLC
[10300 SW Greenburg Road, Suite 308
Portland, OR 97223]		 UMB Fund Services, Inc.
235 West Galena Street
Milwaukee, WI 53212
   
Custodian Bank Distributor
   
UMB Bank, n.a.
1010 Grand Boulevard
Kansas City, MO 64106		 UMB Distribution Services, LLC
235 West Galena Street
Milwaukee, WI 53212
   
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fund Counsel
   
[  ]
[  ]
[  ]		 Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
One Logan Square, Suite 2000
Philadelphia, PA 19103-6996

 

57

 

 

The information in this Statement of Additional Information is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Statement of Additional Information is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Subject to completion dated May 10, 2024

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

VARIANT ALTERNATIVE Lending FUND 

Institutional Class Shares

 

Dated [   ]

 

c/o UMB Fund Services, Inc. 

235 West Galena Street 

Milwaukee, WI, 53212

 

(877) 770-7717

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. This SAI relates to and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus (the “Prospectus”) of Variant Alternative Lending Fund (the “Fund”) dated [                  ], and as it may be further amended or supplemented from time to time. This SAI is incorporated by reference in its entirety into the Prospectus. A copy of the Prospectus, as well as the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders (once available), may be obtained without charge by contacting the Fund at the telephone number or address set forth above. You may also obtain the Prospectus by visiting the Fund’s website at https://funds.variantinvestments.com.

 

This SAI is not an offer to sell shares of beneficial interest (“Shares”) of the Fund and is not soliciting an offer to buy Shares in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein have the same meaning set forth in the Prospectus.

 

Shares are distributed by UMB Distribution Services, LLC (“Distributor”) to institutions and financial intermediaries who may distribute Shares to clients and customers (including affiliates and correspondents) of the Fund’s investment manager, Variant Investments, LLC (the “Investment Manager”), and to clients and customers of other organizations. The Fund’s Prospectus, which is dated [      ], provides basic information investors should know before investing. This SAI is intended to provide additional information regarding the activities and operations of the Fund and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus.

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

  Page
GENERAL INFORMATION 1
INVESTMENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES 1
FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES 1
NON-FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES 2
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES OF THE FUND AND RELATED RISKS 3
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENTS 4
NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENTS 13
OTHER POTENTIAL RISKS AND ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT INFORMATION 24
BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE FUND 26
INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES 26
INTERESTED TRUSTEE AND OFFICERS 27
CODES OF ETHICS 30
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICES 30
BROKERAGE 33
TAX MATTERS 34
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM; LEGAL COUNSEL 41
CUSTODIAN 42
DISTRIBUTOR 42
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 42
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS 42
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 42
APPENDIX A – PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES A-1
APPENDIX B – DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS B-1

 

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GENERAL INFORMATION

 

The Variant Alternative Lending Fund (the “Fund”) is a Delaware statutory trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company.

 

INVESTMENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES

 

The investment objective of the Fund, as well as the principal investment strategies of the Fund and the principal risks associated with such investment strategies, are set forth in the Prospectus. Certain additional information regarding the investment program of the Fund is set forth below.

 

FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES

 

The Fund’s fundamental policies, which are listed below, may only be changed by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. At the present time the Shares are the only outstanding voting securities of the Fund. As defined by the Investment Company Act, the vote of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund” means the vote, at an annual or special meeting of the Shareholders of the Fund, duly called, (i) of 67% or more of the Shares represented at such meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding Shares are present in person or represented by proxy or (ii) of more than 50% of the outstanding Shares, whichever is less. No other policy is a fundamental policy of the Fund, except as expressly stated. The Fund may not:

 

(1) Issue any senior security, except to the extent permitted by Section 18 of the Investment Company Act, as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or any other applicable authority.

 

(2) Borrow money, except to the extent permitted by Section 18 of the Investment Company Act, as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by the SEC or any other applicable authority. This investment restriction does not apply to borrowings from affiliated investment companies or other affiliated persons of the Fund to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act, the SEC or any other applicable authority. The Fund may borrow for investment and other purposes, such as for satisfying repurchase offers or to otherwise provide the Fund with liquidity.

 

(3) Underwrite securities of other issuers, except insofar as the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in connection with the disposition of its portfolio securities.

 

(4) Make loans, except as permitted under the Investment Company Act, and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.

 

(5) Purchase or sell real estate except as permitted under the Investment Company Act, and as interpreted, modified, or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.

 

(6) Invest in commodities and commodity contracts, except that the Fund (i) may purchase and sell non-U.S. currencies, options, swaps, futures and forward contracts, including those related to indexes, options and options on indexes, as well as other financial instruments and contracts that are commodities or commodity contracts, (ii) may also purchase or sell commodities if acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, (iii) may invest in commodity pools and other entities that purchase and sell commodities and commodity contracts, and (iv) may make such investments as otherwise permitted by the Investment Company Act.

 

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(7) Invest 25% or more of the value of its total assets in the securities of issuers that are engaged in any single industry or group of industries, except that U.S. government securities and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities may be purchased without limitation. To the extent that an Underlying Fund has adopted a policy to concentrate in a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will consider such a policy for purposes of determining compliance with its concentration policy.

 

With respect to these investment restrictions and other policies described in this SAI or the Prospectus, if a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of an investment or transaction, a later change in percentage resulting from a change in the values of investments or the value of the Fund’s total assets, except in the case of the ongoing asset coverage requirement in the case of borrowings, will not constitute a violation of such restriction or policy. For purposes of investment restriction regarding concentration above, the Fund may select its own industry classifications, provided such classifications are reasonable. The Fund’s use of these classification systems is not a fundamental policy of the Fund and therefore, can be changed without Shareholder approval.

 

NON-FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES

 

The Fund may change its investment objective, policies, restrictions, strategies, and techniques.

 

Except as otherwise indicated, the Fund may change its investment objective and any of its policies, restrictions, strategies, and techniques without Shareholder approval. The Fund’s investment objective and investment strategies are not fundamental policies of the Fund and may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Fund (the “Board”) without the vote of a majority (as defined by the Investment Company Act) of the Fund’s outstanding Shares. The Fund may change the 80% Policy (defined below) without shareholder approval upon at least 60 days’ prior written notice to Shareholders.

 

The following descriptions of the Investment Company Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions.

 

Borrowing. The Investment Company Act restricts an investment company from borrowing in excess of 33⅓% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed, but excluding temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets). Under current law as interpreted by the SEC and its staff, the Fund may borrow from: (a) a bank, provided that immediately after such borrowing there is an asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings of the Fund; or (b) a bank or other persons for temporary purposes only, provided that such temporary borrowings are in an amount not exceeding 5% of the Fund’s 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.

 

Commodities. The Investment Company Act does not directly restrict an investment company’s ability to invest in commodities or contracts related to commodities, but does require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments. The extent to which the Fund can invest in commodities or contracts related to commodities is set out in the investment strategies and policies described in the Prospectus and this SAI.

 

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Concentration. The SEC staff has defined concentration as investing 25% or more of an investment company’s total assets in any particular industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions such as with respect to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies and instrumentalities. For purposes of the Fund’s concentration policy, the Fund may classify and re-classify companies in a particular industry and define and re-define industries in any reasonable manner, consistent with SEC guidance. For purposes of the Fund’s industry concentration policy, the Investment Manager may analyze the characteristics of a particular issuer and instrument and may assign an industry classification consistent with those characteristics. The Investment Manager may, but need not, consider industry classifications provided by third parties.

 

Real Estate. The Investment Company Act does not directly restrict an investment company’s ability to invest in real estate or interests in real estate, but does require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments. The Fund may invest in real estate or interests in real estate, securities that are secured by or represent interests in real estate (e.g. mortgage loans evidenced by notes or other writings defined to be a type of security), mortgage-related securities, investment funds that invest in real estate through entities that may qualify as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”), or in companies engaged in the real estate business or that have a significant portion of their assets in real estate (including REITs). The Fund can invest in real estate or interest in real estate to the extent set out in the investment strategies and policies described in the Prospectus and this SAI.

 

Senior Securities. The current limit on issuance of senior securities limits the issuance of a class of senior securities that is indebtedness to no more than 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets or, if the class of senior security is stock, to no more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund’s limitation with respect to issuing senior securities 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 Fund’s engagement in such activities is consistent with or permitted by the Investment Company Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or interpretations of the SEC or its staff.

 

Underwriting. Under the Investment Company Act, underwriting securities involves an investment company purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating in any such activity either directly or indirectly.

 

Lending. Under the Investment Company Act, an investment company may only make loans if expressly permitted by its investment policies.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON INVESTMENT TECHNIQUES OF THE FUND AND RELATED RISKS

 

As discussed in the Prospectus, the investment objective of the Fund is to seek to provide a high level of current income. Capital appreciation is considered a secondary objective. Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes), directly or indirectly, in senior secured alternative income-generating lending investments (“Alternative Lending Investments”) (the “80% Policy”). For the purpose of the 80% Policy, Alternative Lending Investments are investments that the Investment Manager believes are outside of traditional public equity and bond markets and are likely to generate an interest payment, pay dividends or have other forms of distributions that generally accrue value over time, or securities that provide the Fund with exposure to such investments. The Fund’s Alternative Lending Investments may include, but are not limited to, specialty finance, litigation finance-related investments, real estate debt securities, transportation finance, portfolio finance, trade finance, royalties, warehouse facilities, purchases of interests in private credit funds in the secondary market, and warrants and equity securities acquired by the Fund in connection with the restructuring of Alternative Lending Investments. The Fund expects to allocate its assets primarily through direct investments and, on an opportunistic basis, other investment vehicles (“Underlying Funds”) purchased on a secondary basis. As noted above, the Fund may change the 80% Policy without shareholder approval upon at least 60 days’ prior written notice to Shareholders.

 

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This section provides additional information about various types of investments and investment techniques that may be employed by the Fund, both directly and through its investments in Underlying Funds, and their related risks. Any decision to invest in the Fund should take into account that the Fund’s investments will be subject to related risks, which can be substantial.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENTS

 

Asset-Backed (Including Mortgage-Backed) Securities

 

To the extent described in the Prospectus, the Fund may purchase asset-backed securities, which are securities backed by mortgages, real estate debt, consumer loans, senior living debt, installment contracts, small business loans, credit card receivables, municipal securities or other financial assets. The investment characteristics of asset-backed securities differ from those of traditional fixed income securities. Asset-backed securities represent interests in “pools” of assets in which payments of both interest and principal on the securities are made periodically, thus in effect “passing through” such payments made by the individual borrowers on the assets that underlie the securities, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities. The average life of asset-backed securities varies with the maturities of the underlying instruments, and the average life of a mortgage-backed instrument, in particular, is likely to be substantially less than the original maturity of the mortgage pools underlying the securities as a result of mortgage prepayments. For this and other reasons, an asset-backed security normally is subject to both call risk and extension risk, and an asset-backed security’s stated maturity may be shortened. In addition, the security’s total return may be difficult to predict precisely. These differences can result in significantly greater price and yield volatility than is the case with traditional fixed income securities.

 

If an asset-backed security is purchased at a premium, a prepayment rate that is faster than expected will reduce yield to maturity, while a prepayment rate that is slower than expected will have the opposite effect of increasing yield to maturity. Conversely, if an asset-backed security is purchased at a discount, faster than expected prepayments will increase, while slower than expected prepayments will decrease, yield to maturity. In calculating the average weighted maturity of the Fund’s fixed income investments, the maturity of asset-backed securities will be based on estimates of average life. Prepayments on asset-backed securities generally increase with falling interest rates and decrease with rising interest rates; furthermore, prepayment rates are influenced by a variety of economic and social factors. In general, the collateral supporting non-mortgage asset-backed securities is of shorter maturity than mortgage loans and is less likely to experience substantial prepayments.

 

Asset-backed securities acquired by the Fund may include collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”). CMOs provide the holder with a specified interest in the cash flow of a pool of underlying mortgages or other mortgage-backed securities. Issuers of CMOs ordinarily elect to be taxed as pass-through entities known as real estate mortgage investment conduits. CMOs are issued in multiple classes, each with a specified fixed or floating interest rate and a final distribution date. The relative payment rights of the various CMO classes may be structured in a variety of ways, and normally are considered derivative securities. In some cases CMOs may be highly leveraged and very speculative. The Funds will not purchase “residual” CMO interests, which normally exhibit greater price volatility.

 

4

 

Bank Debt Transactions

 

Special risks associated with investments in bank loans and participations include (i) the possible invalidation of an investment transaction as a fraudulent conveyance under relevant creditors’ rights laws, (ii) so-called lender-liability claims by the issuer of the obligations, (iii) environmental liabilities that may arise with respect to collateral securing the obligations, and (iv) limitations on the ability of the Fund to directly enforce its rights with respect to participations. Loans are subject to the credit risk of nonpayment of principal or interest. Economic downturns or increases in interest rates may cause an increase in defaults, interest rate risk and liquidity risk. Loans may or may not be collateralized at the time of acquisition, and any collateral may be relatively illiquid or lose all or substantially all of its value subsequent to investment.

 

In addition to the special risks generally associated with investments in bank loans described above, the Fund’s investments in second-lien and unsecured bank loans will entail additional risks, including (i) the subordination of the Fund’s claims to a senior lien in terms of the coverage and recovery from the collateral and (ii) with respect to second-lien loans, the prohibition of or limitation on the right to foreclose on a second-lien or exercise other rights as a second-lien holder, and with respect to unsecured loans, the absence of any collateral on which the Fund may foreclose to satisfy its claim in whole or in part. In certain cases, therefore, no recovery may be available from a defaulted second-lien loan. The Fund’s investments in bank loans of below investment grade companies also entail specific risks associated with investments in non-investment grade securities.

 

Bonds and Other Fixed Income Securities

 

The Fund may invest in bonds and other fixed income securities, both U.S. and non-U.S., and may take short positions in these securities. The prices of fixed income securities respond to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to changing perceptions about the creditworthiness of individual issuers (including governments), counterparty credit risk, prepayment risk or broader changes to the economic environment that may affect future cash flows. Such investments will always be exposed to certain risks that cannot be hedged and the Investment Manager is not obligated to seek to hedge against any risk, including fluctuations in the value of investments as a result of changes in market, principal, credit, interest rate, counterparty or currency risk or any other developments. Additionally, ongoing regulatory changes related to the creation and trading of securities in the fixed income markets may create unforeseeable risks. There may be more sensitivity to adverse economic, business, political, sector or geographical developments if a substantial portion of a client’s assets are invested in bonds of certain states, similar sectors or in particular types of municipal securities.

 

Distressed or Defaulted Securities

 

Investments in defaulted securities and obligations of distressed issuers, including loans and other securities that are, or may be, involved in reorganizations or other financial restructurings, either out of court or in bankruptcy, involve substantial risks and are considered speculative. The Fund may suffer significant losses if the reorganization or restructuring is not completed as anticipated. Repayment of defaulted loans and other securities and obligations of distressed issuers is subject to significant uncertainties. Investments in defaulted securities and obligations of distressed issuers are considered highly speculative. Such investments can result in significant or even total losses. In addition, the markets for distressed investment assets are frequently illiquid.

 

In liquidation (both in and out of bankruptcy) and other forms of corporate reorganization, there exists the risk that the reorganization either will be unsuccessful (due to, for example, failure to obtain requisite approvals), will be delayed (for example, until various liabilities, actual or contingent, have been satisfied) or will result in a distribution of cash or a new security the value of which will be less than the purchase price to the Fund of the security in respect to which such distribution was made.

 

5

 

Derivatives

 

The Fund may use a variety of special investment techniques as more fully discussed below to hedge a portion of the Fund’s investment portfolio against various risks or other factors that generally affect the values of securities. These techniques may involve the use of derivative transactions. The techniques the Fund may employ may change over time as new instruments and techniques are introduced or as a result of regulatory developments. Certain of the special investment techniques that the Fund may use are speculative and involve a high degree of risk. It is possible that any hedging transaction may not perform as anticipated and that the Fund may suffer losses as a result of its hedging activities.

 

Derivatives are securities and other instruments the value or return of which is based on the performance of an underlying asset, index, interest rate or other investment. Derivatives may be volatile and involve various risks, depending upon the derivative and its function in a portfolio. Special risks may apply to instruments that are invested in by the Fund in the future that cannot be determined at this time or until such instruments are developed or invested in by the Fund. Certain swaps, options and other derivative instruments may be subject to various types of risks, including market risk, liquidity risk, and the risk of non-performance by the counterparty, including risks relating to the financial soundness and creditworthiness of the counterparty, legal risk and operations risk.

