Prospectus by Investment Company - Form 497

NEUBERGER BERMAN ADVISERS MANAGEMENT TRUST

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

DATED MAY 1, 2024, AS AMENDED AND RESTATED JULY 23, 2024

1290 Avenue of the Americas,

New York, NY 10104-0002

800.877.9700

www.nb.com

The Mid Cap Growth Portfolio, Mid Cap Intrinsic Value Portfolio, Short Duration Bond Portfolio, and Sustainable Equity Portfolio (each, a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds") are mutual funds that offer shares pursuant to prospectuses dated May 1, 2024.

Shares of the Funds are sold to insurance company separate accounts, so that the Funds may serve as investment options under variable life insurance policies and variable annuity contracts issued by insurance companies (each, a "variable contract"). Shares of the Funds are also offered to certain qualified pension and other retirement plans (each, a "qualified plan"). If you are buying a variable contract or contributing to a qualified plan, you should also read the contract's or plan's prospectus, as the case may be. Individual investors may not purchase shares of the Funds. References herein to a "Fund" or the "Funds" include the Real Estate Portfolio, which has not commenced operations as of the date hereof, unless the context refers to operating Funds.

The prospectus and summary prospectus (together, the "Prospectus") for your Fund provide more information about your Fund that you should know before investing. You can get a free copy of the Prospectus, annual report and/or semi-annual report for your Fund from Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC ("NBIA" or the "Manager"), 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104, or by calling the number listed above. You should read the Prospectus for your Fund and consider the investment objective(s), risks, and fees and expenses of your Fund carefully before investing.

This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus for your Fund. This SAI is not an offer to sell any shares of any class of the Funds. A written offer can be made only by a Prospectus.

Each Fund's financial statements, notes thereto and the report of its independent registered public accounting firm are incorporated by reference from the Fund's annual report to shareholders into (and are therefore legally part of) this SAI.

No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations not contained in the Prospectuses or in this SAI in connection with the offering made by the Prospectuses, and, if given or made, such information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by a Fund or its distributor. The Prospectuses and this SAI do not constitute an offering by a Fund or its distributor in any jurisdiction in which such offering may not lawfully be made.

The "Neuberger Berman" name and logo and "Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC" are registered service marks of Neuberger Berman Group LLC. The individual Fund names in this SAI are either service marks or registered service marks of Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC. © 2024 Neuberger Berman BD LLC, distributor. All rights reserved.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INVESTMENT INFORMATION

Each Fund is a separate operating series of Neuberger Berman Advisers Management Trust ("Trust"), a Delaware statutory trust since May 23, 1994, that is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") as an open-end management investment company. The Funds are managed by NBIA.

Mid Cap Growth Portfolio commenced operations as a separate series of the Trust on November 3, 1997.

Mid Cap Intrinsic Value Portfolio commenced operations as a separate series of the Trust on August 22, 2001.

Real Estate Portfolio has not commenced operations as a separate series of the Trust as of the date of this SAI.

Short Duration Bond Portfolio commenced operations as a separate series of the Trust on September 10, 1984.

Sustainable Equity Portfolio commenced operations as a separate series of the Trust on February 18, 1999. Prior to May 1, 2018, Sustainable Equity Portfolio was named Socially Responsive Portfolio.

The following information supplements the discussion of the Funds' investment objectives, policies, and limitations in the Prospectuses. The investment objective(s) and, unless otherwise specified, the investment policies and limitations of each Fund are not fundamental. Any investment objective, policy, or limitation that is not fundamental may be changed by the trustees of the Trust ("Fund Trustees") without shareholder approval. The fundamental investment policies and limitations of a Fund may not be changed without the approval of the lesser of:

The policy of a Fund permitting it to operate as a non-diversified investment company under the 1940 Act may change by operation of law. Specifically, Rule 13a-1 under the 1940 Act provides in effect that, if a fund's investment portfolio actually meets the standards of a diversified fund for three consecutive years, the fund's status will change to that of a diversified fund.

Investment Policies and Limitations

Each Fund has its own fundamental and non-fundamental investment policies and limitations, as discussed below.

Except as set forth in the investment limitation on borrowing and the investment limitation on illiquid securities, any investment policy or limitation that involves a maximum percentage of securities or assets will not be considered exceeded unless the percentage limitation is exceeded immediately after, and because of, a transaction by a Fund. If events subsequent to a transaction result in a Fund exceeding the percentage limitation on illiquid securities, the Manager will take appropriate steps to reduce the percentage held in illiquid securities, as may be required by law, within a reasonable amount of time.

The following investment policies and limitations are fundamental and apply to all Funds unless otherwise indicated:

1. Borrowing. A Fund may not borrow money except as permitted by (i) the 1940 Act or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction, or (ii) exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority.

2. Commodities. A Fund may purchase or sell commodities or contracts related to commodities to the extent permitted by (i) the 1940 Act or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction, or (ii) exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority.

Diversification (Real Estate Portfolio). The Fund is non-diversified under the 1940 Act.

4. Industry Concentration. A Fund may not make any investment if, as a result, the Fund's investments will be concentrated in any one industry except as permitted by (i) the 1940 Act or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction, or (ii) exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority. This limitation does not apply to U.S. Government and Agency Securities, securities of other investment companies, and state, territorial or municipal securities or such other securities as may be excluded for this purpose under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief or SEC or SEC staff interpretations.

5. Lending. A Fund may lend money or other assets to the extent permitted by (i) the 1940 Act or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction, or (ii) exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority.

6. Real Estate. A Fund may not purchase or sell real estate except as permitted by (i) the 1940 Act or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction, or (ii) exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority.

7. Senior Securities. A Fund may not issue senior securities except as permitted by (i) the 1940 Act or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction, or (ii) exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority.

8. Underwriting. A Fund may not engage in the business of underwriting the securities of other issuers except as permitted by (i) the 1940 Act or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction, or (ii) exemptive or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority.

9. Investment through a Master/Feeder Structure. Notwithstanding any other investment policy, each Fund may invest all of its net investable assets (cash, securities and receivables relating to securities) in an open-end management investment company having substantially the same investment objective, policies and limitations as the Fund.

Currently, the Funds do not utilize this policy. Rather, each Fund invests directly in securities.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to borrowing set forth in (1) above, the 1940 Act permits a Fund to borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of the Fund's total assets from banks for any purpose, and to borrow up to 5% of the Fund's total assets from banks or other lenders for temporary purposes. (The Fund's total assets include the amounts being borrowed.) To limit the risks attendant to borrowing, the 1940 Act requires the Fund to maintain an "asset coverage" of at least 300% of the amount of its borrowings, provided that in the event that the Fund's asset coverage falls below 300%, the Fund is required to reduce the amount of its borrowings so that it meets the 300% asset coverage threshold within three days (not including Sundays and holidays). Asset coverage means the ratio that the value of the Fund's total assets (including amounts borrowed), minus liabilities other than borrowings, bears to the aggregate amount of all borrowings. Certain trading practices and investments, such as reverse repurchase agreements, may be considered to be borrowings and thus subject to the 1940 Act restrictions. Each Fund also has obtained exemptive relief from the SEC to permit it to borrow money from other funds for temporary purposes.

For purposes of the fundamental policy relating to commodities set forth in (2) above, a Fund does not consider foreign currencies or forward contracts to be physical commodities. This limitation does not prohibit a Fund from purchasing securities backed by physical commodities, including interests in exchange-traded investment trusts and other similar entities, or derivative instruments. In addition, this limitation does not prohibit any Fund from purchasing physical commodities.

None of the foregoing fundamental policies shall be construed to prevent a Fund from purchasing, holding or selling all or a portion of any issuance of sukuk or similarly structured investments.

For purposes of the investment limitation on concentration in a particular industry, industry classifications are determined for each Fund (except Neuberger Berman Real Estate Portfolio) in accordance with the industry or sub-industry classifications established by the Global Industry Classification Standard; industry classifications are determined for Neuberger Berman Real Estate Portfolio in accordance with the classifications of the FTSE Nareit All Equity REITs Index. The more narrowly industries are defined, the more likely it is that multiple industries will be affected in a similar fashion by a single economic or regulatory development.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to industry concentration set forth in (4) above, the 1940 Act does not define what constitutes "concentration" in an industry. The SEC staff has taken the position that investment of 25% or more of a fund's total assets in one or more issuers conducting their principal activities in the same industry or group of industries constitutes concentration. It is possible that interpretations of concentration could change in the future. The policy in (4) above will be interpreted to refer to concentration as that term may be interpreted from time to time by the SEC, SEC staff or other relevant authority. The policy also will be interpreted to permit investment without limit in the following: securities of the U.S. government and its agencies or instrumentalities; securities of state, territory, possession or municipal governments and their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions; securities of foreign governments; and repurchase agreements collateralized by any such obligations. Accordingly, issuers of the foregoing securities will not be considered to be members of any industry and there will be no limit on investment in issuers domiciled in a single jurisdiction or country. The policy also will be interpreted to give broad authority to a Fund as to how to classify issuers within or among industries. Also for purposes of the fundamental policy relating to industry concentration, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities are grouped according to the nature of their collateral, and certificates of deposit ("CDs") are interpreted to include similar types of time deposits.

Also with respect to the fundamental policy relating to industry concentration set forth in (4) above, a Fund determines the "issuer" of a municipal obligation that is not a general obligation note or bond based on the obligation's characteristics. The most significant of these characteristics is the source of funds for the repayment of principal and payment of interest on the obligation. If an obligation is backed by an irrevocable letter of credit or other guarantee, without which the obligation would not qualify for purchase under a Fund's quality restrictions, the issuer of the letter of credit or the guarantee is considered an issuer of the obligation. If an obligation meets a Fund's quality restrictions without credit support, the Fund treats the commercial developer or the industrial user, rather than the governmental entity or the guarantor, as the only issuer of the obligation, even if the obligation is backed by a letter of credit or other guarantee.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to industry concentration above, if an investment company in which a Fund invests has an industry concentration policy, the Fund will consider that investment company for purposes of the Fund's industry concentration policy.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to lending set forth in (5) above, the 1940 Act does not prohibit a Fund from making loans; however, SEC staff interpretations currently prohibit funds from lending more than one-third of their total assets, except through the purchase of debt obligations or the use of repurchase agreements. (A repurchase agreement is an agreement to purchase a security, coupled with an agreement to sell that security back to the original seller on an agreed-upon date at a price that reflects current interest rates. The SEC frequently treats repurchase agreements as loans.) The Fund also will be permitted by this policy to make loans of money, including to other funds. The Fund has obtained exemptive relief from the SEC to make loans to other funds for temporary purposes. The policy in (5) above will be interpreted not to prevent the Fund from purchasing or investing in debt obligations and loans. In addition, collateral arrangements with respect to options, forward currency and futures transactions and other derivative instruments, as well as delays in the settlement of securities transactions, will not be considered loans.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to real estate set forth in (6) above, the 1940 Act does not prohibit a Fund from owning real estate; however, the Fund could lose favorable tax treatment if too much of its income is from sources other than investments in securities. This does not prevent the Fund from investing in securities of companies that invest in real estate or real estate-related activities.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to issuing senior securities set forth in (7) above, "senior securities" are defined as Fund obligations that have a priority over the Fund's shares with respect to the payment of dividends or the distribution of Fund assets. The 1940 Act prohibits a Fund from issuing senior securities except that the Fund may borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of the Fund's total assets from banks for any purpose. The Fund may also borrow up to 5% of the Fund's total assets from banks or other lenders for temporary purposes, and these borrowings are not considered senior securities. The policy in (7) above will be interpreted not to prevent collateral arrangements with respect to swaps, options, forward or futures contracts or other derivatives, or the posting of initial or variation margin.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to underwriting set forth in (8) above, the 1940 Act does not prohibit a Fund from engaging in the underwriting business or from underwriting the securities of other issuers; in fact, the 1940 Act permits the Fund to have underwriting commitments of up to 25% of its assets under certain circumstances. Those circumstances currently are that the amount of the Fund's underwriting commitments, when added to the value of the Fund's investments in issuers where the Fund owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of those issuers, cannot exceed the 25% cap. A fund engaging in transactions involving the acquisition or disposition of portfolio securities may be considered to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act. Although it is not believed that the application of the 1933 Act provisions described above would cause the Fund to be engaged in the business of underwriting, the policy in (8) above will be interpreted not to prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions involving the acquisition or disposition of portfolio securities, regardless of whether the fund may be considered to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act.

A Fund's fundamental policies will be interpreted broadly. For example, the policies will be interpreted to refer to the 1940 Act and the related rules as they are in effect from time to time, and to interpretations and modifications of or relating to the 1940 Act by the SEC and others as they are given from time to time. When a policy provides that an investment practice may be conducted as permitted by the 1940 Act, the policy will be interpreted to mean either that the 1940 Act expressly permits the practice or that the 1940 Act does not prohibit the practice.

The following investment policies and limitations are non-fundamental and apply to all Funds unless otherwise indicated:

1.Lending. Except for the purchase of debt securities, and engaging in repurchase agreements, each Fund may not make any loans other than securities loans.

2. Margin Transactions. Each Fund may not purchase securities on margin from brokers or other lenders except that a Fund may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of securities transactions. For all Funds, margin posted as collateral in connection with derivatives transactions and short sales shall not constitute the purchase of securities on margin and shall not be deemed to violate the foregoing limitation.

3. Illiquid Securities. No Fund may purchase any security if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in illiquid securities. An illiquid investment means any investment that a Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment.

4. Investment by a Fund of Funds. If shares of a Fund are purchased by another fund in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act, for so long as shares of the Fund are held by such fund, the Fund will not purchase securities of registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) or Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act.

5. Investments in Any One Issuer (Real Estate Portfolio and Sustainable Equity Portfolio). At the close of each quarter of the Fund's taxable year, (i) no more than 25% of the value of its total assets will be invested in the securities of a single issuer, and (ii) with regard to 50% of its total assets, no more than 5% of the value of its total assets will be invested in the securities of a single issuer. These limitations do not apply to U.S. government securities, as defined for federal tax purposes, or securities of another "regulated investment company" (as defined in section 851(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Code")) ("RIC").

6. Foreign Securities (Mid Cap Growth Portfolio, Mid Cap Intrinsic Value Portfolio, Real Estate Portfolio, Short Duration Bond Portfolio and Sustainable Equity Portfolio). These Funds may not invest more than 10% (20% in the case of Mid Cap Growth Portfolio, Mid Cap Intrinsic Value Portfolio, Short Duration Bond Portfolio and Sustainable Equity Portfolio) of the value of their total assets in securities denominated in foreign currency.

These policies do not limit investment in American Depository Receipts ("ADRs") and similar instruments denominated in U.S. dollars, where the underlying security may be denominated in a foreign currency.

7. Pledging. The Funds are not subject to any restrictions on their ability to pledge or hypothecate assets and may do so in connection with permitted borrowings.

8. Debt Securities (Short Duration Bond Portfolio). The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in bonds and other debt securities and other investment companies that provide investment exposure to such debt securities. The Fund will not alter this policy without providing at least 60 days' prior notice to shareholders.

9. Mid-Cap Companies (Mid Cap Growth Portfolio and Mid Cap Intrinsic Value Portfolio). The Fund shall normally invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus 80% of any borrowings for investment purposes, in mid-capitalization companies. The Fund will not alter this policy without providing at least 60 days' prior notice to shareholders.

10. Real Estate Companies (Real Estate Portfolio). The Fund shall normally invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus 80% of any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities issued by real estate investments trusts and common stocks and other securities issued by real estate companies. The Fund will not alter this policy without providing at least 60 days' prior notice to shareholders.

Senior Securities

Section 18(f)(1) of the 1940 Act prohibits an open-end investment company from issuing any class of senior security, or selling any class of senior security of which it is the issuer, except that the investment company may borrow from a bank provided that immediately after any such borrowing there is asset coverage of at least 300% for all of its borrowings. Rule 18f-4 permits funds to engage in "derivatives transactions" as defined by that rule that would otherwise be subject to the restrictions of Section 18 of the 1940 Act on their issuance of "senior securities." For information on Rule 18f-4, see "Additional Investment Information -- Futures Contracts, Options on Futures Contracts, Options on Securities and Indices, Forward Currency Contracts, Options on Foreign Currencies, and Swap Agreements" below.

Cash Management and Temporary Defensive Positions

For temporary defensive purposes, or to manage cash pending investment or payout, each Fund (except Sustainable Equity Portfolio) may invest up to 100% of its total assets in cash or cash equivalents, U.S. Government and Agency Securities, commercial paper, money market funds and certain other money market instruments, as well as repurchase agreements collateralized by the foregoing. Short Duration Bond Portfolio may adopt shorter than normal weighted average maturities or durations. Yields on these securities are generally lower than yields available on the lower-rated debt securities in which Short Duration Bond Portfolio normally invests.

Any part of Sustainable Equity Portfolio's assets may be retained temporarily in investment grade fixed income securities of non-governmental issuers, U.S. Government and Agency Securities, repurchase agreements, money market instruments, commercial paper, and cash and cash equivalents. Generally, the foregoing temporary investments for Sustainable Equity Portfolio are selected with a concern for the social impact of each investment. For instance, Sustainable Equity Portfolio may invest in CDs issued by community banks and credit unions.

These investments may prevent a Fund from achieving its investment objective.

In reliance on an SEC exemptive rule, a Fund may invest an unlimited amount of its uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with securities lending in shares of money market funds and unregistered funds that operate in compliance with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act, whether or not advised by NBIA or an affiliate, under specified conditions. Among other things, the conditions preclude an investing Fund from paying a sales charge, as defined in rule 2830(b) of the NASD Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. ("FINRA") ("sales charge"), or a service fee, as defined in that rule, in connection with its purchase or redemption of a money market fund's or an unregistered fund's shares, or the Fund's investment adviser must waive a sufficient amount of its advisory fee to offset any such sales charge or service fee. Money market funds and unregistered funds do not necessarily invest in accordance with the Sustainable Equity Portfolio's ESG criteria.

A Fund may also invest in such instruments to increase liquidity or to provide collateral to be segregated.

Additional Investment Information

Unless otherwise indicated, the Funds may buy the types of securities and use the investment techniques described below, subject to any applicable investment policies and limitations. However, the Funds may not buy all of the types of securities or use all of the investment techniques described below. Each Fund's principal investment strategies and the principal risks of each Fund's principal investment strategies are discussed in the Prospectuses.

Pursuant to Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act, each Fund may invest in both affiliated and unaffiliated investment companies, including exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), ("underlying funds") in excess of the limits in Section 12 of the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. When a Fund invests in underlying funds, it is indirectly exposed to the investment practices of the underlying funds and, therefore, is subject to all the risks associated with the practices of the underlying funds. This SAI is not an offer to sell shares of any underlying fund. Shares of an underlying fund are sold only through the currently effective prospectus for that underlying fund. Unless otherwise noted herein, the investment practices and associated risks detailed below also include those to which a Fund indirectly may be exposed through its investment in an underlying fund. Unless otherwise noted herein, any references to investments made by a Fund include those that may be made both directly by the Fund and indirectly by the Fund through its investments in underlying funds.

Asset-Backed Securities. Asset-backed securities represent direct or indirect participations in, or are secured by and payable from, pools of assets such as, among other things, motor vehicle installment sales contracts, installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, and receivables from revolving credit (credit card) agreements, or a combination of the foregoing. These assets are securitized through the use of trusts and special purpose corporations. Credit enhancements, such as various forms of cash collateral accounts or letters of credit, may support payments of principal and interest on asset-backed securities. Although these securities may be supported by letters of credit or other credit enhancements, payment of interest and principal ultimately depends upon individuals paying the underlying loans, which may be affected adversely by general downturns in the economy. Asset-backed securities are subject to the same risk of prepayment described with respect to mortgage-backed securities and to extension risk (the risk that an issuer of a security will make principal payments slower than anticipated by the investor, thus extending the securities' duration). The risk that recovery on repossessed collateral might be unavailable or inadequate to support payments, however, is greater for asset-backed securities than for mortgage-backed securities.

Certificates for Automobile Receivables^SM ("CARS^SM") represent undivided fractional interests in a trust whose assets consist of a pool of motor vehicle retail installment sales contracts and security interests in the vehicles securing those contracts. Payments of principal and interest on the underlying contracts are passed through monthly to certificate holders and are guaranteed up to specified amounts by a letter of credit issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the trustee or originator of the trust. Underlying installment sales contracts are subject to prepayment, which may reduce the overall return to certificate holders. Certificate holders also may experience delays in payment or losses on CARS^SM if the trust does not realize the full amounts due on underlying installment sales contracts because of unanticipated legal or administrative costs of enforcing the contracts; depreciation, damage, or loss of the vehicles securing the contracts; or other factors.

Credit card receivable securities are backed by receivables from revolving credit card agreements ("Accounts"). Credit balances on Accounts are generally paid down more rapidly than are automobile contracts. Most of the credit card receivable securities issued publicly to date have been pass-through certificates. In order to lengthen their maturity or duration, most such securities provide for a fixed period during which only interest payments on the underlying Accounts are passed through to the security holder; principal payments received on the Accounts are used to fund the transfer of additional credit card charges made on the Accounts to the pool of assets supporting the securities. Usually, the initial fixed period may be shortened if specified events occur which signal a potential deterioration in the quality of the assets backing the security, such as the imposition of a cap on interest rates. An issuer's ability to extend the life of an issue of credit card receivable securities thus depends on the continued generation of principal amounts in the underlying Accounts and the non-occurrence of the specified events. The non-deductibility of consumer interest, as well as competitive and general economic factors, could adversely affect the rate at which new receivables are created in an Account and conveyed to an issuer, thereby shortening the expected weighted average life of the related security and reducing its yield. An acceleration in cardholders' payment rates or any other event that shortens the period during which additional credit card charges on an Account may be transferred to the pool of assets supporting the related security could have a similar effect on its weighted average life and yield.

Credit cardholders are entitled to the protection of state and federal consumer credit laws. Many of those laws give a holder the right to set off certain amounts against balances owed on the credit card, thereby reducing amounts paid on Accounts. In addition, unlike the collateral for most other asset-backed securities, Accounts are unsecured obligations of the cardholder.

A Fund may invest in trust preferred securities, which are a type of asset-backed security. Trust preferred securities represent interests in a trust formed by a parent company to finance its operations. The trust sells preferred shares and invests the proceeds in debt securities of the parent. This debt may be subordinated and unsecured. Dividend payments on the trust preferred securities match the interest payments on the debt securities; if no interest is paid on the debt securities, the trust will not make current payments on its preferred securities. Unlike typical asset-backed securities, which have many underlying payors and are usually overcollateralized, trust preferred securities have only one underlying payor and are not overcollateralized. Issuers of trust preferred securities and their parents currently enjoy favorable tax treatment. If the tax characterization of trust preferred securities were to change, they could be redeemed by the issuers, which could result in a loss to a Fund.

Banking and Savings Institution Securities. These include CDs, time deposits, bankers' acceptances, and other short-term and long-term debt obligations issued by commercial banks and savings institutions. The CDs, time deposits, and bankers' acceptances in which the Funds invest typically are not covered by deposit insurance.

A certificate of deposit is a short-term negotiable certificate issued by a commercial bank against funds deposited in the bank and is either interest-bearing or purchased on a discount basis. A bankers' acceptance is a short-term draft drawn on a commercial bank by a borrower, usually in connection with an international commercial transaction. The borrower is liable for payment as is the bank, which unconditionally guarantees to pay the draft at its face amount on the maturity date. Fixed time deposits are obligations of branches of U.S. banks or foreign banks that are payable at a stated maturity date and bear a fixed rate of interest. Although fixed time deposits do not have a market, there are no contractual restrictions on the right to transfer a beneficial interest in the deposit to a third party. Deposit notes are notes issued by commercial banks that generally bear fixed rates of interest and typically have original maturities ranging from eighteen months to five years.

Banks are subject to extensive governmental regulations that may limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments that may be made and the interest rates and fees that may be charged. The profitability of this industry is largely dependent upon the availability and cost of capital, which can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change. Also, general economic conditions, consolidation and competition among banking and savings institutions play an important part in the operations of this industry and exposure to credit losses arising from possible financial difficulties of borrowers might affect a bank's ability to meet its obligations. Bank obligations may be general obligations of the parent bank or may be limited to the issuing branch by the terms of the specific obligations or by government regulation.

In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act") was passed, which significantly impacted the financial services industry, including more stringent regulation of depository institutions and their holding companies. Federal regulatory agencies are still implementing many of the Dodd-Frank Act's provisions but increased regulation could impact the operations and profitability of depository institutions and their holding companies.

In addition, securities of foreign banks and foreign branches of U.S. banks may involve investment risks in addition to those relating to domestic bank obligations. Such risks include future political and economic developments, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, and the possible adoption of foreign governmental restrictions that might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on such obligations. In addition, foreign banks and foreign branches of U.S. banks may be subject to less stringent reserve requirements and non-U.S. issuers generally are subject to different accounting, auditing, reporting and recordkeeping standards than those applicable to U.S. issuers.

In March 2023, the shut-down of certain financial institutions raised economic concerns over disruption in the U.S. banking system. There can be no certainty that the actions taken by the U.S. government to strengthen public confidence in the U.S. banking system will be effective in mitigating the effects of financial institution failures on the economy and restoring public confidence in the U.S. banking system.

