09/10/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/10/2024 10:55
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS - MAY 1, 2024, AS REVISED SEPTEMBER 10, 2024
Guardian Balanced Allocation VIP Fund
This Summary Prospectus is intended for use in connection with variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies issued by The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. and is not intended for use by other investors. Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund's Statutory Prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Statutory Prospectus and other information about the Fund, including the Fund's Statement of Additional Information (SAI) and most recent annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders, online at https://guardianvpt.onlineprospectus.net/GuardianVPT/Prospectuses/. You can also obtain this information at no cost by calling our Customer Service Office Contact Center at 1-888-GUARDIAN (1-888-482-7342) or from your financial intermediary. This Summary Prospectus incorporates by reference the Fund's Prospectus and SAI, each dated May 1, 2024, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time.
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to provide capital appreciation and moderate current income while seeking to manage volatility.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table shows the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. The table does not reflect charges, fees or expenses that are, or may be, imposed under your variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy through which Fund shares are offered as an investment option. If those charges, fees or expenses were reflected, the fees and expenses shown in the table would be higher. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the fee table or example below. For information about these charges, fees and expenses, please refer to the applicable contract or policy prospectus.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees |
0.48 |
% |
|||
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
0.25 |
% |
|||
Other Expenses |
0.15 |
% |
|||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses |
0.88 |
% |
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. This Example does not reflect charges, fees or expenses that are, or may be, imposed under your variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy, and would be higher if it did. The Example reflects contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements only for the duration of the current commitment, if applicable. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year |
3 Years |
5 Years |
10 Years |
||||||||||||||
Guardian Balanced Allocation VIP Fund |
$ |
90 |
$ |
281 |
$ |
488 |
$ |
1,084 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities or instruments (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. As of the end of its most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 93% of the average value of its portfolio.
Guardian Balanced Allocation VIP Fund Summary Prospectus 1
Principal Investment Strategies
Wellington Management Company LLP, the Fund's subadviser (the "Subadviser"), seeks to achieve the Fund's objective by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity investments and investment grade fixed income and other debt investments. Under normal circumstances, the Subadviser anticipates that approximately 60-70% of the Fund's assets will be allocated to equity investments and 30-40% of the Fund's assets will be allocated to fixed income and other debt investments. The Fund's assets are allocated among these asset classes based on the Subadviser's assessment of the relative risks and returns of each asset class.
The Fund's equity strategy seeks to provide long-term total returns by investing primarily in common stocks and other equity securities of U.S. large-capitalization companies and, to a lesser extent, U.S. small-capitalization and mid-capitalization companies, and foreign companies. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The Subadviser will allocate the Fund's assets in the equity strategy across a variety of industries, selecting companies in each industry based on the research of the Subadviser's team of global industry analysts. The Fund will typically seek to maintain representation in each major industry represented by broad-based, large-capitalization U.S. equity indices. The Subadviser may invest up to 15% of the Fund's net assets allocated to the equity strategy in securities of foreign issuers and non-dollar denominated securities.
In analyzing a prospective investment for the Fund's equity strategy, the Subadviser employs a "bottom-up" approach, using fundamental analysis to identify specific securities for purchase or sale. Fundamental analysis of a company involves the Subadviser's assessment of a variety of factors, including the company's business environment, management quality, balance sheet, income statement, anticipated earnings, revenues and dividends, and other related measures or indicators of valuation and growth potential.
The Fund's fixed income strategy seeks to provide long-term total returns by investing primarily in a broad range of high-quality U.S. fixed income securities (typically rated AA- or better by S&P Global (Ratings) ("S&P") or Aa3 or better by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or its equivalent by any other nationally recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO")). The Fund's fixed income investments primarily include U.S. government and agency securities, mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities, taxable municipal bonds, and investment-grade U.S. dollar-denominated corporate and sovereign debt securities. The Subadviser will not invest the Fund's assets in securities rated below investment grade at the time of purchase or securities denominated in foreign currencies. The Subadviser may invest in fixed income-related derivatives, including, but not limited to futures contracts, forward transactions, options and swap agreements.
The Subadviser typically may sell investments when it believes that they no longer offer attractive future returns compared with other investment opportunities or that they present undesirable risks or in an attempt to limit losses on investments that may decline or have declined in value.