 

Mortgage Servicing Rights

 

Mortgage servicing rights are the contractual rights to cash flows payable to the actual mortgage servicer of a pool of mortgage loans for their ongoing administrative duties. An investment in mortgage servicing rights is negatively impacted if prepayments are higher than projected (often precipitated by a decline in interest rates), defaults and/or delinquencies are higher than projected, mortgage servicing advances are higher than projected, or a prior mortgage servicing GSE approval is revoked. A mortgage servicer requires approval from a GSE such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac before they are allowed to service conforming mortgages. Mortgage servicing rights can also be negatively impacted by changes in state and/or federal regulations.

 

Options and Futures

 

The Investment Manager may utilize options and futures contracts. Such transactions may be effected on securities exchanges, in the over-the-counter market, or negotiated directly with counterparties. When such transactions are purchased over-the-counter or negotiated directly with counterparties, the Fund bears the risk that the counterparty will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the contract. Such transactions may also be illiquid and, in such cases, the Fund may have difficulty closing out its position. Over-the-counter options purchased and sold by the Fund may include options on baskets of specific securities. The Fund may utilize European-style or American-style options. European-style options are only exercisable at their expiration. American-style options are exercisable at any time prior to the expiration date of the option.

 

The Investment Manager may purchase call and put options on specific securities, on indices, on currencies or on futures, and may write and sell covered or uncovered call and put options for hedging purposes to pursue their investment objectives. A put option gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and obligates the writer to buy, the underlying security at a stated exercise price. Similarly, a call option gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and obligates the writer to sell, the underlying security at a stated exercise price. A covered call option is a call option with respect to which the Fund owns the underlying security. The sale of such an option exposes the Fund during the term of the option to possible loss of opportunity to realize appreciation in the market price of the underlying security or to possible continued holding of a security that might otherwise have been sold to protect against depreciation in the market price of the security.

 

6

 

The Fund may close out a position when writing options by purchasing an option on the same security with the same exercise price and expiration date as the option that it has previously written on the security. The Fund will realize a profit or loss if the amount paid to purchase an option is less or more, as the case may be, than the amount received from the sale thereof. To close out a position as a purchaser of an option, the Fund would ordinarily effect a similar “closing sale transaction,” which involves liquidating a position by selling the option previously purchased, although the Fund could exercise the option should the Investment Manager deem it advantageous to do so.

 

The Fund may enter into futures contracts in U.S. domestic markets or on exchanges located outside the United States. Foreign markets may offer advantages such as trading opportunities or arbitrage possibilities not available in the United States. Foreign markets, however, may have greater risk potential than domestic markets. For example, some foreign exchanges are principal markets so that no common clearing facility exists and an investor may look only to the broker for performance of the contract. In addition, any profits that might be realized in trading could be eliminated by adverse changes in the exchange rate, or a loss could be incurred as a result of those changes. Transactions on foreign exchanges may include both commodities which are traded on domestic exchanges and those which are not. Unlike trading on domestic commodity exchanges, trading on foreign commodity exchanges is not regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

 

Engaging in these transactions involves risk of loss, which could adversely affect the value of the Fund’s net assets. No assurance can be given that a liquid market will exist for any particular futures contract at any particular time. Many futures exchanges and boards of trade limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made that day at a price beyond that limit or trading may be suspended for specified periods during the trading day. Futures contract prices could move to the limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and potentially subjecting the Fund to substantial losses.

 

Successful use of futures also is subject to the Investment Manager’s ability to correctly predict movements in the direction of the relevant market, and, to the extent the transaction is entered into for hedging purposes, to ascertain the appropriate correlation between the transaction being hedged and the price movements of the futures contract.

 

The Fund may purchase and sell stock index futures contracts. A stock index future obligates the Fund to pay or receive an amount of cash equal to a fixed dollar amount specified in the futures contract multiplied by the difference between the settlement price of the contract on the contract’s last trading day and the value of the index based on the stock prices of the securities that comprise it at the opening of trading in those securities on the next business day.

 

The Fund may purchase and sell interest rate futures contracts. A contract for interest rate futures represents an obligation to purchase or sell an amount of a specific debt security at a future date at a specific price.

 

The Fund may purchase and sell currency futures. A currency future creates an obligation to purchase or sell an amount of a specific currency at a future date at a specific price.

 

The Fund currently intends to limit investments in commodity futures, commodity options contracts and swaps to below the de minimis thresholds adopted by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) in its 2012 amendments to Rule 4.5 (see below for a description of these thresholds). For this reason, the Investment Manager is not required to register as a “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) under the Commodity Exchange Act with respect to the Fund at this time.

 

7

 

With respect to investments in swap transactions, commodity futures, commodity options or certain other derivatives used for purposes other than bona fide hedging purposes, an investment company must meet one of the following tests under the amended regulations in order to claim an exemption from being considered a “commodity pool” or the investment manager having to register as a CPO. First, the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish an investment company’s positions in such investments may not exceed five percent (5%) of the liquidation value of the investment company’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such investments). Alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of such instruments, determined at the time of the most recent position established, may not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the liquidation value of the investment company’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of the foregoing trading limitations, the investment company may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps and derivatives markets. In the event that the Investment Manager is required to register as a CPO with respect to the Fund, the disclosure and operations of the Fund would need to comply with all applicable CFTC regulations.

 

Options on Securities Indexes

 

The Fund may purchase and sell call and put options on stock indexes listed on national securities exchanges or traded in the over-the-counter market for hedging purposes to pursue its investment objective. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market values of the stocks included in the index. Accordingly, successful use by the Fund of options on stock indexes will be subject to the Investment Manager’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the stock market generally or of a particular industry or market segment. This requires different skills and techniques than predicting changes in the price of individual stocks.

 

Swap Agreements

 

The Fund may enter into equity, interest rate, index and currency rate swap agreements. These transactions are entered into in an attempt to obtain a particular return when it is considered desirable to do so, possibly at a lower cost than if an investment was made directly in the asset that yielded the desired return. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than a year. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency, or in a “basket” of securities representing a particular index. Forms of swap agreements include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent interest rates exceed a specified rate or “cap”; interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent interest rates fall below a specified level or “floor”; and interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

 

Most swap agreements entered into by the Fund would require the calculation of the obligations of the parties to the agreements on a “net basis.” Consequently, the Fund’s current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement generally will be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). The risk of loss with respect to swaps is limited to the net amount of interest payments that a party is contractually obligated to make. If the other party to a swap defaults, the Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that it contractually is entitled to receive.

 

8

 

The Fund may enter into swap agreements under which the Fund may agree, on a net basis, to pay a return based on a floating interest rate and to receive the total return of the reference investment vehicle over a stated time period. The Fund may seek to achieve the same investment result through the use of other derivatives in similar circumstances. The U.S. federal income tax treatment of swap agreements and other derivatives used in the above manner is unclear. The Fund does not currently intend to use swaps or other derivatives in this manner.

 

Fixed Income Securities

 

The Fund may invest in fixed income securities. The Fund will invest in these securities when their yield and potential for capital appreciation are considered sufficiently attractive, and also may invest in these securities for defensive purposes and to maintain liquidity. Fixed income securities include, among other securities: bonds, notes and debentures issued by U.S. and non-U.S. corporations; U.S. government securities or debt securities issued or guaranteed by a non-U.S. government; municipal securities; and mortgage-backed and asset backed securities. These securities may pay fixed, variable or floating rates of interest, and may include zero coupon obligations. Fixed income securities are subject to the risk of the issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest payments on its obligations (i.e., credit risk) and are subject to the risk of price volatility due to such factors as interest rate sensitivity, market perception of the creditworthiness or financial condition of the issuer and general market liquidity (i.e., market risk). Certain portfolio securities, such as those with interest rates that fluctuate directly or indirectly based on multiples of a stated index, are designed to be highly sensitive to changes in interest rates and can subject the holders thereof to significant reductions of yield and possible loss of principal.

 

The Fund may invest in both investment grade and non-investment grade debt securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”). Investment grade debt securities are securities that have received a rating from at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization (a ““Rating Agency”“) in one of the four highest rating categories or, if not rated by any Rating Agency, have been determined by the Investment Manager to be of comparable quality. There is no minimum credit standard as a prerequisite to an investment in any security. As a result, the Fund may invest in debt securities that are rated below investment grade and are considered speculative, including distressed bonds. The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of companies in initial public offerings (“IPOs”) or shortly after those offerings are complete.

 

The Fund’s investments in non-investment grade debt securities, including convertible debt securities, are considered by the Rating Agencies to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Non-investment grade securities in the lowest rating categories may involve a substantial risk of default or may be in default. Adverse changes in economic conditions or developments regarding the individual issuer are more likely to cause price volatility and weaken the capacity of the issuers of non-investment grade securities to make principal and interest payments than is the case for higher grade securities. In addition, the market for lower grade securities may be thinner and less liquid than the market for higher grade securities.

 

9

 

Hedging Transactions

 

The Fund may utilize a variety of financial instruments, such as derivatives, options, interest rate swaps, caps and floors, futures and forward contracts to seek to hedge against declines in the values of its portfolio positions as a result of changes in currency exchange rates, certain changes in the equity markets and market interest rates and other events. Hedging transactions may also limit the opportunity for gain if the value of the hedged portfolio positions should increase. It may not be possible for the Fund to hedge against a change or event at a price sufficient to protect its assets from the decline in value of the portfolio positions anticipated as a result of such change. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge against certain changes or events at all. While the Fund may enter into such transactions to seek to reduce currency exchange rate and interest rate risks, or the risks of a decline in the equity markets generally or one or more sectors of the equity markets in particular, or the risks posed by the occurrence of certain other events, unanticipated changes in currency or interest rates or increases or smaller than expected decreases in the equity markets or sectors being hedged or the nonoccurrence of other events being hedged against may result in a poorer overall performance for the Fund than if the Fund had not engaged in any such hedging transaction. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the portfolio position being hedged may vary. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, the Investment Manager may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Such imperfect correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving the intended hedge or expose the Fund to additional risk of loss.

 

Highly Volatile Markets

 

Price movements of forwards, futures and other derivative contracts in which the Fund may be invested are influenced by, among other things, interest rates, changing supply and demand relationships, trade, fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs and policies of governments, and national and international political and economic events and policies. The prices of commodities contracts and all derivative instruments, including futures and options, can be highly volatile. In addition, governments from time to time intervene, directly and by regulation, in certain markets, particularly those in currencies, financial instruments, futures and options. Such intervention often is intended directly to influence prices and may, together with other factors, cause all of such markets to move rapidly in the same direction because of, among other things, interest rate fluctuations. The Fund is also subject to the risk of the failure of any exchanges on which its positions trade or of the clearinghouses for those exchanges.

  

Infrastructure Companies

 

The Fund considers a company to be engaged in the infrastructure business if it derives at least 50% of its revenues or earnings from, or devotes at least 50% of its assets to, infrastructure-related activities. The Fund defines infrastructure as the systems and networks of energy, transportation, utilities, communication and other services required for the normal function of society. Infrastructure companies are involved in, among other things: (1) the generation, transmission and distribution of electric energy; (2) the storage, transportation and distribution of natural resources, such as natural gas, used to produce energy; (3) alternative energy sources; (4) the building, operation and maintenance of highways, toll roads, tunnels, bridges and parking lots; (5) the building, operation and maintenance of airports and ports, railroads and mass transit systems; (6) telecommunications, including wireless and cable networks; (7) water treatment and distribution; and (8) other public services such as health care and education.

 

Investments in infrastructure-related companies have greater exposure to the potential adverse economic, regulatory, political and other changes affecting such entities. Infrastructure-related companies are subject to a variety of factors that may adversely affect their business or operations including high interest costs in connection with capital construction programs, costs associated with compliance with and changes in environmental and other regulations, difficulty in raising capital in adequate amounts on reasonable terms in periods of high inflation and unsettled capital markets, the effects of surplus capacity, increased competition from other providers of services in a developing deregulatory environment, uncertainties concerning the availability of fuel at reasonable prices, the effects of energy conservation policies and other factors. Additionally, infrastructure-related entities may be subject to regulation by various governmental authorities and may also be affected by governmental regulation of rates charged to customers, government budgetary constraints, service interruption due to environmental, operational or other mishaps and the imposition of special tariffs and changes in tax laws, regulatory policies and accounting standards. Other factors that may affect the operations of infrastructure-related companies include innovations in technology that could render the way in which a company delivers a product or service obsolete, significant changes to the number of ultimate end-users of a company’s products, increased susceptibility to terrorist acts or political actions, risks of environmental damage due to a company’s operations or an accident, and general changes in market sentiment towards infrastructure and utilities assets.

 

10

 

Leverage

 

The Fund may leverage the Fund through (i) borrowings, (ii) swap agreements, options or other derivative instruments, or (iii) a combination of these methods. The financing entity or counterparty on any swap, option or other derivative instrument may be any entity or institution which the Investment Manager determines to be creditworthy.

 

As a result of this leverage, a relatively small movement in the spread relationship between the securities and commodities interests the Fund indirectly owns and those which it has indirectly sold short may result in substantial losses. 

 

Life Settlement Investments

 

The Fund may invest in life settlements, which are sales to third parties, such as the Fund, of existing life insurance contracts for more than their cash surrender value, but less than the net benefits to be paid under the policies. When the Fund acquires such a contract, it pays the policy premiums in return for the expected receipt of the net benefit as the beneficiary under the policy. Life expectancy estimates compared to actual results may vary and any extension to the estimated life of the insured person will reduce the Fund’s returns on investment. If the insured (the “viator”) lives longer than anticipated, the payment of death benefits by the insurance company is not at risk, but the return on investment will diminish with time. In extreme circumstances, it is possible the viator may live well beyond their life expectancy in which case the cost of paying premiums, in addition to the initial cost of the policy, may result in a loss to the Fund when the policy matures. The Fund is unlikely to be provided with detailed information regarding the sourcing of life policies and therefore will be reliant on the due diligence of third parties. Any error in this due diligence could have a materially adverse effect on the Fund. The Fund seeks to minimize credit risk by investing in policies issued by a diverse range of highly-rated insurance carriers. Furthermore, the Fund may encounter losses on its investments if there is an inaccurate estimation of the life expectancies of viators. The Fund intend to reduce this life expectancy risk by investing only in contracts where the life expectancy was reviewed by an experienced actuary, as well as by diversifying its investments across viators of varying ages and medical profiles. In addition, it is unclear whether income from life settlements is qualifying income for purposes of the Internal Revenue Service 90% gross income test that the Fund must satisfy each year to qualify as a RIC. The Fund intends to monitor its investments to ensure that the Fund remains qualified as a RIC.

 

Low Credit Quality Securities/High Yield Securities

 

The Fund’s investments in high yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) may be subject to greater levels of credit and liquidity risk than investment grade securities. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High yield securities are considered predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of high yield securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher-quality fixed income securities, and the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objectives may, to the extent the Fund invests in below investment-grade securities, be more dependent upon the Investment Manager’s credit analysis than would be the case if the Fund or Underlying Funds were investing in higher-quality securities. Below investment-grade securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than higher-grade securities.

 

11

 

Structured Credit Securities

 

Structured credit securities consist of investments in synthetic instruments such as collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), and collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”) that create varying economic return streams from a common underlying pool of assets. Typically, the structured credit security has a first-loss equity tranche and one or more senior tranches. The value of the investment owned by the Fund generally will fluctuate with, among other things, the financial condition of the obligors or issuers of the underlying portfolio of assets, general economic conditions, the condition of certain financial markets, political events, developments or trends in any particular industry and changes in prevailing interest rates. Consequently, holders of the structured credit instrument must rely solely on distributions on the collateral or proceeds thereof for payment in respect thereof. If distributions on the collateral are insufficient to make payments to the instrument’s investors, no other assets will be available for payment of the deficiency and following the sale of the collateral, the obligations of such issuer to pay such deficiency generally will be extinguished.

 

Issuers of structured securities will sometimes acquire interests in loans and other debt obligations by way of sale, assignment or participation. The purchaser of an assignment typically becomes a lender under the credit agreement with respect to the loan or debt obligation; however, its rights can be more restricted than those of the assigning institution. In purchasing participations, an issuer of structured securities will usually have a contractual relationship only with the selling institution, and not the borrower. The structured security generally will have neither the right directly to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, nor have the right to object to certain changes to the loan agreement agreed to by the selling institution. The structured security may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the related loan and may be subject to any rights of set-off the borrower has against the selling institution. In addition, in the event of the insolvency of the selling institution, under the laws of the United States and the states thereof, the structured security may be treated as a general creditor of such selling institution, and may not have any exclusive or senior claim with respect to the selling institution’s interest in, or the collateral with respect to, the loan. Consequently, the structured security may be subject to the credit risk of the selling institution as well as of the borrower.

 

Trade Finance

 

Trade finance consists of the financing of goods or materials during the time it takes to transport the goods from one geographic location to another. There may be political risks (expropriation, confiscation, nationalization, war) in the movement of goods across certain countries. Economic risks exist, which include interest rate risk, changes in tax rates, and currency movements. Counterparty risks of default and fraud as well as custody risks of theft and natural disaster also exist. To the extent the buyer does not follow through on the contractual purchase, the Fund will also bear the price risk of reselling the goods to a new buyer.