Collateralized Loan Obligations. A Fund also may invest in collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs"), which are another type of asset-backed security. A CLO is a trust or other special purpose entity that is comprised of or collateralized by a pool of loans, including domestic and non-U.S. senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. The loans generate cash flow that is allocated among one or more classes of securities ("tranches") that vary in risk and yield. The most senior tranche has the best credit quality and the lowest yield compared to the other tranches. The equity tranche has the highest potential yield but also has the greatest risk, as it bears the bulk of defaults from the underlying loans and helps to protect the more senior tranches from risk of these defaults. However, despite the protection from the equity and other more junior tranches, more senior tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults and decreased market value due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CLO securities as a class.

Normally, CLOs are privately offered and sold and are not registered under state or federal securities laws. Therefore, investments in CLOs may be characterized by a Fund as illiquid securities; however, an active dealer market may exist for CLOs allowing a CLO to qualify for transactions pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act. CLOs normally charge management fees and administrative expenses, which are in addition to those of a Fund.

The riskiness of investing in CLOs depends largely on the quality and type of the collateral loans and the tranche of the CLO in which a Fund invests. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed-income securities discussed elsewhere in this SAI and a Fund's Prospectus (such as interest rate risk and credit risk), CLOs carry risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from the collateral will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the Fund may invest in CLO tranches that are subordinate to other tranches; and (iv) the complex structure of the CLO may not be fully understood at the time of investment or may result in the quality of the underlying collateral not being fully understood and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results. In addition, interest on certain tranches of a CLO may be paid in-kind (meaning that unpaid interest is effectively added to principal), which involves continued exposure to default risk with respect to such payments. Certain CLOs may receive credit enhancement in the form of a senior-subordinate structure, over-collateralization or bond insurance, but such enhancement may not always be present and may fail to protect a Fund against the risk of loss due to defaults on the collateral. Certain CLOs may not hold loans directly, but rather, use derivatives such as swaps to create "synthetic" exposure to the collateral pool of loans. Such CLOs entail the risks of derivative instruments described elsewhere in this SAI.

Commercial Paper. Commercial paper is a short-term debt security issued by a corporation, bank, municipality, or other issuer, usually for purposes such as financing current operations. A Fund may invest in commercial paper that cannot be resold to the public without an effective registration statement under the 1933 Act. While some restricted commercial paper normally is deemed illiquid, the Manager may in certain cases determine that such paper is liquid.

Commodities Related Investments. A Fund may purchase securities backed by physical commodities, including interests in exchange-traded investment trusts and other similar entities, the value of the shares of which relates directly to the value of physical commodities held by such an entity. As an investor in such an entity, a Fund would indirectly bear its pro rata share of the entity's expenses, which may include storage and other costs relating to the entity's investments in physical commodities. In addition, a Fund will not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year in which more than 10% of its gross income consists of "non-qualifying" income, which includes gains from selling physical commodities (or options or futures contracts thereon unless the gain is realized from certain hedging transactions) and certain other non-passive income. A Fund's investment in securities backed by, or in such entities that invest in, physical commodities would produce non-qualifying income, although investments in stock of a "controlled foreign corporation" that invests in physical commodities and annually distributes its net income and gains generally should not produce such income. To remain within the 10% limitation, a Fund may need to hold such an investment or sell it at a loss, or sell other investments, when for investment reasons it would not otherwise do so. The availability of such measures does not guarantee that a Fund would be able to satisfy that limitation.

Exposure to physical commodities may subject a Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of such investments may be affected by overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as supply and demand, drought, floods, weather, embargoes, tariffs and international economic, political and regulatory developments. Their value may also respond to investor perception of instability in the national or international economy, whether or not justified by the facts. However, these investments may help to moderate fluctuations in the value of a Fund's other holdings, because these investments may not correlate with investments in traditional securities. Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for commodities, which may reduce market prices and cause the value of a Fund's shares to fall. No active trading market may exist for certain commodities investments, which may impair the ability of a Fund to sell or realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such investments. Certain commodities are subject to limited pricing flexibility because of supply and demand factors. Others are subject to broad price fluctuations as a result of the volatility of the prices for certain raw materials and the instability of the supplies of other materials. These additional variables may create additional investment risks and result in greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. Because physical commodities do not generate investment income, the return on such investments will be derived solely from the appreciation or depreciation on such investments. Certain types of commodities instruments (such as commodity-linked swaps and commodity-linked structured notes) are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the instrument will not perform or will be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.

Policies and Limitations. For the Funds' policies and limitations on commodities, see "Investment Policies and Limitations--Commodities" above. In addition, a Fund does not intend to sell commodities related investments when doing so would cause it to fail to qualify as a RIC.

Contingent Convertible Securities. Contingent convertible securities ("CoCos") are a form of hybrid security that are intended to either convert into equity or have their principal written down upon the occurrence of certain triggers. The triggers are generally linked to regulatory capital thresholds or regulatory actions calling into question the issuer's continued viability as a going concern. The unique equity conversion or principal write-down features of CoCos are tailored to the issuer and its regulatory requirements. CoCos typically will be issued in the form of subordinated debt instruments in order to provide the appropriate regulatory capital treatment prior to a conversion. One type of CoCo provides for mandatory conversion of the security into common stock of the issuer under certain circumstances. The mandatory conversion might relate, for example, to the issuer's failure to maintain a capital minimum required by regulations. Because the common stock of the issuer may not pay a dividend, investors in such securities could experience reduced yields (or no yields at all) and conversion would worsen the investor's standing in the case of an issuer's insolvency. Another type of CoCo has characteristics designed to absorb losses, where the liquidation value of the security may be adjusted downward to below the original par value or written off entirely under certain circumstances. For instance, in the event that losses have eroded the issuer's capital levels to below a specified threshold, the liquidation value of the security may be reduced in whole or in part. The write-down of the security's par value may occur automatically and would not entitle holders to institute bankruptcy proceedings against the issuer. In addition, an automatic write-down could result in a reduced income rate if the dividend or interest payment associated with the security is based on the security's par value. Such securities may, but are not required to, provide for circumstances under which the liquidation value of the security may be adjusted back up to par, such as an improvement in capitalization or earnings. In addition, CoCos may have no stated maturity and may have fully discretionary coupons that can potentially be cancelled at the issuer's discretion or may be prohibited by the relevant regulatory authority from being paid in order to help the issuer absorb losses.

Convertible Securities. A convertible security is a bond, debenture, note, preferred stock, or other security or debt obligation that may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or a different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. Convertible securities generally have features of, and risks associated with, both equity and fixed income instruments. As such, the value of most convertible securities will vary with changes in the price of, and will be subject to the risks associated with, the underlying common stock. Additionally, convertible securities are also subject to the risk that the issuer may not be able to pay principal or interest when due and the value of the convertible security may change based on the issuer's credit rating.

A convertible security entitles the holder to receive the interest paid or accrued on debt or the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Before conversion, such securities ordinarily provide a stream of income with generally higher yields than common stocks of the same or similar issuers, but lower than the yield on non-convertible debt. Convertible securities are usually subordinated to comparable-tier non-convertible securities and other senior debt obligations of the issuer, but rank senior to common stock in a company's capital structure. The value of a convertible security is a function of (1) its yield in comparison to the yields of other securities of comparable maturity and quality that do not have a conversion privilege and (2) its worth if converted into the underlying common stock.

The price of a convertible security often reflects variations in the price of the underlying common stock in a way that non-convertible debt may not. Convertible securities may be issued by smaller capitalization companies whose stock prices may be more volatile than larger capitalization companies. A convertible security may have a mandatory conversion feature or a call feature that subjects it to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the security's governing instrument. If a convertible security held by a Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to convert it into the underlying common stock, sell it to a third party or permit the issuer to redeem the security. Any of these actions could have an adverse effect on a Fund's ability to achieve its investment objectives.

Policies and Limitations. Sustainable Equity Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its net assets in convertible securities. The Fund does not intend to purchase any convertible securities that are not investment grade.

Direct Debt Instruments including Loans, Loan Assignments, and Loan Participations. Direct debt includes interests in loans, notes and other interests in amounts owed to financial institutions by borrowers, such as companies and governments, including emerging market countries. Direct debt instruments are interests in amounts owed by corporate, governmental, or other borrowers (including emerging market countries) to lenders or lending syndicates. Purchasers of loans and other forms of direct indebtedness depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower for payment of principal and interest. The borrower may be in financial distress or may default. If a Fund does not receive scheduled interest or principal payments on such indebtedness, the Fund's share price and yield could be adversely affected. Participations in debt instruments may involve a risk of insolvency of the selling bank. In addition, there may be fewer legal protections for owners of participation interests than for direct lenders. Direct indebtedness of developing countries involves a risk that the governmental entities responsible for the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due. See the additional risks described under "Foreign Securities" in this SAI.

Direct debt instruments may have floating interest rates. These interest rates will vary depending on the terms of the underlying loan and market conditions.

Loans, Loan Assignments, and Loan Participations. Floating rate securities, including loans, provide for automatic adjustment of the interest rate at fixed intervals (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, or semi-annually) or automatic adjustment of the interest rate whenever a specified interest rate or index changes. The interest rate on floating rate securities ordinarily is determined by reference to LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate), a particular bank's prime rate, the 90-day Treasury Department Bill rate, the rate of return on commercial paper or bank CDs, an index of short-term tax-exempt rates or some other objective measure. A Fund may invest in secured and unsecured loans.

A Fund may invest in direct debt instruments by direct investment as a lender, by taking an assignment of all or a portion of an interest in a loan previously held by another institution or by acquiring a participation interest in a loan that continues to be held by another institution. It also may be difficult for a Fund to obtain an accurate picture of a selling bank's financial condition. Loans are subject to the same risks as other direct debt instruments discussed above and carry additional risks described in this section.

Direct Investments. When a Fund invests as an initial investor in a new loan, the investment is typically made at par value. Secondary purchases of loans may be made at a premium to par, at par, or at a discount to par. Therefore, a Fund's return on a secondary investment may be lower, equal, or higher than if the Fund had made a direct investment. As an initial investor in a new loan, the Fund may be paid a commitment fee.

Assignments. When a Fund purchases a loan by assignment, the Fund typically succeeds to the rights of the assigning lender under the loan agreement and becomes a lender under the loan agreement. Subject to the terms of the loan agreement, a Fund typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the loan agreement of the assigning lender. However, assignments may be arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and potential assignors, and the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning lender.

Participation Interests. A Fund's rights under a participation interest with respect to a particular loan may be more limited than the rights of original lenders or of investors who acquire an assignment of that loan. In purchasing participation interests, a Fund will have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the lender selling the participation interest (the "participating lender") and only when the participating lender receives the payments from the borrower.

In a participation interest, a Fund will usually have a contractual relationship only with the selling institution and not the underlying borrower. A Fund normally will have to rely on the participating lender to demand and receive payments in respect of the loans, and to pay those amounts on to the Fund; thus, a Fund will be subject to the risk that the lender may be unwilling or unable to do so. In such a case, a Fund would not likely have any rights against the borrower directly. In addition, a Fund generally will have no right to object to certain changes to the loan agreement agreed to by the participating lender.

In buying a participation interest, a Fund might 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 the event of bankruptcy or insolvency of the borrower, the obligation of the borrower to repay the loan may be subject to certain defenses that can be asserted by the borrower as a result of any improper conduct of the participating lender. As a result, a Fund may be subject to delays, expenses and risks that are greater than those that exist when the Fund is an original lender or assignee.

Creditworthiness. A Fund's ability to receive payments in connection with loans depends on the financial condition of the borrower. The Manager will not rely solely on another lending institution's credit analysis of the borrower, but will perform its own investment analysis of the borrower. The Manager's analysis may include consideration of the borrower's financial strength, managerial experience, debt coverage, additional borrowing requirements or debt maturity schedules, changing financial conditions, and responsiveness to changes in business conditions and interest rates. Indebtedness of borrowers whose creditworthiness is poor involves substantially greater risks and may be highly speculative. Borrowers that are in bankruptcy or restructuring may never pay off their indebtedness, or may pay only a small fraction of the amount owed. In connection with the restructuring of a loan or other direct debt instrument outside of bankruptcy court in a negotiated work-out or in the context of bankruptcy proceedings, equity securities or junior debt securities may be received in exchange for all or a portion of an interest in the security.

In buying a participation interest, a Fund assumes the credit risk of both the borrower and the participating lender. If the participating lender fails to perform its obligations under the participation agreement, a Fund might incur costs and delays in realizing payment and suffer a loss of principal and/or interest. If a participating lender becomes insolvent, a Fund may be treated as a general creditor of that lender. As a general creditor, a Fund may not benefit from a right of set off that the lender has against the borrower. A Fund will acquire a participation interest only if the Manager determines that the participating lender or other intermediary participant selling the participation interest is creditworthy.

Ratings. Loan interests may not be rated by independent rating agencies and therefore, investments in a particular loan participation may depend almost exclusively on the credit analysis of the borrower performed by the Manager.

Agents. Loans are typically administered by a bank, insurance company, finance company or other financial institution (the "agent") for a lending syndicate of financial institutions. In a typical loan, the agent administers the terms of the loan agreement and is responsible for the collection of principal and interest and fee payments from the borrower and the apportionment of these payments to all lenders that are parties to the loan agreement. In addition, an institution (which may be the agent) may hold collateral on behalf of the lenders. Typically, under loan agreements, the agent is given broad authority in monitoring the borrower's performance and is obligated to use the same care it would use in the management of its own property. In asserting rights against a borrower, a Fund normally will be dependent on the willingness of the lead bank to assert these rights, or upon a vote of all the lenders to authorize the action.

If an agent becomes insolvent, or has a receiver, conservator, or similar official appointed for it by the appropriate regulatory authority, or becomes a debtor in a bankruptcy proceeding, the agent's appointment may be terminated and a successor agent would be appointed. If an appropriate regulator or court determines that assets held by the agent for the benefit of the purchasers of loans are subject to the claims of the agent's general or secured creditors, a Fund might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on a loan or suffer a loss of principal and/or interest. A Fund may be subject to similar risks when it buys a participation interest or an assignment from an intermediary.

Collateral. Although most of the loans in which a Fund invests are secured, there is no assurance that the collateral can be promptly liquidated, or that its liquidation value will be equal to the value of the debt. In most loan agreements there is no formal requirement to pledge additional collateral if the value of the initial collateral declines. As a result, a loan may not always be fully collateralized and can decline significantly in value.

If a borrower becomes insolvent, access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy and other laws. Borrowers that are in bankruptcy may pay only a small portion of the amount owed, if they are able to pay at all. In addition, if a secured loan is foreclosed, a Fund may bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. The collateral may be difficult to sell and a Fund would bear the risk that the collateral may decline in value while the Fund is holding it. There is also a possibility that a Fund will become the owner of its pro rata share of the collateral which may carry additional risks and liabilities. In addition, under legal theories of lender liability, a Fund potentially might be held liable as a co-lender. In the event of a borrower's bankruptcy or insolvency, the borrower's obligation to repay the loan may be subject to certain defenses that the borrower can assert as a result of improper conduct by the Agent.

Some loans are unsecured. If the borrower defaults on an unsecured loan, a Fund will be a general creditor and will not have rights to any specific assets of the borrower.

Liquidity. Loans are generally subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale. Loans are not currently listed on any securities exchange or automatic quotation system. As a result, there may not be a recognized, liquid public market for loan interests.

Prepayment Risk and Maturity. Because many loans are repaid early, the actual maturity of loans is typically shorter than their stated final maturity calculated solely on the basis of the stated life and payment schedule. The degree to which borrowers prepay loans, whether as a contractual requirement or at their election, may be affected by general business conditions, market interest rates, the borrower's financial condition and competitive conditions among lenders. Such prepayments may require a Fund to replace an investment with a lower yielding security which may have an adverse effect on the Fund's share price. Prepayments cannot be predicted with accuracy. Floating rate loans can be less sensitive to prepayment risk, but a Fund's net asset value ("NAV") may still fluctuate in response to interest rate changes because variable interest rates may reset only periodically and may not rise or decline as much as interest rates in general.

Restrictive Covenants. A borrower must comply with various restrictive covenants in a loan agreement such as restrictions on dividend payments and limits on total debt. The loan agreement may also contain a covenant requiring the borrower to prepay the loan with any free cash flow. A breach of a covenant is normally an event of default, which provides the agent or the lenders the right to call the outstanding loan.

Fees and Expenses. A Fund may be required to pay and receive various fees and commissions in the process of purchasing, selling, and holding loans. The fee component may include any, or a combination of, the following elements: assignment fees, arrangement fees, non-use fees, facility fees, letter of credit fees, and ticking fees. Arrangement fees are paid at the commencement of a loan as compensation for the initiation of the transaction. A non-use fee is paid based upon the amount committed but not used under the loan. Facility fees are on-going annual fees paid in connection with a loan. Letter of credit fees are paid if a loan involves a letter of credit. Ticking fees are paid from the initial commitment indication until loan closing if for an extended period. The amount of fees is negotiated at the time of closing. In addition, a Fund incurs expenses associated with researching and analyzing potential loan investments, including legal fees.

Available Information. Loans normally are not registered with the SEC or any state securities commission or listed on any securities exchange. As a result, the amount of public information available about a specific loan historically has been less extensive than if the loan were registered or exchange traded. They may also not be considered "securities," and purchasers, such as a Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the strong anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws.

Leveraged Buy-Out Transactions. Loans purchased by a Fund may represent interests in loans made to finance highly leveraged corporate acquisitions, known as "leveraged buy-out" transactions, leveraged recapitalization loans and other types of acquisition financing. The highly leveraged capital structure of the borrowers in such transactions may make such loans especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions.

Junior Loans. A Fund may invest in second lien secured loans and secured and unsecured subordinated loans, including bridge loans ("Junior Loans"). In the event of a bankruptcy or liquidation, second lien secured loans are generally paid only if the value of the borrower's collateral is sufficient to satisfy the borrower's obligations to the first lien secured lenders and even then, the remaining collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed to a Fund. Second lien secured loans give investors priority over general unsecured creditors in the event of an asset sale.

Junior Loans are subject to the same general risks inherent to any loan investment, including credit risk, market and liquidity risk, and interest rate risk. Due to their lower place in the borrower's capital structure, Junior Loans involve a higher degree of overall risk than senior loans of the same borrower.

Bridge Loans. Bridge loans or bridge facilities are short-term loan arrangements (e.g., 12 to 18 months) typically made by a borrower in anticipation of intermediate-term or long-term permanent financing. Most bridge loans are structured as floating-rate debt with step-up provisions under which the interest rate on the bridge loan rises over time. Thus, the longer the loan remains outstanding, the more the interest rate increases. In addition, bridge loans commonly contain a conversion feature that allows the bridge loan investor to convert its loan interest into senior exchange notes if the loan has not been prepaid in full on or prior to its maturity date. Bridge loans may be subordinate to other debt and may be secured or unsecured. Like any loan, bridge loans involve credit risk. Bridge loans are generally made with the expectation that the borrower will be able to obtain permanent financing in the near future. Any delay in obtaining permanent financing subjects the bridge loan investor to increased risk. A borrower's use of bridge loans also involves the risk that the borrower may be unable to locate permanent financing to replace the bridge loan, which may impair the borrower's perceived creditworthiness.

Delayed draw term loans. A Fund may be obligated under the terms of the relevant loan documents to advance additional funds after the initial disbursement that it makes at the time of its investment. For example, the loan may not have been fully funded at that time or the lenders may have ongoing commitments to make further advances up to a stated maximum. When a loan has been fully funded, however, repaid principal amounts normally may not be reborrowed. Interest accrues on the outstanding principal amount of the loan. The borrower normally may pay a fee during any commitment period.

Policies and Limitations. The Funds do not intend to invest in loan instruments that could require additional investments upon the borrower's demand, but may invest in loans that require funding at a later date following the initial investment in the loan.

Each Fund's policies limit the percentage of its assets that can be invested in the securities of one issuer or in issuers primarily involved in one industry. Legal interpretations by the SEC staff may require a Fund to treat both the lending bank and the borrower as "issuers" of a loan participation by the Fund. In combination, a Fund's policies and the SEC staff's interpretations may limit the amount the Fund can invest in loan participations.

For purposes of determining its dollar-weighted average maturity or duration, each Fund calculates the remaining maturity or duration of loans on the basis of the stated life and payment schedule.

Dollar Rolls. In a "dollar roll," a Fund sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously agrees to repurchase substantially similar (i.e., same type and coupon) securities on a specified future date from the same party. During the period before the repurchase, the Fund forgoes principal and interest payments on the securities. The Fund is compensated by the difference between the current sales price and the forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the "drop"), as well as by the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale. Dollar rolls may increase fluctuations in a Fund's NAV and may be viewed as a form of leverage. A "covered roll" is a specific type of dollar roll in which a Fund holds an offsetting cash position or a cash-equivalent securities position that matures on or before the forward settlement date of the dollar roll transaction. There is a risk that the counterparty will be unable or unwilling to complete the transaction as scheduled, which may result in losses to a Fund. The Manager monitors the creditworthiness of counterparties to dollar rolls.

Policies and Limitations. Dollar rolls are considered borrowings for purposes of each Fund's investment policies and limitations concerning borrowings.

Energy-Related Investments. The securities of companies in energy-related activities include, among others, integrated oil and gas companies, refining companies, independent oil and gas companies, oil service companies, coal companies, energy infrastructure companies, energy transportation companies, energy master limited partnerships (see "Master Limited Partnerships" above), natural gas and electric utilities, and alternative energy providers. Companies in the energy sector are especially affected by variations in the commodities markets (that may be due to market events, regulatory developments or other factors that a Fund cannot control) and may lack the resources and the broad business lines to weather hard times. These companies face the risk that their earnings, dividends and stock prices will be affected by changes in the prices and supplies of energy fuels. Prices and supplies of energy can fluctuate significantly over short and long periods because of a variety of factors, including the supply and demand for energy fuels, international political events, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, tax and other governmental regulations, policies of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries ("OPEC"), and relationships among OPEC members and between OPEC and oil-importing countries. In addition, companies in the energy sector are at risk of civil liability from accidents resulting in pollution or other environmental damage claims and risk of loss from terrorism and natural disasters. Shifts in energy consumption or supply disruptions may significantly impact companies in this sector. Further, because a significant portion of revenues of companies in this sector are derived from a relatively small number of customers that are largely composed of governmental entities and utilities, governmental budget constraints may have a significant impact on the stock prices of companies in this industry.

Equity Securities. Equity securities in which a Fund may invest include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities and warrants. Common stocks and preferred stocks represent shares of ownership in a corporation. Preferred stocks usually have specific dividends and rank after bonds and before common stock in claims on assets of the corporation should it be dissolved. Increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a corporation's stock price. Convertible securities are debt or preferred equity securities convertible into common stock. Usually, convertible securities pay dividends or interest at rates higher than common stock, but lower than other securities. Convertible securities usually participate to some extent in the appreciation or depreciation of the underlying stock into which they are convertible. Warrants are options to buy a stated number of shares of common stock at a specified price anytime during the life of the warrants.

To the extent a Fund invests in such securities, the value of securities held by the Fund will be affected by changes in the stock markets, which may be the result of domestic or international political or economic news, changes in interest rates or changing investor sentiment. At times, the stock markets can be volatile and stock prices can change substantially. Because some investors purchase equity securities with borrowed money, an increase in interest rates can cause a decline in equity prices. The equity securities of smaller companies are more sensitive to these changes than those of larger companies. This market risk will affect a Fund's NAV per share, which will fluctuate as the value of the securities held by the Fund changes. Not all stock prices change uniformly or at the same time and not all stock markets move in the same direction at the same time. Other factors affect a particular stock's prices, such as poor earnings reports by an issuer, loss of major customers, major litigation against an issuer, or changes in governmental regulations affecting an industry. Adverse news affecting one company can sometimes depress the stock prices of all companies in the same industry. Not all factors can be predicted.

ESG Policies and Limitations Risk. The Funds' application of any ESG policies and limitations described below is designed and utilized to help identify companies that demonstrate the potential to create economic value or reduce risk; however as with the use of any investment criteria in selecting a portfolio, there is no guarantee that the criteria used by a Fund will result in the selection of issuers that will outperform other issuers, or help reduce risk in the portfolio. The use of the Funds' ESG policies and limitations could also affect the Funds' exposure to certain sectors or industries, and could impact a Fund's investment performance depending on whether the ESG policies and limitations used are ultimately reflected in the market.

Policies and Limitations. Investments by the Funds (except Sustainable Equity Portfolio) in securities issued by companies that have more than 25% of revenue derived from thermal coal mining or are expanding new thermal coal power generation are subject to formal review and approval by Neuberger Berman's Environmental, Social and Governance Committee before the initiation of any new investment positions in the securities of those companies.

Fixed Income Securities. Each Fund may invest in investment grade debt securities, including debentures, variable rate securities (the interest rates on which reset at specified intervals to reflect current market rates as defined by a certain index or reference rate), and floating rate securities (the interest rates on which reset whenever the specified index or reference rate changes). A Fund may invest in debt securities rated below investment grade.

Fixed income securities are subject to the risk of an issuer's inability to meet principal and interest payments on its obligations ("credit risk") and are subject to price volatility due to such factors as interest rate sensitivity ("interest rate risk"), market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer, and market liquidity ("market risk"). The value of a Fund's fixed income investments is likely to decline in times of rising market interest rates. Conversely, the value of a Fund's fixed income investments is likely to rise in times of declining market interest rates. Typically, the longer the time to maturity of a given security, the greater is the change in its value in response to a change in interest rates. Foreign debt securities are subject to risks similar to those of other foreign securities.

