issuer call option means that the bond's issuer has the right to redeem a bond prior to its designated maturity date. The Fund is part of the MyIncome suite of target maturity bond ETFs and is designed to terminate on or about December 15, 2026, at which point the Fund will distribute its remaining net assets to shareholders pursuant to a plan of liquidation. The Fund does not seek to distribute any predetermined amount at maturity.
The Fund primarily invests in U.S. dollar denominated municipal bonds issued by U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or local governments or agencies, the interest of which is exempt from U.S. federal income taxes and the federal alternative minimum tax. The bonds are primarily rated investment grade at the time of purchase, which is defined as bonds rated BBB- or higher by S&P Global Ratings and/or Fitch Ratings Inc., Baa3 or higher by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., or equivalent ratings by another registered nationally recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO"), or, if unrated by an NRSRO, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in municipal bonds rated below investment grade at the time of purchase (commonly known as "junk" bonds).
The Fund may use derivative instruments (primarily futures contracts, interest rate and credit default swaps, and options on treasury futures) to manage yield, interest rate exposure (also known as duration), weighted average maturity, and exposure to credit quality.
In the Fund's target maturity year, proceeds from municipal bonds maturing prior to the Fund's liquidation date may be reinvested in cash and cash equivalents, including, but not limited to, shares of money market funds (including money market funds advised by the Adviser). The Fund seeks to remain fully invested in municipal bonds to the extent possible; however, leading up to the Fund's target maturity date, the Fund's cash and cash equivalents holdings may increase and the Fund's investments the income of which is exempt from federal income tax may be less than 80% of the Fund's net assets.
The Adviser actively manages the Fund using a risk-aware, top-down approach combined with bottom-up security selection to construct a portfolio that seeks to overweight the most attractive sectors and issuers. The Adviser develops long-term structural and intermediate-term cyclical views by analyzing macroeconomic factors, financial conditions, as well as consumer, industry, and sector trends. Individual securities are then identified for investment through rigorous fundamental research, including financial analysis of the applicable cash flows, capital structure, industry, and issuer-specific fundamentals. The Adviser's analysis also includes an assessment of relative value and liquidity trends, which are supported by the performance of similar instruments through economic and market cycles.
The Adviser may consider selling a security when one of the selection characteristics no longer applies, when the Adviser believes that the valuation has become excessive, or when more attractive alternatives are identified. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities.
The Fund should not be confused with a target date fund, which has assets that are managed according to a particular investment strategy that converts fund assets to conservative investments over time.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in the Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Market Risk: The Fund's investments are subject to changes in general economic conditions, general market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investment in securities markets. Investment markets can be volatile and prices of investments can change substantially due to various factors including, but not limited to, economic growth or recession, changes in interest rates, inflation, changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of issuers, and general market liquidity. The Fund is subject to the risk that geopolitical events will disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. Local, regional or global events such as war, military conflicts, acts of terrorism, natural disasters, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, or other events could have a significant impact on the Fund and its investments.
Debt Securities Risk: The values of debt securities may increase or decrease as a result of the following: market fluctuations, changes in interest rates, actual or perceived inability or unwillingness of issuers, guarantors or liquidity providers to make scheduled principal or interest payments, or illiquidity in debt securities markets. To the extent that interest rates rise, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply. A rising interest rate environment may cause the value of the Fund's fixed income securities to decrease, an adverse impact on the liquidity of the Fund's fixed income securities, and increased volatility of the fixed income markets. During periods when interest rates are at low levels, the Fund's yield can be low, and the Fund may have a negative yield (i.e., it may lose money on an operating basis). To the extent that interest rates fall, certain underlying obligations may be paid off substantially faster than originally anticipated. If the principal on a debt obligation is prepaid before expected, the prepayments of principal may have to be reinvested in obligations paying interest at lower rates. During periods of falling interest rates, the income received by the Fund may