Principal Investment Risks
The risks summarized below are the principal risks of investing in the Fund. There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund.
Market Risk. The financial and securities markets are volatile and may be affected by political, regulatory, social, economic, and other global market developments and disruptions, including those arising out of geopolitical events, public health emergencies (such as pandemics and epidemics), natural disasters, terrorism, and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. These events may negatively affect issuers, industries and markets worldwide and adversely affect the Fund and its investments. The price, value or liquidity of the Fund's investments may decline and will fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, in response to general market conditions or other factors. Different sectors of the market, issuers, and security types may react differently to such developments. The fixed income investments in which the Fund invests may underperform other segments of the fixed income market or the fixed income market as a whole. Although prices of fixed income investments tend to rise and fall less dramatically than those of equity securities, they may experience heightened volatility and limited liquidity during certain market and economic conditions.
Issuer Risk. The Fund's investments may be adversely affected by a number of factors that directly relate to the issuer of securities held by the Fund, such as its earnings prospects and overall financial position. In addition, an issuer in which the Fund invests, or to which it has exposure, may perform poorly because of poor management decisions or other events, conditions, or factors, which could also negatively affect the Fund.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed by the Subadviser. The Fund may actively and frequently trade portfolio securities, which may lead to higher transaction costs that may negatively affect the Fund's performance. There
2 Summary Prospectus Guardian Balanced Allocation VIP Fund
is no guarantee that the Subadviser's investment techniques, risk analysis, and judgment implemented in making investment decisions for the Fund will be accurate or will produce the desired outcome. As a result, the Fund may be adversely affected and may underperform its benchmark index or funds with similar investment objectives.
Equity Securities Risk. The price or value of the Fund's investments in a company's equity securities, such as common or preferred stock, may rise or fall rapidly or unpredictably and are subject to real or perceived changes in the company's financial condition and overall market and economic conditions. Equity securities are normally more volatile than fixed-income investments. Common stocks generally represent the riskiest investment in a company and preferred stocks generally rank junior to a company's debt with respect to dividends, which the company may or may not declare.
Large-Capitalization Company Risk. Large-capitalization companies may be unable to attain the same growth rate of small- or mid-capitalization companies. In addition, large-capitalization companies may be unable to respond to competitive challenges or opportunities as quickly as smaller companies.
Credit Risk. The Fund may lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income or debt instrument is unable or unwilling, or is perceived as unable or unwilling, to pay interest or repay principal on time or otherwise to honor its obligations. A fixed income or debt instrument held by the Fund may be adversely affected by changes in, or the market's perception of, the financial strength (or credit rating) of its issuer or guarantor or the credit rating of the instrument. Credit ratings may decrease rapidly and may not be an accurate assessment of liquidity or credit risk. Actual or perceived changes in economic, social, health, financial or political conditions in general or that affect a particular type of instrument, issuer, guarantor or counterparty can reduce the ability of the party to meet its obligations, which can affect the credit quality, liquidity and/or value of an instrument. The value of an instrument also may decline for reasons that relate directly to the issuer, guarantor or counterparty, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for goods and services.
Interest Rate Risk. The value of the Fund's investments may decline because of a change in interest rates. The negative impact on fixed-income and debt instruments from potential interest rate changes could be swift and significant, including falling market values, increased redemptions and reduced liquidity. The value of an instrument with a longer duration will be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a similar instrument with a shorter duration. Very low or negative interest rates may magnify interest rate risk. Low interest rates (or negative interest rates) may magnify the risks associated with rising interest rates. There is the risk that the income generated by investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases or decreases in interest rates. Periods of higher inflation could cause such authorities to raise interest rates, which may adversely affect the Fund and its investments. The Fund may also be subject to heightened interest rate risk when the Federal Reserve raises interest rates. Duration is a measure of a bond price's sensitivity to a given change in interest rates. For example, the price of a bond with a duration of three years would be expected to fall approximately 3% if interest rates were to rise by one percentage point. In addition, the Fund is subject to the risk that the Fund's income will decline because of falling interest rates if the Fund holds floating or variable rate debt securities or if an issuer fails to pay interest and principal in a timely manner. Other factors that may affect the value of debt securities include, but are not limited to, economic, political, public health, and other crises and responses by governments and companies to such crises.