Lower-rated securities are more likely to react to developments affecting market and credit risk than are more highly rated securities, which react primarily to movements in the general level of interest rates. Debt securities in the lowest rating categories may involve a substantial risk of default or may be in default. Changes in economic conditions or developments regarding the individual issuer are more likely to cause price volatility and weaken the capacity of the issuer of such securities to make principal and interest payments than is the case for higher-grade debt securities. An economic downturn affecting the issuer may result in an increased incidence of default. The market for lower-rated securities may be thinner and less active than for higher-rated securities. Pricing of thinly traded securities requires greater judgment than pricing of securities for which market transactions are regularly reported. Odd lots may trade at lower prices than institutional round lots.

Call Risk. Some debt securities in which a Fund may invest are also subject to the risk that the issuer might repay them early ("call risk"). When market interest rates are low, issuers generally call securities paying higher interest rates. For this reason, a Fund holding a callable security may not enjoy the increase in the security's market price that usually accompanies a decline in rates. Furthermore, a Fund would have to reinvest the proceeds from the called security at the current, lower rates.

Ratings of Fixed Income Securities. A Fund may purchase securities rated by S&P, Moody's, Fitch, Inc. or any other nationally recognized statistical rating organization ("NRSRO") (please see the Prospectuses for further information). The ratings of an NRSRO represent its opinion as to the quality of securities it undertakes to rate. Ratings are not absolute standards of quality; consequently, securities with the same maturity, duration, coupon, and rating may have different yields. In addition, NRSROs are subject to an inherent conflict of interest because they are often compensated by the same issuers whose securities they rate. Although the Funds may rely on the ratings of any NRSRO, the Funds refer primarily to ratings assigned by S&P, Moody's, and Fitch, Inc., which are described in Appendix A. A Fund may also invest in unrated securities that have been determined by the Manager to be comparable in quality to the rated securities in which the Fund may permissibly invest.

High-quality debt securities. High-quality debt securities are securities that have received from at least one NRSRO, such as S&P, Moody's or Fitch, Inc., a rating in one of the two highest rating categories (the highest category in the case of commercial paper) or, if not rated by any NRSRO, such as U.S. Government and Agency Securities, have been determined by the Manager to be of comparable quality.

Investment Grade Debt Securities. Investment grade debt securities are securities that have received, from at least one NRSRO that has rated it, a rating in one of the four highest rating categories or, if not rated by any NRSRO, have been determined by the Manager to be of comparable quality ("Comparable Unrated Securities"). Moody's deems securities rated in its fourth highest rating category (Baa) to have speculative characteristics; a change in economic factors could lead to a weakened capacity of the issuer to repay. If a security receives one rating in one of the four highest rating categories and another rating below the fourth highest rating category, it will be considered investment grade.

Lower-Rated Debt Securities. Lower-rated debt securities or "junk bonds" are those rated below the fourth highest category (including those securities rated as low as D by S&P) or unrated securities of comparable quality. Securities rated below investment grade are often considered to be speculative. See the risks described under "Lower-Rated Debt Securities" in this SAI.

Ratings Downgrades. Subsequent to a Fund's purchase of debt securities, the rating of that issue of debt securities may be reduced, so that the securities would no longer be eligible for purchase by that Fund. In such a case, with respect to Short Duration Bond Portfolio, the Manager will engage in an orderly disposition of the downgraded securities or other securities to the extent necessary to ensure the Fund's holdings of securities that are considered by the Fund to be below investment grade will not exceed 20% of its net assets.

Duration and Maturity. Duration is a measure of the sensitivity of debt securities to changes in market interest rates, based on the entire cash flow associated with the securities, including payments occurring before the final repayment of principal.

The Manager may utilize duration as a tool in portfolio selection instead of the more traditional measure known as "term to maturity." "Term to maturity" measures only the time until a debt security provides its final payment, taking no account of the pattern of the security's payments prior to maturity. Duration incorporates a debt security's yield, coupon interest payments, final maturity and call features into one measure. Duration therefore provides a more accurate measurement of a debt security's likely price change in response to a given change in market interest rates. The longer the duration, the greater the debt security's price movement will be as interest rates change. For any fixed income security with interest payments occurring prior to the payment of principal, duration is always less than maturity.

Futures, options and options on futures have durations which are generally related to the duration of the securities underlying them. Holding long futures or call option positions will lengthen a Fund's duration by approximately the same amount as would holding an equivalent amount of the underlying securities. Short futures or put options have durations roughly equal to the negative of the duration of the securities that underlie these positions, and have the effect of reducing portfolio duration by approximately the same amount as would selling an equivalent amount of the underlying securities.

There are some situations where even the standard duration calculation does not properly reflect the interest rate exposure of a security. For example, floating and variable rate securities often have final maturities of ten or more years; however, their interest rate exposure corresponds to the frequency of the coupon reset. Another example where the interest rate exposure is not properly captured by duration is the case of mortgage-backed securities. The stated final maturity of such securities is generally 30 years, but current and expected prepayment rates are critical in determining the securities' interest rate exposure. In these and other similar situations, the Manager, where permitted, will use more sophisticated analytical techniques that incorporate the economic life of a security into the determination of its interest rate exposure.

Policies and Limitations. Except as otherwise provided in the Prospectuses and this SAI, a Fund (except Short Duration Bond Portfolio) normally may invest up to 20% of its total assets in debt securities. The Short Duration Bond Portfolio normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in bonds and other debt securities and other investment companies that provide investment exposure to such debt securities.

Foreign Securities. A Fund may invest in equity, debt, or other securities of foreign issuers and foreign branches of U.S. banks. These securities may be U.S. dollar denominated or denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies and may include (1) common and preferred stocks, (2) negotiable CDs, commercial paper, fixed time deposits, and bankers' acceptances, (3) obligations of other corporations, and (4) obligations of foreign governments and their subdivisions, agencies, and instrumentalities, international agencies, and supranational entities. Foreign issuers are issuers organized and doing business principally outside the United States and include banks, non-U.S. governments, and quasi-governmental organizations. Investments in foreign securities involve sovereign and other risks, in addition to the credit and market risks normally associated with domestic securities. These risks include the possibility of adverse political and economic developments (including political or social instability, nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation); the potentially adverse effects of the unavailability of public information regarding issuers, less governmental supervision and regulation of financial markets, reduced liquidity of certain financial markets, and the lack of uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards or the application of standards that are different or less stringent than those applied in the United States; different laws and customs governing securities tracking; and possibly limited access to the courts to enforce a Fund's rights as an investor. It may be difficult to invoke legal process or to enforce contractual obligations abroad, and it may be especially difficult to sue a foreign government in the courts of that country.

Additionally, investing in foreign currency denominated securities involves the additional risks of (a) adverse changes in foreign exchange rates, (b) nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation, and (c) adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations (which could prevent cash from being brought back to the United States). Additionally, dividends and interest payable on foreign securities (and gains realized on disposition thereof) may be subject to foreign taxes, including taxes withheld from those payments. Commissions on foreign securities exchanges are often at fixed rates and are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although a Fund endeavors to achieve the most favorable net results on portfolio transactions.

Foreign securities often trade with less frequency and in less volume than domestic securities and therefore may exhibit greater price volatility. Additional costs associated with an investment in foreign securities may include higher custodial fees than apply to domestic custody arrangements and transaction costs of foreign currency conversions.

Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures. In certain markets, there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of a Fund are uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of a Fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to settlement problems could result in losses to a Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the securities or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. The inability of a Fund to settle security purchases or sales due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to pay additional expenses, such as interest charges.

Securities of issuers traded on exchanges may be suspended, either by the issuers themselves, by an exchange or by government authorities. The likelihood of such suspensions may be higher for securities of issuers in emerging or less-developed market countries than in countries with more developed markets. Trading suspensions may be applied from time to time to the securities of individual issuers for reasons specific to that issuer, or may be applied broadly by exchanges or governmental authorities in response to market events. Suspensions may last for significant periods of time, during which trading in the securities and instruments that reference the securities, such as participatory notes (or "P-notes") or other derivative instruments, may be halted. In the event that a Fund holds material positions in such suspended securities or instruments, the Fund's ability to liquidate its positions or provide liquidity to investors may be compromised and the Fund could incur significant losses.

Interest rates prevailing in other countries may affect the prices of foreign securities and exchange rates for foreign currencies. Local factors, including the strength of the local economy, the demand for borrowing, the government's fiscal and monetary policies, and the international balance of payments, often affect interest rates in other countries. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency, and balance of payments position.

A Fund may invest in American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs"), Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") and International Depositary Receipts ("IDRs"). ADRs (sponsored or unsponsored) are receipts typically issued by a U.S. bank or trust company evidencing its ownership of the underlying foreign securities. Most ADRs are denominated in U.S. dollars and are traded on a U.S. stock exchange. However, they are subject to the risk of fluctuation in the currency exchange rate if, as is often the case, the underlying securities are denominated in foreign currency. EDRs are receipts issued by a European bank evidencing its ownership of the underlying foreign securities and are often denominated in a foreign currency. GDRs are receipts issued by either a U.S. or non-U.S. banking institution evidencing its ownership of the underlying foreign securities and are often denominated in U.S. dollars. IDRs are receipts typically issued by a foreign bank or trust company evidencing its ownership of the underlying foreign securities. Depositary receipts involve many of the same risks of investing directly in foreign securities, including currency risks and risks of foreign investing.

Issuers of the securities underlying sponsored depositary receipts, but not unsponsored depositary receipts, are contractually obligated to disclose material information in the United States. Therefore, the market value of unsponsored depositary receipts is less likely to reflect the effect of such information.

Policies and Limitations. For the Funds' policies and limitations on investing in foreign currency denominated securities, see "Investment Policies and Limitations -- Foreign Securities" above. Within those limitations, however, none of the Funds are restricted in the amount they may invest in foreign securities, including foreign securities denominated in any one foreign currency.

Securities of Issuers in Emerging Market Countries. The risks described above for foreign securities may be heightened in connection with investments in emerging market countries. Historically, the markets of emerging market countries have been more volatile than the markets of developed countries, reflecting the greater uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. In particular, emerging market countries may have less stable governments; may present the risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets; and may have less protection of property rights than more developed countries. The economies of emerging market countries may be reliant on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions and may suffer from high and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates. Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times.

In determining where an issuer of a security is based, the Manager may consider such factors as where the company is legally organized, maintains its principal corporate offices and/or conducts its principal operations.

Additional costs could be incurred in connection with a Fund's investment activities outside the United States. Brokerage commissions may be higher outside the United States, and a Fund will bear certain expenses in connection with its currency transactions. Furthermore, increased custodian costs may be associated with maintaining assets in certain jurisdictions.

Certain risk factors related to emerging market countries include:

Currency fluctuations. A Fund's investments may be valued in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Certain emerging market countries' currencies have experienced and may in the future experience significant declines against the U.S. dollar. For example, if the U.S. dollar appreciates against foreign currencies, the value of a Fund's securities holdings would generally depreciate and vice versa. Consistent with its investment objective, a Fund can engage in certain currency transactions to hedge against currency fluctuations. See "Forward Foreign Currency Transactions." After a Fund has distributed income, subsequent foreign currency losses may result in the Fund's having distributed more income in a particular fiscal period than was available from investment income, which could result in a return of capital to shareholders.

Government regulation. The political, economic and social structures of certain developing countries may be more volatile and less developed than those in the United States. Certain emerging market countries lack uniform accounting, auditing, financial reporting and corporate governance standards, have less governmental supervision of financial markets than in the United States, and do not honor legal rights enjoyed in the United States. Certain governments may be more unstable and present greater risks of nationalization or restrictions on foreign ownership of local companies.

Repatriation of investment income, capital and the proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval in some emerging market countries. While a Fund will only invest in markets where these restrictions are considered acceptable by the Manager, a country could impose new or additional repatriation restrictions after the Fund's investment. If this happened, a Fund's response might include, among other things, applying to the appropriate authorities for a waiver of the restrictions or engaging in transactions in other markets designed to offset the risks of decline in that country. Such restrictions will be considered in relation to a Fund's liquidity needs and all other positive and negative factors. Further, some attractive equity securities may not be available to a Fund, or a Fund may have to pay a premium to purchase those equity securities, due to foreign shareholders already holding the maximum amount legally permissible.

While government involvement in the private sector varies in degree among emerging market countries, such involvement may in some cases include government ownership of companies in certain sectors, wage and price controls or imposition of trade barriers, market manipulation and other protectionist measures. With respect to any emerging market country, there is no guarantee that some future economic or political crisis will not lead to price controls, forced mergers of companies, expropriation, or creation of government monopolies to the possible detriment of a Fund's investments.

Less developed securities markets. Emerging market countries may have less well developed securities markets and exchanges. These markets have lower trading volumes than the securities markets of more developed countries. These markets may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume. Consequently, these markets may be substantially less liquid than those of more developed countries, and the securities of issuers located in these markets may have limited marketability. These factors may make prompt liquidation of substantial portfolio holdings difficult or impossible at times.

Settlement risks. Settlement systems in emerging market countries are generally less well organized than developed markets. Supervisory authorities may also be unable to apply standards comparable to those in developed markets. Thus, there may be risks that settlement may be delayed and that cash or securities belonging to a Fund may be in jeopardy because of failures of or defects in the systems. In particular, market practice may require that payment be made before receipt of the security being purchased or that delivery of a security be made before payment is received. In such cases, default by a broker or bank (the "counterparty") through whom the transaction is effected might cause a Fund to suffer a loss. A Fund will seek, where possible, to use counterparties whose financial status is such that this risk is reduced. However, there can be no certainty that a Fund will be successful in eliminating this risk, particularly as counterparties operating in emerging market countries frequently lack the substance or financial resources of those in developed countries. There may also be a danger that, because of uncertainties in the operation of settlement systems in individual markets, competing claims may arise with respect to securities held by or to be transferred to a Fund.

Investor information. A Fund may encounter problems assessing investment opportunities in certain emerging market securities markets in light of limitations on available information, including the quality and reliability of such information, and different regulatory, accounting, auditing, financial reporting and recordkeeping standards. In such circumstances, the Manager will seek alternative sources of information, and to the extent it may not be satisfied with the sufficiency of the information obtained with respect to a particular market or security, a Fund will not invest in such market or security.

Taxation. Taxation of dividends received, and net capital gains realized, by non-residents on securities issued in emerging market countries varies among those countries, and, in some cases, the applicable tax rate is comparatively high. In addition, emerging market countries typically have less well-defined tax laws and procedures than developed countries, and such laws and procedures may permit retroactive taxation so that a Fund could in the future become subject to local tax liability that it had not reasonably anticipated in conducting its investment activities or valuing its assets.

Litigation and Enforcement. A Fund and its shareholders may encounter substantial difficulties in obtaining and enforcing judgments against non-U.S. resident individuals and companies.

Fraudulent securities. Securities purchased by a Fund may subsequently be found to be fraudulent or counterfeit, resulting in a loss to the Fund.

Risks of Investing in Frontier Emerging Market Countries. Frontier emerging market countries are countries that have smaller economies or less developed capital markets than traditional emerging markets. Frontier emerging market countries tend to have relatively low gross national product per capita compared to the larger traditionally-recognized emerging markets. The frontier emerging market countries include the least developed countries even by emerging markets standards. The risks of investments in frontier emerging market countries include all the risks described above for investment in foreign securities and emerging markets, although these risks are magnified in the case of frontier emerging market countries.

Risks of Variable Interest Entities. For purposes of raising capital offshore on exchanges outside of People's Republic of China ("PRC"), including on U.S. exchanges, many PRC-based operating companies are structured as entities commonly referred to as variable interest entities ("VIEs"). In a typical VIE structure, the onshore PRC-based operating company is the VIE and establishes an entity, which is typically offshore in a foreign jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The offshore entity lists on a foreign exchange and enters into contractual arrangements with the VIE. This structure enables PRC-based companies in which the government restricts foreign ownership to raise capital from foreign investors. While the offshore entity has no legal equity ownership of the VIE, its contractual arrangements with the VIE permit the offshore entity to consolidate the VIE's financial statements with its own for accounting purposes and provide for economic exposure to the performance of the underlying PRC-based operating company. Therefore, an investor in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, will have exposure to the PRC-based operating company only through its contractual arrangements with the VIE and has no legal ownership in the PRC-based operating company. Furthermore, because the offshore entity only has specific rights provided for in these contractual arrangements with the VIE, its abilities to control the activities at the PRC-based operating company are limited and the operating company may engage in activities that negatively impact investment value.

While the VIE structure has been widely adopted, it is not formally or legally recognized under PRC law and therefore there is a risk that the PRC government could restrict the effectiveness of such structures or negatively impact the VIE's contractual arrangements with the listed offshore entity by making them invalid. If these contracts were found to be unenforceable under PRC law, investors in the listed offshore entity, such as the Fund, may suffer significant losses with little or no recourse available. If the PRC government determines that the contractual agreements involving the VIE structures do not comply with PRC law and regulations, including those related to restrictions on foreign ownership, it could subject a VIE to numerous sanctions such as penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses, invalidation or termination of contractual arrangements and/or forfeiture or non-recognition of ownership interest. In addition, the listed offshore entity's benefits through its contractual arrangements over a VIE may also be jeopardized if a natural person who holds the equity interest in the VIE is deemed to breach the terms of the contractual arrangement (assuming the contractual arrangement is held to be valid under PRC laws), is subject to legal proceedings or if any physical instruments for authenticating documentation by the VIE, such as chops and seals, are used without the PRC-based issuer's authorization to enter into the contractual arrangements in China. Chops and seals, which are carved stamps used to sign documents, represent a legally binding commitment by the company. Moreover, any future regulatory action may limit or prohibit the ability of the offshore entity to receive the economic benefits of the Chinese-based operating company, which may cause the value of the Fund's investment in the listed offshore entity to suffer a significant loss.

Sovereign Government and Supranational Debt. Investments in debt securities issued by foreign governments and their political subdivisions or agencies ("Sovereign Debt") involve special risks. Sovereign Debt is subject to risks in addition to those relating to non-U.S. investments generally. The issuer of the debt or the governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such debt, and a fund may have limited legal recourse in the event of a default. As a sovereign entity, the issuing government may be immune from lawsuits in the event of its failure or refusal to pay the obligations when due.

Sovereign Debt differs from debt obligations issued by private entities in that, generally, remedies for defaults must be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party. Legal recourse is therefore somewhat diminished. Political conditions, especially a sovereign entity's willingness to meet the terms of its debt obligations, are of considerable significance. Also, holders of commercial bank debt issued by the same sovereign entity may contest payments to the holders of Sovereign Debt in the event of default under commercial bank loan agreements.

A sovereign debtor's willingness or ability to repay principal and interest due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its non-U.S. reserves, the availability of sufficient non-U.S. 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 principal international lenders and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject. Increased protectionism on the part of a country's trading partners or political changes in those countries, could also adversely affect its exports. Such events could diminish a country's trade account surplus, if any, or the credit standing of a particular local government or agency.

Sovereign debtors may also be dependent on disbursements or assistance from foreign governments or multinational agencies, the country's access to trade and other international credits, and the country's balance of trade. Assistance may be dependent on a country's implementation of austerity measures and reforms, which measures may limit or be perceived to limit economic growth and recovery. Some sovereign debtors have rescheduled their debt payments, declared moratoria on payments or restructured their debt to effectively eliminate portions of it, and similar occurrences may happen in the future. There is no bankruptcy proceeding by which sovereign debt on which governmental entities have defaulted may be collected in whole or in part.

The ability of some sovereign debtors to repay their obligations may depend on the timely receipt of assistance from international agencies or other governments, the flow of which is not assured. The willingness of such agencies to make these payments may depend on the sovereign debtor's willingness to institute certain economic changes, the implementation of which may be politically difficult.

The occurrence of political, social or diplomatic changes in one or more of the countries issuing Sovereign Debt could adversely affect a Fund's investments. Political changes or a deterioration of a country's domestic economy or balance of trade may affect the willingness of countries to service their Sovereign Debt. While NBIA endeavors to manage investments in a manner that will minimize the exposure to such risks, there can be no assurance that adverse political changes will not cause the Fund to suffer a loss of interest or principal on any of its holdings.

Sovereign Debt may include: debt securities issued or guaranteed by governments, governmental agencies or instrumentalities and political subdivisions located in emerging market countries; debt securities issued by government owned, controlled or sponsored entities located in emerging market countries; interests in entities organized and operated for the purpose of restructuring the investment characteristics of instruments issued by any of the above issuers; participations in loans between emerging market governments and financial institutions; and Brady Bonds, which are debt securities issued under the framework of the Brady Plan as a means for debtor nations to restructure their outstanding external indebtedness.

Brady Bonds may be collateralized or uncollateralized and issued in various currencies (although most are dollar-denominated) and they are actively traded in the over-the-counter ("OTC") secondary market. Certain Brady Bonds are collateralized in full as to principal due at maturity by zero coupon obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities having the same maturity ("Collateralized Brady Bonds"). Brady Bonds are not, however, considered to be U.S. Government Securities.

Dollar-denominated, Collateralized Brady Bonds may be fixed rate bonds or floating rate bonds. Interest payments on Brady Bonds are often collateralized by cash or securities in an amount that, in the case of fixed rate bonds, is equal to at least one year of rolling interest payments or, in the case of floating rate bonds, initially is equal to at least one year's rolling interest payments based on the applicable interest rate at that time and is adjusted at regular intervals thereafter. Certain Brady Bonds are entitled to "value recovery payments" in certain circumstances, which in effect constitute supplemental interest payments but generally are not collateralized. Brady Bonds are often viewed as having three or four valuation components: (i) collateralized repayment of principal at final maturity; (ii) collateralized interest payments; (iii) uncollateralized interest payments; and (iv) any uncollateralized repayment of principal at maturity (these uncollateralized amounts constitute the "residual risk"). In the event of a default with respect to Collateralized Brady Bonds as a result of which the payment obligations of the issuer are accelerated, the Treasury Department zero coupon obligations held as collateral for the payment of principal will not be distributed to investors, nor will such obligations be sold and the proceeds distributed. The collateral will be held by the collateral agent to the scheduled maturity of the defaulted Brady Bonds, which will continue to be outstanding, at which time the face amount of the collateral will equal the principal payments which would have been due on the Brady Bonds in the normal course. In addition, in light of the residual risk of Brady Bonds and, among other factors, the history of defaults with respect to commercial bank loans by public and private entities of countries issuing Brady Bonds, investments in Brady Bonds should be viewed as speculative.

Supranational entities may also issue debt securities. A supranational entity is a bank, commission or company established or financially supported by the national governments of one or more countries to promote reconstruction or development. Included among these organizations are the Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations, the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Supranational organizations have no taxing authority and are dependent on their members for payments of interest and principal. Further, the lending activities of such entities are limited to a percentage of their total capital, reserves and net income.

Fund of Funds Structure. Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act, in relevant part, prohibits a registered investment company from acquiring shares of an investment company if after such acquisition the securities represent more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the acquired company, more than 5% of the total assets of the acquiring company, or, together with the securities of any other investment companies, more than 10% of the total assets of the acquiring company except in reliance on certain exceptions contained in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. Pursuant to Rule 12d1-4, a Fund is permitted to exceed the limits of Section 12 of the 1940 Act if the Fund complies with Rule 12d1-4's conditions, including (i) limits on control and voting; (ii) required evaluations and findings; (iii) required fund of funds investment agreements; and (iv) limits on complex structures.

The Manager may be deemed to have a conflict of interest when determining whether to invest or maintain a Fund's assets in affiliated underlying funds. The Manager would seek to mitigate this conflict of interest, however, by undertaking to waive a portion of fees it receives from affiliated underlying funds on the Fund's assets invested in those affiliated underlying funds, as described below under "Voluntary Expense Limitations". The Manager and its affiliates may derive indirect benefits such as increased assets under management from investing Fund assets in an affiliated underlying fund, which benefits would not be present if investments were made in unaffiliated underlying funds. In addition, although the Manager will waive a portion of its fees as described below under "Voluntary Expense Limitations", the Fund will indirectly bear its pro rata share of an affiliated underlying fund's other fees and expenses, and such fees and expenses may be paid to the Manager or its affiliates or a third party.

Futures Contracts, Options on Futures Contracts, Options on Securities and Indices, Forward Currency Contracts, Options on Foreign Currencies, and Swap Agreements (collectively, "Financial Instruments"). Financial Instruments are instruments whose value is dependent upon the value of an underlying asset or assets, which may include stocks, bonds, commodities, interest rates, currency exchange rates, or related indices. As described below, Financial Instruments may be used for "hedging" purposes, meaning that they may be used in an effort to offset a decline in value in a Fund's other investments, which could result from changes in interest rates, market prices, currency fluctuations, or other market factors. Financial Instruments may also be used for non-hedging purposes in an effort to implement a cash management strategy, to enhance income or gain, to manage or adjust the risk profile of a Fund or the risk of individual positions, to gain exposure more efficiently than through a direct purchase of the underlying security, or to gain exposure to securities, markets, sectors or geographical areas.

The Dodd-Frank Act requires the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") to establish new regulations with respect to derivatives defined as security-based swaps (e.g., derivatives based on an equity or a narrowly based equity index) and swaps (e.g., derivatives based on a broad-based index or commodity), respectively, and the markets in which these instruments trade. In addition, it subjected all security-based swaps and swaps to SEC and CFTC jurisdiction, respectively.

Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act regulates the use of derivatives transactions as defined by that rule for certain funds registered under the 1940 Act ("Rule 18f-4"). Due to the way derivatives transactions are defined by Rule 18f-4, it includes transactions traditionally characterized as derivatives as well as certain transactions that have not been traditionally characterized as derivatives. Unless a Fund qualifies as a "limited derivatives user" as defined in Rule 18f-4, the rule, among other things, requires the Fund to establish a derivatives risk management program, comply with certain value-at-risk ("VAR") based leverage limits, appoint a derivatives risk manager and provide additional disclosure both publicly and to the SEC regarding its derivatives positions. Rule 18f-4 provides an exception for limited derivatives users, which Rule 18f-4 defines as any fund that limits its derivatives exposure to 10% of its net assets, excluding certain currency and interest rate hedging transactions. Limited derivatives users are exempt from Rule 18f-4's requirements to comply with VAR-based limits, appoint a derivatives risk manager, and adopt a derivatives risk management program. A limited derivatives user must still adopt and implement policies and procedures reasonably designed to manage its derivatives risk.

Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts. A Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts (sometimes referred to as "futures") and options thereon for hedging purposes (i.e., to attempt to offset against changes in the prices of securities or, in the case of foreign currency futures and options thereon, to attempt to offset against changes in prevailing currency exchange rates) or non-hedging purposes.

A "purchase" of a futures contract (or entering into a "long" futures position) entails the buyer's assumption of a contractual obligation to take delivery of the instrument underlying the contract at a specified price at a specified future time. A "sale" of a futures contract (or entering into a "short" futures position) entails the seller's assumption of a contractual obligation to make delivery of the instrument underlying the contract at a specified price at a specified future time.

The value of a futures contract tends to increase or decrease in tandem with the value of its underlying instrument. Therefore, purchasing futures contracts will tend to increase a Fund's exposure to positive and negative price fluctuations in the underlying instrument, much as if the Fund had purchased the underlying instrument directly. A Fund may purchase futures contracts to fix what the Manager believes to be a favorable price for securities the Fund intends to purchase. When a Fund sells a futures contract, by contrast, the value of its futures position will tend to move in a direction contrary to the market for the underlying instrument. Selling futures contracts, therefore, will tend to offset both positive and negative market price changes, much as if a Fund had sold the underlying instrument. A Fund may sell futures contracts to offset a possible decline in the value of its portfolio securities. In addition, a Fund may purchase or sell futures contracts with a greater or lesser value than the securities it wishes to hedge to attempt to compensate for anticipated differences in volatility between positions a Fund may wish to hedge and the standardized futures contracts available to it, although this may not be successful in all cases. Further, a loss incurred on a particular transaction being used as a hedge does not mean that it failed to achieve its objective, if the goal was to prevent a worse loss that may have resulted had a particular securities or cash market investment suffered a substantial loss and there were no offsetting hedge.

Certain futures, including index futures and futures not calling for the physical delivery or acquisition of the instrument underlying the contract, are settled on a net cash payment basis rather than by the delivery of the underlying instrument. In addition, although futures contracts by their terms may call for the physical delivery or acquisition of the instrument underlying the contract, in most cases the contractual obligation is extinguished by being closed out before the expiration of the contract. A futures position is closed out by buying (to close out an earlier sale) or selling (to close out an earlier purchase) an identical futures contract calling for delivery in the same month. This may result in a profit or loss. While futures contracts entered into by a Fund will usually be liquidated in this manner, a Fund may instead make or take delivery of the underlying instrument or utilize the cash settlement process whenever it appears economically advantageous for it to do so.

Because the futures markets may be more liquid than the cash markets, the use of futures contracts permits a Fund to enhance portfolio liquidity and maintain a defensive position without having to sell portfolio securities. For example, (i) futures contracts on single stocks, interest rates and indices (including on narrow-based indices) and options thereon may be used as a maturity or duration management device and/or a device to reduce risk or preserve total return in an adverse environment for the hedged securities, and (ii) foreign currency futures and options thereon may be used as a means of establishing more definitely the effective return on, or the purchase price of, securities denominated in foreign currencies that are held or intended to be acquired by a Fund.

For purposes of managing cash flow, a Fund may use futures and options thereon to increase its exposure to the performance of a recognized securities index.

With respect to currency futures, a Fund may sell a currency futures contract or a call option thereon, or may purchase a put option on a currency futures contract, if the Manager anticipates that exchange rates for a particular currency will fall. Such a transaction will be used as a hedge (or, in the case of a sale of a call option, a partial hedge) against a decrease in the value of portfolio securities denominated in that currency. If the Manager anticipates that exchange rates for a particular currency will rise, a Fund may purchase a currency futures contract or a call option thereon to protect against an increase in the price of securities that are denominated in that currency and that the Fund intends to purchase. A Fund also may purchase a currency futures contract or a call option thereon for non-hedging purposes when the Manager anticipates that a particular currency will appreciate in value, but securities denominated in that currency do not present attractive investment opportunities and are not held in the Fund's investment portfolio.

A Fund may invest in commodity-linked futures contracts. Commodity-linked futures contracts are generally based upon commodities within six main commodity groups: (1) energy, which includes, among others, crude oil, gas oil, natural gas, gasoline and heating oil; (2) livestock, which includes, among others, feeder cattle, live cattle and hogs; (3) agriculture, which includes, among others, wheat (Kansas City wheat and Chicago wheat), corn and soybeans; (4) industrial metals, which includes, among others, aluminum, copper, lead, nickel and zinc; (5) precious metals, which includes, among others, gold, silver, platinum and palladium; and (6) softs, which includes cotton, coffee, sugar and cocoa. The price of a commodity futures contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity. These storage costs include the time value of money invested in the physical commodity plus the actual costs of storing the commodity, less any benefits from ownership of the physical commodity that are not obtained by the holder of a futures contract (these benefits are sometimes referred to as the "convenience yield"). To the extent that these storage costs change for an underlying commodity while the Fund is long futures contracts on that commodity, the value of the futures contract may change proportionately.

"Initial Margin" with respect to a futures contract is the amount of assets that must be deposited by a Fund with, or for the benefit of, a futures commission merchant or broker in order to initiate the Fund's futures positions. Initial margin is the margin deposit made by a Fund when it enters into a futures contract; it is intended to assure performance of the contract by the Fund. If the value of the Fund's futures account declines by a specified amount, the Fund will receive a margin call and be required to post assets sufficient to restore the equity in the account to the initial margin level. (This is sometimes referred to as "variation margin;" technically, variation margin refers to daily payments that a clearing member firm is required to pay to the clearing organization based upon marking to market of the firm's portfolio.) However, if favorable price changes in the futures account cause the margin deposit to exceed the required initial margin level, the excess margin may be transferred to the Fund. The futures commission merchant or clearing member firm through which a Fund enters into and clears futures contracts may require a margin deposit in excess of exchange minimum requirements based upon its assessment of a Fund's creditworthiness. In computing its NAV, a Fund will mark to market the value of its open futures positions. A Fund also must make margin deposits with respect to options on futures that it has written (but not with respect to options on futures that it has purchased, if the Fund has paid the required premium in full at the outset). If the futures commission merchant or broker holding the margin deposit or premium goes bankrupt, a Fund could suffer a delay in recovering excess margin or other funds and could ultimately suffer a loss.

Because of the low margin deposits required, futures trading involves an extremely high degree of leverage; as a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss, or gain, to the investor. Losses that may arise from certain futures transactions are potentially unlimited, and may exceed initial margin deposits as well as deposits made in response to subsequent margin calls.

A Fund may enter into futures contracts and options thereon that are traded on exchanges regulated by the CFTC or on non-U.S. exchanges. U.S. futures contracts are traded on exchanges that have been designated as "contract markets" by the CFTC; futures transactions must be executed through a futures commission merchant that is a member of the relevant contract market. Futures executed on regulated futures exchanges have minimal counterparty risk to a Fund because the exchange's clearing organization assumes the position of the counterparty in each transaction. Thus, a Fund is exposed to risk only in connection with the clearing organization and not in connection with the original counterparty to the transaction. However, if a futures customer defaults on a futures contract and the futures commission merchant carrying that customer's account cannot cover the defaulting customer's obligations on its futures contracts, the clearing organization may use any or all of the collateral in the futures commission merchant's customer omnibus account - including the assets of the futures commission merchant's other customers, such as a Fund - to meet the defaulting customer's obligations. This is sometimes referred to as "fellow customer risk." Trading on non-U.S. exchanges is subject to the legal requirements of the jurisdiction in which the exchange is located and to the rules of such exchange, and may not involve a clearing mechanism and related guarantees. Funds deposited in connection with such trading may also be subject to the bankruptcy laws of such other jurisdiction, which may result in a delay in recovering such funds in a bankruptcy and could ultimately result in a loss.

An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in the contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put) at a specified exercise price at any time during the option exercise period. The writer of the option is required upon exercise to assume a short futures position (if the option is a call) or a long futures position (if the option is a put). Upon exercise of the option, the accumulated cash balance in the writer's futures margin account is delivered to the holder of the option. That balance represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract at exercise exceeds, in the case of a call, or is less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. Options on futures have characteristics and risks similar to those of securities options, as discussed herein.

Although a Fund believes that the use of futures contracts and options may benefit it, if the Manager's judgment about the general direction of the markets or about interest rate or currency exchange rate trends is incorrect, the Fund's overall return would be lower than if it had not entered into any such contracts. The prices of futures contracts and options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in interest or currency exchange rates, which in turn are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political and economic events. At best, the correlation between changes in prices of futures contracts or options and of securities being hedged can be only approximate due to differences between the futures and securities markets or differences between the securities or currencies underlying a Fund's futures or options position and the securities held by or to be purchased for the Fund. The currency futures or options market may be dominated by short-term traders seeking to profit from changes in exchange rates. This would reduce the value of such contracts used for hedging purposes over a short-term period. Such distortions are generally minor and would diminish as the contract approaches maturity.

Under certain circumstances, futures exchanges may limit the amount of fluctuation in the price of a futures contract or option thereon during a single trading day; once the daily limit has been reached, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. Daily limits govern only price movements during a particular trading day, however; they do not limit potential losses. In fact, a daily limit may increase the risk of loss, because prices can move to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing liquidation of unfavorable futures and options positions and subjecting traders to substantial losses. If this were to happen with respect to a position held by a Fund, it could (depending on the size of the position) have an adverse impact on the Fund's NAV. In addition, a Fund would continue to be subject to margin calls and might be required to maintain the position being hedged by the futures contract or option thereon or to maintain cash or securities in a collateral account.

Many electronic trading facilities that support futures trading are supported by computer-based component systems for the order, routing, execution, matching, registration or clearing of trades. A Fund's ability to recover certain losses may be subject to limits on liability imposed by the system provider, the market, the clearing house or member firms.

Call Options on Securities. A Fund may write (sell) call options and purchase call options on securities for hedging purposes (i.e., to attempt to reduce, at least in part, the effect on the Fund's NAV of price fluctuations of securities held by the Fund) or non-hedging purposes. When writing call options, each Fund writes only "covered" call options. A call option is "covered" if a Fund simultaneously holds an equivalent position in the security underlying the option. Portfolio securities on which a Fund may write and purchase call options are purchased solely on the basis of investment considerations consistent with the Fund's investment objective.

When a Fund writes a call option, it is obligated to sell a security to a purchaser at a specified price at any time until a certain date if the purchaser decides to exercise the option. A Fund will receive a premium for writing a call option. So long as the obligation of the call option continues, a Fund may be assigned an exercise notice, requiring it to deliver the underlying security against payment of the exercise price. A Fund may be obligated to deliver securities underlying an option at less than the market price.

The writing of covered call options is a conservative investment technique that is believed to involve relatively little risk (in contrast to the writing of "naked" or uncovered call options, which the Funds will not do), but is capable of enhancing a Fund's total return. When writing a covered call option, a Fund, in return for the premium, gives up the opportunity for profit from a price increase in the underlying security above the exercise price, but retains the risk of loss should the price of the security decline.

If a call option that a Fund has written expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium; however, that gain may be offset by a decline in the market value of the underlying security during the option period. If a call option that a Fund has written is exercised, the Fund will realize a gain or loss from the sale of the underlying security.

When a Fund purchases a call option, it pays a premium to the writer for the right to purchase a security from the writer for a specified amount at any time until a certain date. A Fund generally would purchase a call option to offset a previously written call option or to protect itself against an increase in the price of a security it intends to purchase.

Put Options on Securities. A Fund may write (sell) and purchase put options on securities for hedging purposes (i.e., to attempt to reduce, at least in part, the effect on the Fund's NAV of price fluctuations of securities held by the Fund) or non-hedging purposes. Portfolio securities on which a Fund may write and purchase put options are purchased solely on the basis of investment considerations consistent with the Fund's investment objective.

When a Fund writes a put option, it is obligated to acquire a security at a certain price at any time until a certain date if the purchaser decides to exercise the option. A Fund will receive a premium for writing a put option. When writing a put option, a Fund, in return for the premium, takes the risk that it must purchase the underlying security at a price that may be higher than the current market price of the security. If a put option that a Fund has written expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium.

When a Fund purchases a put option, it pays a premium to the writer for the right to sell a security to the writer for a specified amount at any time until a certain date. A Fund generally would purchase a put option to protect itself against a decrease in the market value of a security it owns.

General Information About Options on Securities. The exercise price of an option may be below, equal to, or above the market value of the underlying security at the time the option is written. Options normally have expiration dates between three and nine months from the date written. American-style options are exercisable at any time prior to their expiration date. European-style options are exercisable only immediately prior to their expiration date. The obligation under any option written by a Fund terminates upon expiration of the option or, at an earlier time, when the Fund offsets the option by entering into a "closing purchase transaction" to purchase an option of the same series. If an option is purchased by a Fund and is never exercised or closed out, the Fund will lose the entire amount of the premium paid.

Options are traded both on U.S. national securities exchanges and in the OTC market. Options also are traded on non-U.S. exchanges. Exchange-traded options are issued by a clearing organization affiliated with the exchange on which the option is listed; the clearing organization in effect guarantees completion of every exchange-traded option. In contrast, OTC options are contracts between a Fund and a counterparty, with no clearing organization guarantee. Thus, when a Fund sells (or purchases) an OTC option, it generally will be able to "close out" the option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing transaction with the dealer to whom (or from whom) the Fund originally sold (or purchased) the option. There can be no assurance that a Fund would be able to liquidate an OTC option at any time prior to expiration. Unless a Fund is able to effect a closing purchase transaction in a covered OTC call option it has written, it will not be able to liquidate securities used as cover until the option expires or is exercised or until different cover is substituted. In the event of the counterparty's insolvency, a Fund may be unable to liquidate its options position and the associated cover. The Manager monitors the creditworthiness of dealers with which a Fund may engage in OTC options transactions.

The premium a Fund receives (or pays) when it writes (or purchases) an option is the amount at which the option is currently traded on the applicable market. The premium may reflect, among other things, the current market price of the underlying security, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price, the historical price volatility of the underlying security, the length of the option period, the general supply of and demand for credit, and the interest rate environment. The premium a Fund receives when it writes an option is recorded as a liability on the Fund's statement of assets and liabilities. This liability is adjusted daily to the option's current market value.

Closing transactions are effected in order to realize a profit (or minimize a loss) on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying security from being called, or to permit the sale or the put of the underlying security. Furthermore, effecting a closing transaction permits a Fund to write another call option on the underlying security with a different exercise price or expiration date or both. There is, of course, no assurance that a Fund will be able to effect closing transactions at favorable prices. If a Fund cannot enter into such a transaction, it may be required to hold a security that it might otherwise have sold (or purchase a security that it might otherwise not have bought), in which case it would continue to be at market risk on the security.

A Fund will realize a profit or loss from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the transaction is less or more than the premium received from writing the call or put option. Because increases in the market price of a call option generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying security, any loss resulting from the repurchase of a call option is likely to be offset, in whole or in part, by appreciation of the underlying security owned by the Fund; however, the Fund could be in a less advantageous position than if it had not written the call option.

A Fund pays brokerage commissions or spreads in connection with purchasing or writing options, including those used to close out existing positions. From time to time, a Fund may purchase an underlying security for delivery in accordance with an exercise notice of a call option assigned to it, rather than deliver the security from its inventory. In those cases, additional brokerage commissions are incurred.

The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before the markets for the underlying securities close, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets.

Additionally, volatility in the market for equity securities, which can impact a single stock or certain segments of stocks and can happen suddenly, can meaningfully increase the risk of loss associated with options.

Put and Call Options on Securities Indices and Other Financial Indices. A Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call options on securities indices and other financial indices for hedging or non-hedging purposes. In so doing, a Fund can pursue many of the same objectives it would pursue through the purchase and sale of options on individual securities or other instruments.

Options on securities indices and other financial indices are similar to options on a security or other instrument except that, rather than settling by physical delivery of the underlying instrument, options on indices settle by cash settlement; that is, an option on an index gives the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the index upon which the option is based is greater than, in the case of a call, or is less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option (except if, in the case of an OTC option, physical delivery is specified). This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option times a specified multiple (multiplier), which determines the total dollar value for each point of such difference. The seller of the option is obligated, in return for the premium received, to make delivery of this amount.

A securities index fluctuates with changes in the market values of the securities included in the index. The gain or loss on an option on an index depends on price movements in the instruments comprising the market, market segment, industry or other composite on which the underlying index is based, rather than price movements in individual securities, as is the case with respect to options on securities. The risks of investment in options on indices may be greater than the risks of investment in options on securities.

The effectiveness of hedging through the purchase of securities index options will depend upon the extent to which price movements in the securities being hedged correlate with price movements in the selected securities index. Perfect correlation is not possible because the securities held or to be acquired by a Fund will not exactly match the composition of the securities indices on which options are available.

For purposes of managing cash flow, a Fund may purchase put and call options on securities indices to increase its exposure to the performance of a recognized securities index.

Securities index options have characteristics and risks similar to those of securities options, as discussed herein. Certain securities index options are traded in the OTC market and involve liquidity and credit risks that may not be present in the case of exchange-traded securities index options.

Options on Foreign Currencies. A Fund may write (sell) and purchase covered call and put options on foreign currencies for hedging or non-hedging purposes. A Fund may use options on foreign currencies to protect against decreases in the U.S. dollar value of securities held or increases in the U.S. dollar cost of securities to be acquired by the Fund or to protect the U.S. dollar equivalent of dividends, interest, or other payments on those securities. In addition, a Fund may write and purchase covered call and put options on foreign currencies for non-hedging purposes (e.g., when the Manager anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value, but securities denominated in that currency do not present attractive investment opportunities and are not held in the Fund's investment portfolio). A Fund may write covered call and put options on any currency in order to realize greater income than would be realized on portfolio securities alone.

Currency options have characteristics and risks similar to those of securities options, as discussed herein. Certain options on foreign currencies are traded on the OTC market and involve liquidity and credit risks that may not be present in the case of exchange-traded currency options.

Forward Foreign Currency Transactions. A Fund may enter into contracts for the purchase or sale of a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days in excess of two days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract ("forward currency contracts") for hedging or non-hedging purposes. A Fund also may engage in foreign currency transactions on a spot basis (i.e., cash transaction that results in actual delivery within two days) at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency market.

A Fund may enter into forward currency contracts in an attempt to hedge against changes in prevailing currency exchange rates (i.e., as a means of establishing more definitely the effective return on, or the purchase price of, securities denominated in foreign currencies). A Fund may also enter into forward currency contracts to protect against decreases in the U.S. dollar value of securities held or increases in the U.S. dollar cost of securities to be acquired by a Fund or to protect the U.S. dollar equivalent of dividends, interest, or other payments on those securities. In addition, a Fund may enter into forward currency contracts for non-hedging purposes when the Manager anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value, but securities denominated in that currency do not present attractive investment opportunities and are not held in the Fund's investment portfolio. The cost to a Fund of engaging in forward currency contracts varies with factors such as the currency involved, the length of the contract period, and the market conditions then prevailing.

Sellers or purchasers of forward currency contracts can enter into offsetting closing transactions, similar to closing transactions on futures, by purchasing or selling, respectively, an instrument identical to the instrument sold or bought, respectively. Secondary markets generally do not exist for forward currency contracts, however, with the result that closing transactions generally can be made for forward currency contracts only by negotiating directly with the counterparty. Thus, there can be no assurance that a Fund will in fact be able to close out a forward currency contract at a favorable price prior to maturity. In addition, in the event of insolvency of the counterparty, a Fund might be unable to close out a forward currency contract at any time prior to maturity. In either event, the Fund would continue to be subject to market risk with respect to the position, and would continue to be required to maintain a position in the securities or currencies that are the subject of the hedge or to maintain cash or securities.

The precise matching of forward currency contract amounts and the value of the securities involved generally will not be possible because the value of such securities, measured in the foreign currency, will change after the forward currency contract has been established. Thus, a Fund might need to purchase or sell foreign currencies in the spot (cash) market to the extent such foreign currencies are not covered by forward currency contracts. The projection of short-term currency market movements is extremely difficult, and the successful execution of a short-term hedging strategy is highly uncertain.

The Manager believes that the use of foreign currency hedging techniques, including "proxy-hedges," can provide significant protection of NAV in the event of a general increase or decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies. For example, the return available from securities denominated in a particular foreign currency would decline if the value of the U.S. dollar increased against that currency. Such a decline could be partially or completely offset by an increase in the value of a hedge involving a forward currency contract to sell that foreign currency or a proxy-hedge involving a forward currency contract to sell a different foreign currency whose behavior is expected to resemble the behavior of the currency in which the securities being hedged are denominated but which is available on more advantageous terms.

However, a hedge or a proxy-hedge cannot protect against exchange rate risks perfectly and, if the Manager is incorrect in its judgment of future exchange rate relationships, a Fund could be in a less advantageous position than if such a hedge had not been established. If a Fund uses proxy-hedging, it may experience losses on both the currency in which it has invested and the currency used for hedging if the two currencies do not vary with the expected degree of correlation. Using forward currency contracts to protect the value of a Fund's securities against a decline in the value of a currency does not eliminate fluctuations in the prices of the underlying securities. A Fund may experience delays in the settlement of its foreign currency transactions.

Forward currency contracts in which a Fund may engage include foreign exchange forwards. The consummation of a foreign exchange forward requires the actual exchange of the principal amounts of the two currencies in the contract (i.e., settlement on a physical basis). Because foreign exchange forwards are physically settled through an exchange of currencies, they are traded in the interbank market directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A foreign exchange forward generally has no deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades; foreign exchange dealers realize a profit based on the difference (the spread) between the prices at which they are buying and the prices at which they are selling various currencies. When a Fund enters into a foreign exchange forward, it relies on the counterparty to make or take delivery of the underlying currency at the maturity of the contract. Failure by the counterparty to do so would result in the loss of any expected benefit of the transaction.

A Fund may be required to obtain the currency that it must deliver under the foreign exchange forward through the sale of portfolio securities denominated in such currency or through conversion of other assets of the Fund into such currency. When a Fund engages in foreign currency transactions for hedging purposes, it will not enter into foreign exchange forwards to sell currency or maintain a net exposure to such contracts if their consummation would obligate the Fund to deliver an amount of foreign currency materially in excess of the value of its portfolio securities or other assets denominated in that currency.

Forward currency contracts in which a Fund may engage also include non-deliverable forwards ("NDFs"). NDFs are cash-settled, short-term forward contracts on foreign currencies (each a "Reference Currency") that are non-convertible and that may be thinly traded or illiquid. NDFs involve an obligation to pay an amount (the "Settlement Amount") equal to the difference between the prevailing market exchange rate for the Reference Currency and the agreed upon exchange rate (the "NDF Rate"), with respect to an agreed notional amount. NDFs have a fixing date and a settlement (delivery) date. The fixing date is the date and time at which the difference between the prevailing market exchange rate and the agreed upon exchange rate is calculated. The settlement (delivery) date is the date by which the payment of the Settlement Amount is due to the party receiving payment.

Although NDFs are similar to forward exchange forwards, NDFs do not require physical delivery of the Reference Currency on the settlement date. Rather, on the settlement date, the only transfer between the counterparties is the monetary settlement amount representing the difference between the NDF Rate and the prevailing market exchange rate. NDFs typically may have terms from one month up to two years and are settled in U.S. dollars.

NDFs are subject to many of the risks associated with derivatives in general and forward currency transactions, including risks associated with fluctuations in foreign currency and the risk that the counterparty will fail to fulfill its obligations. Although NDFs have historically been traded OTC, in the future, pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, they may be exchange-traded. Under such circumstances, they may be centrally cleared and a secondary market for them will exist. With respect to NDFs that are centrally-cleared, an investor could lose margin payments it has deposited with the clearing organization as well as the net amount of gains not yet paid by the clearing organization if the clearing organization breaches its obligations under the NDF, becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy. In the event of bankruptcy of the clearing organization, the investor may be entitled to the net amount of gains the investor is entitled to receive plus the return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the clearing organization's other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the investor. Even if some NDFs remain traded OTC, they will be subject to margin requirements for uncleared swaps and counterparty risk common to other swaps, as discussed below.

A Fund may purchase securities of an issuer domiciled in a country other than the country in whose currency the securities are denominated.

Swap Agreements. A Fund may enter into swap agreements to manage or gain exposure to particular types of investments (including commodities, equity securities, interest rates or indices of equity securities in which the Fund otherwise could not invest efficiently) or to help enhance the value of its portfolio. A Fund may also enter into other types of swap agreements, including total return swaps, asset swaps, currency swaps and credit default swaps, and may write (sell) and purchase options thereon for hedging and non-hedging purposes.