 

12

 

NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENTS

 

Agriculture and Timber Companies

 

The Fund may invest its assets in securities issued by companies in the agriculture industry or private funds that invest in such securities. Companies involved in the agriculture industry and farming-related activities may be affected by certain legislative or regulatory developments related to food safety, the environment, taxes and other governmental policies. Companies involved in the agriculture industry and farming-related activities may be subject to the risk of liability for environmental damage, depletion of resources and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control devices. An increased competitive landscape, caused by increased availability of food and other agricultural commodities, economic recession or labor difficulties, may lead to a decrease in demand for products and services provided by companies involved in agriculture and farming-related activities. Furthermore, agricultural and farming-related activities are subject to risks associated with cyclicality of revenues and earnings, economic recession, currency fluctuations, changing consumer tastes, extensive competition, consolidation and excess capacity. Generally, companies involved in the agriculture industry and farming-related activities are affected by the economic health of consumers. As a result, a weak economy and its effect on consumer spending could adversely affect such companies.

 

Timber companies may be affected by numerous factors, including events occurring in nature and international politics. For example, the volume and value of timber that can be harvested from timberlands may be limited by natural disasters and other events such as fire, volcanic eruptions, insect infestation, disease, ice storms, windstorms, flooding, other weather conditions and other causes. In periods of poor logging conditions, timber companies may harvest less timber than expected. Timber companies are subject to many federal, state and local environmental and health and safety laws and regulations. In addition, rising interest rates and general economic conditions may affect the demand for timber products.

 

Business Development Companies

 

The Fund may invest in business development companies (“BDCs”). A BDC is regulated under the Investment Company Act, but may carry risks similar to those of a private equity fund or a venture capital fund. Certain BDCs are not publicly traded and are illiquid investments. It may not be possible to redeem shares of non-publicly-traded BDCs without paying a substantial penalty. Publicly-traded BDCs usually trade at a discount to their NAV because they invest in unlisted securities and have a limited access to capital markets. BDC investments may take the form of equity, preferred stock, or debt issuance. Leverage provided by BDC debt often serves to increase a BDC’s yield, but subjects the BDC to increased risks, including the increased volatility and the possibility that the BDC’s common share income will fall if the dividend rate of the preferred shares or interest rate on borrowings rises. BDCs value a significant portion of their investments at fair value, which is determined under procedures approved by the BDC’s board of directors. Such fair valuation of securities may create increased uncertainty with respect to the value of the BDC’s investments.

 

Convertible Securities

 

Convertible securities share investment characteristics of both fixed income and equity securities. However, the value of these securities tends to vary more with fluctuations in the value of the underlying common stock than with fluctuations in interest rates. The value of convertible securities also tends to exhibit lower volatility than the underlying common stock. Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality. Investors could lose money if the issuer of a convertible security is unable to meet its financial obligations or goes bankrupt. Lower quality convertible securities, also known as “junk bonds,” involve greater risk of default or price changes due to the issuer’s creditworthiness. The market prices of these securities may fluctuate more than those of higher quality securities and may decline significantly in periods of general economic difficulty, which may follow periods of rising interest rates. Securities in the lowest quality category may present the risk of default, or may be in default.

 

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Credit Default Swaps

 

The Fund may enter into credit default swaps. Under these instruments, the Fund will usually have a contractual relationship only with the counterparty of such credit default swaps and not the issuer of the obligation (the “Reference Obligation”) subject to the credit default swap (the “Reference Obligor”). The Fund will have no direct rights or recourse against the Reference Obligor with respect to the terms of the Reference Obligation nor any rights of set-off against the Reference Obligor, nor any voting rights with respect to the Reference Obligation. The Fund will not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the Reference Obligation and will not have the benefit of the remedies that would normally be available to a holder of such Reference Obligation. In addition, in the event of the insolvency of the credit default swap counterparty, the Fund will be treated as a general creditor of such counterparty and will not have any claim with respect to the Reference Obligation. Consequently, the Fund will be subject to the credit risk of the counterparty and in the event the Fund will be selling credit default swaps, the Fund will also be subject to the credit risk of the Reference Obligor. As a result, concentrations of credit default swaps in any one counterparty expose the Fund to risk with respect to defaults by such counterparty.

 

Hybrid Securities

 

The Fund may invest in hybrid securities. A hybrid security is a type of security that also has equity and debt characteristics. Like equities, which have no final maturity, a hybrid security may be callable at the option of the issuer on a date specified at issue. Additionally, like common equities, which may stop paying dividends at virtually any time without violating any contractual terms or conditions, hybrids typically allow for issuers to withhold payment of interest until a later date or to suspend coupon payments entirely without triggering an event of default. Hybrid securities are normally at the bottom of an issuer’s debt capital structure because holders of an issuer’s hybrid securities are structurally subordinated to the issuer’s senior creditors. In bankruptcy, hybrid security holders should only get paid after all senior creditors of the issuer have been paid out before any disbursements are made to the issuer’s equity holders. Accordingly, hybrid securities may be more sensitive to economic changes than more senior debt securities. Such securities may also be viewed as more equity-like by the market when the issuer or its parent company experiences financial difficulties.

 

Marketplace Loans and Pass-Throughs

 

The Fund may make marketplace lending investments through a combination of: (i) investing in loans to consumers, small- and mid-sized companies (“SMEs”) and other borrowers, including borrowers of student loans, originated through online platforms (or an affiliate) that provide a marketplace for lending (“Marketplace Loans”) through purchases of whole loans (either individually or in aggregations); (ii) investing in notes or other pass-through obligations issued by a marketplace lending platform (or an affiliate) representing the right to receive the principal and interest payments on a Marketplace Loan (or fractional portions thereof) originated through the platform (“Pass-Through Notes”); (iii) purchasing asset-backed securities representing ownership in a pool of Marketplace Loans; (iv) investing in private investment funds that purchase Marketplace Loans, (v) acquiring an equity interest in a marketplace lending platform (or an affiliate); and (vi) providing loans, credit lines or other extensions of credit to a marketplace lending platform (or an affiliate) (collectively, “Marketplace Lending Instruments”). Marketplace Lending Instruments are generally not rated by the nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (“NRSROs”). Such unrated instruments, however, are considered to be comparable in quality to securities falling into any of the ratings categories used by such NRSROs to classify “junk” bonds. Accordingly, the Fund’s unrated Marketplace Lending Instrument investments constitute highly risky and speculative investments similar to investments in “junk” bonds.

 

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A portion of the Marketplace Loans in which the Fund may invest will not be secured by any collateral, will not be guaranteed or insured by a third party and will not be backed by any governmental authority. Accordingly, the platforms and any third-party collection agencies will be limited in their ability to collect on defaulted Marketplace Loans. With respect to Marketplace Loans secured by collateral, there can be no assurance that the liquidation of any such collateral would satisfy a borrower’s obligation in the event of a default under its Marketplace Loan.

 

Furthermore, Marketplace Loans may not contain any cross-default or similar provisions. A cross-default provision makes a default under certain debt of a borrower an automatic default on other debt of that borrower. The effect of this can be to allow other creditors to move more quickly to claim any assets of the borrower. To the extent a Marketplace Loan does not contain a cross-default provision, the loan will not be placed automatically in default upon that borrower’s default on any of the borrower’s other debt obligations, unless there are relevant independent grounds for a default on the loan. In addition, the Marketplace Loan will not be referred to a third-party collection agency for collection because of a borrower’s default on debt obligations other than the Marketplace Loan. If a borrower first defaults on debt obligations other than the Marketplace Loan, the creditors to such other debt obligations may seize the borrower’s assets or pursue other legal action against the borrower, which may adversely impact the ability to recoup any principal and interest payments on the Marketplace Loan if the borrower subsequently defaults on the loan. In addition, an operator of a platform is generally not required to repurchase Marketplace Loans from a lender except under very narrow circumstances, such as in cases of verifiable identity fraud by the borrower or as may otherwise be negotiated by the Fund when purchasing whole loans.

 

Borrowers may seek protection under federal bankruptcy law or similar laws. If a borrower files for bankruptcy (or becomes the subject of an involuntary petition), a stay will go into effect that will automatically put any pending collection actions on hold and prevent further collection action absent bankruptcy court approval. Whether any payment will ultimately be made or received on a Marketplace Loan after bankruptcy status is declared depends on the borrower’s particular financial situation and the determination of the court. It is possible that the borrower’s liability on the Marketplace Loan will be discharged in bankruptcy. In most cases involving the bankruptcy of a borrower with an unsecured Marketplace Loan, unsecured creditors will receive only a fraction of any amount outstanding on their loan, if anything at all.

 

As Pass-Through Notes are pass-through obligations of the operators of the lending platforms, and not direct obligations of the borrowers under the underlying Marketplace Loans originated by such platforms, holders of certain Pass-Through Notes are exposed to the credit risk of the operator. An operator that becomes subject to bankruptcy proceedings may be unable to make full and timely payments on its Pass-Through Notes even if the borrowers of the underlying Marketplace Loans timely make all payments due from them. In addition, Pass-Through Notes are non-recourse obligations (except to the extent that the operator actually receives payments from the borrower on the loan). Accordingly, lenders assume all of the borrower credit risk on the loans they fund and are not entitled to recover any deficiency of principal or interest from the operator if the borrower defaults on its payments.

 

There may be a delay between the time the Fund commits to purchase a Pass-Through Note and the issuance of such note and, during such delay, the funds committed to such an investment will not be available for investment in other Marketplace Lending Instruments. Because the funds committed to an investment in Pass-Through Notes do not earn interest until the issuance of the note, the delay in issuance will have the effect of reducing the effective rate of return on the investment.

 

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Master Limited Partnerships

 

The Fund may invest in equity securities of master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) and their affiliates. An MLP generally has two classes of partners, the general partner and the limited partners. The general partner normally controls the MLP through an equity interest plus units that are subordinated to the common (publicly traded) units for an initial period and then only converting to common if certain financial tests are met. As a motivation for the general partner to successfully manage the MLP and increase cash flows, the terms of most MLPs typically provide that the general partner receives a large portion of the net income as distributions reach higher target levels. As cash flow grows, the general partner receives greater interest in the incremental income compared to the interest of limited partners. The general partner’s incentive compensation typically increases to up to 50% of incremental income. Nevertheless, the aggregate amount distributed to limited partners will increase as MLP distributions reach higher target levels. Given this incentive structure, the general partner has an incentive to streamline operations and undertake acquisitions and growth projects in order to increase distributions to all partners.

 

MLP common units represent an equity ownership interest in a partnership, providing limited voting rights and entitling the holder to a share of the company’s success through distributions and/or capital appreciation. Unlike shareholders of a corporation, common unit holders do not elect directors annually and generally have the right to vote only on certain significant events, such as mergers, a sale of substantially all of the assets, removal of the general partner or material amendments to the partnership agreement. MLPs are required by their partnership agreements to distribute a large percentage of their current operating earnings. Common unit holders generally have first right to a minimum quarterly distribution prior to distributions to the convertible subordinated unit holders or general partner (including incentive distributions). Common unit holders typically have arrearage rights if the minimum quarterly distribution is not met. In the event of liquidation, MLP common unit holders have first right to the partnership’s remaining assets after bondholders, other debt holders, and preferred unit holders have been paid in full. MLP common units trade on a national securities exchange or over-the-counter. Some limited liability companies (“LLCs”) may be treated as MLPs for federal income tax purposes.

 

Similar to MLPs, LLCs typically do not pay federal income tax at the entity level and are required by their operating agreements to distribute a large percentage of their current operating earnings. In contrast to MLPs, LLCs have no general partner and there are no incentives that entitle management or other unit holders to increased percentages of cash distributions as distributions reach higher target levels. In addition, LLC common unit holders typically have voting rights with respect to the LLC, whereas MLP common units have limited voting rights. MLP common units and other equity securities can be affected by macro-economic and other factors affecting the stock market in general, expectations of interest rates, investor sentiment toward MLPs or a MLP’s business sector, changes in a particular issuer’s financial condition, or unfavorable or unanticipated poor performance of a particular issuer (in the case of MLPs, generally measured in terms of distributable cash flow).

 

Prices of common units of individual MLPs and other equity securities can also be affected by fundamentals unique to the partnership or company, including earnings power and coverage ratios. MLP convertible subordinated units are typically issued by MLPs to founders, corporate general partners of MLPs, entities that sell assets to the MLP, and institutional investors, and may be purchased in direct placements from such persons. The purpose of the convertible subordinated units is to increase the likelihood that during the subordination period there will be available cash to be distributed to common unit holders. Convertible subordinated units generally are not entitled to distributions until holders of common units have received specified minimum quarterly distributions, plus any arrearages, and may receive less in distributions upon liquidation. Convertible subordinated unit holders generally are entitled to a minimum quarterly distribution prior to the payment of incentive distributions to the general partner, but are not entitled to arrearage rights. Therefore, they generally entail greater risk than MLP common units. They are generally convertible automatically into the senior common units of the same issuer at a one-to-one ratio upon the passage of time or their satisfaction of certain financial tests. These units do not trade on a national exchange or over-the-counter, and there is no active market for convertible subordinated units. The value of a convertible security is a function of its worth if converted into the underlying common units. Convertible subordinated units generally have similar voting rights to MLP common units. Because convertible subordinated units generally convert to common units on a one-to-one ratio, the price that the Fund could be expected to pay upon the purchase or to realize upon resale is generally tied to the common unit price less a discount. The size of the discount varies depending on a variety of factors including the likelihood of conversion, and the length of time remaining to conversion, and the size of the block purchased.

 

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MLP I-Shares represent an indirect investment in MLP I-units. I-units are equity securities issued to affiliates of MLPs, typically a limited liability company, that own an interest in and manage the MLP. The issuer has management rights but is not entitled to incentive distributions. The I-Share issuer’s assets consist exclusively of MLP I-units. Distributions by MLPs to I-unit holders are made in the form of additional I-units, generally equal in amount to the cash received by common unit holders of MLPs. Distributions to I-Share holders are made in the form of additional I-Shares, generally equal in amount to the I-units received by the I-Share issuer. The issuer of the I-Share is taxed as a corporation for federal income tax purposes; however, the MLP does not allocate income or loss to the I-Share issuer. Accordingly, investors receive a Form 1099, are not allocated their proportionate share of income of the MLPs, and are not subject to state income tax filing obligations. The price of I-Shares and their volatility tend to be correlated to the price of common units, although the price correlation is not precise.

 

Money Market Instruments

 

The Fund may invest during periods of adverse market or economic conditions for defensive purposes some or all of their assets in high quality money market instruments and other short-term obligations, money market mutual funds or repurchase agreements with banks or broker-dealers or may hold cash or cash equivalents in such amounts as the Investment Manager deems appropriate under the circumstances. The Fund also may invest in these instruments for liquidity purposes pending allocation of their respective offering proceeds and other circumstances. Money market instruments are high quality, short-term fixed income obligations, which generally have remaining maturities of one year or less, and may include U.S. government securities, commercial paper, certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances issued by domestic branches of United States banks that are members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and repurchase agreements.

  

Municipal Debt

 

Municipal securities may be subject to credit or default risk, interest rate risk and certain additional risk. The municipal securities comprising the Fund’s investments may include debt obligations issued to obtain funding for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public infrastructure and facilities (including housing), essential social, health and/or public service sector programs and initiatives, refunding of outstanding obligations and obtaining funds for general operating expenses and loans to other public institutions and facilities. In addition, certain types of securities are issued by or on behalf of public authorities, for example, to finance privately owned or operated facilities, including in respect of electric energy or gas, sewage, solid waste disposal and other specialized facilities. In addition, other private activity securities, the proceeds of which are used, for example, for the construction, equipment or improvement of privately operated industrial or commercial facilities, may constitute municipal securities, but current federal tax laws place substantial limitations on the size of such issues. The interest on the Fund’s investments may bear a fixed rate or be payable at a variable or floating rate. The Fund’s investments in municipal debt may be more sensitive to adverse economic, business or political developments if it invests a significant portion of its assets in the debt securities of similar projects (such as those relating to education, health care, housing, transportation and utilities), industrial development bonds, or in particular types of municipal securities (such as general obligation bonds, private activity bonds and moral obligation bonds).

 

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Purchasing Initial Public Offerings

 

The Fund may purchase fixed income and equity securities of companies in IPOs or shortly after those offerings are complete. Special risks associated with these securities may include a limited number of shares available for trading, lack of a trading history, lack of investor knowledge of the issuer, and limited operating history. These factors may contribute to substantial price volatility for the shares of these companies. The limited number of shares available for trading in some IPOs may make it more difficult for the Fund to buy or sell significant amounts of shares without an unfavorable effect on prevailing market prices. In addition, some companies in IPOs are involved in relatively new industries or lines of business, which may not be widely understood by investors. Some of these companies may be undercapitalized or regarded as developmental stage companies, without revenues or operating income, or near-term prospects of achieving revenues or operating income. Further, when the Fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund.