Mortgage-Backed and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. Mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities are subject to the risks associated with fixed income investments. The value of mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities held by the Fund may be adversely affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in interest rates and may exhibit additional volatility during periods of rising interest rates as a result of extended duration. In addition, mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities are subject to the risk that underlying obligations will be repaid sooner (known as "prepayment risk") or later (known as "extension risk") than expected because of changes in interest rates, either of which may result in lower than expected returns for the Fund. Because mortgage-backed securities are backed by mortgage loans, they also are subject to risks associated with the ownership of real estate and the real estate industry.
Municipal Obligations Risk. Issuers, including governmental issuers, may be unable to pay their obligations as they come due. The values of municipal obligations that depend on a specific revenue source to fund their payment obligations may fluctuate as a result of changes in the cash flows generated by the revenue source or changes in the priority of the municipal obligation to receive the cash flows generated by the revenue source. Such uncertainties could cause increased volatility in the municipal securities market and could negatively impact the Fund's net asset value.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation between equity and fixed-income asset classes, investments, and/or strategies will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies
Guardian Balanced Allocation VIP Fund Summary Prospectus 3
or funds with more discretion to adjust overall allocations, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. Certain investments or investment transactions are subject to the risk that the Fund's counterparty will become insolvent or otherwise be unwilling or unable to perform its obligations in a timely manner or at all. As a result, the Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed, which may result in a loss to the Fund.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are instruments whose value depends on (or is derived from) the value of an underlying security, asset, or other benchmark. Derivatives (including short exposures through derivatives) pose risks in addition to and greater than those associated with investing directly in other investments, including potentially heightened liquidity and valuation risk, counterparty risk, market risk, operational risk and legal risk. In addition, certain derivatives result in leverage, which can result in losses substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivatives by the Fund.
U.S. Government Securities Risk. U.S. government securities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government and are subject to the risks associated with fxed income investments, particularly interest rate risk and credit risk. The Fund is subject to the risk that the U.S. government will not make timely payments on its debt or provide fnancial support to U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises if those entities are not able to meet their fnancial obligations.
Small-Capitalization Company Risk. The Fund's investments in small-capitalization companies may involve greater risks than those associated with mid- or large-capitalization companies. The securities issued by small-capitalization companies may be more speculative, less liquid, more volatile, and more vulnerable to economic, market and industry changes than mid- or large-capitalization companies for reasons that may include more limited fnancial and human resources, relatively short operating histories and limited product lines.
Mid-Capitalization Company Risk. Securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more speculative, volatile and less liquid than securities of large-capitalization companies. Mid-capitalization companies tend to have limited product and market diversifcation and fnancial resources, which may negatively afect their performance. In addition, mid-capitalization companies may have less experienced management and be more vulnerable to adverse developments than larger companies.
Foreign Investment and Currency Risk. Foreign investments, or exposure to foreign markets, present greater risks than investing in securities of U.S. issuers. Foreign securities are particularly susceptible to liquidity and valuation risk and may be especially volatile. These investments are subject to additional risks, including: smaller markets; differing reporting, accounting, and auditing standards; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; foreign currency fluctuations, currency blockage, or replacement; potential for default on sovereign debt; and political changes or diplomatic developments, which may include the imposition of economic sanctions or other measures by the United States or other governments and supranational organizations. Economic sanctions may be, and have been, imposed against certain countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals. Economic sanctions and other similar governmental actions or developments could, among other things, adversely impact the value and liquidity of the Fund's foreign investments and the Fund's ability to invest in foreign investments. The Fund's foreign investments that are denominated in or provide exposure to a foreign currency may be negatively affected by a decline in the foreign currency's value relative to the U.S. dollar. The value of foreign currencies may fluctuate quickly and significantly. Foreign investments may also be subject to risk of loss because of more or less foreign government regulation, less public information, and less stringent investor protections and disclosure standards.
Forwards and Futures Contracts Risk. Forwards and futures contracts are derivative contracts that obligate a purchaser to purchase, and a seller to sell, a specific amount of an asset (e.g., a currency or security) at a specified future date and price. In addition to the risks generally applicable to derivatives, these contracts are particularly subject to the risk of imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the asset underlying a contract or the asset held by the Fund being hedged and the price of the forward or futures contract, as well as losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited.