Swap agreements historically have been individually negotiated and structured to include exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors. Swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors. Swap agreements can vary in term like other fixed-income investments. Most swap agreements are currently traded over-the-counter. In a standard "swap" transaction, two parties agree to exchange one or more payments based, for example, on the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments (such as securities, indices, or other financial or economic interests). The gross payments to be exchanged (or "swapped") between the parties are calculated with respect to a notional amount, which is the predetermined dollar principal of the trade representing the hypothetical underlying quantity upon which payment obligations are computed. If a swap agreement provides for payment in different currencies, the parties may agree to exchange the principal amount. A swap also includes an instrument that is dependent on the occurrence, nonoccurrence or the extent of the occurrence of an event or contingency associated with a potential financial, economic or commercial consequence, such as a credit default swap.

Depending on how they are used, swap agreements may increase or decrease the overall volatility of a Fund's investments and its share price and yield. Swap agreements are subject to liquidity risk, meaning that a Fund may be unable to sell a swap agreement to a third party at a favorable price. Swap agreements may involve leverage and may be highly volatile; depending on how they are used, they may have a considerable impact on a Fund's performance. The risks of swap agreements depend upon a Fund's ability to terminate its swap agreements or reduce its exposure through offsetting transactions. Swaps are highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those associated with stocks, bonds, and other traditional investments.

Some swaps currently are, and more in the future will be, centrally cleared. Swaps that are centrally cleared are subject to the creditworthiness of the clearing organization involved in the transaction. For example, an investor could lose margin payments it has deposited with its futures commission merchant as well as the net amount of gains not yet paid by the clearing organization if the clearing organization becomes insolvent or goes into bankruptcy. In the event of bankruptcy of the clearing organization, the investor may be entitled to the net amount of gains the investor is entitled to receive plus the return of margin owed to it only in proportion to the amount received by the clearing organization's other customers, potentially resulting in losses to the investor.

To the extent a swap is not centrally cleared, the use of a swap involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty or the failure of the counterparty to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the agreement. If a counterparty's creditworthiness declines, the value of the swap might decline, potentially resulting in losses to a Fund. Changing conditions in a particular market area, whether or not directly related to the referenced assets that underlie the swap agreement, may have an adverse impact on the creditworthiness of the counterparty. If a default occurs by the counterparty to such a transaction, a Fund may have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction.

Following the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act and promulgation of related CFTC regulations, U.S. swap markets have undergone substantial change in recent years. Reporting and recordkeeping requirements are now required for all swap transactions in the U.S., and certain swaps may also be subject to margin, clearing and trade execution mandates, among other regulatory obligations. Regulations adopted by the CFTC, SEC and prudential regulators may require certain Fund counterparties to post and collect margin on OTC swaps, and exchanges also have minimum margin requirements for exchange-traded and cleared swaps.

The prudential regulators issued final rules that require banks subject to their supervision to exchange variation and initial margin in respect of their obligations arising under OTC swap agreements with certain of their counterparties. The CFTC adopted similar rules that apply to CFTC-registered swap dealers that are not banks. Such rules generally require a Fund to set aside additional eligible assets in order to meet the new variation and initial margin requirements when they enter into OTC swap agreements. The European Supervisory Authorities ("ESA"), various national regulators in Europe, the Australian Securities & Investment Commission, the Japanese Financial Services Agency and the Canadian Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions adopted rules and regulations that are similar to that of the U.S. prudential regulators. All such variation and initial margin requirements are now effective. Due to these regulations, a Fund may be required by its swap dealer counterparties to enter into additional documentation (including ISDA Credit Support Annexes), and post and collect margin related to its swap agreements.

CFTC regulations now also allow for the minimum transfer amount ("MTA") of initial and variation margin to apply separately to each separately managed investment account or sleeve ("SMA") that an asset manager is responsible for, rather than having to calculate the MTA across all accounts of the Fund or other counterparty. An SMA's MTA may be calculated separately from other SMAs of the same legal entity so long as it meets the following conditions: (1) the SMA is managed by an asset manager and is governed by an investment management agreement, pursuant to which the SMA owner has granted the asset manager authority with respect to certain of the owner's assets; (2) swaps are entered into by the asset manager on behalf of the SMA pursuant to the investment management agreement; (3) the swaps of such SMA are subject to a master netting agreement that does not permit netting of initial or variation margin obligations across SMAs of the legal entity that have swaps outstanding with the applicable swap dealer; and (4) the MTA is no greater than $50,000 for each applicable SMA. As of the date of this SAI, the prudential regulators have not provided similar relief, although swaps dealers subject to a prudential regulator are expected to act in a manner consistent with the relief provided by the CFTC.

Regulations adopted by the prudential regulators require certain banks to include in a range of financial contracts, including swap agreements, terms delaying or restricting default, termination and other rights in the event that the bank and/or its affiliates become subject to certain types of resolution or insolvency proceedings. The regulations could limit a Fund's ability to exercise a range of cross-default rights if its counterparty, or an affiliate of the counterparty, is subject to bankruptcy or similar proceedings. Such regulations could further negatively impact a Fund's use of swaps.

Swap agreements can take many different forms and are known by a variety of names including, but not limited to, interest rate swaps, mortgage swaps, total return swaps, inflation swaps, asset swaps (where parties exchange assets, typically a debt security), currency swaps, equity swaps, credit default swaps, commodity-linked swaps, and contracts for differences. A Fund may also write (sell) and purchase options on swaps (swaptions).

Interest Rate Swaps, Mortgage Swaps, and Interest Rate "Caps," "Floors," and "Collars." In a typical interest rate swap agreement, one party agrees to make regular payments equal to a floating rate on a specified amount in exchange for payments equal to a fixed rate, or a different floating rate, on the same amount for a specified period. Mortgage swap agreements are similar to interest rate swap agreements, except the notional principal amount is tied to a reference pool of mortgages or index of mortgages. In an interest rate cap or floor, one party agrees, usually in return for a fee, to make payments under particular circumstances. For example, the purchaser of an interest rate cap has the right to receive payments to the extent a specified interest rate exceeds an agreed level; the purchaser of an interest rate floor has the right to receive payments to the extent a specified interest rate falls below an agreed level. An interest rate collar entitles the purchaser to receive payments to the extent a specified interest rate falls outside an agreed range.

Among other techniques, a Fund may use interest rate swaps to offset declines in the value of fixed income securities held by the Fund. In such an instance, a Fund may agree with a counterparty to pay a fixed rate (multiplied by a notional amount) and the counterparty to pay a floating rate multiplied by the same notional amount. If long-term interest rates rise, resulting in a diminution in the value of a Fund's portfolio, the Fund would receive payments under the swap that would offset, in whole or in part, such diminution in value; if interest rates fall, the Fund would likely lose money on the swap transaction. A Fund may also enter into constant maturity swaps, which are a variation of the typical interest rate swap. Constant maturity swaps are exposed to changes in long-term interest rate movements.

Total Return Swaps. A Fund may enter into total return swaps ("TRS") to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or market. A Fund may be either a total return receiver or a total return payer. Generally, the total return payer sells to the total return receiver an amount equal to all cash flows and price appreciation on a defined security or asset payable at periodic times during the swap term (i.e., credit risk) in return for a periodic payment from the total return receiver based on a designated index (e.g., the London Interbank Offered Rate, known as LIBOR or the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, known as SOFR) and spread, plus the amount of any price depreciation on the reference security or asset. The total return payer does not need to own the underlying security or asset to enter into a total return swap. The final payment at the end of the swap term includes final settlement of the current market price of the underlying reference security or asset, and payment by the applicable party for any appreciation or depreciation in value. Usually, collateral must be posted by the total return receiver to secure the periodic interest-based and market price depreciation payments depending on the credit quality of the underlying reference security and creditworthiness of the total return receiver, and the collateral amount is marked-to-market daily equal to the market price of the underlying reference security or asset between periodic payment dates.

TRS may effectively add leverage to a Fund's portfolio because, in addition to its net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. If a Fund is the total return receiver in a TRS, then the credit risk for an underlying asset is transferred to the Fund in exchange for its receipt of the return (appreciation) on that asset. If a Fund is the total return payer, it is hedging the downside risk of an underlying asset but it is obligated to pay the amount of any appreciation on that asset.

Inflation Swaps. In an inflation swap, one party agrees to pay the cumulative percentage increase in a price index, such as the Consumer Price Index, over the term of the swap (with some lag on the referenced inflation index) and the other party agrees to pay a compounded fixed rate. Inflation swaps may be used to protect a Fund's NAV against an unexpected change in the rate of inflation measured by an inflation index.

Currency Swaps. A currency swap involves the exchange by a Fund and another party of the cash flows on a notional amount of two or more currencies based on the relative value differential among them, such as exchanging a right to receive a payment in foreign currency for the right to receive U.S. dollars. A Fund may enter into currency swaps (where the parties exchange their respective rights to make or receive payments in specified currencies). Currency swap agreements may be entered into on a net basis or may involve the delivery of the entire principal value of one designated currency in exchange for the entire principal value of another designated currency. In such cases, the entire principal value of a currency swap is subject to the risk that the counterparty will default on its contractual delivery obligations.

Equity Swaps. Equity swaps are contracts that allow one party to exchange the returns, including any dividend income, on an equity security or group of equity securities for another payment stream. Under an equity swap, payments may be made at the conclusion of the equity swap or periodically during its term. A Fund may enter into equity swaps. An equity swap may be used to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of securities in circumstances in which direct investment may be restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise deemed impractical or disadvantageous. Furthermore, equity swaps may be illiquid and a Fund may be unable to terminate its obligations when desired. In addition, the value of some components of an equity swap (such as the dividends on a common stock) may also be sensitive to changes in interest rates.

Credit Default Swaps. In a credit default swap, the credit default protection buyer makes periodic payments, known as premiums, to the credit default protection seller. In return, the credit default protection seller will make a payment to the credit default protection buyer upon the occurrence of a specified credit event. A credit default swap can refer to a single issuer or asset, a basket of issuers or assets or index of assets, each known as the reference entity or underlying asset. A Fund may act as either the buyer or the seller of a credit default swap. A Fund may buy or sell credit default protection on a basket of issuers or assets, even if a number of the underlying assets referenced in the basket are lower-quality debt securities. In an unhedged credit default swap, a Fund buys credit default protection on a single issuer or asset, a basket of issuers or assets or index of assets without owning the underlying asset or debt issued by the reference entity. Credit default swaps involve greater and different risks than investing directly in the referenced asset, because, in addition to market risk, credit default swaps include liquidity, counterparty and operational risk.

Credit default swaps allow a Fund to acquire or reduce credit exposure to a particular issuer, asset or basket of assets. If a swap agreement calls for payments by a Fund, the Fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. If a Fund is the credit default protection seller, the Fund will experience a loss if a credit event occurs and the credit of the reference entity or underlying asset has deteriorated. If a Fund is the credit default protection buyer, the Fund will be required to pay premiums to the credit default protection seller. In the case of a physically settled credit default swap in which a Fund is the protection seller, the Fund must be prepared to pay par for and take possession of debt of a defaulted issuer delivered to the Fund by the credit default protection buyer. Any loss would be offset by the premium payments the Fund receives as the seller of credit default protection.

Commodity-Linked Swaps. Commodity-linked swaps are two party contracts in which the parties agree to exchange the return or interest rate on one instrument for the return of a particular commodity, commodity index or commodity futures or options contract. The payment streams are calculated by reference to an agreed upon notional amount. A one-period swap contract operates in a manner similar to a forward or futures contract because there is an agreement to swap a commodity for cash at only one forward date. A Fund may engage in swap transactions that have more than one period and therefore more than one exchange of payments. A Fund may invest in total return commodity swaps to gain exposure to the overall commodity markets. In a total return commodity swap, a Fund will receive the price appreciation of a commodity index, a portion of the index, or a single commodity in exchange for paying an agreed-upon fee. If a commodity swap is for one period, a Fund will pay a fixed fee, established at the outset of the swap. However, if the term of a commodity swap is more than one period, with interim swap payments, a Fund will pay an adjustable or floating fee. With "floating" rate, the fee is pegged to a base rate such as LIBOR or SOFR, and is adjusted each period. Therefore, if interest rates increase over the term of the swap contract, a Fund may be required to pay a higher fee at each swap reset date.

Contracts for Differences. A Fund may purchase contracts for differences ("CFDs"). A CFD is a form of equity swap in which its value is based on the fluctuating value of some underlying instrument (e.g., a single security, stock basket or index). A CFD is a privately negotiated contract between two parties, buyer and seller, stipulating that the seller will pay to or receive from the buyer the difference between the nominal value of the underlying instrument at the opening of the contract and that instrument's value at the end of the contract. The buyer and seller are both required to post margin, which is adjusted daily, and adverse market movements against the underlying instrument may require the buyer to make additional margin payments. The buyer will also pay to the seller a financing rate on the notional amount of the capital employed by the seller less the margin deposit. A CFD is usually terminated at the buyer's initiative.

A CFD can be set up to take either a short or long position on the underlying instrument and enables a Fund to potentially capture movements in the share prices of the underlying instrument without the need to own the underlying instrument. By entering into a CFD transaction, a Fund could incur losses because it would face many of the same types of risks as owning the underlying instrument directly.

As with other types of swap transactions, CFDs also carry counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty to the CFD transaction may be unable or unwilling to make payments or to otherwise honor its financial obligations under the terms of the contract, that the parties to the transaction may disagree as to the meaning or application of contractual terms, or that the instrument may not perform as expected. If the counterparty were to do so, the value of the contract, and of a Fund's shares, may be reduced.

Options on Swaps (Swaptions). A swaption is an option to enter into a swap agreement. The purchaser of a swaption pays a premium for the option and obtains the right, but not the obligation, to enter into an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms. The seller of a swaption, in exchange for the premium, becomes obligated (if the option is exercised) to enter into an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms. Depending on the terms of the particular option agreement, a Fund generally will incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a swaption than when it purchases a swaption. When a Fund purchases a swaption, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised.

Combined Transactions. A Fund may enter into multiple transactions, which may include multiple options transactions, multiple interest rate transactions and any combination of options and interest rate transactions, instead of a single Financial Instrument, as part of a single or combined strategy when, in the judgment of the Manager, it is in the best interests of the Fund to do so. A combined transaction will usually contain elements of risk that are present in each of its component transactions. Although a Fund will normally enter into combined transactions based on the Manager's judgment that the combined transactions will reduce risk or otherwise more effectively achieve the desired portfolio management goal, it is possible that the combined transactions will instead increase risk or hinder achievement of the desired portfolio management goal.

Regulatory Limitations on Using Futures, Options on Futures, and Swaps. The CFTC has adopted regulations that subject registered investment companies and/or their investment advisors to regulation by the CFTC if the registered investment company invests more than a prescribed level of its NAV in commodity futures, options on commodities or commodity futures, swaps, or other financial instruments regulated under the Commodity Exchange Act, or if the registered investment company is marketed as a vehicle for obtaining exposure to such commodity interests.

As discussed in more detail below, the Manager has claimed an exclusion from CPO registration pursuant to CFTC Rule 4.5, with respect to all of the Funds. To remain eligible for this exclusion, a Fund must comply with certain limitations, including limits on trading in commodity interests, and restrictions on the manner in which the Fund markets its commodity interests trading activities. These limitations may restrict a Fund's ability to pursue its investment strategy, increase the costs of implementing its strategy, increase its expenses and/or adversely affect its total return.

To qualify for the CFTC Rule 4.5 exclusion, a Fund is permitted to engage in unlimited "bona fide hedging" (as defined by the CFTC), but if a Fund uses commodity interests other than for bona fide hedging purposes, the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish these positions, determined at the time the most recent position was established, may not exceed 5% of the Fund's NAV (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions and excluding the amount by which options that are "in-the-money" at the time of purchase are "in-the-money") or, alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of non-bona fide hedging commodity interest positions, determined at the time the most recent position was established, may not exceed 100% of the Fund's NAV (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to complying with these de minimis trading limitations, to qualify for the exclusion, a Fund must satisfy a marketing test, which requires, among other things, that a Fund not hold itself out as a vehicle for trading commodity interests.

A Fund may be exposed to commodity interests indirectly in excess of the de minimis trading limitations described above. Such exposure may result from a Fund's investment in other investment vehicles, such as real estate investment trusts, collateralized loan obligations, collateralized debt obligations and other securitization vehicles that may invest directly in commodity interests. These investment vehicles are referred to collectively as "underlying investment vehicles." The CFTC treats a fund as a commodity pool whether it invests in commodity interests directly or indirectly through its investments in underlying investment vehicles. The CFTC staff has issued a no-action letter permitting the manager of a fund that invests in such underlying investment vehicles to defer registering as a CPO or claiming the exclusion from the CPO definition until six months from the date on which the CFTC issues additional guidance on the application of the calculation of the de minimis trading limitations in the context of the CPO exemption in CFTC Regulation 4.5 (the "Deadline"). Such guidance is expected to clarify how to calculate compliance with the de minimis trading limitations given a fund's investments in underlying investment vehicles that may cause the fund to be deemed to be indirectly trading commodity interests. The Manager has filed the required notice to claim this no-action relief with respect to each Fund. In addition, the Manager has claimed an exclusion (under CFTC Regulation 4.5) from the CPO definition with respect to each Fund. As a result, at this time the Manager is not required to register as a CPO with respect to any Fund and need not generally comply with the regulatory requirements otherwise applicable to a registered CPO. Prior to the Deadline, however, the Manager will determine with respect to each Fund whether it must operate as a registered CPO or whether it can rely on an exemption or exclusion from the CPO definition. If the Manager determines that it can rely on the exclusion in CFTC Regulation 4.5 with respect to a Fund, then the Manager, in its management of that Fund, will comply with one of the two alternative de minimis trading limitations in that regulation. Complying with the de minimis trading limitations may restrict the Manager's ability to use derivatives as part of a Fund's investment strategies. Although the Manager believes that it will be able to execute each Fund's investment strategies within the de minimis trading limitations, a Fund's performance could be adversely affected. If the Manager determines that it cannot rely on the exclusion in CFTC Regulation 4.5 with respect to a Fund, then the Manager will serve as a registered CPO with respect to that Fund. CPO regulation would increase the regulatory requirements to which a Fund is subject and it is expected that it would increase costs for a Fund.

Pursuant to authority granted under the Dodd-Frank Act, the Treasury Department issued a notice of final determination stating that foreign exchange forwards and foreign exchange swaps, as defined in the Dodd-Frank Act and described above, should not be considered swaps for most purposes. Thus, foreign exchange forwards and foreign exchange swaps are not deemed to be commodity interests. Therefore, if the Manager determines that it can rely on the exclusion in CFTC Regulation 4.5 with respect to a Fund, the Fund may enter into foreign exchange forwards and foreign exchange swaps without such transactions counting against the de minimis trading limitations discussed above. Notwithstanding the Treasury Department determination, foreign exchange forwards and foreign exchange swaps (1) must be reported to swap data repositories, (2) may be subject to business conduct standards, and (3) are subject to antifraud and anti-manipulation proscriptions of swap execution facilities. In addition, for purposes of determining whether any Fund may be subject to initial margin requirements for uncleared swaps, the average daily aggregate notional amount of a foreign exchange forward or a foreign exchange swap must be included in the calculation of whether such Fund has a "material swaps exposure" as defined in the regulations.

In addition, pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act and regulations adopted by the CFTC in connection with implementing the Dodd-Frank Act, NDFs are deemed to be commodity interests, including for purposes of amended CFTC Regulation 4.5, and are subject to the full array of regulations under the Dodd-Frank Act. Therefore, if the Manager determines that it can rely on the exclusion in CFTC Regulation 4.5 with respect to a Fund, the Fund will limit its investment in NDFs as discussed above.

The staff of the CFTC has issued guidance providing that, for purposes of determining compliance with CFTC Regulation 4.5, and the de minimis trading limitations discussed above, swaps that are centrally-cleared on the same clearing organization may be netted where appropriate, but no such netting is permitted for uncleared swaps. To the extent some NDFs remain traded OTC and are not centrally-cleared, the absolute notional value of all such transactions, rather than the net notional value, would be counted against the de minimis trading limitations discussed above.

General Risks of Financial Instruments. The primary risks in using Financial Instruments are: (1) imperfect correlation or no correlation between changes in market value of the securities or currencies held or to be acquired by a Fund and the prices of Financial Instruments; (2) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for Financial Instruments and the resulting inability to close out Financial Instruments when desired; (3) the fact that the skills needed to use Financial Instruments are different from those needed to select a Fund's securities; (4) the fact that, although use of Financial Instruments for hedging purposes can reduce the risk of loss, they also can reduce the opportunity for gain, or even result in losses, by offsetting favorable price movements in hedged investments; (5) the possible inability of a Fund to purchase or sell a portfolio security at a time that would otherwise be favorable for it to do so, or the possible need for a Fund to sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time; and (6) when traded on non-U.S. exchanges, Financial Instruments may not be regulated as rigorously as in the United States. There can be no assurance that a Fund's use of Financial Instruments will be successful.

In addition, Financial Instruments may contain leverage to magnify the exposure to the underlying asset or assets.

A Fund's use of Financial Instruments may be limited by the provisions of the Code and Treasury Department regulations, with which it must comply to qualify (except in the case of Real Estate Portfolio, which had not commenced operations, and thus had not completed a taxable year, as of the date of this SAI) or to continue to qualify as a RIC. See "Additional Tax Information." Financial Instruments may not be available with respect to some currencies, especially those of so-called emerging market countries.

Policies and Limitations. When hedging, the Manager intends to reduce the risk of imperfect correlation by investing only in Financial Instruments whose behavior is expected to resemble or offset that of a Fund's underlying securities or currency. The Manager intends to reduce the risk that a Fund will be unable to close out Financial Instruments by entering into such transactions only if the Manager believes there will be an active and liquid secondary market.

Illiquid Securities. Generally, an illiquid security is any investment that may not reasonably be expected to be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Illiquid securities may include unregistered or other restricted securities and repurchase agreements maturing in greater than seven days. Illiquid securities may also include commercial paper under Section 4(2) of the 1933 Act, and Rule 144A securities (restricted securities that may be traded freely among qualified institutional buyers pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the securities laws); these securities are considered illiquid unless the Manager determines they are liquid. Most such securities held by the Funds are deemed liquid. Generally, foreign securities freely tradable in their principal market are not considered restricted or illiquid, even if they are not registered in the United States. Illiquid securities may be difficult for a Fund to value or dispose of due to the absence of an active trading market. The sale of some illiquid securities by a Fund may be subject to legal restrictions, which could be costly to the Fund.

Policies and Limitations. For the Funds' policies and limitations on illiquid securities, see "Investment Policies and Limitations -- Illiquid Securities" above.

Indexed Securities. A Fund may invest in indexed securities whose values are linked to currencies, interest rates, commodities, indices, or other financial indicators, domestic or foreign. Most indexed securities are short- to intermediate-term fixed income securities whose values at maturity or interest rates rise or fall according to the change in one or more specified underlying instruments. The value of indexed securities may increase or decrease if the underlying instrument appreciates, and they may have return characteristics similar to direct investment in the underlying instrument. An indexed security may be more volatile than the underlying instrument itself.

Inflation-Indexed Securities. Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed income securities whose principal value or coupon (interest payment) is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. A Fund may invest in inflation-indexed securities issued in any country. Two structures are common. The Treasury Department and some other issuers use a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the bond. Other issuers pay out the index-based accruals as part of a semiannual coupon.

A Fund may invest in Treasury Department inflation-indexed securities, formerly called "U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities" ("U.S. TIPS"), which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. The periodic adjustment of U.S. TIPS is currently tied to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers ("CPI-U"), which is calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is part of the Labor Department. The CPI-U is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy. Inflation-indexed bonds issued by a non-U.S. government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable inflation index, calculated by that government. There can be no assurance that the CPI-U or any non-U.S. inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. In addition, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a non-U.S. country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States. The three-month lag in calculating the CPI-U for purposes of adjusting the principal value of U.S. TIPS may give rise to risks under certain circumstances.

Interest is calculated on the basis of the current adjusted principal value. The principal value of inflation-indexed securities declines in periods of deflation, but holders at maturity receive no less than par. However, if a Fund purchases inflation-indexed securities in the secondary market whose principal values have been adjusted upward due to inflation since issuance, the fund may experience a loss if there is a subsequent period of deflation. If inflation is lower than expected during the period a Fund holds the security, the Fund may earn less on it than on a conventional bond. A Fund may also invest in other inflation-related bonds which may or may not provide a guarantee of principal. If a guarantee of principal is not provided, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal amount.

Because the coupon rate on inflation-indexed securities is lower than fixed-rate Treasury Department securities, the CPI-U would have to rise at least to the amount of the difference between the coupon rate of the fixed-rate Treasury Department issues and the coupon rate of the inflation-indexed securities, assuming all other factors are equal, in order for such securities to match the performance of the fixed-rate Treasury Department securities. Inflation-indexed securities are expected to react primarily to changes in the "real" interest rate (i.e., the nominal (or stated) rate less the rate of inflation), while a typical bond reacts to changes in the nominal interest rate. Accordingly, inflation-indexed securities have characteristics of fixed-rate Treasury Department securities having a shorter duration. Changes in market interest rates from causes other than inflation will likely affect the market prices of inflation-indexed securities in the same manner as conventional bonds.

Any increase in the principal value of an inflation-indexed security is taxable in the year the increase occurs, even though its holders do not receive cash representing the increase until the security matures. Because a Fund must distribute substantially all of its net investment income (including non-cash income attributable to those principal value increases) and net realized gains to its shareholders each taxable year to continue to qualify for treatment as a RIC and to minimize or avoid payment of federal income and excise taxes, a Fund may have to dispose of other investments under disadvantageous circumstances to generate cash, or may be required to borrow, to satisfy its distribution requirements.