 

Real Estate Investment Trusts

 

The Fund may invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). REITs are pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in real estate or real estate related loans. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or a combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Equity REITs may further be categorized by the type of real estate securities they own, such as apartment properties, retail shopping centers, office and industrial properties, hotels, healthcare facilities, manufactured housing and mixed property types. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both equity and mortgage REITs. Like regulated investment companies such as the Fund, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with certain requirements under the Code. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any expenses paid by REITs in which it invests in addition to the expenses paid by the Fund.

 

Investing in REITs involves certain unique risks. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by such REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified (except to the extent the Code requires), and are subject to the risks of financing projects. REITs are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers, self-liquidation, and the possibilities of failing to qualify for the exemption from tax for distributed income under the Code and failing to maintain their exemptions from the Investment Company Act. REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are also subject to interest rate risks. Investing in REITs also involves risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. That is, they may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to abrupt or erratic price movements in comparison to larger capitalization companies. To the extent that assets underlying a REIT are concentrated geographically, by property type or in certain other respects, these risks may be heightened.

 

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In addition, the value of such securities may fluctuate in response to the market’s perception of the creditworthiness of the issuers of mortgage-related securities owned by the Fund. Because investments in mortgage-related securities are interest sensitive, the ability of the issuer to reinvest or to reinvest favorably in underlying mortgages may be limited by government regulation or tax policy. For example, action by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to limit the growth of the nation’s money supply may cause interest rates to rise and thereby reduce the volume of new residential mortgages. Additionally, although mortgages and mortgage-related securities are generally supported by some form of government or private guarantees and/or insurance, there is no assurance that private guarantors or insurers will be able to meet their obligation. REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are also subject to interest rate risks. When interest rates decline, the value of a REIT’s investment in fixed rate obligations can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a REIT’s investment in fixed rate obligations can be expected to decline. In contrast, as interest rates on adjustable rate mortgage loans are reset periodically, yields on a REIT’s investments in such loans will gradually align themselves to reflect changes in market interest rates, causing the value of such investments to fluctuate less dramatically in response to interest rate fluctuations than would investments in fixed rate obligations.

 

The REIT investments of the Fund may often not provide complete tax information to the Fund until after the calendar year-end. Consequently, because of the delay, it may be necessary for the Fund to request permission to extend the deadline for issuance of Forms 1099-DIV beyond January 31. Also, under current provisions of the Code, distributions attributable to operating income of REITs in which the Fund invests are not eligible for favorable tax treatment as long-term capital gains and will be taxable to you as ordinary income. To the extent, however, that the Fund designates dividends it pays to its shareholders as “section 199A dividends” such shareholder may be eligible for a 20% deduction with respect to such dividends. The amount of section 199A dividends that the Fund may pay and report to its shareholders is limited to the excess of the ordinary REIT dividends, other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT dividends designated as qualified dividend income, that the Fund receives from REITs for a taxable year over the Fund’s expenses allocable to such dividends. Absent legislative amendments, the section 199A dividend provision will sunset after December 31, 2025, at which point the 20% deduction will no longer be available. 

 

Reinsurance-Related Securities

 

Reinsurance occurs when insurance or reinsurance companies share risk by purchasing insurance policies from other insurers or reinsurers to limit the total loss the original insurer or reinsurer would experience in case of disaster. Reinsurance involves the practice of insurers or reinsurers transferring portions of risk portfolios to other parties by agreement in order to reduce the likelihood of having to pay a large obligation resulting from an insurance claim. The intent of reinsurance is for an insurance or reinsurance company to reduce the risks associated with underwritten policies by spreading risks across alternative institutions. The party seeking reinsurance is known as the ceding party. The party that accepts a portion of the potential obligation in exchange for a share of the insurance premium is known as the reinsurer.

 

The Fund may invest in reinsurance-related securities. The principal risk of an investment in a reinsurance-related security is that a triggering event(s) (natural events such as a hurricane, tornado or earthquake or non-natural events such as large aviation disasters) will occur and the Fund will lose all or a portion of the principal it has invested in the security and the right to additional interest payments with respect to the security. If multiple triggering events occur that impact a significant portion of the Fund’s portfolio, the Fund could suffer substantial losses and an investor will lose money. There is no way to accurately predict whether a triggering event will occur and because of this significant uncertainty, reinsurance-related securities carry a high degree of risk.

 

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Catastrophe bonds carry large uncertainties and major risk exposures to adverse conditions. If a trigger event, as defined within the terms of the bond, involves losses or other metrics exceeding a specific magnitude in the geographic region and time period specified therein, the Fund may lose a portion or all of its investments in such security, including accrued interest and/or principal invested in such security. Such losses may be substantial. Because catastrophe bonds cover “catastrophic” events that, if they occur, will result in significant losses, catastrophe bonds carry a high degree of risk of loss and are considered “high yield” or “junk” bonds. The rating, if any, of catastrophe bonds, reflects the rating agency’s calculated probability that a pre-defined trigger event will occur. Thus, lower-rated bonds have a greater likelihood of a triggering event occurring and resulting in a loss to the Fund. Catastrophe bonds are also subject to extension risk. The sponsor of such an investment might have the right to extend the maturity of the bond or note to verify that the trigger event did occur or to process and audit insurance claims.

 

Event-linked bonds are a type of reinsurance-related security. The Funds may invest in event-linked bonds in one or more of three ways: the Funds may purchase event-linked bonds when initially offered; the Funds may purchase event-linked bonds in the secondary, over-the-counter market; or the Funds may gain indirect exposure to event-linked bonds using derivatives. As the market for event-linked bonds evolves, the Funds expect to participate in that market and to include new types of event-linked bond offerings in their portfolios.

 

Trigger events are typically defined by three criteria: an event; a geographic area in which the event must occur; and a threshold of economic or physical loss (either actual or modeled) caused by the event, together with a method to measure such loss. In order for a trigger event to be deemed to have occurred, each of the three criteria must be satisfied while the bond is outstanding. The Funds have no limit as to the types of events, geographic areas or thresholds of loss referenced by event-linked bonds in which they can invest. Generally, the event is either a natural or non-natural peril of a kind that results in significant physical or economic loss. Natural perils include disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, windstorms, fires and floods. Non-natural perils include disasters resulting from human activity such as commercial and industrial accidents or business interruptions. Some event-linked bonds reference only a single event. Other event-linked bonds may reference multiple events, the occurrence of any one (or other number) of which would satisfy this criteria. Or, an event-linked bond may not specify a particular peril. In these cases, only the geographic area and threshold of physical or economic loss determines whether a trigger event has occurred. For example, certain event-linked bonds, commonly referred to as “mortality” bonds (discussed further below), have trigger events that are deemed to occur if a specific number of deaths occur in an identified geographic area regardless of the peril which caused the loss of life.

 

● Indemnity triggers. Indemnity triggers are based on losses paid and reserved for by an identified insurance company. Generally the identified company sponsored the special purpose vehicle issuing the event-linked bonds. The trigger event would be considered to have occurred only if that company’s losses on catastrophic insurance claims exceeded a certain threshold of insured claims. If the company’s losses (paid and reserved for) were less than the pre-determined aggregate amount, then the trigger event would not be considered to have occurred and the Funds would be entitled to recover their principal plus accrued but unpaid interest. Indemnity triggers require investors and rating agencies to understand the risks of the insurance and reinsurance policies underwritten by the company, which may be difficult to obtain and ascertain, particularly in the case of complex commercial insurance and reinsurance policies. In addition, event-linked bond investors are dependent upon the company’s ability to estimate and settle catastrophe claims in a manner that would not be disadvantageous to investors’ interests.

 

● Index triggers. Index triggers are based on pre-defined formulas, which eliminate the risks relating to a company’s insurance claims-handling practices and potential information barriers. However, investors are dependent upon the accuracy of the models and other information received from reporting services used to calculate the loss or metric. Index triggers follow one of the three broad approaches: modeled-loss, industry loss and parametric.

 

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● Modeled-Loss triggers. Modeled-loss triggers are based upon a catastrophe-modeling firm’s database estimate of a hypothetical company’s losses based on a model policy portfolio.

 

● Industry loss triggers. Industry loss triggers are based upon the estimated loss for the insurance industry as a whole from a particular catastrophe. Estimates are derived from a reporting service, such as Property Claim Services.

 

● Parametric triggers. Parametric triggers are based upon the occurrence of a catastrophic event with certain defined physical parameters (e.g., wind speed of a hurricane, as measured from a pre-determined location, or magnitude of an earthquake, as measured from a pre-determined location).

 

● Hybrid triggers. Hybrid triggers involve more than one metric of physical or economic loss in a single event-linked bond transaction. For example, after the occurrence of a qualifying U.S. earthquake, a modeled-loss index is used to establish a company’s overall market share, and then applied to the industry-loss index associated with the qualifying event to determine any principal reduction. Hybrid triggers may be more complicated and difficult to understand for investors, and involve the applicable risks associated with the types of triggers described above.

 

Repurchase and Reverse Repurchase Agreements

 

The Fund may enter into repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements. When the Fund enters into a repurchase agreement, they “sell” securities to a broker-dealer or financial institution and agree to repurchase such securities on a mutually agreed date for the price paid by the broker-dealer or financial institution, plus interest at a negotiated rate. In a reverse repurchase transaction, the Fund “buys” securities issued from a broker-dealer or financial institution, subject to the obligation of the broker-dealer or financial institution to repurchase such securities at the price paid by the Fund, plus interest at a negotiated rate. The use of repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements by the Fund involves certain risks. For example, if the seller of securities to the Fund under a reverse repurchase agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying securities, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund will seek to dispose of such securities, which action could involve costs or delays. If the seller becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under applicable bankruptcy or other laws, the Fund’s ability to dispose of the underlying securities may be restricted. It is possible, in a bankruptcy or liquidation scenario, that the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying securities. Finally, if a seller defaults on its obligation to repurchase securities under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund may suffer a loss to the extent that it is forced to liquidate its position in the market, and proceeds from the sale of the underlying securities are less than the repurchase price agreed to by the defaulting seller. Similar elements of risk arise in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the buyer.

 

Royalty Trusts

 

The Fund may invest in royalty trusts. A royalty trust typically controls an operating company which purchases oil and gas properties using the trust’s capital. The royalty trust then receives royalties and/or interest payments from its operating company and distributes them as income to its unitholders. Units of the royalty trust represent an economic interest in the underlying assets of the trust.

 

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The yield generated by a royalty trust is not guaranteed and because developments in the oil, gas and natural resource markets will affect payouts, can be volatile. For example, the yield on an oil royalty trust can be affected by changes in production levels, natural resources, political and military developments, regulatory changes and conservation efforts. In addition, natural resources are depleting assets. Eventually, the income-producing ability of the royalty trust will be exhausted. Generally, higher yielding trusts have less time until depletion of proven reserves. Depending on the U.S. federal income tax classifications of the royalty trusts in which the Fund invests, securities issued by certain royalty trusts (such as royalty trusts which are grantor trusts for U.S. federal income tax purposes) may not produce qualifying income for purposes of the income requirements of the Code. Additionally, the Fund may be deemed to own the assets of each royalty trust and would need to look to such assets when determining its compliance with the diversification requirements under the Code. The Fund will monitor its investments in royalty trusts with the objective of maintaining its continued qualification as a RIC.

 

The Fund may invest in oil royalty trusts that are traded on stock exchanges. Oil royalty trusts are income trusts that own or control oil and gas operating companies. Oil royalty trusts pay out substantially all of the cash flow they receive from the production and sale of underlying crude oil and natural gas reserves to unitholders in the form of monthly dividends (distributions). As a result of distributing the bulk of their cash flow to unitholders, royalty trusts are effectively precluded from internally originating new oil and gas prospects. Therefore, these royalty trusts typically grow through acquisition of producing companies or those with proven reserves of oil and gas, funded through the issuance of additional equity or, where the trust is able, additional debt. Consequently, oil royalty trusts are considered less exposed to the uncertainties faced by a traditional exploration and production corporation. However, they are still exposed to commodity risk and reserve risk, as well as operating risk.

 

The operations and financial condition of oil royalty trusts, and the amount of distributions or dividends paid on their securities, is dependent on oil prices. Prices for commodities vary and are determined by supply and demand factors, including weather and general economic and political conditions. A decline in oil prices could have a substantial adverse effect on the operations and financial conditions of the trusts. Such trusts are also subject to the risk of an adverse change in the regulations of the natural resource industry and other operational risks relating to the energy sector. In addition, the underlying operating companies held or controlled by the trusts are usually involved in oil exploration; however, such companies may not be successful in holding, discovering, or exploiting adequate commercial quantities of oil, the failure of which will adversely affect their values. Even if successful, oil and gas prices have fluctuated widely during the most recent years and may continue to do so in the future. The combination of global demand growth and depleting reserves, together with current geopolitical instability, will likely continue to support strong crude oil prices over the long term. However, there is no guarantee that these prices will not decline. Declining crude oil prices may cause the Fund to incur losses on its investments. In addition, the demand in and supply to the developing markets could be affected by other factors such as restrictions on imports, increased taxation, and creation of government monopolies, as well as social, economic and political uncertainty and instability. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that non-conventional sources of natural gas will not be discovered which would adversely affect the oil industry.

 

Moreover, as the underlying oil and gas reserves are produced, the remaining reserves attributable to the royalty trust are depleted. The ability of a royalty trust to replace reserves is therefore fundamental to its ability to maintain distribution levels and unit prices over time. Certain royalty trusts have demonstrated consistent positive reserve growth year-over-year and, as such, certain royalty trusts have been successful to date in this respect and are thus currently trading at unit prices significantly higher than those of five or ten years ago. Oil royalty trusts manage reserve depletion through reserve additions resulting from internal capital development activities and through acquisitions. When the Fund invests in foreign oil royalty trusts, it will also be subject to foreign securities risks.

 

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Short Selling

 

The Fund may engage in short selling. Short selling involves selling securities that are not owned and borrowing the same securities for delivery to the purchaser, with an obligation to replace the borrowed securities at a later date. Short selling allows an investor to profit from declines in market prices to the extent such declines exceed the transaction costs and the costs of borrowing the securities. A short sale creates the risk of an unlimited loss, as the price of the underlying security could theoretically increase without limit, thus increasing the cost of buying those securities to cover the short position. There can be no assurance that the securities necessary to cover a short position will be available for purchase. Purchasing securities to close out the short position can itself cause the price of the securities to rise further, thereby exacerbating the loss. For these reasons, short selling is considered a speculative investment practice.

 

The Fund may also effect short sales “against the box.” These transactions involve selling short securities that are owned (or that the Fund has the right to obtain). When the Fund enters into a short sale against the box, it will set aside securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short (or securities convertible or exchangeable into such securities) and will hold such securities while the short sale is outstanding. The Fund will incur transaction costs, including interest expenses, in connection with opening, maintaining and closing short sales against the box.

 

Sovereign Debt

 

Sovereign debt instruments, which are debt obligations issued or guaranteed by a foreign governmental entity, are subject to the risk that the governmental entity may delay or fail to pay interest or repay principal on debt that it has issued or guaranteed, due, for example, to cash flow problems, insufficient foreign currency reserves, political considerations, relationships with other lenders such as commercial banks, the relative size of the governmental entity’s debt position in relation to the economy or the failure to put in place economic reforms required by the International Monetary Fund or other multi-lateral agencies. If a govern-mental entity defaults, it may ask for more time in which to pay or for further loans, or it may ask for forgiveness of interest or principal on its existing debt. On the other hand, a governmental entity may be unwilling to renegotiate the terms of its sovereign debt. There may be no established legal process for a U.S. bondholder (such as a portfolio) to enforce its rights against a governmental entity that does not fulfill its obligations, nor are there bankruptcy proceedings through which all or part of the sovereign debt that a governmental entity has not repaid may be collect-ed. Certain countries in Europe currently have large sovereign debts and/or fiscal deficits which has led to significant uncertainties in the market as to whether or not the governments of those countries will be able to pay in full and on time the amounts due in respect of those debts.

  

U.S. Government Obligations Risk

 

While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

 

When-Issued, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitment Securities

 

To reduce the risk of changes in securities prices and interest rates, the Fund may purchase securities on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery basis, which means delivery and payment take place a number of days after the date of the commitment to purchase. The payment obligation and the interest rate receivable with respect to such purchases are fixed when the Fund enters into the commitment, but the Fund does not make payment until it receives delivery from the counterparty. After the Fund commits to purchase such securities, but before delivery and settlement, it may sell the securities if it is deemed advisable.