Options Risk. An option is a derivative contract where, for a premium payment or fee, the purchaser of the option is given the right but not the obligation to buy (a call option) or sell (a put option) the underlying asset (or settle for cash an amount based on an underlying asset, rate or index) at a specified price (the exercise price) during a period of time or on a specified date. In addition to the risks generally applicable to derivatives, the prices of options can be highly volatile and
4 Summary Prospectus Guardian Balanced Allocation VIP Fund
the use of options can lower total returns and the Fund's option activities may affect its portfolio turnover rate and the amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Fund.
Other Investment Companies Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies (such as ETFs), the Fund will incur a pro rata share of the expenses of these investment companies and the Fund will be subject to the risks associate with these investment companies. An ETF may trade in the secondary market at a price below or above the value of its underlying portfolio and may not be liquid. In addition, an ETF may not replicate exactly the performance of the index it seeks to track for a number of reasons.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. Frequent purchases and sales of portfolio investments may result in higher Fund expenses, such as higher brokerage fees or other transaction costs, which may negatively affect the Fund's performance.
Sovereign Debt Risk. The debt securities issued by sovereign entities may decline as a result of default or other adverse credit event resulting from a sovereign debtor's unwillingness or inability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner, which may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor's policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject. Sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging market issuers.
Swaps Risk. Swap agreements are derivatives contracts where the parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. In addition to the risks generally applicable to derivatives, risks associated with swap agreements include adverse changes in the returns of the underlying instruments, failure of the counterparties to perform under the agreement's terms and the possible lack of liquidity with respect to the agreements.
Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the 1 year and since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.guardianlife.com or by calling the phone number on the back of the Prospectus. Variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy fees, expenses and charges are not reflected in the returns shown in the bar chart and table below. If they were, returns would be less than those shown.
Annual Returns (by calendar year)
Highest Quarterly Return: 10.51% (4th Q 2023)
Lowest Quarterly Return: -4.56% (3rd Q 2022)
Guardian Balanced Allocation VIP Fund Summary Prospectus 5
Average Annual Total Returns (for the period ended December 31, 2023)
Fund |
Inception‡​ |
1 Year |
Since Inception |
||||||||
Guardian Balanced Allocation VIP Fund |
5/2/2022 |
17.86 |
% |
6.74 |
% |
||||||
Standard & Poor's 500® (65%)/Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index (35%) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
18.72 |
% |
12.62 |
% |
|||||||
Standard & Poor's 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
26.29 |
% |
18.09 |
% |
|||||||
Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
5.53 |
% |
2.05 |
% |
‡​ Commencement of operations.
Management
Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC serves as the Fund's manager. Wellington Management Company LLP serves as the Fund's subadviser. The following persons are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund:
Portfolio Manager |
Title with the Subadviser |
Managed Fund Since |
|||
Loren L. Moran, CFA |
Senior Managing Director, Partner, and Fixed Income Portfolio Manager |
Inception (May 1, 2022) |
|||
Mary L. Pryshlak, CFA |
Senior Managing Director, Partner, and Head of Investment Research |
Inception (May 1, 2022) |
|||
Jonathan G. White, CFA |
Managing Director and Director, Research Portfolios |
Inception (May 1, 2022) |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund offers its shares only as underlying investment options to variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies issued by The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. ("GIAC"). You choose investment options through your contract or policy. You do not purchase Fund shares directly from, or redeem Fund shares directly with, the Fund. Please refer to your contract or policy prospectus for more information regarding the purchase and sale of Fund shares.
Tax Information
No tax information is provided because the Fund's shareholders are separate accounts of GIAC. For information concerning the tax consequences applicable to your variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy, please refer to your contract or policy prospectus or consult with your tax advisor.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase your variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, GIAC, the Fund or their affiliates may pay the intermediary for the sale of the contract or policy, the selection of the Fund and certain related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the contract or policy over another investment or annuity or insurance product, or to recommend the Fund over another investment option available under the contract or policy. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
6 Summary Prospectus Guardian Balanced Allocation VIP Fund
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