The Treasury Department began issuing inflation-indexed bonds in 1997. Certain non-U.S. governments, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, have a longer history of issuing inflation-indexed bonds, and there may be a more liquid market in certain of these countries for these securities.

Interfund Lending. Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC and corresponding compliance procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees, the Funds may lend money to, and borrow money from, each other pursuant to a master interfund lending agreement ("Interfund Lending Program"). Under the Interfund Lending Program, the Funds may lend or borrow money for temporary purposes directly to or from one another (an "Interfund Loan"), subject to meeting the conditions of the SEC exemptive order. All Interfund Loans consist only of uninvested cash reserves that the lending Fund otherwise would invest in short-term repurchase agreements or other short-term instruments.

If a Fund has outstanding bank borrowings, any Interfund Loans to the Fund would: (a) be at an interest rate equal to or lower than that of any outstanding bank loan, (b) be secured at least on an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of collateral to loan value as any outstanding bank loan that requires collateral, (c) have a maturity no longer than any outstanding bank loan (and in any event not over seven days), and (d) provide that, if an event of default occurs under any agreement evidencing an outstanding bank loan to the Fund, that event of default will automatically (without need for action or notice by the lending Fund) constitute an immediate event of default under the Interfund Lending Program, entitling the lending Fund to call the Interfund Loan (and exercise all rights with respect to any collateral), and that such call will be made if the lending bank exercises its right to call its loan under its agreement with the borrowing Fund.

A Fund may make an unsecured borrowing under the Interfund Lending Program if its outstanding borrowings from all sources immediately after the borrowing under the Interfund Lending Program are equal to or less than 10% of its total assets, provided that, if the Fund has a secured loan outstanding from any other lender, including but not limited to another Fund, the Fund's borrowing under the Interfund Lending Program would be secured on at least an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of collateral to loan value as any outstanding loan that requires collateral. If a Fund's total outstanding borrowings immediately after an interfund borrowing under the Interfund Lending Program exceeded 10% of its total assets, the Fund may borrow through the Interfund Lending Program on a secured basis only. A Fund may not borrow under the Interfund Lending Program or from any other source if its total outstanding borrowings immediately after the borrowing would be more than 33⅓% of its total assets.

No Fund may lend to another Fund through the Interfund Lending Program if the loan would cause the lending Fund's aggregate outstanding loans through the Interfund Lending Program to exceed 15% of its current net assets at the time of the loan. A Fund's Interfund Loans to any one Fund shall not exceed 5% of the lending Fund's net assets. The duration of Interfund Loans is limited to the time required to receive payment for securities sold, but in no event more than seven days, and for purposes of this condition, loans effected within seven days of each other will be treated as separate loan transactions. Each Interfund Loan may be called on one business day's notice by a lending Fund and may be repaid on any day by a borrowing Fund.

The limitations detailed above and the other conditions of the SEC exemptive relief application permitting interfund lending are designed to minimize the risks associated with interfund lending for both the lending Fund and the borrowing Fund. However, no borrowing or lending activity is without risk. When a Fund borrows money from another Fund, there is a risk that the Interfund Loan could be called on one day's notice or not renewed, in which case the Fund may have to borrow from a bank at higher rates or sell portfolio securities if an Interfund Loan is not available from another Fund. There can be no assurance than an Interfund Loan will be available to any Fund either as a borrower or lender. Interfund Loans are subject to the risk that the borrowing Fund could be unable to repay the loan when due, and a delay in repayment to a lending Fund could result in a lost opportunity or additional lending costs. No Fund may borrow more than the amount permitted by its investment limitations.

Investments by Funds of Funds or Other Large Shareholders. A Fund may experience large redemptions or investments due to transactions in Fund shares by funds of funds, other large shareholders, or similarly managed accounts. While it is impossible to predict the overall effect of these transactions over time, there could be an adverse impact on a Fund's performance. In the event of such redemptions or investments, a Fund could be required to sell securities or to invest cash at a time when it may not otherwise desire to do so. Such transactions may increase a Fund's brokerage and/or other transaction costs and affect the liquidity of a Fund's portfolio. In addition, when funds of funds or other investors own a substantial portion of a Fund's shares, a large redemption by such an investor could cause actual expenses to increase, or could result in the Fund's current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Fund's expense ratio. Redemptions of Fund shares could also accelerate a Fund's realization of capital gains (which would be taxable to its shareholders when distributed to them) if sales of securities needed to fund the redemptions result in net capital gains. The impact of these transactions is likely to be greater when a fund of funds or other significant investor purchases, redeems, or owns a substantial portion of a Fund's shares. A high volume of redemption requests can impact a Fund the same way as the transactions of a single shareholder with substantial investments.

Japanese Investments. A Fund may invest in foreign securities, including securities of Japanese issuers. The performance of a Fund may therefore be affected by events influencing Japan's economy and the exchange rate between the Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar, generally. Japan's economy fell into a long recession in the 1990s. Japan's economic growth rate has generally remained low in the 2000s and thereafter. At present, Japan's economy may be recovering from this long recession, although, the long-term outlook remains uncertain and the economic growth rate could remain low in the future. This economic recession was likely compounded by Japan's massive government debt, the aging and shrinking of the population, low domestic consumption, and certain corporate structural weaknesses, which remain some of the major long-term problems of the Japanese economy.

International trade is important to Japan's economy and Japan's economic growth is significantly driven by its exports. Japan also heavily depends on large imports of fuels, raw materials and agricultural products. Domestic or foreign trade sanctions or other protectionist measures could harm Japan's economy. Currency fluctuations, which have been significant at times, also have considerable impacts on exports in particular, and overall Japanese economy. In addition, Japan is particularly susceptible to slowing economic growth in China, Japan's second largest export market. Japan's economic prospects may also be affected by the political and military situations of its near neighbors, notably North and South Korea, China, and Russia.

Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons and volcanic eruptions, could occur in Japan, which may have a significant impact on the business operations of Japanese companies in the affected regions and Japan's economy.

Leverage. Each Fund may engage in transactions that have the effect of leverage. Although leverage creates an opportunity for increased total return, it also can create special risk considerations. For example, leverage from borrowing may amplify changes in a Fund's NAV. Although the principal of such borrowings will be fixed, a Fund's assets may change in value during the time the borrowing is outstanding. Leverage from borrowing creates interest expenses for a Fund. To the extent the income derived from securities purchased with borrowed funds is sufficient to cover the cost of leveraging, the net income of a Fund will be greater than it would be if leverage were not used. Conversely, to the extent the income derived from securities purchased with borrowed funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of leveraging, the net income of a Fund will be less than it would be if leverage were not used and, therefore, the amount (if any) available for distribution to the Fund's shareholders as dividends will be reduced. Reverse repurchase agreements, securities lending transactions, when-issued and delayed-delivery transactions, certain Financial Instruments (as defined above), and short sales, among others, may create leverage.

Policies and Limitations. For the Funds' policies and limitations on borrowing, see "Investment Policies and Limitations -- Borrowing" above. In addition, each Fund may borrow to purchase securities needed to close out short sales entered into for hedging purposes and to facilitate other hedging transactions.

LIBOR Rate Risk. Many debt securities, derivatives and other financial instruments, including some of the Fund's investments, have historically utilized the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") as the reference or benchmark rate for variable interest rate calculations. In 2017, the UK Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") announced that after 2021 it would cease its active encouragement of UK banks to provide the quotations needed to sustain LIBOR. The ICE Benchmark Administration Limited (the "ICE"), the current administrator of LIBOR, ceased publishing most LIBOR maturities, including some U.S. dollar LIBOR maturities, on December 31, 2021, and the remaining and most liquid U.S. dollar LIBOR maturities ceased to be published after June 30, 2023.

The FCA previously announced that it would require the ICE to continue publishing a 3-month synthetic sterling LIBOR, which is expected to cease at the end of March 2024. On April 3, 2023, the FCA announced that it would require the ICE to continue publishing 1-, 3- and 6-month U.S. dollar LIBOR until September 30, 2024 using an unrepresentative synthetic methodology ("synthetic U.S. dollar LIBOR"). Synthetic U.S. dollar LIBOR will be calculated using the same methodology used in the LIBOR Act. Synthetic U.S. dollar LIBOR cannot be used for cleared derivatives, but could be used in untransitioned legacy contracts unless they contain fallback language addressing LIBOR that has become "unrepresentative." There is a risk that any of these synthetic U.S. dollar LIBOR maturities may cease to be published before these dates.

Also in 2017, the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a group of large U.S. banks working with the Federal Reserve, announced its selection of a new Secured Overnight Funding Rate ("SOFR"), which is a broad measure of the cost of overnight borrowings secured by Treasury Department securities, as an appropriate replacement for U.S. dollar LIBOR. Bank working groups and regulators in other countries have suggested other alternatives for their markets, including the Sterling Overnight Interbank Average Rate ("SONIA") in England.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York began publishing SOFR in April, 2018, with the expectation that it could be used on a voluntary basis in new instruments and for new transactions under existing instruments. However, SOFR is fundamentally different from LIBOR. It is a secured, nearly risk-free rate, while LIBOR is an unsecured rate that includes an element of bank credit risk. Also, while term SOFR for various maturities has begun to be adopted by some parties and for some types of transactions, SOFR is strictly an overnight rate, while LIBOR historically has been published for various maturities, ranging from overnight to one year. Thus, LIBOR may be expected to be higher than SOFR, and the spread between the two is likely to widen in times of market stress. Certain existing contracts provide for a spread adjustment when transitioning to SOFR from LIBOR, but there is no assurance that it will provide adequate compensation. Term SOFR rates for various maturities may not be available, recommended, or operationally feasible at the applicable benchmark replacement date.

Various financial industry groups have planned for and have implemented the transition from LIBOR to SOFR or another new benchmark, but there are obstacles to converting certain longer term securities and transactions. The transition process might lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets that currently rely on the LIBOR to determine interest rates. It also could lead to a reduction in the value of some LIBOR-based investments and reduce the effectiveness of new hedges placed against existing LIBOR-based instruments. Since the usefulness of LIBOR as a benchmark could deteriorate during the transition period, these effects could occur particularly with respect to synthetic values of LIBOR, or could occur throughout the transition period.

Lower-Rated Debt Securities. Lower-rated debt securities or "junk bonds" are those rated below the fourth highest category (including those securities rated as low as D by S&P) or unrated securities of comparable quality. Securities rated below investment grade are often considered to be speculative. These securities have poor protection with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Lower-rated debt securities generally offer a higher current yield than that available for investment grade issues with similar maturities, but they may involve significant risk under adverse conditions. In particular, adverse changes in general economic conditions and in the industries in which the issuers are engaged and changes in the financial condition of the issuers are more likely to cause price volatility and weaken the capacity of the issuer to make principal and interest payments than is the case for higher-grade debt securities. These securities are susceptible to default or decline in market value due to real or perceived adverse economic and business developments relating to the issuer, market interest rates and market liquidity. In addition, a Fund that invests in lower-quality securities may incur additional expenses to the extent recovery is sought on defaulted securities. Because of the many risks involved in investing in lower-rated debt securities, the success of such investments is dependent on the credit analysis of the Manager.

During periods of economic downturn or rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress, which could adversely affect their ability to make payments of interest and principal and increase the possibility of default. In addition, such issuers may not have more traditional methods of financing available to them and may be unable to repay debt at maturity by refinancing. The risk of loss due to default by such issuers is significantly greater because such securities frequently are unsecured and subordinated to the prior payment of senior indebtedness.

At certain times in the past, the market for lower-rated debt securities has expanded rapidly, and its growth generally paralleled a long economic expansion. In the past, the prices of many lower-rated debt securities declined substantially, reflecting an expectation that many issuers of such securities might experience financial difficulties. As a result, the yields on lower-rated debt securities rose dramatically. However, such higher yields did not reflect the value of the income stream that holders of such securities expected, but rather the risk that holders of such securities could lose a substantial portion of their value as a result of the issuers' financial restructuring or defaults. There can be no assurance that such declines will not recur.

The market for lower-rated debt issues generally is thinner or less active than that for higher quality securities, which may limit a Fund's ability to sell such securities at fair value in response to changes in the economy or financial markets. Judgment may play a greater role in pricing such securities than it does for more liquid securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may also decrease the values and liquidity of lower rated debt securities, especially in a thinly traded market.

A Fund may invest in securities whose ratings imply an imminent risk of default with respect to such payments. Issuers of securities in default may fail to resume principal or interest payments, in which case a Fund may lose its entire investment.

See Appendix A for further information about the ratings of debt securities assigned by S&P, Fitch, Inc., and Moody's.

Policies and Limitations. Mid Cap Intrinsic Value Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its net assets in corporate debt securities rated below investment grade or Comparable Unrated Securities. Each Fund considers bonds rated by at least one NRSRO below the fourth highest rating category to be lower-rated debt securities or "junk bonds."

Master Limited Partnerships. Master limited partnerships ("MLPs") are limited partnerships (or similar entities, such as limited liability companies) in which the ownership units (e.g., limited partnership interests) are publicly traded. MLP units are registered with the SEC and are freely traded on a securities exchange or in the OTC market. Many MLPs operate in oil and gas related businesses, including energy processing and distribution. Many MLPs are pass-through entities that generally are taxed at the unitholder level and are not subject to federal or state income tax at the entity level. Annual income, gains, losses, deductions and credits of such an MLP pass-through directly to its unitholders. Distributions from an MLP may consist in part of a return of capital. Additionally, since MLPs generally conduct business in multiple states, the Fund may be subject to income or franchise tax in each of the states in which the partnership does business. The additional cost of preparing and filing the tax returns and paying the related taxes may adversely impact the Fund's return on its investment in MLPs. Generally, an MLP is operated under the supervision of one or more general partners. Limited partners are not involved in the day-to-day management of an MLP.

Investing in MLPs involves certain risks related to investing in their underlying assets and risks associated with pooled investment vehicles. MLPs holding credit-related investments are subject to interest rate risk and the risk of default on payment obligations by debt issuers. MLPs that concentrate in a particular industry or a particular geographic region are subject to risks associated with such industry or region. Investments held by MLPs may be relatively illiquid, limiting the MLPs' ability to vary their portfolios promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions. MLPs may have limited financial resources, their securities may trade infrequently and in limited volume, and they may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than securities of larger or more broadly based companies.

The risks of investing in an MLP are generally those inherent in investing in a partnership as opposed to a corporation. For example, state law governing partnerships is different than state law governing corporations. Accordingly, there may be fewer protections afforded investors in an MLP than investors in a corporation. For example, although unitholders of an MLP are generally limited in their liability, similar to a corporation's shareholders, creditors typically have the right to seek the return of distributions made to unitholders if the liability in question arose before the distributions were paid. This liability may stay attached to a unitholder even after it sells its units.

Policies and Limitations. Under certain circumstances, an MLP could be deemed an investment company. If that occurred, a Fund's investment in the MLP's securities would be limited by the 1940 Act. See "Securities of Other Investment Companies."

Mortgage-Backed Securities. Mortgage-backed securities, including residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, represent direct or indirect participations in, or are secured by and payable from, pools of mortgage loans. Those securities may be guaranteed by a U.S. Government agency or instrumentality (such as by Ginnie Mae); issued and guaranteed by a government-sponsored stockholder-owned corporation, though not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States (such as by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (collectively, the "GSEs"), and described in greater detail below); or issued by fully private issuers. Private issuers are generally originators of and investors in mortgage loans and include savings associations, mortgage bankers, commercial banks, investment bankers, and special purpose entities. Private mortgage-backed securities may be backed by U.S. Government agency supported mortgage loans or some form of non-governmental credit enhancement.

Government-related guarantors (i.e., not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government) include Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae is a government-sponsored corporation owned by stockholders. It is subject to general regulation by the Federal Housing Finance Authority ("FHFA"). Fannie Mae purchases residential mortgages from a list of approved seller/servicers that include state and federally chartered savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, commercial banks, credit unions and mortgage bankers. Fannie Mae guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest on pass-through securities that it issues, but those securities are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.

Freddie Mac is a government-sponsored corporation formerly owned by the twelve Federal Home Loan Banks and now owned by stockholders. Freddie Mac issues Participation Certificates ("PCs"), which represent interests in mortgages from Freddie Mac's national portfolio. Freddie Mac guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of principal on the PCs it issues, but those PCs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.

The Treasury Department has historically had the authority to purchase obligations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. However, in 2008, due to capitalization concerns, Congress provided the Treasury Department with additional authority to lend the GSEs emergency funds and to purchase their stock. In September 2008, those capital concerns led the Treasury Department and the FHFA to announce that the GSEs had been placed in conservatorship.

Since that time, the GSEs have received significant capital support through Treasury Department preferred stock purchases as well as Treasury Department and Federal Reserve purchases of their mortgage backed securities ("MBS"). While the MBS purchase programs ended in 2010, the Treasury Department announced in December 2009 that it would continue its support for the entities' capital as necessary to prevent a negative net worth. However, no assurance can be given that the Federal Reserve, Treasury Department, or FHFA initiatives will ensure that the GSEs will remain successful in meeting their obligations with respect to the debt and MBS they issue into the future.

In 2012, the FHFA initiated a strategic plan to develop a program related to credit risk transfers intended to reduce Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's overall risk through the creation of credit risk transfer assets ("CRTs"). CRTs come in two primary series: Structured Agency Credit Risk ("STACRs") for Freddie Mac and Connecticut Avenue Securities ("CAS") for Fannie Mae, although other series may be developed in the future. CRTs are typically structured as unsecured general obligations of either entities guaranteed by a government-sponsored stockholder-owned corporation, though not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States (such as by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (collectively, the "GSEs") or special purpose entities), and their cash flows are based on the performance of a pool of reference loans. Unlike traditional residential MBS securities, bond payments typically do not come directly from the underlying mortgages. Instead, the GSEs either make the payments to CRT investors, or the GSEs make certain payments to the special purpose entities and the special purpose entities make payments to the investors. In certain structures, the special purpose entities make payments to the GSEs upon the occurrence of credit events with respect to the underlying mortgages, and the obligation of the special purpose entity to make such payments to the GSE is senior to the obligation of the special purpose entity to make payments to the CRT investors. CRTs are typically floating rate securities and may have multiple tranches with losses first allocated to the most junior or subordinate tranche. This structure results in increased sensitivity to dramatic housing downturns, especially for the subordinate tranches. Many CRTs also have collateral performance triggers (e.g., based on credit enhancement, delinquencies or defaults, etc.) that could shut off principal payments to subordinate tranches. Generally, GSEs have the ability to call all of the CRT tranches at par in 10 years.

In addition, the future of the GSEs is in serious question as the U.S. Government is considering multiple options, ranging on a spectrum from significant reform, nationalization, privatization, consolidation, or abolishment of the entities. Congress is considering several pieces of legislation that would reform the GSEs, proposing to address their structure, mission, portfolio limits, and guarantee fees, among other issues.

The FHFA and the Treasury Department (through its agreement to purchase GSE preferred stock) have imposed strict limits on the size of GSEs' mortgage portfolios. In August 2012, the Treasury Department amended its preferred stock purchase agreements to provide that the GSEs' portfolios would be wound down at an annual rate of 15 percent (up from the previously agreed annual rate of 10 percent), requiring the GSEs to reach the $250 billion target by December 31, 2018. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were below the $250 billion cap for year-end 2018. On December 21, 2017, a letter agreement between the Treasury Department and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac changed the terms of the senior preferred stock certificates to permit the GSEs each to retain a $3 billion capital reserve, quarterly. Under the 2017 letter, each GSE paid a dividend to the Treasury Department equal to the amount that its net worth exceeded $3 billion at the end of each quarter. On September 30, 2019, the Treasury Department and the FHFA, acting as conservator to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, announced amendments to the respective senior preferred stock certificates that will permit the GSEs to retain earnings beyond the $3 billion capital reserves previously allowed through the 2017 letter agreements. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now permitted to maintain capital reserves of $25 billion and $20 billion, respectively.

Mortgage-backed securities may have either fixed or adjustable interest rates. Tax or regulatory changes may adversely affect the mortgage securities market. In addition, changes in the market's perception of the issuer may affect the value of mortgage-backed securities. The rate of return on mortgage-backed securities may be affected by prepayments of principal on the underlying loans, which generally increase as market interest rates decline; as a result, when interest rates decline, holders of these securities normally do not benefit from appreciation in market value to the same extent as holders of other non-callable debt securities.

Because many mortgages are repaid early, the actual maturity and duration of mortgage-backed securities are typically shorter than their stated final maturity and their duration calculated solely on the basis of the stated life and payment schedule. In calculating its dollar-weighted average maturity and duration, a Fund may apply certain industry conventions regarding the maturity and duration of mortgage-backed instruments. Different analysts use different models and assumptions in making these determinations. The Funds use an approach that the Manager believes is reasonable in light of all relevant circumstances. If this determination is not borne out in practice, it could positively or negatively affect the value of a Fund when market interest rates change. Increasing market interest rates generally extend the effective maturities of mortgage-backed securities, increasing their sensitivity to interest rate changes.

Mortgage-backed securities may be issued in the form of collateralized mortgage obligations ("CMOs") or collateralized mortgage-backed bonds ("CBOs"). CMOs are obligations that are fully collateralized, directly or indirectly, by a pool of mortgages; payments of principal and interest on the mortgages are passed through to the holders of the CMOs, although not necessarily on a pro rata basis, on the same schedule as they are received. CBOs are general obligations of the issuer that are fully collateralized, directly or indirectly, by a pool of mortgages. The mortgages serve as collateral for the issuer's payment obligations on the bonds, but interest and principal payments on the mortgages are not passed through either directly (as with mortgage-backed "pass-through" securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities) or on a modified basis (as with CMOs). Accordingly, a change in the rate of prepayments on the pool of mortgages could change the effective maturity or the duration of a CMO but not that of a CBO (although, like many bonds, CBOs may be callable by the issuer prior to maturity). To the extent that rising interest rates cause prepayments to occur at a slower than expected rate, a CMO could be converted into a longer-term security that is subject to greater risk of price volatility.

Governmental, government-related, and private entities (such as commercial banks, savings institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers, and other secondary market issuers, including securities broker-dealers and special purpose entities that generally are affiliates of the foregoing established to issue such securities) may create mortgage loan pools to back CMOs and CBOs. Such issuers may be the originators and/or servicers of the underlying mortgage loans, as well as the guarantors of the mortgage-backed securities. Pools created by non-governmental issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than governmental and government-related pools because of the absence of direct or indirect government or agency guarantees. Various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool, and hazard insurance and letters of credit, may support timely payment of interest and principal of non-governmental pools. Governmental entities, private insurers, and mortgage poolers issue these forms of insurance and guarantees. The Manager considers such insurance and guarantees, as well as the creditworthiness of the issuers thereof, in determining whether a mortgage-backed security meets a Fund's investment quality standards. There can be no assurance that private insurers or guarantors can meet their obligations under insurance policies or guarantee arrangements. A Fund may buy mortgage-backed securities without insurance or guarantees, if the Manager determines that the securities meet the Fund's quality standards. The Manager will, consistent with a Fund's investment objective, policies and limitations and quality standards, consider making investments in new types of mortgage-backed securities as such securities are developed and offered to investors.

Policies and Limitations. A Fund may not purchase mortgage-backed securities that, in the Manager's opinion, are illiquid if, as a result, more than 15% of the Fund's net assets would be invested in illiquid securities.

Other Mortgage-Related Securities. Other mortgage-related securities include securities other than those described above that directly or indirectly represent a participation in, or are secured by and payable from, mortgage loans on real property, including stripped mortgage-backed securities. Other mortgage-related securities may be equity or debt securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks, partnerships, trusts and special purpose entities of the foregoing.

Municipal Obligations. Municipal obligations are issued by or on behalf of states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories and possessions and their political subdivisions, agencies, and instrumentalities. The interest on municipal obligations is generally exempt from federal income tax. A Fund determines the tax-exempt status of the interest on any issue of municipal obligations based on an opinion of the issuer's bond counsel, which is not binding on the Internal Revenue Service ("Service") or the courts, at the time the obligations are issued.

Municipal obligations include "general obligation" securities, which are backed by the full taxing power of the issuing governmental entity, and "revenue" securities, which are backed only by the income from a specific project, facility, or tax. Municipal obligations also include PABs, which are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to finance various privately operated facilities, and are generally supported only by revenue from those facilities, if any. They are not backed by the credit of any governmental or public authority. "Anticipation notes" are issued by municipalities in expectation of future proceeds from the issuance of bonds or from taxes or other revenues and are payable from those bond proceeds, taxes, or revenues. Municipal obligations also include tax-exempt commercial paper, which is issued by municipalities to help finance short-term capital or operating requirements.

The value of municipal obligations depends on the continuing payment of interest and principal when due by the issuers of the municipal obligations (or, in the case of PABs, the revenues generated by the facility financed by the bonds or, in certain other instances, the provider of the credit facility backing the obligations or insurers issuing insurance backing the obligations).