 

23

 

Securities purchased on a forward commitment or when-issued or delayed delivery basis are subject to changes in value, generally changing in the same way, i.e., appreciating when interest rates decline and depreciating when interest rates rise, based upon the public’s perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer and changes, real or anticipated, in the level of interest rates. Securities so purchased may expose the Fund to risks because they may experience such fluctuations prior to their actual delivery. Purchasing securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis can involve the additional risk that the yield available in the market when the delivery takes place actually may be higher than that obtained in the transaction itself. Purchasing securities on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery basis when the Fund is fully or almost fully invested results in a form of leverage and may result in greater potential fluctuation in the value of the net assets of the Fund. In addition, there is a risk that securities purchased on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis may not be delivered and that the purchaser of securities sold by the Fund on a forward basis will not honor its purchase obligation. In such cases, the Fund may incur a loss.

 

OTHER POTENTIAL RISKS AND ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT INFORMATION

 

Dependence on the Investment Manager

 

The success of the Fund depends upon the ability of the Investment Manager to develop and implement investment strategies that achieve the investment objective of the Fund. Shareholders will have no right or power to participate in the management or control of the Fund.

 

Business and Regulatory Risks

 

Legal, tax and regulatory developments that may adversely affect the Fund or the Investment Manager could occur during the term of the Fund. Securities and futures markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations and margin requirements enforced by the SEC, other regulators and self-regulatory organizations and exchanges authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of market emergencies. The regulation of derivatives transactions and funds that engage in such transactions is an evolving area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial actions. It is impossible to predict what, if any, changes in regulations may occur, but any regulations which restrict the ability of the Fund to trade in securities or the ability of the Fund to employ, or brokers and other counterparties to extend, credit in its trading (as well as other regulatory changes that result) could have a material adverse impact on the Fund’s portfolio.

 

Reliance on Key Personnel

 

The Fund’s ability to identify and invest in attractive opportunities is dependent upon the Investment Manager. If one or more key individuals leaves the Investment Manager, the Investment Manager may not be able to hire qualified replacements, or may require an extended time to do so. This could prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective.

 

Financial Failure of Intermediaries

 

There is always the possibility that the institutions, including brokerage firms and banks, with which the Fund does business, or to which securities have been entrusted for custodial purposes, will encounter financial difficulties that may impair their operational capabilities or result in losses to the Fund.

 

24

 

Suspensions of Trading

 

Each exchange typically has the right to suspend or limit trading in all securities that it lists. Such a suspension could render it impossible for the Fund to liquidate its positions and thereby expose it to losses. In addition, there is no guarantee that non-exchange markets will remain liquid enough for the Fund to close out positions.

 

Cyber Security Risk

 

The Fund and its service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, or lose operational capacity. Breaches in cyber security include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber-attacks. Cyber security breaches affecting the Fund, the Investment Manager, financial intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund. For instance, cyber security breaches may interfere with the processing of Shareholder transactions, impact the Fund’s ability to calculate its net asset value, cause the release of private Shareholder information or confidential business information, impede investment activities, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. The Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which the Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investment in such companies to lose value. The Fund and the Investment Manager have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cybersecurity incidents affecting third-party service providers, and such third-party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Fund or the Investment Manager. There can be no assurance that the Fund or its service providers, or the issuers of the securities in which the Fund invest, will not suffer losses relating to cybersecurity breaches in the future. Despite reasonable precautions, the risk remains that such incidents could occur, and that such incidents could cause damage to individual investors due to the risk of exposing confidential personal data about investors to unintended parties.

 

Payment in Kind for Repurchased Shares

 

The Fund does not expect to distribute securities as payment for repurchased Shares except in unusual circumstances, such as in the unlikely event that making a cash payment would result in a material adverse effect on the Fund or on Shareholders not requesting that their Shares be repurchased. In the event that the Fund makes such a distribution of securities as payment for Shares, Shareholders will bear any risks of the distributed securities and may be required to pay a brokerage commission or other costs to dispose of such securities.

 

Inside Information

 

From time to time, the Fund or its affiliates may come into possession of material, non-public information concerning an entity in which the Fund has invested or proposes to invest. Possession of that information may limit the ability of the Fund to buy or sell securities of the entity.

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund may sell securities without regard to the length of time they have been held to take advantage of new investment opportunities, when the Investment Manager feels either the securities no longer meet its investment criteria or the potential for capital appreciation has lessened, or for other reasons. The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may vary from year to year. A high portfolio turnover rate (100% or more) increases the Fund’s transaction costs (including brokerage commissions and dealer costs), which would adversely impact the Fund’s performance. Higher portfolio turnover may result in the realization of more short-term capital gains than if the Fund had lower portfolio turnover. The turnover rate will not be a limiting factor, however, if the Investment Manager considers portfolio changes appropriate.

  

25

 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE FUND

 

The business operations of the Fund are managed and supervised under the direction of the Board, subject to the laws of the State of Delaware and the Fund’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust. The Board has overall responsibility for the management and supervision of the business affairs of the Fund on behalf of its Shareholders, including the authority to establish policies regarding the management, conduct and operation of its business. The Board exercises the same powers, authority and responsibilities on behalf of the Fund as are customarily exercised by the board of directors of a registered investment company organized as a corporation. The officers of the Fund conduct and supervise the daily business operations of the Fund.

 

The members of the Board (each, a “Trustee”) are not required to contribute to the capital of the Fund or to hold Shares. A majority of Trustees of the Board are not “interested persons” (as defined in the Investment Company Act) of the Fund (collectively, the “Independent Trustees”). Any Trustee, who is not an Independent Trustee, is an interested trustee (each, an “Interested Trustee”).

 

The identity of Trustees of the Board and officers of the Fund, and their brief biographical information, including their addresses, their year of birth and descriptions of their principal occupations during the past five years is set forth below.

 

The Trustees serve on the Board for terms of indefinite duration. A Trustee’s position in that capacity will terminate if the Trustee is removed or resigns or, among other events, upon the Trustee’s death, incapacity, retirement or bankruptcy. A Trustee may resign upon written notice to the other Trustees of the Fund, and may be removed either by (i) the vote of at least two-thirds of the Trustees of the Fund not subject to the removal vote or (ii) the vote of Shareholders of the Fund holding not less than two-thirds of the total number of votes eligible to be cast by all Shareholders of the Fund. In the event of any vacancy in the position of a Trustee, the remaining Trustees of the Fund may appoint an individual to serve as a Trustee so long as immediately after the appointment at least two-thirds of the Trustees of the Fund then serving have been elected by the Shareholders of the Fund. The Board may call a meeting of the Fund’s Shareholders to fill any vacancy in the position of a Trustee of the Fund, and must do so if the Trustees who were elected by the Shareholders of the Fund cease to constitute a majority of the Trustees then serving on the Board.

 

INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES

 

NAME,
ADDRESS
AND YEAR
OF BIRTH		  POSITION(S)
HELD WITH
THE FUND		  LENGTH
OF TIME
SERVED		  PRINCIPAL
OCCUPATION(S)
DURING PAST
5 YEARS AND
OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS
HELD BY
TRUSTEE		  NUMBER OF
PORTFOLIOS
IN FUND
COMPLEX *
OVERSEEN
BY TRUSTEE		  OTHER
DIRECTORSHIPS
HELD BY
TRUSTEES
[   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]
[   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]
[   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]

 

• [   ]

 

26

 

INTERESTED TRUSTEE AND OFFICERS

 

NAME,
ADDRESS
AND YEAR
OF BIRTH		  POSITION(S)
HELD WITH
THE FUND		  LENGTH
OF TIME
SERVED		  PRINCIPAL
OCCUPATION(S)
DURING PAST
5 YEARS AND
OTHER
DIRECTORSHIPS
HELD BY
TRUSTEE OR
OFFICER		  NUMBER OF
PORTFOLIOS
IN FUND
COMPLEX*
OVERSEEN		  OTHER
DIRECTORSHIPS
HELD BY
TRUSTEES
[   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]
[   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]
[   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]
[   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]
[   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]  [   ]

 

* [   ]

 

** [   ]

 

The Board believes that each of the Trustees’ experience, qualifications, attributes and skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees lead to the conclusion that each Trustee should serve in such capacity. Among the attributes common to all Trustees is the ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the other Trustees, the Investment Manager, the Fund’s other service providers, counsel and the independent registered public accounting firm, and to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties as Trustees. A Trustee’s ability to perform his or her duties effectively may have been attained through the Trustee’s business, consulting, and public service; experience as a board member of non-profit entities or other organizations; education or professional training; and/or other life experiences. In addition to these shared characteristics, set forth below is a brief discussion of the specific experience, qualifications, attributes or skills of each Trustee.

 

[   ]

 

[   ] 

 

[   ]

 

[   ]

 

27

 

Specific details regarding each Trustee’s principal occupations during the past five years are included in the table above.

 

Leadership Structure and Oversight Responsibilities

 

Overall responsibility for oversight of the Fund rests with the Board. The Fund has engaged the Investment Manager to manage the Fund on a day-to-day basis. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Investment Manager, and other service providers in the operations of the Fund in accordance with the provisions of the Investment Company Act, applicable provisions of state and other laws and the Fund’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust. The Board is currently composed of four members, three of whom are Independent Trustees. The Board holds regularly scheduled meetings four times each year. In addition, the Board may hold special in-person or telephonic meetings or informal conference calls to discuss specific matters that may arise or require action between regular meetings. The Independent Trustees have also engaged independent legal counsel to assist them in performing their oversight responsibility. The Independent Trustees meet with their independent legal counsel prior to and/or during each quarterly board meeting. As described below, the Board has established an Audit Committee and a Nominating Committee, and may establish ad hoc committees or working groups from time to time to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities.

 

The Board has appointed [   ], an Independent Trustee, to serve in the role of Chairman. The Chairman’s role is to preside at all meetings of the Board and to act as liaison with the Investment Manager, other service providers, counsel and other Trustees generally between meetings. The Chairman serves as a key point person for dealings between management and the Trustees. The Chairman may also perform such other functions as may be delegated by the Board from time to time. The Board has determined that the Board’s leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to exercise informed and independent judgment over matters under its purview and it allocates areas of responsibility among committees of Trustees and the full Board in a manner that enhances effective oversight.

 

The Fund is subject to a number of risks, including investment, compliance, operational and valuation risks, among others. Risk oversight forms part of the Board’s general oversight of the Fund and are addressed as part of various Board and committee activities. Day-to-day risk management functions are subsumed within the responsibilities of the Investment Manager and other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk), which carry out the Fund’s investment management and business affairs. The Investment Manager and other service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various events or circumstances that give rise to risks, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each of the Investment Manager and other service providers has its own independent interests in risk management, and their policies and methods of risk management will depend on their functions and business models. The Board recognizes that it is not possible to identify all of the risks that may affect the Fund or to develop processes and controls to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. The Board requires senior officers of the Fund, including the President, Treasurer and Chief Compliance Officer and the Investment Manager, to report to the full Board on a variety of matters at regular and special meetings of the Board, including matters relating to risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee also receive regular reports from the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm on internal control and financial reporting matters. The Board also receives reports from certain of the Fund’s other primary service providers on a periodic or regular basis, including the Fund’s Custodian, Distributor and Administrator. The Board may, at any time and in its discretion, change the manner in which it conducts risk oversight.

 

28

 

Committees of the Board of Trustees

 

Audit Committee

 

The Board has formed an Audit Committee that is responsible for overseeing the Fund’s accounting and financial reporting policies and practices, its internal controls, and, as appropriate, the internal controls of certain service providers; overseeing the quality and objectivity of the Fund’s financial statements and the independent audit of those financial statements; and acting as a liaison between the Fund’s independent auditors and the full Board. In performing its responsibilities, the Audit Committee will select and recommend annually to the entire Board a firm of independent certified public accountants to audit the books and records of the Fund for the ensuing year, and will review with the firm the scope and results of each audit. The Audit Committee currently consists of each of the Fund’s Independent Trustees. As the Fund is recently organized, the Audit Committee did not hold any meetings during the last year.

 

Nominating Committee

 

The Board has formed a Nominating Committee that is responsible for selecting and nominating persons to serve as Trustees of the Fund. The Nominating Committee is responsible for both nominating candidates to be appointed by the Board to fill vacancies and for nominating candidates to be presented to Shareholders for election. In performing its responsibilities, the Nominating Committee will consider candidates recommended by management of the Fund and by Shareholders and evaluate them both in a similar manner, as long as the recommendation submitted by a Shareholder includes at a minimum: the name, address and telephone number of the recommending Shareholder and information concerning the Shareholder’s interests in the Fund in sufficient detail to establish that the Shareholder held Shares on the relevant record date; and the name, address and telephone number of the recommended nominee and information concerning the recommended nominee’s education, professional experience, and other information that might assist the Nominating Committee in evaluating the recommended nominee’s qualifications to serve as a trustee. The Nominating Committee may solicit candidates to serve as trustees from any source it deems appropriate. With the Board’s prior approval, the Nominating Committee may employ and compensate counsel, consultants or advisers to assist it in discharging its responsibilities. The Nominating Committee currently consists of each of the Fund’s Independent Trustees. As the Fund is recently organized, the Nominating Committee did not hold any meetings during the last year.

 

Trustee and Officer Ownership of Securities

 

The Fund has not commenced operations; therefore, none of the Trustees own Shares of the Fund.

 

[As of the date of this SAI, the Trustees and officers of the Fund as a group owned less than one percent of the outstanding Shares of the Fund].

 

Independent Trustee Ownership of Securities

 

[As of the date of this SAI, none of the Independent Trustees (or their immediate family members) owned beneficially or of record securities of the Investment Manager or the Distributor, or of an entity (other than a registered investment company) controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Investment Manager or the Distributor].  

 

Trustee Compensation

 

Each Independent Trustee is paid an annual $[   ] retainer, as well as (i) $[   ] for each Audit Committee meeting attended; (ii) $[   ] for each special Board meeting attended; and (iii) $[   ] for each special non-Board meeting attended. Trustees who are interested persons will be compensated by the Fund’s administrator and/or its affiliates and will not be separately compensated by the Fund.

 

29

 

CODES OF ETHICS

 

The Fund, the Investment Manager and the Distributor have each adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act, which is designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Fund and the Investment Manager from engaging in deceptive, manipulative, or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund. The codes of ethics permit persons subject to them to invest in securities, including securities that may be held or purchased by the Fund, subject to a number of restrictions and controls. Compliance with the codes of ethics is carefully monitored and enforced.

 

The codes of ethics are included as exhibits to the Fund’s registration statement filed with the SEC and are available on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov. and may also be obtained after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICES

 

The Investment Manager

 

Variant Investments, LLC (the “Investment Manager”), serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. The Investment Manager is an investment adviser registered with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Subject to the general supervision of the Board, and in accordance with the investment objective, policies, and restrictions of the Fund, the Investment Manager is responsible for the management and operation of the Fund and the investment of the Fund’s assets. The Investment Manager provides such services to the Fund pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement. Founded in 2017, the Investment Manager and its affiliates have approximately $[   ] billion in assets under management as of [   ]. Variant Investments is managed by Curtis Fintel, Robert Elsasser and J.B. Hayes. Curtis Fintel, Robert Elsasser, J.B. Hayes, Boco Investments, LLC, Joseph Zimlich and Brian Klemsz are control persons of Variant Investments, LLC due to their ownership of voting interests of the firm.

 

The Investment Management Agreement became effective as of [   ], and will continue in effect for an initial two-year term. Thereafter, the Investment Management Agreement will continue in effect from year to year provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (i) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or a majority of the Board, and (ii) the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees of the Fund, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Investment Management Agreement will be available in the Fund’s first annual or semi-annual report to Shareholders.

 

[Pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement, the Fund pays the Investment Manager a monthly Investment Management Fee equal to 1.00% on an annualized basis of the Fund’s NAV of the average monthly “Managed Assets” of the Fund. “Managed Assets” means the total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to any leverage that may be outstanding) minus the sum of accrued liabilities (other than debt representing financial leverage and the aggregate liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred shares). Average monthly Managed Assets is the sum of the daily managed assets for the month divided by the number of the days in a month. The Investment Management Fee is paid to the Investment Manager before giving effect to any repurchase of Shares in the Fund effective as of that date, and decreases the net profits or increase the net losses of the Fund that are credited to its Shareholders. The Investment Management Fee is calculated and accrued daily, and is paid monthly within five (5) days after the end of each calendar month.]

 

30

 

The Investment Manager has entered into an expense limitation and reimbursement agreement (the “Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement”) with the Fund, whereby the Investment Manager has agreed to waive fees that it would otherwise have been paid, and/or to assume expenses of the Fund (a “Waiver”), if required to ensure the Total Annual Expenses (excluding any taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses (as determined in accordance with SEC Form N-2), expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation expenses) do not exceed 1.50% of the average daily net assets of Institutional Class Shares (the “Expense Limit”). Because taxes, leverage interest, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses on short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and extraordinary expenses are excluded from the Expense Limit, Total Annual Expenses (after fee waivers and expense reimbursements) are expected to exceed 1.50% of the average daily net assets of Institutional Class Shares. For a period not to exceed three years from the date on which a Waiver is made, the Investment Manager may recoup amounts waived or assumed, provided it is able to effect such recoupment without causing the Fund’s expense ratio (after recoupment) to exceed the lesser of (i) the expense limit in effect at the time of the Waiver, and (ii) the expense limit in effect at the time of the recoupment. The Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement is in effect until [ ]. The Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement will automatically renew for consecutive one-year terms thereafter. This Agreement may be terminated at any time by the Fund’s Board of Trustees upon thirty (30) days’ written notice to the Investment Manager. This Agreement may be terminated by the Investment Manager as of the end of its then-current term upon thirty (30) days’ written notice to the Fund.

 

The Portfolio Managers

 

Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers(1) 

 

   Type of Accounts  Total # of
Accounts
Managed		  Total Assets  # of Accounts
Managed that
Advisory Fee
Based on
Performance		  Total Assets
that Advisory
Fee Based on
Performance
($mm)
1. [Curtis Fintel]  Registered Investment Companies:  [  ]  $[  ]  [  ]  $[  ]
   Other Pooled Investment Vehicles:  [  ]  $[  ]  [  ]  $[  ]
   Other Accounts:  [  ]  $[  ]  [  ]  $[  ]
2. [Robert Elsasser]  Registered Investment Companies:  [  ]  $[  ]  [  ]  $[  ]
   Other Pooled Investment Vehicles:  [  ]  $[  ]  [  ]  $[  ]
   Other Accounts:  [  ]  $[  ]  [  ]  $[  ]
3. [J. B. Hayes]  Registered Investment Companies:  [  ]  $[  ]  [  ]  $[  ]
   Other Pooled Investment Vehicles:  [  ]  $[  ]  [  ]  $[  ]
   Other Accounts:  [  ]  $[  ]  [  ]  $[  ]

 

(1) As of [  ].

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

The Fund may be subject to a number of actual and potential conflicts of interest.

 

31

 

The Investment Manager and its affiliates engage in financial advisory activities that are independent from, and may from time to time conflict with, those of the Fund. In the future, there might arise instances where the interests of such affiliates conflict with the interests of the Fund. The Investment Manager and its affiliates may provide services to, invest in, advise, sponsor and/or act as investment manager to investment vehicles and other persons or entities (including prospective investors in the Fund) which may have structures, investment objectives and/or policies that are similar to (or different than) those of the Fund; which may compete with the Fund for investment opportunities; and which may, subject to applicable law, co-invest with the Fund in certain transactions. In addition, the Investment Manager and its affiliates and respective clients may themselves invest in securities that would be appropriate for the Fund. By acquiring Shares, each Shareholder will be deemed to have acknowledged the existence of any such actual and potential conflicts of interest and to have waived any claim with respect to any liability arising from the existence of any such conflict of interest.

 

The Fund is permitted to rely on an order of exemptive relief from the SEC that permits the Fund to participate in certain negotiated investments alongside other funds managed by the Investment Manager or certain of its affiliates outside the parameters of Section 17 of the Investment Company Act, subject to certain conditions including (i) that a majority of the Trustees who have no financial interest in the co-investment transaction and a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons,” as defined in the Investment Company Act, approve the 17(d) investment and (ii) that the price, terms and conditions of the 17(d) investment will be identical for each fund participating pursuant to the exemptive relief. The Fund will not engage in 17(d) investments alongside affiliates unless such investments are permitted under the order granting such exemptive relief or unless such investments are not prohibited by Section 17(d) of the Investment Company Act or interpretations of Section 17(d) as expressed in SEC no-action letters or other available guidance. The Fund could be limited in its ability to invest in certain investments in which the Investment Manager or any of its affiliates are investing or are invested.

 

Although the Investment Manager and its affiliates seek to allocate investment opportunities among the Fund and their other clients in a fair and reasonable manner, there can be no assurance that an investment opportunity which comes to the attention of the Investment Manager or its affiliates will be appropriate for the Fund or will be referred to the Fund. The Investment Manager and its affiliates are not obligated to refer any investment opportunity to the Fund.

 

The directors, partners, trustees, managers, members, officers and employees of the Investment Manager and its affiliates may buy and sell securities or other investments for their own accounts (including through funds managed by the Investment Manager or its affiliates). As a result of differing trading and investment strategies or constraints, investments may be made by directors, partners, trustees, managers, members, officers and employees that are the same, different from or made at different times than investments made for the Fund. To reduce the possibility that the Fund will be materially adversely affected by the personal trading described above, the Fund and the Investment Manager have individually adopted codes of ethics (collectively, the “Codes of Ethics”) in compliance with Section 17(j) of the Investment Company Act that restricts securities trading in the personal accounts of investment professionals and others who normally come into possession of information regarding the portfolio transactions of the Fund. The Codes of Ethics can be reviewed and may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. The Codes of Ethics are also available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov.

 

Compensation of the Portfolio Managers

 

Total compensation paid to each Portfolio Manager includes a base salary fixed from year to year and a variable performance bonus consisting of cash incentives. The amounts paid to the Portfolio Managers are based on a percentage of the fees earned by the Investment Manager from managing the Fund and other investment accounts. The performance bonus reflects individual performance and the performance of the Investment Manager’s business as a whole. These individuals will also participate in a 401K program and receive medical/dental insurance benefits on the same basis as other officers of the Investment Manager.

 

32

 

The compensation structure of key investment professionals is structured to incent long-term client retention and client service.

 

Portfolio Managers’ Ownership of Shares 

 

Name of Portfolio Management Team Member:  Dollar Range of Shares Beneficially Owned by
Portfolio Management Team Member (1):
Robert W. Elsasser  [None]
Curt Fintel  [None]
J.B. Hayes  [None]

 

(1) As of [  ].

 

BROKERAGE

 

It is the Fund’s policy to obtain the best results in connection with effecting its portfolio transactions, taking into account factors such as price, size of order, difficulty of execution and operational facilities of a brokerage firm and the firm’s risk in positioning a block of securities. Generally, equity securities are bought and sold through brokerage transactions for which commissions are payable. Purchases from underwriters will include the underwriting commission or concession, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers will include a dealer’s mark-up or reflect a dealer’s mark-down. Money market securities and other debt securities are usually bought and sold directly from the issuer or an underwriter or market maker for the securities. Generally, the Fund will not pay brokerage commissions for such purchases. When a debt security is bought from an underwriter, the purchase price will usually include an underwriting commission or concession. The purchase price for securities bought from dealers serving as market makers will similarly include the dealer’s mark up or reflect a dealer’s mark down. When the Fund executes transactions in the over-the-counter market, it will generally deal with primary market makers unless prices that are more favorable are otherwise obtainable.

 

In addition, the Investment Manager may place a combined order for two or more accounts it manages, including the Fund, that are engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security if, in its judgment, joint execution is in the best interest of each participant and will result in best price and execution. Transactions involving commingled orders are allocated in a manner deemed equitable to each account or fund. Although it is recognized that, in some cases, the joint execution of orders could adversely affect the price or volume of the security that a particular account or the Fund may obtain, it is the opinion of the Investment Manager that the advantages of combined orders outweigh the possible disadvantages of separate transactions. The Investment Manager believes that the ability of the Fund to participate in higher volume transactions will generally be beneficial to the Fund.

 

The Investment Manager may pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers in return for brokerage or research services only if a good faith determination is made that the commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.

 

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While it is the Fund’s general policy to seek to obtain the most favorable price and execution available in selecting a broker-dealer to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund, weight is also given to the ability of a broker-dealer to furnish brokerage and research services as defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, to the Fund or to the Investment Manager, even if the specific services are not directly useful to the Fund and may be useful to the Investment Manager in advising other clients. When one or more brokers is believed capable of providing the best combination of price and execution, the Investment Manager may select a broker based upon brokerage or research services provided to the Investment Manager. In negotiating commissions with a broker or evaluating the spread to be paid to a dealer, the Fund may therefore pay a higher commission or spread than would be the case if no weight were given to the furnishing of these supplemental services, provided that the amount of such commission or spread has been determined in good faith by the Investment Manager to be reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research services provided by such broker-dealer. The standard of reasonableness is to be measured in light of the Investment Manager’s overall responsibilities to the Fund.

 

TAX MATTERS

 

The following is intended to be a general summary of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of investing, holding and disposing of Shares of the Fund. It is not intended to be a complete discussion of all such federal income tax consequences, nor does it purport to deal with all categories of investors. INVESTORS ARE THEREFORE ADVISED TO CONSULT WITH THEIR TAX ADVISORS BEFORE MAKING AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUND.

 

Set forth below is a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax issues concerning the Fund and the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares. This discussion does not purport to be complete or to deal with all aspects of federal income taxation that may be relevant to Shareholders in light of their particular circumstances. Unless otherwise noted, this discussion assumes you are a U.S. Shareholder and that you hold your Shares as a capital asset. This discussion is based upon present provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), the regulations promulgated thereunder, and judicial and administrative ruling authorities, all of which are subject to change, which change may be retroactive. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisers with regard to the federal tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, or disposition of Shares, as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, foreign country, or other taxing jurisdiction.

 

The Fund intends to elect and to qualify annually as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) under the Code. To qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment generally accorded to RICs, the Fund must, among other things, (a) derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships; (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of its taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s assets is represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities, the securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities of any one issuer limited for the purposes of this calculation to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs of a single issuer, in the securities (other than securities of other RICs) of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or in the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships; and (c) distribute for each taxable year an amount at least equal to the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and 90% of its net tax exempt interest income.

 

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The Fund might not distribute all of its net investment income, and the Fund is not required to distribute any portion of its net capital gain. If the Fund qualifies for treatment as a RIC but does not distribute all of its net capital gain and net investment income, it will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates on the amount retained. If the Fund retains any net capital gain, it may designate the retained amount of capital gain as undistributed capital gain in a notice to its Shareholders who, if subject to federal income tax on long-term capital gains, (i) will be required to include in income for federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their share of such undistributed amount; (ii) will be deemed to have paid their proportionate share of the tax paid by the Fund on such undistributed amount and will be entitled to credit that amount of tax against their federal income tax liabilities, if any; and (iii) will be entitled to claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of Shares owned by a Shareholder of the Fund will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the Shareholder’s gross income and the tax deemed paid by the Shareholder.

 

As a RIC, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, that it distributes to Shareholders. The Fund intends to distribute to its Shareholders, at least annually, substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gain. Amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax. To prevent imposition of the excise tax, the Fund must distribute during each calendar year an amount equal to the sum of (1) at least 98% of its ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gains or losses) for the calendar year, (2) at least 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the one-year period ending October 31 of the calendar year, and (3) any ordinary income and capital gains for previous years that were not distributed during those years. To prevent application of the excise tax, the Fund intends to make its distributions in accordance with the calendar year distribution requirement.

 

Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November or December and payable to Shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by Shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared. In addition, certain other distributions made after the close of a taxable year of the Fund may be “spilled back” and treated for certain purposes as paid by the Fund during such taxable year. In such case, Shareholders generally will be treated as having received such dividends in the taxable year in which the distributions were actually made. For purposes of calculating the amount of a RIC’s undistributed income and gain subject to the 4% excise tax described above, such “spilled back” dividends are treated as paid by the RIC when they are actually paid.

 

If the Fund fails to satisfy the qualifying income or diversification requirements in any taxable year, the Fund may be eligible for certain relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain de minimis failures of the diversification requirements where the Fund corrects the failure within a specified period. In order to be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the diversification requirements, the Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions are not available to the Fund and it fails to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, the Fund will be taxable at regular corporate tax rates (and, to the extent applicable, at corporate alternative minimum tax rates). In such an event, all distributions (including capital gain distributions) will be taxable as ordinary dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, subject to the dividends-received deduction for corporate Shareholders and to the tax rates applicable to qualified dividend income distributed to noncorporate Shareholders. In such an event, distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of the holder’s adjusted tax basis in the Shares (reducing that basis accordingly), and any remaining distributions will be treated as a capital gain. To requalify for treatment as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, the Fund would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and to distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. In addition, if the Fund were to fail to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, it would generally be required to pay a Fund-level tax on certain net built-in gains recognized with respect to certain of its assets upon a disposition of such assets within five years of qualifying as a RIC in a subsequent year.

 

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The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund for treatment as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to Shareholders.

 

Distributions

 

Dividends paid out of the Fund’s net investment income generally will be taxable to a Shareholder as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional Shares under the DRIP. The Fund may be able to report a portion of its income as “qualified dividend income,” however, which is taxable to noncorporate Shareholders at rates of up to 20%.

 

In general, dividends may be reported by the Fund as qualified dividend income if they are attributable to qualified dividend income received by the Fund. Qualified dividend income generally means dividend income received from investments in common and preferred stock of U.S. companies and stock of certain qualified foreign corporations, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met by both the Fund and the Shareholders.

 

A foreign corporation is treated as a qualified foreign corporation for this purpose if it is incorporated in a possession of the United States or it is eligible for the benefits of certain income tax treaties with the United States and meets certain additional requirements. Certain foreign corporations that are not otherwise qualified foreign corporations will be treated as qualified foreign corporations with respect to dividend paid by them if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Passive foreign investment companies are not qualified foreign investment companies for this purpose. Dividends received by the Fund from REITs generally are not expected to qualify for treatment as qualified dividend income but may be eligible for reduced rates of taxation as described below.

 

A dividend that is attributable to qualified dividend income of the Fund that is paid by the Fund to a Shareholder will not be taxable as qualified dividend income to such Shareholder (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of the Fund held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share became ex-dividend with respect to such dividend, (2) to the extent that the Shareholder is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, or (3) if the Shareholder elects to have the dividend treated as investment income for purposes of the limitation on deductibility of investment interest. The ex-dividend date is the date on which the owner of the share at the commencement of such date is entitled to receive the next issued dividend payment for such share even if the share is sold by the owner on that date or thereafter.

 

Prior to January 1, 2026, the Fund may make distributions to a Shareholder of “section 199A dividends” with respect to qualified dividends that it receives with respect to its investments in REITs. A section 199A dividend is any dividend or part of such dividend that the Fund pays to a Shareholder and reports as a section 199A dividend in written statements furnished to a Shareholder. Distributions paid by the Fund that are eligible to be treated as section 199A dividends for a taxable year may not exceed the “qualified REIT dividends” received by the Fund from REITs reduced by the Fund’s allocable expenses. Section 199A dividends may be taxed to individuals and other non-corporate shareholders at a reduced effective federal income tax rate, provided the Shareholder receiving the dividends has satisfied a holding period requirement for the Shares and satisfied certain other conditions. For the lower rates to apply, the Shareholder must have owned his or her Shares for at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the Fund’s ex-dividend date, but only to the extent that the Shareholder is not under an obligation (under a short-sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property.

 

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Distributions of net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, reported as capital gain dividends are generally taxable to a Shareholder as long-term capital gains regardless of how long the Shareholder has held Shares, at rates of up to 20% for noncorporate taxpayers. Certain capital gain dividends attributable to dividends the Fund receives from REITs may be taxed to noncorporate taxpayers at a rate of 25%. Distributions of short-term capital gain are taxable to Shareholders as ordinary income. Shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional Shares, rather than cash, generally will have a cost basis in each such share equal to the greater of the net asset value or fair market value of a share of the Fund on the reinvestment date. A distribution of an amount in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will first be treated by a Shareholder as a return of capital which is applied against and reduces the Shareholder’s basis in his or her Shares. To the extent that the amount of any such distribution exceeds the Shareholder’s basis in his or her Shares, the excess will be treated by the Shareholder as gain from a sale or exchange of Shares.

 

Shareholders will be notified annually as to the U.S. federal tax status of distributions, and Shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional Shares will receive a report as to the net asset value of those Shares.

 

A dividend or distribution received shortly after the purchase of Shares reduces the net asset value of the Shares by the amount of the dividend or distribution and, although in effect a return of capital, will be taxable to the Shareholder. If the net asset value of Shares were reduced below the Shareholder’s cost by dividends and distributions representing gains realized on sales of securities, such dividends and distributions, although also in effect returns of capital, would be taxable to the Shareholder in the same manner as other dividends or distributions.

 

Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC’s net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, the Fund may carry net capital losses from any taxable year forward to offset capital gains in future years. The Fund is permitted to carry forward indefinitely a net capital loss from any taxable year that began after December 22, 2010 to offset its capital gains, if any, in years following the year of the loss. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to the Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to Shareholders. Generally, the Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may elect to treat certain losses as though they were incurred on the first day of the taxable year immediately following the taxable year in which they were actually incurred.