A Fund may purchase municipal securities that are fully or partially backed by entities providing credit support such as letters of credit, guarantees, or insurance. The credit quality of the entities that provide such credit support will affect the market values of those securities. The insurance feature of a municipal security guarantees the full and timely payment of interest and principal through the life of an insured obligation. The insurance feature does not, however, guarantee the market value of the insured obligation or the NAV of a Fund's shares represented by such an insured obligation. The Portfolio Managers generally look to the credit quality of the issuer of a municipal security to determine whether the security meets a Fund's quality restrictions, even if the security is covered by insurance. However, a downgrade in the claims-paying ability of an insurer of a municipal security could have an adverse effect on the market value of the security. Certain significant providers of insurance for municipal securities can incur and, in the past have incurred, significant losses as a result of exposure to certain categories of investments, such as sub-prime mortgages and other lower credit quality investments that have experienced defaults or otherwise suffered extreme credit deterioration. Such losses can adversely impact the capital adequacy of these insurers and may call into question the insurers' ability to fulfill their obligations under such insurance if they are called to do so, which could negatively affect a Fund. There are a limited number of providers of insurance for municipal securities and a Fund may have multiple investments covered by one insurer. Accordingly, this may make the value of those investments dependent on the claims-paying ability of that one insurer and could result in share price volatility for a Fund's shares.

As with other fixed income securities, an increase in interest rates generally will reduce the value of a Fund's investments in municipal obligations, whereas a decline in interest rates generally will increase that value.

Some municipal securities, including those in the high yield market, may include transfer restrictions (e.g., may only be transferred to qualified institutional buyers and purchasers meeting other qualification requirements set by the issuer). As such, it may be difficult to sell municipal securities at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or a Fund may be able to sell them only at prices that are less than what the Fund regards as their fair market value.

Periodic efforts to restructure the federal budget and the relationship between the federal government and state and local governments may adversely impact the financing of some issuers of municipal securities. Some states and localities may experience substantial deficits and may find it difficult for political or economic reasons to increase taxes. Efforts are periodically undertaken that may result in a restructuring of the federal income tax system. These developments could reduce the value of all municipal securities, or the securities of particular issuers.

Unlike other types of investments, municipal obligations have traditionally not been subject to the registration requirements of the federal securities laws, although there have been proposals to provide for such registration. This lack of SEC regulation has adversely affected the quantity and quality of information available to the bond markets about issuers and their financial condition. The SEC has responded to the need for such information with Rule 15c2-12 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Rule"). The Rule requires that underwriters must reasonably determine that an issuer of municipal securities undertakes in a written agreement for the benefit of the holders of such securities to file with a nationally recognized municipal securities information repository certain information regarding the financial condition of the issuer and material events relating to such securities. The SEC's intent in adopting the Rule was to provide holders and potential holders of municipal securities with more adequate financial information concerning issuers of municipal securities. The Rule provides exemptions for issuances with a principal amount of less than $1,000,000 and certain privately placed issuances.

The federal bankruptcy statutes provide that, in certain circumstances, political subdivisions and authorities of states may initiate bankruptcy proceedings without prior notice to or consent of their creditors. These proceedings could result in material and adverse changes in the rights of holders of their obligations.

From time to time, federal legislation has affected the availability of municipal obligations for investment by a Fund. There can be no assurance that legislation adversely affecting the tax-exempt status of the interest on municipal obligations will not be enacted in the future.

The Service occasionally challenges the tax-exempt status of the interest on particular municipal securities. If the Service determined that interest earned on a municipal security a Fund held was taxable and the issuer thereof failed to overcome that determination, that interest would be taxable to the Fund, possibly retroactive to the time the Fund purchased the security.

Listed below are different types of municipal obligations:

General Obligation Bonds. A general obligation bond is backed by the governmental issuer's pledge of its full faith and credit and power to raise taxes for payment of principal and interest under the bond. The taxes or special assessments that can be levied for the payment of debt service may be limited or unlimited as to rate or amount. Many jurisdictions face political and economic constraints on their ability to raise taxes. These limitations and constraints may adversely affect the ability of the governmental issuer to meet its obligations under the bonds in a timely manner.

Revenue Bonds. Revenue bonds are backed by the income from a specific project, facility or tax. Revenue bonds are issued to finance a wide variety of public projects, including (1) housing, (2) electric, gas, water, and sewer systems, (3) highways, bridges, and tunnels, (4) port and airport facilities, (5) colleges and universities, and (6) hospitals. In some cases, repayment of these bonds depends upon annual legislative appropriations; in other cases, if the issuer is unable to meet its legal obligation to repay the bond, repayment becomes an unenforceable "moral obligation" of a related governmental unit. Revenue bonds issued by housing finance authorities are backed by a wider range of security, including partially or fully insured mortgages, rent subsidized and/or collateralized mortgages, and net revenues from housing projects.

Most PABs are revenue bonds, in that principal and interest are payable only from the net revenues of the facility financed by the bonds. These bonds generally do not constitute a pledge of the general credit of the public issuer or private operator or user of the facility. In some cases, however, payment may be secured by a pledge of real and personal property constituting the facility.

Resource Recovery Bonds. Resource recovery bonds are a type of revenue bond issued to build facilities such as solid waste incinerators or waste-to-energy plants. Typically, a private corporation will be involved on a temporary basis during the construction of the facility, and the revenue stream will be secured by fees or rents paid by municipalities for use of the facilities. The credit and quality of resource recovery bonds may be affected by the viability of the project itself, tax incentives for the project, and changing environmental regulations or interpretations thereof.

Municipal Lease Obligations. These obligations, which may take the form of a lease, an installment purchase, or a conditional sale contract, are issued by a state or local government or authority to acquire land and a wide variety of equipment and facilities. A Fund will usually invest in municipal lease obligations through certificates of participation ("COPs"), which give the Fund a specified, undivided interest in the obligation. For example, a COP may be created when long-term revenue bonds are issued by a governmental corporation to pay for the acquisition of property. The payments made by the municipality under the lease are used to repay interest and principal on the bonds. Once these lease payments are completed, the municipality gains ownership of the property. These obligations are distinguished from general obligation or revenue bonds in that they typically are not backed fully by the municipality's credit, and their interest may become taxable if the lease is assigned. The lease subject to the transaction usually contains a "non-appropriation" clause. A non-appropriation clause states that, while the municipality will use its best efforts to make lease payments, the municipality may terminate the lease without penalty if its appropriating body does not allocate the necessary funds. Such termination would result in a significant loss to a Fund.

Municipal Notes. Municipal notes include the following:

1. Project notes are issued by local issuing agencies created under the laws of a state, territory, or possession of the United States to finance low-income housing, urban redevelopment, and similar projects. These notes are backed by an agreement between the local issuing agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD"). Although the notes are primarily obligations of the local issuing agency, the HUD agreement provides the full faith and credit of the United States as additional security.

2. Tax anticipation notes are issued to finance working capital needs of municipalities. Generally, they are issued in anticipation of future seasonal tax revenues, such as property, income and sales taxes, and are payable from these future revenues.

3. Revenue anticipation notes are issued in expectation of receipt of other types of revenue, including revenue made available under certain state aid funding programs. Such appropriation of revenue is generally accounted for in the state budgetary process.

4. Bond anticipation notes are issued to provide interim financing until long-term bond financing can be arranged. In most cases, the long-term bonds provide the funds for the repayment of the notes.

5. Construction loan notes are sold to provide construction financing. After completion of construction, many projects receive permanent financing from Fannie Mae (also known as the Federal National Mortgage Association) or Ginnie Mae (also known as the Government National Mortgage Association).

6. Tax-exempt commercial paper is a short-term obligation issued by a state or local government or an agency thereof to finance seasonal working capital needs or as short-term financing in anticipation of longer-term financing.

7. Pre-refunded and "escrowed" municipal bonds are bonds with respect to which the issuer has deposited, in an escrow account, an amount of securities and cash, if any, that will be sufficient to pay the periodic interest on and principal amount of the bonds, either at their stated maturity date or on the date the issuer may call the bonds for payment. This arrangement gives the investment a quality equal to the securities in the account, usually U.S. Government Securities (defined below). A Fund can also purchase bonds issued to refund earlier issues. The proceeds of these refunding bonds are often used for escrow to support refunding.

Participation Interests of Municipal Obligations. A Fund may purchase from banks participation interests in all or part of specific holdings of short-term municipal obligations. Each participation interest is backed by an irrevocable letter of credit issued by a selling bank determined by the Manager to be creditworthy. A Fund has the right to sell the participation interest back to the bank, usually after seven days' notice, for the full principal amount of its participation, plus accrued interest, but only (1) to provide portfolio liquidity, (2) to maintain portfolio quality, or (3) to avoid losses when the underlying municipal obligations are in default. Although no Fund currently intends to acquire participation interests, each Fund reserves the right to do so in the future.

Purchases with a Standby Commitment to Repurchase. When a Fund purchases municipal obligations, it also may acquire a standby commitment obligating the seller to repurchase the obligations at an agreed upon price on a specified date or within a specified period. A standby commitment is the equivalent of a nontransferable "put" option held by a Fund that terminates if the Fund sells the obligations to a third party.

A Fund may enter into standby commitments only with banks and (if permitted under the 1940 Act) securities dealers determined to be creditworthy. A Fund's ability to exercise a standby commitment depends on the ability of the bank or securities dealer to pay for the obligations on exercise of the commitment. If a bank or securities dealer defaults on its commitment to repurchase such obligations, a Fund may be unable to recover all or even part of any loss it may sustain from having to sell the obligations elsewhere.

Although no Fund currently intends to invest in standby commitments, each Fund reserves the right to do so in the future. By enabling a Fund to dispose of municipal obligations at a predetermined price prior to maturity, this investment technique allows a Fund to be fully invested while preserving the flexibility to make commitments for when-issued securities, take advantage of other buying opportunities, and meet redemptions.

Standby commitments are valued at zero in determining NAV. The maturity or duration of municipal obligations purchased by a Fund is not shortened by a standby commitment. Therefore, standby commitments do not affect the dollar-weighted average maturity or duration of a Fund's investment portfolio.

Policies and Limitations. No Fund will acquire standby commitments with a view to exercising them when the exercise price exceeds the current value of the underlying obligations; a Fund will do so only to facilitate portfolio liquidity.

Residual Interest Bonds. A Fund may purchase one component of a municipal security that is structured in two parts: A variable rate security and a residual interest bond. The interest rate for the variable rate security is determined by an index or an auction process held approximately every 35 days, while the residual interest bond holder receives the balance of the income less an auction fee. These instruments are also known as inverse floaters because the income received on the residual interest bond is inversely related to the market rates. The market prices of residual interest bonds are highly sensitive to changes in market rates and may decrease significantly when market rates increase.

Tender Option Bonds. Tender option bonds are created by coupling an intermediate- or long-term fixed rate tax-exempt bond (generally held pursuant to a custodial arrangement) with a tender agreement that gives the holder the option to tender the bond at its face value. As consideration for providing the tender option, the sponsor (usually a bank, broker-dealer, or other financial institution) receives periodic fees equal to the difference between the bond's fixed coupon rate and the rate (determined by a remarketing or similar agent) that would cause the bond, coupled with the tender option, to trade at par on the date of such determination. After payment of the tender option fee, a Fund effectively holds a demand obligation that bears interest at the prevailing short-term tax-exempt rate. The Manager considers the creditworthiness of the issuer of the underlying bond, the custodian, and the third party provider of the tender option. In certain instances, a sponsor may terminate a tender option if, for example, the issuer of the underlying bond defaults on interest payments or the bond's rating falls below investment grade.

Yield and Price Characteristics of Municipal Obligations. Municipal obligations generally have the same yield and price characteristics as other debt securities. Yields depend on a variety of factors, including general conditions in the money and bond markets and, in the case of any particular securities issue, its amount, maturity, duration, and rating. Market prices of fixed income securities usually vary upward or downward in inverse relationship to market interest rates.

Municipal obligations with longer maturities or durations tend to produce higher yields. They are generally subject to potentially greater price fluctuations, and thus greater appreciation or depreciation in value, than obligations with shorter maturities or durations and lower yields. An increase in interest rates generally will reduce the value of a Fund's investments, whereas a decline in interest rates generally will increase that value. The ability of a Fund to achieve its investment objective also is dependent on the continuing ability of the issuers of the municipal obligations in which the Fund invests (or, in the case of PABs, the revenues generated by the facility financed by the bonds or, in certain other instances, the provider of the credit facility backing the bonds) to pay interest and principal when due.

Natural Disasters and Adverse Weather Conditions. Certain areas of the world historically have been prone to major natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, flooding, tidal waves, tsunamis, erupting volcanoes, wildfires or droughts, and have been economically sensitive to environmental events. Such disasters, and the resulting damage, could have a severe and negative impact on a Fund's investment portfolio and, in the longer term, could impair the ability of issuers in which a Fund invests to conduct their businesses in the manner normally conducted. Adverse weather conditions may also have a particularly significant negative effect on issuers in the agricultural sector and on insurance companies that insure against the impact of natural disasters.

Operational and Cybersecurity Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and the dependence on computer systems to perform necessary business functions, the Funds and their service providers, and your ability to transact with the Funds, may be negatively impacted due to operational matters arising from, among other problems, human errors, systems and technology disruptions or failures, or cybersecurity incidents. A cybersecurity incident may refer to intentional or unintentional events that allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause a Fund or Fund service providers (including, but not limited to, the Funds' manager, distributor, fund accountants, custodian, transfer agent, sub-advisers (if applicable), and financial intermediaries), as well as the securities trading venues and their service providers, to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. A cybersecurity incident could, among other things, result in the loss or theft of customer data or funds, customers or employees being unable to access electronic systems ("denial of services"), loss or theft of proprietary information or corporate data, physical damage to a computer or network system, or remediation costs associated with system repairs. Any of these results could have a substantial adverse impact on the Funds and their shareholders. For example, if a cybersecurity incident results in a denial of service, Fund shareholders could lose access to their electronic accounts and be unable to buy or sell Fund shares for an unknown period of time, and employees could be unable to access electronic systems to perform critical duties for the Funds, such as trading, NAV calculation, shareholder accounting or fulfillment of Fund share purchases and redemptions.

A Fund's service providers may also be negatively impacted due to operational risks arising from factors such as processing errors and human errors, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, failures in systems and technology, changes in personnel, and errors caused by third-party service providers or trading counterparties. In particular, these errors or failures as well as other technological issues may adversely affect the Funds' ability to calculate their NAVs in a timely manner, including over a potentially extended period.

The occurrence of an operational or cybersecurity incident could result in regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs associated with corrective measures, or financial loss of a significant magnitude and could result in allegations that the Fund or Fund service provider violated privacy and other laws. Similar adverse consequences could result from incidents affecting issuers of securities in which a Fund invests, counterparties with which a Fund engages in transactions, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies, and other financial institutions and other parties. Although the Funds and their Manager endeavor to determine that service providers have established risk management systems that seek to reduce these operational and cybersecurity risks, and business continuity plans in the event there is an incident, there are inherent limitations in these systems and plans, including the possibility that certain risks may not have been identified, in large part because different or unknown threats may emerge in the future. Furthermore, the Funds do not control the operational and cybersecurity systems and plans of the issuers of securities in which the Funds invest or the Funds' third party service providers or trading counterparties or any other service providers whose operations may affect a Fund or its shareholders.

Preferred Stock. Unlike interest payments on debt securities, dividends on preferred stock are generally payable at the discretion of the issuer's board of directors. Preferred shareholders may have certain rights if dividends are not paid but generally have no legal recourse against the issuer. Shareholders may suffer a loss of value if dividends are not paid. The market prices of preferred stocks are generally more sensitive to changes in the issuer's creditworthiness than are the prices of debt securities.

Private Companies and Pre-IPO Investments. Investments in private companies, including companies that have not yet issued securities publicly in an IPO ("Pre-IPO shares") involve greater risks than investments in securities of companies that have traded publicly on an exchange for extended periods of time. Investments in these companies are generally less liquid than investments in securities issued by public companies and may be difficult for a Fund to value. Compared to public companies, private companies may have a more limited management group and limited operating histories with narrower, less established product lines and smaller market shares, which may cause them to be more vulnerable to competitors' actions, market conditions and consumer sentiment with respect to their products or services, as well as general economic downturns. In addition, private companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations. This could lead to bankruptcy or liquidation of such private company or the dilution or subordination of a Fund's investment in such private company. Additionally, there is significantly less information available about private companies' business models, quality of management, earnings growth potential and other criteria used to evaluate their investment prospects and the little public information available about such companies may not be reliable. Because financial reporting obligations for private companies are not as rigorous as public companies, it may be difficult to fully assess the rights and values of certain securities issued by private companies. A Fund may only have limited access to a private company's actual financial results and there is no assurance that the information obtained by the Fund is reliable. Although there is a potential for pre-IPO shares to increase in value if the company does issue shares in an IPO, IPOs are risky and volatile and may cause the value of a Fund's investment to decrease significantly. Moreover, because securities issued by private companies are generally not freely or publicly tradable, a Fund may not have the opportunity to purchase or the ability to sell these shares in the amounts or at the prices the Fund desires. The private companies a Fund may invest in may not ever issue shares in an IPO and a liquid market for their pre-IPO shares may never develop, which may negatively affect the price at which the Fund can sell these shares and make it more difficult to sell these shares, which could also adversely affect the Fund's liquidity. Furthermore, these investments may be subject to additional contractual restrictions on resale that would prevent a Fund from selling the company's securities for a period of time following any IPO. A Fund's investment in a private company's securities will involve investing in restricted securities. See "Restricted Securities and Rule 144A Securities" for risks related to restricted securities. If a Fund invests in private companies or issuers, there is a possibility that NBIA may obtain access to material non-public information about an issuer of private placement securities, which may limit NBIA's ability to sell such securities, could negatively impact NBIA's ability to manage the Fund since NBIA may be required to sell other securities to meet redemptions, or could adversely impact a Fund's performance.

Private Investments in Public Equity (PIPEs). A Fund may invest in securities issued in private investments in public equity transactions, commonly referred to as "PIPEs." A PIPE investment involves the sale of equity securities, or securities convertible into equity securities, in a private placement transaction by an issuer that already has outstanding, publicly traded equity securities of the same class. Shares acquired in PIPEs are commonly sold at a discount to the current market value per share of the issuer's publicly traded securities.

Securities acquired in PIPEs generally are not registered with the SEC until after a certain period of time from the date the private sale is completed, which may be months and perhaps longer. PIPEs may contain provisions that require the issuer to pay penalties to the holder if the securities are not registered within a specified period. Until the public registration process is completed, securities acquired in PIPEs are restricted and, like investments in other types of restricted securities, may be illiquid. Any number of factors may prevent or delay a proposed registration. Prior to or in the absence of registration, it may be possible for securities acquired in PIPEs to be resold in transactions exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. There is no guarantee, however, that an active trading market for such securities will exist at the time of disposition, and the lack of such a market could hurt the market value of a Fund's investments. Even if the securities acquired in PIPEs become registered, or a Fund is able to sell the securities through an exempt transaction, a Fund may not be able to sell all the securities it holds on short notice and the sale could impact the market price of the securities. See "Restricted Securities and Rule 144A Securities" for risks related to restricted securities.

Real Estate-Related Instruments. A Fund will not invest directly in real estate, but a Fund may invest in securities issued by real estate companies. Investments in the securities of companies in the real estate industry subject a Fund to the risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate. These risks include declines in the value of real estate, risks associated with general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of mortgage funds, overbuilding, extended vacancies of properties, increased competition, increase in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, losses due to costs resulting from the clean-up of environmental problems, liability to third parties for damages resulting from environmental problems, casualty or condemnation losses, limitation on rents, changes in neighborhood values and the appeal of properties to tenants, and changes in interest rates. In addition, certain real estate valuations, including residential real estate values, are influenced by market sentiments, which can change rapidly and could result in a sharp downward adjustment from current valuation levels.

Real estate-related instruments include securities of real estate investment trusts (also known as "REITs"), commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities and real estate financings. Such instruments are sensitive to factors such as real estate values and property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, overbuilding, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Real estate-related instruments may also be affected by tax and regulatory requirements, such as those relating to the environment.

REITs are sometimes informally characterized as equity REITs and mortgage REITs. An equity REIT invests primarily in the fee ownership or leasehold ownership of land and buildings and derives its income primarily from rental income. An equity REIT may also realize capital gains (or losses) by selling real estate properties in its portfolio that have appreciated (or depreciated) in value. A mortgage REIT invests primarily in mortgages on real estate, which may secure construction, development or long-term loans, and derives its income primarily from interest payments on the credit it has extended.

REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are subject to interest rate risk. Rising interest rates may cause REIT investors to demand a higher annual yield, which may, in turn, cause a decline in the market price of the equity securities issued by a REIT. Rising interest rates also generally increase the costs of obtaining financing, which could cause the value of a Fund's REIT investments to decline. During periods when interest rates are declining, mortgages are often refinanced. Refinancing may reduce the yield on investments in mortgage REITs. In addition, because mortgage REITs depend on payment under their mortgage loans and leases to generate cash to make distributions to their shareholders, investments in such REITs may be adversely affected by defaults on such mortgage loans or leases.

REITs are dependent upon management skill, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, and self-liquidation. Domestic REITs are also subject to the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free "pass-through" of distributed net income and net realized gains under the Code and failing to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act.

REITs are subject to management fees and other expenses. Therefore, investments in REITs will cause a Fund to bear its proportionate share of the costs of the REITs' operations. At the same time, a Fund will continue to pay its own management fees and expenses with respect to all of its assets, including any portion invested in REITs.

Policies and Limitations. For Real Estate Portfolio's policies and limitations on real estate-related instruments, see "Investment Policies and Limitations -- Real Estate Companies" above. For Real Estate Portfolio, a company is "principally engaged" in the real estate industry if it derives at least 50% of its revenues or profits from the ownership, construction, management, financing or sale of residential, commercial or industrial real estate. It is anticipated, although not required, that under normal circumstances a majority of Real Estate Portfolio's investments will consist of shares of equity REITs.

Recent Market Conditions. Both U.S. and international markets have experienced significant volatility in recent months and years. As a result of such volatility, investment returns may fluctuate significantly. National economies are substantially interconnected, as are global financial markets, which creates the possibility that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. However, the interconnectedness of economies and/or markets may be diminishing or changing, which may impact such economies and markets in ways that cannot be foreseen at this time.

Although interest rates were unusually low in recent years in the U.S. and abroad, recently, the Federal Reserve and certain foreign central banks raised interest rates as part of their efforts to address rising inflation. In addition, ongoing inflation pressures could continue to cause an increase in interest rates and/or negatively impact companies. It is difficult to accurately predict the pace at which interest rates might increase or start decreasing, or the timing, frequency or magnitude of any such changes in interest rates, or when such changes might stop or reverse course. Additionally, various economic and political factors could cause the Federal Reserve or other foreign central banks to change their approach in the future and such actions may result in an economic slowdown both in the U.S. and abroad. Unexpected changes in interest rates could lead to significant market volatility or reduce liquidity in certain sectors of the market. Deteriorating economic fundamentals may, in turn, increase the risk of default or insolvency of particular issuers, negatively impact market value, cause credit spreads to widen, and reduce bank balance sheets. Any of these could cause an increase in market volatility, reduce liquidity across various markets or decrease confidence in the markets. Also, regulators have expressed concern that changes in interest rates may cause investors to sell fixed income securities faster than the market can absorb them, contributing to price volatility. Over the longer term, the interest rate increases may present a greater risk than has historically been the case due to the prior period of relatively low interest rates and the effect of government fiscal and monetary policy initiatives and potential market reaction to those initiatives, or their alteration or cessation. Historical patterns of correlation among asset classes may break down in unanticipated ways during times of high volatility, disrupting investment programs and potentially causing losses.

Some countries, including the U.S., have adopted more protectionist trade policies. Slowing global economic growth, the rise in protectionist trade policies, changes to some major international trade agreements, risks associated with the trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and the risks associated with trade negotiations between the U.S. and China, could affect the economies of many nations in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time. In addition, the if the U.S. dollar continues to be strong, it may decrease foreign demand for U.S. assets, which could have a negative impact on certain issuers and/or industries.

Regulators in the U.S. have proposed and adopted a number of changes to regulations involving the markets and issuers, some of which implicate a Fund. The full effect of various newly adopted regulations is not currently known. Additionally, it is not currently known whether any of the proposed regulations will be adopted. However, due to the scope of regulations being proposed and adopted, certain of these changes to regulation could limit a Fund's ability to pursue its investment strategies or make certain investments, may make it more costly for it to operate, or adversely impact its performance. Further, advancements in technology may also adversely impact market movements and liquidity and may affect the overall performance of a Fund. For example, the advanced development and increased regulation of artificial intelligence may impact the economy and the performance of a Fund. As artificial intelligence is used more widely, the profitability and growth of a Fund's holdings may be impacted, which could impact the overall performance of a Fund.

Tensions, war, or open conflict between nations, such as between Russia and Ukraine, in the Middle East, or in eastern Asia could affect the economies of many nations, including the United States. The duration of ongoing hostilities and any sanctions and related events cannot be predicted. Those events present material uncertainty and risk with respect to markets globally and the performance of a Fund and its investments or operations could be negatively impacted.

Certain illnesses spread rapidly and have the potential to significantly and adversely affect the global economy. The impact epidemics and/or pandemics that may arise in the future could negatively affect the economies of many nations, individual companies and the global securities and commodities markets, including their liquidity, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time and could last for an extended period of time.

High public debt in the U.S. and other countries creates ongoing systemic and market risks and policymaking uncertainty. There is no assurance that the U.S. Congress will act to raise the nation's debt ceiling; a failure to do so could cause market turmoil and substantial investment risks that cannot now be fully predicted. Unexpected political, regulatory and diplomatic events within the U.S. and abroad may affect investor and consumer confidence and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy.

China's economy, which had been sustained through debt-financed spending on housing and infrastructure, appears to be experiencing a significant slowdown and growing at a lower rate than previous years. Due to the size of China's economy, such a slowdown could impact a number of other countries.