 

Sale or Exchange of Fund Shares

 

Sales and repurchases generally are taxable events for Shareholders that are subject to tax. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisers with reference to their individual circumstances to determine whether any particular transaction in Shares is properly treated as a sale for tax purposes, as the following discussion assumes, and to ascertain the tax treatment of any gains or losses recognized in such transactions. In general, if Shares are sold, the Shareholder will recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized on the sale and the Shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the Shares. Such gain or loss generally will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares were held for more than one year and otherwise generally will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any loss recognized by a Shareholder upon the sale, repurchase or other disposition of Shares with a tax holding period of six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the Shareholder of long-term capital gain with respect to such Shares (including any amounts credited to the Shareholder as undistributed capital gains).

 

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Losses on sales, repurchases or other dispositions of Shares may be disallowed under “wash sale” rules in the event of other investments in the Fund (including investments made pursuant to reinvestment of dividends and/or capital gain distributions) within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the sale or other disposition of Shares or in the event the Shareholder enters into a contract or option to repurchase Shares within such period. In such a case, the disallowed portion of any loss generally would be included in the adjusted tax basis of the Shares acquired in the other investments.

 

Nature of Fund’s Investments

 

Certain of the Fund’s investment practices are subject to special and complex federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (ii) convert long-term capital gain into short-term capital gain or ordinary income, (iii) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (iv) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, (v) change the time at which a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur and (vi) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions. The Fund may make certain tax elections in order to mitigate the effect of these provisions.

 

The Code imposes constructive sale treatment for federal income tax purposes on certain hedging strategies with respect to appreciated financial positions. Under these rules, taxpayers will recognize gain, but not loss, with respect to securities if they enter into short sales or “offsetting notional principal contracts” (as defined by the Code) with respect to, or futures or forward contracts to deliver, the same or substantially identical property, or if they enter into such transactions and then acquire the same or substantially identical property.

 

As a result of entering into swap contracts, the Fund may make or receive periodic net payments. The Fund may also make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction. Periodic net payments will generally constitute ordinary income or expense, while termination of a swap will generally result in capital gain or loss (which will be long-term capital gain or loss if the Fund has been a party to the swap for more than one year).

 

Original Issue Discount Securities

 

Investments by the Fund in zero coupon or other discount securities will result in income to the Fund equal to a portion of the excess of the face value of the securities over their issue price (“original issue discount”) each year that the securities are held, even though the Fund may receive no cash interest payments or may receive cash interest payments that are less than the income recognized for tax purposes. This income is included in determining the amount of income which the Fund must distribute to avoid the payment of federal income tax and the 4% excise tax. Because such income may not be matched by a corresponding cash payment to the Fund, the Fund may be required to borrow money or dispose of securities to be able to make distributions to its Shareholders.

 

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Investments in Real Estate Investment Trusts

 

The Fund may invest in REITs that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”). Under Treasury regulations that have not yet been issued, but may apply retroactively, a portion of the Fund’s income from a REIT that is attributable to the REIT’s residual interest in a REMIC (referred to in the Code as an “excess inclusion”) will be subject to federal income tax in all events. These regulations are also expected to provide that excess inclusion income of a RIC, such as the Fund, will be allocated to Shareholders of the RIC in proportion to the dividends received by such Shareholders, with the same consequences as if the Shareholders held the related REMIC residual interest directly. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) in Notice 2006-97 set forth some basic principles for the application of these rules until such regulations are issued. In general, the applicable rules under the Code and expected rules under the regulations will provide that the excess inclusion income allocated to Shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income to entities (including a qualified pension plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh plan or other tax-exempt entity) subject to tax on unrelated business income, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a foreign Shareholder, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax. In addition, if at any time during any taxable year a “disqualified organization” (as defined in the Code to include governmental units, tax-exempt entities and certain cooperatives) is a record holder of a share in a RIC, then the RIC will be subject to a tax equal to that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to the disqualified organization, multiplied by the highest federal income tax rate imposed on corporations.

 

Investments in Non-U.S. Securities

 

The Fund may invest in non-U.S. securities, which investments could subject the Fund to complex provisions of the Code applicable to equity interests in passive foreign investment companies (each, a “PFIC”). A PFIC is an equity interest (under Treasury regulations that may be promulgated in the future, generally including not only stock but also an option to acquire stock such as is inherent in a convertible bond) in certain foreign corporations (i) that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties, or capital gains) or (ii) where at least 50% of the corporation’s assets (computed based on average fair market value) either produce or are held for the production of passive income. If the Fund invests in PFICs, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and nondeductible interest charges on “excess distributions” received from such companies or on gain from the sale of stock in such companies, even if all income or gain actually received by the Fund is timely distributed to its Shareholders. The Fund would not be able to pass through to its Shareholders any credit or deduction for such a tax. A “qualified electing fund” election or a “mark-to-market” election may be available that would ameliorate these adverse tax consequences, but such elections could require the Fund to recognize taxable income or gain (subject to the distribution requirements applicable to RICs, as described above) without the concurrent receipt of cash. In order to satisfy the distribution requirements and avoid a tax at the Fund level, the Fund may be required to liquidate portfolio securities that it might otherwise have continued to hold, potentially resulting in additional taxable gain or loss to the Fund. Gains from the sale of stock of PFICs may also be treated as ordinary income. In order for the Fund to make a qualified electing fund election with respect to a PFIC, the PFIC would have to agree to provide certain tax information to the Fund on an annual basis, which it might not agree to do. The Fund may limit and/or manage its holdings in PFICs to limit its tax liability or maximize its returns from these investments.

 

Dividends received by the Fund on foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. Shareholders of the Fund generally will not be entitled to a credit or deduction with respect to any such taxes paid by the Fund.

 

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Gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such income or receivables or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, gains or losses on foreign currency forward contracts and the disposition of debt securities denominated in foreign currency, to the extent attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the acquisition and disposition dates, are also treated as ordinary income or loss.

 

State and Local Taxes

 

Although the Fund expects to qualify as a RIC and to be relieved of all or substantially all federal income taxes, depending upon the extent of its activities in states and localities in which its offices are maintained, in which its agents or independent contractors are located or in which it is otherwise deemed to be conducting business, the Fund may be subject to the tax laws of such states or localities.

 

Foreign Shareholders

 

U.S. taxation of a Shareholder who, as to the United States, is a nonresident alien individual, a foreign trust or estate, a foreign corporation or foreign partnership (“Foreign Shareholder”) generally depends on whether the income received from the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the Shareholder. In addition, unless certain foreign entities that hold Shares comply with IRS requirements that will generally require them to report information regarding U.S. persons investing in, or holding accounts with, such entities, a 30% withholding tax may apply to Fund distributions payable to such entities. A Foreign Shareholder may be exempt from the withholding described in this paragraph under an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and a foreign government, provided that the Shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.

 

Income not Effectively Connected with a U.S. Trade or Business

 

If the income received from the Fund is not “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the Foreign Shareholder, distributions of net investment income (including distributions of short-term capital gain) will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax of 30% (or lower treaty rate, except in the case of any excess inclusion income allocated to the Shareholder (see “Investments in Real Estate Investment Trusts” above)), which tax is generally withheld from such distributions. Dividends reported by the Fund as (i) interest-related dividends, to the extent such dividends are derived from the Fund’s “qualified net interest income,” or (ii) short-term capital gain dividends, to the extent such dividends are derived from the Fund’s “qualified short-term gain,” are generally exempt from this 30% withholding tax. “Qualified net interest income” is the Fund’s net income derived from U.S.-source interest and original issue discount, subject to certain exceptions and limitations. “Qualified short-term gain” generally means the excess of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain for the taxable year over its net long-term capital loss, if any.

 

Distributions of net capital gain and any amounts retained by the Fund which are designated as undistributed capital gains that are not treated as effectively connected income generally will not be subject to U.S. withholding tax. In the case of a Foreign Shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual, the Fund may be required to withhold U.S. income tax from distributions of net capital gain unless the Foreign Shareholder certifies his or her non-U.S. status under penalties of perjury or otherwise establishes an exemption

 

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Income Effectively Connected with a U.S. Trade or Business

 

If the income from the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a Foreign Shareholder, then distributions of net investment income and capital gain dividends, any amounts retained by the Fund which are designated as undistributed capital gains and any gains realized upon the sale or exchange of Shares will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens, residents and domestic corporations. Foreign corporate Shareholders may also be subject to the branch profits tax imposed by the Code. Certain certification and disclosure requirements, including delivery of a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI, must be satisfied for income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business to be exempt from the 30% withholding described above under “Income not Effectively Connected with a U.S. Trade or Business.”

 

The Fund may be required to apply special withholding rules to distributions to certain non-U.S. persons to the extent such distributions are attributable to gain from sales of “United States real property interests” held directly or indirectly by the Fund. Those rules, if applicable, require withholding at the rate of 21% of such a distribution payable with respect to a class of Shares. A distribution that is subject to 21% withholding will not also be subject to the 30% withholding tax described in “Income not Effectively Connected with a U.S. Trade or Business,” above. Distributions subject to 21% withholding will be treated as income effectively connected with a trade or business within the United States, and a non-U.S. person receiving such a distribution generally will be required to file a U.S. federal income tax return for the period in which such distribution is received. Under certain circumstances, a sale of Shares may be treated as a disposition of “United States real property interests,” requiring non-U.S. Shareholders to file U.S. federal income tax returns and pay tax on the sale. Prospective non-U.S. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers regarding these rules before purchasing Shares.

 

The tax consequences to a Foreign Shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may differ from those described herein. Foreign Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.

 

Other Tax Considerations

 

If a Shareholder recognizes a loss on a disposition of Shares of $2 million or more for an individual Shareholder, or $10 million or more for a corporate Shareholder, in any single taxable year (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the Shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct Shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, Shareholder of a RIC are not excepted. In addition, significant penalties may be imposed for the failure to comply with the reporting requirements. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

 

The foregoing discussion is a summary only and is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Purchasers of Shares should consult their own tax advisers as to the tax consequences of investing in such Shares, including under state, local and other tax laws.

 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM; LEGAL COUNSEL

 

[   ], located at [   ], has been selected as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund and in such capacity will audit the Fund’s annual financial statements and financial highlights.

 

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, One Logan Square, Suite 2000, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as counsel to the Fund and the Independent Trustees.

 

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CUSTODIAN

 

UMB Bank, n.a. (the “Custodian”), serves as the primary custodian of the assets of the Fund, and may maintain custody of such assets with U.S. and non-U.S. subcustodians (which may be banks, trust companies, securities depositories and clearing agencies) in accordance with the requirements of Section 17(f) of the Investment Company Act. Assets of the Fund are not held by the Investment Manager or commingled with the assets of other accounts other than to the extent that securities are held in the name of the Custodian or U.S. or non-U.S. subcustodians in a securities depository, clearing agency or omnibus customer account of such custodian. The Custodian’s principal business address is 1010 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64106. The Custodian is an affiliate of UMB Fund Services, Inc., which serves as the Fund’s Administrator.

 

DISTRIBUTOR

 

UMB Distribution Services, LLC, (the “Distributor”) is the distributor (also known as principal underwriter) of the Shares of the Fund and is located at 235 W. Galena Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Fund in connection with the continuous offering of Shares of the Fund. The Distributor continually distributes Shares of the Fund on a best efforts basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Shares. The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies of the Fund.

 

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

The Board has delegated responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Fund to the Investment Manager. The Investment Manager will vote such proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures. Copies of the Investment Manager’s proxy policies and procedures are included as Appendix A to this SAI. The Board will periodically review the Fund’s proxy voting record.

 

The Fund is required to file Form N-PX, with its complete proxy voting record for the twelve months ended June 30, no later than August 31 of each year. The Fund’s Form N-PX filing will be available: (i) without charge, upon request, by calling the Fund at (877) 770-7717 or (ii) by visiting the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

 

As of [   ], there were no Shares of the Fund outstanding, and therefore there were no record or beneficial owners of 5% or more of the Fund or any Share class.

  

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The Fund will issue a complete set of financial statement on a semi-annual basis. The Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to Shareholders, once available, maybe be obtained (i) without charge, upon request, by calling the Fund at (877) 770-7717, or (ii) by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.  

 

42

 

APPENDIX A – PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

 

For most fixed income investments, the voting matters generally involve amendments to loan documentation, borrower compliance with financial covenants, registration rights, prepayments, insolvency, and other distressed creditor situations. The Investment Manager does not have specific proxy voting policies or guidelines regarding categories of proxy matters submitted to fixed income security holders. Instead, the Investment Manager votes fixed income proxy matters on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the unique circumstances related to a particular borrower and other relevant factors.

 

The Investment Manager also votes proxies related to equity securities held in discretionary portfolios. Additionally, the Investment Manager may vote proxies or other matters on the closed end funds, BDCs, private funds and other vehicles, exchange traded notes or exchange traded funds in which it invests.

 

Routine proxy matters associated with equity securities (including but not limited to electing boards of directors, selecting auditors, shareholder rights, proxy contests, corporate governance matters, and executive and director compensation) typically are voted in accordance with the recommendations of management of the issuer. In the event it is determined to be in the best interests of shareholders to vote against issuer management recommendations, the reasons for such determination will be documented. On non-routine matters, such as amendments to governing instruments, proposals relating to compensation and stock option and equity compensation plans, corporate governance proposals and shareholder proposals, the Investment Manager will vote, or abstain from voting if deemed appropriate, on a case-by-case basis in a manner it believes to be in the best economic interest of the Fund’s shareholders.

 

The Investment Manager may delegate our responsibilities under the Proxy Policy to a third party proxy voting service, however, no such delegation will relieve the Investment Manager of its responsibilities. The Investment Manager will retain final authority and fiduciary responsibility for such proxy voting.

 

The Portfolio Managers are responsible for monitoring proxy voting actions and ensuring that (i) proxies are received and forwarded to the appropriate decision makers; and (ii) proxies are voted in a timely manner upon receipt of voting instructions. The Investment Manager is not responsible for voting proxies that are not received but will make reasonable efforts to obtain missing proxies. The Chief Compliance Officer shall identify and monitor potential conflicts of interest that could affect the proxy voting process, including (i) significant client relationships; (ii) other potential material business relationships; and (iii) material personal and family relationships. The Investment Manager may determine not to vote a particular proxy if the costs and burdens exceed the benefits of voting.

 

A-1

 

APPENDIX B

 

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS

 

Short-Term Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings short-term issue credit rating is generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. The following summarizes the rating categories used by S&P Global Ratings for short-term issues:

 

“A-1” – A short-term obligation rated “A-1” is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

 

“A-2” – A short-term obligation rated “A-2” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.

 

“A-3” – A short-term obligation rated “A-3” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” – A short-term obligation rated “B” is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

 

“C” – A short-term obligation rated “C” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“D” – A short-term obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Ratings – S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. A foreign currency rating on an issuer can differ from the local currency rating on it when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

“NR” – This indicates that a rating has not been assigned or is no longer assigned.

 

Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) short-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment.

 

B-1

 

Moody’s employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

 

“P-1” – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 reflect a superior ability to repay short-term obligations.

 

“P-2” – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 reflect a strong ability to repay short-term obligations.

 

“P-3” – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 reflect an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

 

“NP” – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

 

“NR” – Is assigned to an unrated issuer, obligation and/or program.

 

Fitch, Inc. / Fitch Ratings Ltd. (“Fitch”) short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short-term” based on market convention.1 Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Fitch for short-term obligations:

 

“F1” – Securities possess the highest short-term credit quality. This designation indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

 

“F2” – Securities possess good short-term credit quality. This designation indicates good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

 

“F3” – Securities possess fair short-term credit quality. This designation indicates that the intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

 

“B” – Securities possess speculative short-term credit quality. This designation indicates minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

 

“C” – Securities possess high short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.

 

“RD” – Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.

 

“D” – Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

 

 

1A long-term rating can also be used to rate an issue with short maturity.

 

B-2

 

“NR” – Is assigned to an issue of a rated issuer that are not and have not been rated.

 

The DBRS Morningstar® Ratings Limited (“DBRS Morningstar”) short-term obligation ratings provide DBRS Morningstar’s opinion on the risk that an issuer will not meet its short-term financial obligations in a timely manner. The obligations rated in this category typically have a term of shorter than one year. The R-1 and R-2 rating categories are further denoted by the subcategories “(high)”, “(middle)”, and “(low)”.

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS Morningstar for commercial paper and short-term debt:

 

“R-1 (high)” – Short-term debt rated “R-1 (high)” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“R-1 (middle)” – Short-term debt rated “R-1 (middle)” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from “R-1 (high)” by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-1 (low)” – Short-term debt rated “R-1 (low)” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favorable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“R-2 (high)” – Short-term debt rated “R-2 (high)” is considered to be at the upper end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-2 (middle)” – Short-term debt rated “R-2 (middle)” is considered to be of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.

 

“R-2 (low)” – Short-term debt rated “R-2 (low)” is considered to be at the lower end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.

 

“R-3” – Short-term debt rated “R-3” is considered to be at the lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is a capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events, and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments.

 

“R-4” – Short-term debt rated “R-4” is considered to be of speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.

 

“R-5” – Short-term debt rated “R-5” is considered to be of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet short-term financial obligations as they fall due.

 

“D” – A downgrade to “D” may occur when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding-up statute, or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods. DBRS Morningstar may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

B-3

 

Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by S&P Global Ratings for long-term issues:

 

“AAA” – An obligation rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.

 

“AA” – An obligation rated “AA” differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.

 

“A” – An obligation rated “A” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.

 

“BBB” – An obligation rated “BBB” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” – Obligations rated “BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. “BB” indicates the least degree of speculation and “C” the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.

 

“BB” – An obligation rated “BB” is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” – An obligation rated “B” is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated “BB”, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“CCC” – An obligation rated “CCC” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“CC” – An obligation rated “CC” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The “CC” rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

 

“C” – An obligation rated “C” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.

 

“D” – An obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within the next five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or the next 30 calendar days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring

 

B-4

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) – Ratings from “AA” to “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.

 

“NR” – This indicates that a rating has not been assigned, or is no longer assigned.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Ratings - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. A foreign currency rating on an issuer can differ from the local currency rating on it when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

Moody’s long-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of eleven months or more. Such ratings reflect both on the likelihood of default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for long-term debt:

 

“Aaa” – Obligations rated “Aaa” are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

 

“Aa” – Obligations rated “Aa” are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

 

“A” – Obligations rated “A” are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

 

“Baa” – Obligations rated “Baa” are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

 

“Ba” – Obligations rated “Ba” are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

 

“B” – Obligations rated “B” are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

 

“Caa” – Obligations rated “Caa” are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

 

“Ca” – Obligations rated “Ca” are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

 

“C” – Obligations rated “C” are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

 

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from “Aa” through “Caa.” The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

 

B-5

 

“NR” – Is assigned to unrated obligations, obligation and/or program.

 

The following summarizes long-term ratings used by Fitch:

 

“AAA” – Securities considered to be of the highest credit quality. “AAA” ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

 

“AA” – Securities considered to be of very high credit quality. “AA” ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

 

“A” – Securities considered to be of high credit quality. “A” ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

 

“BBB” – Securities considered to be of good credit quality. “BBB” ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

 

“BB” – Securities considered to be speculative. “BB” ratings indicates an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

 

“B” – Securities considered to be highly speculative. “B” ratings indicate that material credit risk is present

 

“CCC” – A “CCC” rating indicates that substantial credit risk is present.

 

“CC” – A “CC” rating indicates very high levels of credit risk.

 

“C” – A “C” rating indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

 

Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned “RD” or “D” ratings but are instead rated in the “CCC” to “C” rating categories, depending on their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Fitch believes that this approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the “AAA” obligation rating category, or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below “CCC”.

 

“NR” – Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS Morningstar long-term obligation ratings provide DBRS Morningstar’s opinion on the risk that investors may not be repaid in accordance with the terms under which the long-term obligation was issued. The obligations rated in this category typically have a term of one year or longer. All rating categories from AA to CCC contain subcategories “(high)” and “(low)”. The absence of either a “(high)” or “(low)” designation indicates the rating is in the middle of the category. The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS Morningstar for long-term debt:

 

B-6

 

“AAA” – Long-term debt rated “AAA” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“AA” – Long-term debt rated “AA” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from “AAA” only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“A” – Long-term debt rated “A” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than “AA.” May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“BBB” – Long-term debt rated “BBB” is of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“BB” – Long-term debt rated “BB” is of speculative, non-investment grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.

 

“B” – Long-term debt rated “B” is of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.

 

“CCC”, “CC” and “C” – Long-term debt rated in any of these categories is of very highly speculative credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although “CC” and “C” ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default or subordinated to obligations rated in the “CCC” to “B” range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the “C” category.

 

“D” – A downgrade to “D” may occur when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods. DBRS Morningstar may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

Municipal Note Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings’ opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings’ analysis will review the following considerations:

 

hAmortization schedule - the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

 

hSource of payment - the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

 

Municipal Short-Term Note rating symbols are as follows:

 

B-7

 

“SP-1” – A municipal note rated “SP-1” exhibits a strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

 

“SP-2” – A municipal note rated “SP-2” exhibits a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

 

“SP-3” – A municipal note rated “SP-3” exhibits a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

 

“D” – This rating is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed debt restructuring, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.

 

Moody’s uses the global short-term Prime rating scale (listed above under Short-Term Credit Ratings) for commercial paper issued by U.S. municipalities and nonprofits. These commercial paper programs may be backed by external letters of credit or liquidity facilities, or by an issuer’s self-liquidity.

 

For other short-term municipal obligations, Moody’s uses one of two other short-term rating scales, the Municipal Investment Grade (“MIG”) and Variable Municipal Investment Grade (“VMIG”) scales provided below.

 

Moody’s uses the MIG scale for U.S. municipal cash flow notes, bond anticipation notes and certain other short-term obligations, which typically mature in three years or less.

 

MIG Scale

 

“MIG-1” – This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

 

“MIG-2” – This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

 

“MIG-3” – This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

 

“SG” – This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

 

“NR” – Is assigned to an unrated obligation, obligation and/or program.

 

In the case of variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”), Moody’s assigns both a long-term rating and a short-term payment obligation rating. The long-term rating addresses the issuer’s ability to meet scheduled principal and interest payments. The short-term payment obligation rating addresses the ability of the issuer or the liquidity provider to meet any purchase price payment obligation resulting from optional tenders (“on demand”) and/or mandatory tenders of the VRDO. The short-term payment obligation rating uses the VMIG scale. Transitions of VMIG ratings with conditional liquidity support differ from transitions of Prime ratings reflecting the risk that external liquidity support will terminate if the issuer’s long-term rating drops below investment grade.

 

Moody’s typically assigns the VMIG rating if the frequency of the payment obligation is less than every three years. If the frequency of the payment obligation is less than three years but the obligation is payable only with remarketing proceeds, the VMIG short-term rating is not assigned and it is denoted as “NR”.

 

B-8

 

“VMIG-1” – This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.

 

“VMIG-2” – This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.

 

“VMIG-3” – This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.

 

“SG” – This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have a sufficiently strong short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections.

 

“NR” – Is assigned to an unrated obligation, obligation and/or program.

 

About Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P Global Ratings’ view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

 

Ratings assigned on Moody’s global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities.

 

Fitch’s credit ratings are forward-looking opinions on the relative ability of an entity or obligation to meet financial commitments. Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) are assigned to corporations, sovereign entities, financial institutions such as banks, leasing companies and insurers, and public finance entities (local and regional governments). Issue-level ratings are also assigned and often include an expectation of recovery, which may be notched above or below the issuer-level rating. Issue ratings are assigned to secured and unsecured debt securities, loans, preferred stock and other instruments. Credit ratings are indications of the likelihood of repayment in accordance with the terms of the issuance. In limited cases, Fitch may include additional considerations (i.e., rate to a higher or lower standard than that implied in the obligation’s documentation).

 

DBRS Morningstar offers independent, transparent, and innovative credit analysis to the market. Credit ratings are forward-looking opinions about credit risk that reflect the creditworthiness of an issuer, rated entity, security and/or obligation based on DBRS Morningstar’s quantitative and qualitative analysis in accordance with applicable methodologies and criteria. They are meant to provide opinions on relative measures of risk and are not based on expectations of, or meant to predict, any specific default probability. Credit ratings are not statements of fact. DBRS Morningstar issues credit ratings using one or more categories, such as public, private, provisional, final(ized), solicited, or unsolicited. From time to time, credit ratings may also be subject to trends, placed under review, or discontinued. DBRS Morningstar credit ratings are determined by credit rating committees.

 

B-9

 

PART C: OTHER INFORMATION

 

Variant Alternative Lending FUND

(the “Registrant”)

 

Item 25.Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

(1)Financial Statements:

 

Not Applicable

 

(2)Exhibits

 

(a)(1)Agreement and Declaration of Trust is filed herewith.

 

(a)(2)Certificate of Trust is filed herewith.

 

(b)By-Laws are filed herewith.

 

(c)Not applicable.

 

(d)Refer to Exhibit (a)(1), (b).

 

(e)Not applicable.

 

(f)Not applicable.

 

(g)Form of Investment Management Agreement to be filed by amendment.

 

(h)(1)Form of Distribution Agreement to be filed by amendment.

 

(h)(2)Distribution and Service Plan to be filed by amendment.

 

(i)Not applicable.

 

(j)Form of Custody Agreement to be filed by amendment.

 

(k)(1)Form of Administration, Fund Accounting and Recordkeeping Agreement to be filed by amendment.

 

(k)(2)Form of Expense Limitation Agreement to be filed by amendment.

 

(k)(3)Form of Joint Insured Bond Agreement to be filed by amendment.

 

(k)(4)Form of Joint Liability Insurance Agreement to be filed by amendment.

 

(k)(5)Form of Platform Management Agreement to be filed by amendment.

 

C-1

 

(l)Opinion and Consent of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP to be filed by amendment.

 

(m)Not applicable.

 

(n)Not applicable.

 

(o)Not applicable.

 

(p)Not applicable.

 

(q)Not applicable.

 

(r)(1)Code of Ethics of Registrant to be filed by amendment.

 

(r)(2)Code of Ethics of Variant Investments, LLC to be filed by amendment.

 

(s)Calculation of Filing Fees Tables is filed herewith.

 

(t)Powers of Attorney to be filed by amendment.

 

Item 26.Marketing Arrangements

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 27.Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution of Securities Being Registered

 

All figures are estimates:

 

Registration fees  $[   ]
Legal fees  $[   ]
Printing fees  $[   ]
Blue Sky fees  $[   ]
Transfer Agent Fees  $[   ]
Total  $[   ]

 

Item 28.Item 28. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control With Registrant

 

[The Board of Trustees of the Registrant is identical to the board of trustees and/or board of directors of certain other funds. Nonetheless, the Registrant takes the position that it is not under common control with the other funds since the power residing in the respective boards arises as a result of an official position with the respective funds.]

 

Item 29.Number of Holders of Securities

 

   Number of 
Title of Class  Shareholders* 
Institutional Class Shares          0 

 

*As of [    ], 2024.

 

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Item 30.Indemnification

 

Sections 8.1-8.5 of Article VIII of the Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust states:

 

Section 8.1Limitation of Liability. Neither a Trustee nor an officer of the Trust, when acting in such capacity, shall be personally liable to any person other than the Trust or a beneficial owner for any act, omission or obligation of the Trust, any Trustee or any officer of the Trust. Neither a Trustee nor an officer of the Trust shall be liable for any act or omission in his capacity as Trustee or as an officer of the Trust, or for any act or omission of any other officer or any employee of the Trust or of any other person or party, provided that nothing contained herein or in the Act shall protect any Trustee or officer against any liability to the Trust or to Shareholders to which he would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee or the duties of such officer hereunder.

 

Section 8.2Indemnification. The Trust shall indemnify each of its Trustees and officers and persons who serve at the Trust’s request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor, or otherwise, and may indemnify any trustee, director or officer of a predecessor organization (each a “Covered Person”), against all liabilities and expenses (including amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise, as fines and penalties, and expenses including reasonable accountants’ and counsel fees) reasonably incurred 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 he may be involved or with which he may be threatened, while as a Covered Person or thereafter, by reason of being or having been such a Covered Person, 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 bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person’s office (such willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard being referred to herein as “Disabling Conduct”). Expenses, including accountants’ and counsel fees so incurred by any such Covered Person (but excluding amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines or penalties), may be paid from time to time by the Trust in advance of the final disposition of any such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of (a) an undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person to repay amounts so paid to the Trust if it is ultimately determined that indemnification of such expenses is not authorized under this Article VIII and either (b) such Covered Person provides security for such undertaking, (c) the Trust is insured against losses arising by reason of such payment, or (d) a majority of a quorum of disinterested, non-party Trustees, or independent legal counsel in a written opinion, determines, based on a review of readily available facts, that there is reason to believe that such Covered Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.

 

Section 8.3Indemnification Determinations. Indemnification of a Covered Person pursuant to Section 8.2 shall be made if (a) the court or body before whom the proceeding is brought determines, in a final decision on the merits, that such Covered Person was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct or (b) in the absence of such a determination, a majority of a quorum of disinterested, non-party Trustees or independent legal counsel in a written opinion make a reasonable determination, based upon a review of the facts, that such Covered Person was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct.

 

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Section 8.4Indemnification Not Exclusive. The right of indemnification provided by this Article VIII shall not be exclusive of or affect any other rights to which any such Covered Person may be entitled. As used in this Article VIII, “Covered Person” shall include such person’s heirs, executors and administrators, and a “disinterested, non-party Trustee” is a Trustee who is neither an Interested Person of the Trust nor a party to the proceeding in question.

 

Section 8.5Shareholders. Each Shareholder of the Trust and each Class shall not be personally liable for the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred by, contracted for, or otherwise existing with respect to, the Trust or by or on behalf of any Class. The Trustees shall have no power to bind any Shareholder personally or to call upon any Shareholder for the payment of any sum of money or assessment whatsoever other than such as the Shareholder may at any time personally agree to pay pursuant to terms hereof or by way of subscription for any Shares or otherwise.

 

In case any Shareholder or former Shareholder of any Class shall be held to be personally liable solely by reason of his being or having been a Shareholder of such Class and not because of his acts or omissions or for some other reason, the Shareholder or former Shareholder (or his heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives, or, in the case of a corporation or other entity, its corporate or other general successor) shall be entitled out of the assets belonging to the applicable Class to be held harmless from and indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such liability. The Trust, on behalf of the affected Class, shall, upon request by the Shareholder, assume the defense of any claim made against the Shareholder for any act or obligation of the Class and satisfy any judgment thereon from the assets of the Class. The indemnification and reimbursement required by the preceding sentence shall be made only out of assets of the one or more Classes whose Shares were held by said Shareholder at the time the act or event occurred that gave rise to the claim against or liability of said Shareholder. The rights accruing to a Shareholder under this Section shall not impair any other right to which such Shareholder may be lawfully entitled, nor shall anything herein contained restrict the right of the Trust or any Class thereof to indemnify or reimburse a Shareholder in any appropriate situation even though not specifically provided herein.

 

Additionally, the Registrant’s various agreements with its service providers contain indemnification provisions.

 

Item 31.Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser

 

Information as to the directors and officers of the Registrant’s investment adviser, Variant Investments, LLC (the “Investment Manager”), together with information as to any other business, profession, vocation, or employment of a substantial nature in which the Investment Manager, and each director, executive officer, managing member or partner of the Investment Manager, is or has been, at any time during the past two fiscal years, engaged in for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, managing member, partner or trustee, is included in its Form ADV, File No. 801-113357 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

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Item 32.Location of Accounts and Records

 

All accounts, books, and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules promulgated thereunder are maintained at the offices of (1) the Registrant’s Administrator, and/or (2) the Investment Adviser. The address of each is as follows:

  

1.UMB Fund Services, Inc.

235 West Galena Street

Milwaukee, WI 53212

 

2.Variant Investments, LLC

10300 SW Greenburg Road, Suite 308

Portland, OR 97223

 

Item 33.Management Services

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 34.Undertakings

 

1.Not applicable.

 

2.Not applicable.

 

3.The Registrant undertakes (a) to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

 

(a)to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

 

(1)to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

 

(2)to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement; and

 

(3)to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

 

(b)that for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of those securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;

 

(c)to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering;

 

(d)that, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:

 

(1)if the Registrant is relying on Rule 430B [17 CFR 230.430B]:

 

(A)Each prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

 

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(B)Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (x), or (xi) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or

 

(2)if the Registrant is subject to Rule 430C [17 CFR 230.430C]: each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

 

(e)that for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of securities:

 

The undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to the purchaser:

 

(1)any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act of 1933;

 

(2)free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned Registrant;

 

(3)the portion of any advertisement pursuant to Rule 482 under the Securities Act of 1933 relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant; and

 

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(4)any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the purchaser.

 

4.Not applicable.

 

5.Not applicable.

 

6.       Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the 1933 Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and is, therefore, 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 of such issue.

 

7.        The Registrant undertakes to send by first class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery, within two business days of receipt of a written or oral request, any Statement of Additional Information.

 

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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 Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Milwaukee in the State of Wisconsin on the 10th day of May, 2024.

 
  Variant Alternative Lending Fund
     
  By: /s/ Terrance P. Gallagher
    Name: Terrance P. Gallagher
    Title: Sole Trustee

  

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 dates indicated.

 

/s/ Terrance P. Gallagher

   Sole Trustee   May 10, 2024
Terrance P. Gallagher        

 

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Exhibit Index

 

(a)(1)Agreement and Declaration of Trust
(a)(2)Certificate of Trust
(b)By-Laws
 (s)Calculation of Filing Fees Tables

 

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