There is widespread concern about the potential effects of global climate change on property and security values. Certain issuers, industries and regions may be adversely affected by the impact of climate change in ways that cannot be foreseen. The impact of legislation, regulation and international accords related to climate change may negatively impact certain issuers and/or industries.

A rise in sea levels, a change in weather patterns, including an increase in powerful storms and large wildfires, and/or a climate-driven increase in flooding could cause properties to lose value or become unmarketable altogether. Unlike previous declines in the real estate market, properties in affected zones may not ever recover their value. The U.S. administration appears concerned about the climate change problem and is focusing regulatory and public works projects around those concerns. Regulatory changes and divestment movements tied to concerns about climate change could adversely affect the value of certain land and the viability of industries whose activities or products are seen as accelerating climate change.

Losses related to climate change could adversely affect corporate issuers and mortgage lenders, the value of mortgage-backed securities, the bonds of municipalities that depend on tax or other revenues and tourist dollars generated by affected properties, and insurers of the property and/or of corporate, municipal or mortgage-backed securities. Since property and security values are driven largely by buyers' perceptions, it is difficult to know the time period over which these market effects might unfold.

Policies and Limitations. Repurchase agreements with a maturity or demand of more than seven days are considered to be illiquid securities. No Fund may enter into a repurchase agreement with a maturity or demand of more than seven days if, as a result, more than 15% of the value of its net assets would then be invested in such repurchase agreements and other illiquid securities. A Fund may enter into a repurchase agreement only if (1) the underlying securities (excluding maturity and duration limitations, if any) are of a type that the Fund's investment policies and limitations would allow it to purchase directly, (2) the market value of the underlying securities, including accrued interest, at all times equals or exceeds the repurchase price, and (3) payment for the underlying securities is made only upon satisfactory evidence that the securities are being held for the Fund's account by its custodian or a bank acting as the Fund's agent.

Restricted Securities and Rule 144A Securities. A Fund may invest in "restricted securities," which generally are securities that may be resold to the public only pursuant to an effective registration statement under the 1933 Act or an exemption from registration. Regulation S under the 1933 Act is an exemption from registration that permits, under certain circumstances, the resale of restricted securities in offshore transactions, subject to certain conditions, and Rule 144A under the 1933 Act is an exemption that permits the resale of certain restricted securities to qualified institutional buyers.

Since its adoption by the SEC in 1990, Rule 144A has facilitated trading of restricted securities among qualified institutional investors. To the extent restricted securities held by a Fund qualify under Rule 144A and an institutional market develops for those securities, the Fund expects that it will be able to dispose of the securities without registering the resale of such securities under the 1933 Act. However, to the extent that a robust market for such 144A securities does not develop, or a market develops but experiences periods of illiquidity, investments in Rule 144A securities could increase the level of a Fund's illiquidity.

Where an exemption from registration under the 1933 Act is unavailable, or where an institutional market is limited, a Fund may, in certain circumstances, be permitted to require the issuer of restricted securities held by the Fund to file a registration statement to register the resale of such securities under the 1933 Act. In such case, the Fund will typically be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses, and a considerable period may elapse between the decision to sell and the time the Fund may be permitted to resell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, or the value of the security were to decline, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to sell. Restricted securities for which no market exists are priced by a method that the Fund Trustees believe accurately reflects fair value.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements. In a reverse repurchase agreement, a Fund sells portfolio securities to another party and agrees to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price and date, which reflects an interest payment. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the other party will fail to return the securities in a timely manner, or at all, which may result in losses to a Fund. A Fund could lose money if it is unable to recover the securities and the value of the collateral held by the Fund is less than the value of the securities. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences to a Fund. Reverse repurchase agreements also involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold will decline below the price at which a Fund is obligated to repurchase them. Reverse repurchase agreements may be viewed as a form of borrowing by a Fund. When a Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, any fluctuations in the market value of either the securities transferred to another party or the securities in which the proceeds may be invested would affect the market value of the Fund's assets. During the term of the agreement, a Fund may also be obligated to pledge additional cash and/or securities in the event of a decline in the fair value of the transferred security. The Manager monitors the creditworthiness of counterparties to reverse repurchase agreements. For the Funds' policies and limitations on borrowing, see "Investment Policies and Limitations -- Borrowing" above.

Policies and Limitations. Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act, among other things, permits a fund to treat reverse repurchase transactions (and other similar financing transactions) either as borrowings (subject to the asset coverage requirements under the 1940 Act) or as "derivatives transactions" subject to the requirements of Rule 18f-4. Accordingly, any reverse repurchase agreements treated as a borrowing will be considered borrowings for purposes of a Fund's investment policies and limitations concerning borrowings. Any reverse repurchase agreements treated as a derivatives transaction as defined in Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act will be subject to the requirements of that rule.

Risks of Reliance on Computer Programs or Codes. Many processes used in Fund management, including security selection, rely, in whole or in part, on the use of computer programs or codes, some of which are created or maintained by the Manager or its affiliates and some of which are created or maintained by third parties. Errors in these programs or codes may go undetected, possibly for quite some time, which could adversely affect a Fund's operations or performance. Computer programs or codes are susceptible to human error when they are first created and as they are developed and maintained. Some funds may be subject to heightened risk in this area because the funds' advisers rely to a greater extent on computer programs or codes in managing the funds' assets.

While efforts are made to guard against problems associated with computer programs or codes, there can be no assurance that such efforts will always be successful. The Funds have limited insight into the computer programs and processes of some service providers and may have to rely on contractual assurances or business relationships to protect against some errors in the service providers' systems.

Sector Risk. From time to time, based on market or economic conditions, a Fund may have significant positions in one or more sectors of the market. To the extent a Fund invests more heavily in one sector, industry, or sub-sector of the market, its performance will be especially sensitive to developments that significantly affect those sectors, industries, or sub-sectors. An individual sector, industry, or sub-sector of the market may be more volatile, and may perform differently, than the broader market. The industries that constitute a sector may all react in the same way to economic, political or regulatory events. A Fund's performance could also be affected if the sectors, industries, or sub-sectors do not perform as expected. Alternatively, the lack of exposure to one or more sectors or industries may adversely affect performance.

Communication Services Sector. The communication services sector, particularly telephone operating companies, are subject to both federal and state government regulations. Many telecommunications companies intensely compete for market share and can be impacted by technology changes within the sector such as the shift from wired to wireless communications. In September 2018, the communication services sector was redefined to also include media, entertainment and select internet-related companies. Media and entertainment companies can be subject to the risk that their content may not be purchased or subscribed to. Internet-related companies may be subject to greater regulatory oversight given increased cyberattack risk and privacy concerns. Additionally, internet-related companies may not achieve investor expectations for higher growth levels, which can result in stock price declines.

Consumer Discretionary Sector. The consumer discretionary sector can be significantly affected by the performance of the overall economy, interest rates, competition, and consumer confidence. Success can depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer discretionary products.

Consumer Staples Sector. The consumer staples sector can be significantly affected by demographic and product trends, competitive pricing, food fads, marketing campaigns, and environmental factors, as well as the performance of the overall economy, interest rates, consumer confidence, and the cost of commodities. Regulations and policies of various domestic and foreign governments affect agricultural products as well as other consumer staples.

Energy Sector. The energy sector can be significantly affected by fluctuations in energy prices and supply and demand of energy fuels caused by geopolitical events, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, weather or meteorological events, and tax and other government regulations. In addition, companies in the energy sector are at risk of civil liability from accidents resulting in pollution or other environmental damage claims. In addition, since the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001, the U.S. government has issued public warnings indicating that energy assets, specifically those related to pipeline infrastructure and production, transmission, and distribution facilities, might be future targets of terrorist activity. Further, because a significant portion of revenues of companies in this sector are derived from a relatively small number of customers that are largely composed of governmental entities and utilities, governmental budget constraints may have a significant impact on the stock prices of companies in this sector.

Financials Sector. The financials sector is subject to extensive government regulation, which can limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments that companies in this sector can make, and the interest rates and fees that these companies can charge. Profitability can be largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital and the rate of corporate and consumer debt defaults, and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change. Financial difficulties of borrowers can negatively affect the financials sector. Insurance companies can be subject to severe price competition. The financials sector can be subject to relatively rapid change as distinctions between financial service segments become increasingly blurred.

Health Care Sector. The health care sector is subject to government regulation and reimbursement rates, as well as government approval of products and services, which could have a significant effect on price and availability. Furthermore, the types of products or services produced or provided by health care companies quickly can become obsolete. In addition, pharmaceutical companies and other companies in the health care sector can be significantly affected by patent expirations.

Industrials Sector. The industrials sector can be significantly affected by general economic trends, including employment, economic growth, and interest rates, changes in consumer sentiment and spending, commodity prices, legislation, government regulation and spending, import controls, and worldwide competition. Companies in this sector also can be adversely affected by liability for environmental damage, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control.

Information Technology Sector. The information technology sector can be significantly affected by obsolescence of existing technology, short product cycles, falling prices and profits, competition from new market entrants, and general economic conditions. The issuers of technology securities also may be smaller or newer companies, which may lack depth of management, be unable to generate funds necessary for growth or potential development, or be developing or marketing new products or services for which markets are not yet established and may never become established.

Materials Sector. The materials sector can be significantly affected by the level and volatility of commodity prices, the exchange value of the dollar, import and export controls, and worldwide competition. At times, worldwide production of materials has exceeded demand as a result of over-building or economic downturns, which has led to commodity price declines and unit price reductions. Companies in this sector also can be adversely affected by liability for environmental damage, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control.

Utilities Sector. The utilities sector can be significantly affected by government regulation, interest rate changes, financing difficulties, supply and demand of services or fuel, changes in taxation, natural resource conservation, intense competition, and commodity price fluctuations.

Securities Loans. A Fund may lend portfolio securities to banks, brokerage firms, and other institutional investors, provided that cash or equivalent collateral, initially equal to at least 102% (105% in the case of foreign securities) of the market value of the loaned securities, is maintained by the borrower with the Fund or with the Fund's lending agent, who holds the collateral on the Fund's behalf. Thereafter, cash or equivalent collateral, equal to at least 100% of the market value of the loaned securities, is to be continuously maintained by the borrower with the Fund. A Fund may invest the cash collateral and earn income, or it may receive an agreed upon amount of interest income from a borrower that has delivered equivalent collateral. During the time securities are on loan, the borrower will pay the Fund an amount equivalent to any dividends or interest paid on such securities. These loans are subject to termination at the option of the Fund or the borrower. A Fund may pay reasonable administrative and custodial fees in connection with a loan and may pay a negotiated portion of the interest earned on the cash or equivalent collateral to the borrower. A Fund does not have the right to vote on securities while they are on loan. However, it is each Fund's policy to attempt to terminate loans in time to vote those proxies that the Fund has determined are material to the interests of the Fund. The Manager believes the risk of loss on these transactions is slight because if a borrower were to default for any reason, the collateral should satisfy the obligation. However, as with other extensions of secured credit, loans of portfolio securities involve some risk of loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. A Fund may loan securities through third parties not affiliated with Neuberger Berman BD LLC ("Neuberger Berman") that would act as agent to lend securities to principal borrowers.

Policies and Limitations. Each Fund may lend portfolio securities with a value not exceeding 33-1/3% of its total assets (taken at current value) to banks, brokerage firms, or other institutional investors. The Funds have authorized State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street") to effect loans of available securities of the Funds with entities on State Street's approved list of borrowers, which includes State Street and its affiliates. The Funds may obtain a list of these approved borrowers. Borrowers are required continuously to secure their obligations to return securities on loan from a Fund by depositing collateral in a form determined to be satisfactory by the Fund Trustees. The collateral, which must be marked to market daily, must be initially equal to at least 102% (105% in the case of foreign securities) of the market value of the loaned securities, which will also be marked to market daily. Thereafter, the collateral must be equal to at least 100% of the market value of the loaned securities. See the section entitled "Cash Management and Temporary Defensive Positions" for additional information on how a Fund may invest the collateral obtained from securities lending. A Fund does not count uninvested collateral for purposes of any investment policy or limitation that requires the Fund to invest specific percentages of its assets in accordance with its principal investment program. Securities lending by Sustainable Equity Portfolio is not subject to that Fund's ESG criteria.

The following table shows the dollar amounts of income and dollar amounts of fees and/or compensation paid, relating to the securities lending activities during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 for one of the Funds.

Securities of ETFs and Other Exchange-Traded Investment Vehicles. A Fund may invest in the securities of ETFs and other pooled investment vehicles that are traded on an exchange and that hold a portfolio of securities or other financial instruments (collectively, "exchange-traded investment vehicles"). When investing in the securities of exchange-traded investment vehicles, a Fund will be indirectly exposed to all the risks of the portfolio securities or other financial instruments they hold. The performance of an exchange-traded investment vehicle will be reduced by transaction and other expenses, including fees paid by the exchange-traded investment vehicle to service providers. ETFs are investment companies that are registered as open-end management companies or unit investment trusts. The limits that apply to a Fund's investment in securities of other investment companies generally apply also to a Fund's investment in securities of ETFs. See "Securities of Other Investment Companies."

Shares of exchange-traded investment vehicles are listed and traded in the secondary market. Many exchange-traded investment vehicles are passively managed and seek to provide returns that track the price and yield performance of a particular index or otherwise provide exposure to an asset class (e.g., currencies or commodities). Although such exchange-traded investment vehicles may invest in other instruments, they largely hold the securities (e.g., common stocks) of the relevant index or financial instruments that provide exposure to the relevant asset class. The share price of an exchange-traded investment vehicle may not track its specified market index, if any, and may trade below its NAV. An active secondary market in the shares of an exchange-traded investment vehicle may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions, or other reasons. There can be no assurance that the shares of an exchange-traded investment vehicle will continue to be listed on an active exchange.

A Fund also may effect short sales of exchange-traded investment vehicles and may purchase and sell options on shares of exchange-traded investment vehicles. If a Fund effects a short sale of an exchange-traded investment vehicle, it may take long positions in individual securities held by the exchange-traded investment vehicle to limit the potential loss in the event of an increase in the market price of the exchange-traded investment vehicle sold short.

Securities of Other Investment Companies. As indicated above, investments by a Fund in shares of other investment companies are subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. However, pursuant to Rule 12d1-4, a Fund is permitted to invest in shares of certain investment companies beyond the limits contained in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder if the Fund complies with the adopted framework for fund of funds arrangements under the rule. A Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies, including open-end management companies, closed-end management companies (including business development companies ("BDCs")) and unit investment trusts, that are consistent with its investment objectives and policies. Such an investment may be the most practical or only manner in which a Fund can invest in certain asset classes or participate in certain markets, such as foreign markets, because of the expenses involved or because other vehicles for investing in those markets may not be available at the time the Fund is ready to make an investment. When investing in the securities of other investment companies, a Fund will be indirectly exposed to all the risks of such investment companies' portfolio securities. In addition, as a shareholder in an investment company, a Fund would indirectly bear its pro rata share of that investment company's advisory fees and other operating expenses. Fees and expenses incurred indirectly by a Fund as a result of its investment in shares of one or more other investment companies generally are referred to as "acquired fund fees and expenses" and may appear as a separate line item in a Fund's Prospectus fee table. For certain investment companies, such as BDCs, these expenses may be significant. The 1940 Act imposes certain restraints upon the operations of a BDC. For example, BDCs are required to invest at least 70% of their total assets primarily in securities of private companies or thinly traded U.S. public companies, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and high quality debt investments that mature in one year or less. As a result, BDCs generally invest in less mature private companies, which involve greater risk than well-established, publicly-traded companies. In addition, the shares of closed-end management companies may involve the payment of substantial premiums above, while the sale of such securities may be made at substantial discounts from, the value of such issuer's portfolio securities. Historically, shares of closed-end funds, including BDCs, have frequently traded at a discount to their NAV, which discounts have, on occasion, been substantial and lasted for sustained periods of time.

Certain money market funds that operate in accordance with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed, and it is possible for a Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund's portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent a Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts a Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee).

Policies and Limitations. For cash management purposes, a Fund may invest an unlimited amount of its uninvested cash and cash collateral received in connection with securities lending in shares of money market funds and unregistered funds that operate in compliance with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act, whether or not advised by the Manager or an affiliate, under specified conditions. See "Cash Management and Temporary Defensive Positions."

Otherwise, a Fund's investment in securities of other investment companies is generally limited to (i) 3% of the total voting stock of any one investment company, (ii) 5% of the Fund's total assets with respect to any one investment company and (iii) 10% of the Fund's total assets in all investment companies in the aggregate. However, a Fund may exceed these limits when investing in shares of an ETF, subject to the requirements under Rule 12d1-4. In addition, each Fund may exceed these limits when investing in shares of certain other investment companies, subject to the requirements under Rule 12d1-4. See "Fund of Funds Structure."

Fund of fund arrangements must comply with the provisions of the 1940 Act, Rule 12d1-4, or another rule. Pursuant to Rule 12d1-4, a Fund is permitted to exceed the limits of Section 12 of the 1940 Act if the Fund complies with Rule 12d1-4's conditions, including (i) limits on control and voting; (ii) required evaluations and findings; (iii) required fund of funds investment agreements; and (iv) limits on complex structures.

Each Fund is also able to invest up to 100% of its total assets in a master portfolio with the same investment objectives, policies and limitations as the Fund.

Short Sales. A Fund may use short sales for hedging and non-hedging purposes. To effect a short sale, a Fund borrows a security from or through a brokerage firm to make delivery to the buyer. A Fund is then obliged to replace the borrowed security by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. Until the security is replaced, a Fund is required to pay the lender any dividends on the borrowed security and may be required to pay loan fees or interest. Short sales, at least theoretically, present a risk of unlimited loss on an individual security basis, particularly in cases where a Fund is unable, for whatever reason, to close out its short positions, since a Fund may be required to buy the security sold short at a time when the security has appreciated in value, and there is potentially no limit to the amount of such appreciation.

A Fund may realize a gain if the security declines in price between the date of the short sale and the date on which a Fund replaces the borrowed security. A Fund will incur a loss if the price of the security increases between those dates. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss will be increased, by the amount of any premium or interest a Fund is required to pay in connection with a short sale. A short position may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the securities sold short and the securities being hedged.

A Fund may also make short sales against-the-box, in which it sells short securities only if it owns or has the right to obtain without payment of additional consideration an equal amount of the same type of securities sold.

The effect of short selling is similar to the effect of leverage. Short selling may amplify changes in a Fund's NAV. Short selling may also produce higher than normal portfolio turnover, which may result in increased transaction costs to a Fund.

Policies and Limitations. A Fund's ability to engage in short sales may be impaired by any temporary prohibitions on short selling imposed by domestic and certain foreign government regulators. Any short sale borrowing is defined as a derivatives transaction under Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act and will be subject to the requirements of that rule.

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies. A Fund may invest in stock, warrants or other securities of special purpose acquisition companies ("SPACs") or similar special purpose entities that pool funds to seek potential acquisition opportunities. Unless and until an acquisition is completed, a SPAC or similar entity generally maintains assets (less a portion retained to cover expenses) in a trust account comprised of U.S. Government securities, money market securities, and cash. If an acquisition is not completed within a pre-established period of time, the invested funds are returned to the entity's shareholders. Because SPACs and similar entities are in essence blank-check companies without an operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the entity's management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition. SPACs have provided an opportunity for startups to go public without going through the traditional IPO process. This presents the risk that startups may become publicly traded with potentially less due diligence than what is typical in a traditional IPO through an underwriter. Since SPAC sponsors often stand to earn equity in the company if a deal is completed, SPAC sponsors may have a potential conflict of interest in completing a deal that may be unfavorable for other investors in the SPAC. SPACs may allow shareholders to redeem their pro rata investment immediately after the SPAC announces a proposed acquisition, sometimes including interest, which may prevent the entity's management from completing the transaction. Some SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions, which may increase the volatility of their prices. In addition, investments in SPACs may include private placements, including PIPEs, and, accordingly, may be considered illiquid and/or be subject to restrictions on resale.

Stripped Mortgage Backed Securities (SMBS). SMBS are derivative multi-class mortgage securities. SMBS may be issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government, or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose entities of the foregoing.

SMBS are usually structured with two classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of SMBS will have one class receiving some of the interest and most of the principal from the mortgage assets, while the other class will receive most of the interest and the remainder of the principal. In the most extreme case, one class will receive all of the interest (the interest-only or "IO" class), while the other class will receive all of the principal (the principal-only or "PO" class). The yield to maturity on an IO class is extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the related underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on a Fund's yield to maturity from these securities. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, a Fund may fail to recoup some or all of its initial investment in these securities even if the security is in one of the highest rating categories.

Although SMBS are purchased and sold by institutional investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers, these securities were only recently developed. As a result, established trading markets have not yet developed and, accordingly, these securities may be deemed "illiquid" and subject to each Fund's limitations on investments in illiquid securities.

Stripped Securities. Stripped securities are the separate income or principal components of a debt security. The risks associated with stripped securities are similar to those of other debt securities, although stripped securities may be more volatile, and the value of certain types of stripped securities may move in the same direction as interest rates. Treasury Department securities that have been stripped by a Federal Reserve Bank are obligations issued by the Treasury Department.

Privately stripped government securities are created when a dealer deposits a Treasury Department security or other U.S. Government security with a custodian for safekeeping. The custodian issues separate receipts for the coupon payments and the principal payment, which the dealer then sells. These coupons are not obligations of the Treasury Department.

Structured Notes. A Fund may invest in structured notes, such as participatory notes, credit linked notes and securities ("CLNs"), exchange-traded notes ("ETNs") and other related instruments. These instruments are notes where the principal and/or interest rate or value of the structured note is determined by reference to the performance of an underlying indicator. Underlying indicators may include a security or other financial instrument, asset, currency, interest rate, credit rating, commodity, volatility measure or index. Generally, investments in such notes are used as a substitute for positions in underlying indicators. The interest and/or principal payments that may be made on a structured note may vary widely, depending on a variety of factors, including the volatility of the underlying indicator. The performance results of structured notes will not replicate exactly the performance of the underlying indicator that the notes seek to replicate due to transaction costs and other expenses. Issuers of structured notes can vary and may include corporations, banks, broker-dealers and limited purpose trusts or other vehicles. Structured notes may be exchange traded or traded OTC and privately negotiated.

Investments in structured notes involve many of the same risks associated with a direct investment in the underlying indicator the notes seek to replicate. Structured notes may be considered hybrid instruments as they may exhibit features of both fixed income securities and derivatives. The return on a structured note that is linked to a particular underlying indicator that pays dividends generally is increased to the extent of any dividends paid in connection with the underlying indicator. However, the holder of a structured note typically does not receive voting rights and other rights as it would if it directly owned the underlying indicator. In addition, structured notes are subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the issuer of the structured note will not fulfill its contractual obligation to complete the transaction with a Fund. Structured notes constitute general unsecured contractual obligations of the issuer of the note and a Fund is relying on the creditworthiness of such issuer and has no rights under a structured note against the issuer of an underlying indicator. Structured notes involve transaction costs. Structured notes may be considered illiquid and, therefore, structured notes considered illiquid will be subject to a Fund's percentage limitation on investments in illiquid securities.

CLNs are typically issued by a limited purpose trust or other vehicle (the "CLN trust") that, in turn, invests in a derivative or basket of derivatives instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps and/or other securities, in order to provide exposure to certain high yield, sovereign debt, emerging markets, or other fixed income markets. Generally, investments in CLNs represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the CLN. However, these payments are conditioned on the CLN trust's receipt of payments from, and the CLN trust's potential obligations, to the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the CLN trust invests. For example, the CLN trust may sell one or more credit default swaps, under which the CLN trust would receive a stream of payments over the term of the swap agreements provided that no event of default has occurred with respect to the referenced debt obligation upon which the swap is based. If a default were to occur, the stream of payments may stop and the CLN trust would be obligated to pay the counterparty the par (or other agreed upon value) of the referenced debt obligation. This, in turn, would reduce the amount of income and principal that a Fund would receive as an investor in the CLN trust.

A Fund may enter in CLNs to gain access to sovereign debt and securities in emerging markets, particularly in markets where the Fund is not able to purchase securities directly due to domicile restrictions or tax restrictions or tariffs. In such an instance, the issuer of the CLN may purchase the reference security directly and/or gain exposure through a credit default swap or other derivative.

A Fund's investments in CLNs are subject to the risks associated with the underlying reference obligations and derivative instruments, including, among others, credit risk, default risk, counterparty risk, interest rate risk, leverage risk and management risk.

Structured notes may also include exchange-traded notes ("ETNs"), which are typically unsecured and unsubordinated like other structured notes. ETN returns are based upon the performance of one or more underlying indicators and typically, no periodic coupon payments are distributed and no principal protections exists, even at maturity. ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. An ETN can be held until maturity, at which time the issuer pays the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the day's market benchmark or strategy factor. When a Fund invests in ETNs, it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. Because fees reduce the amount of return at maturity or upon redemption, if the value of the underlying indicator decreases or does not increase significantly, a Fund may receive less than the principal amount of its investment at maturity or upon redemption. In addition, the value of an ETN also may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying indicator, changes in the applicable interest rates, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the underlying indicator. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid, and thus they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form. There may be restrictions on a Fund's right to redeem its investment in an ETN, which are generally meant to be held until maturity. A decision by a Fund to sell ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing, and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN.

Sukuk. Sukuk are financial certificates which are structured to comply with Shariah law and its investment principles, which prohibit the charging or payment of interest. Sukuk represent undivided shares in the ownership of tangible assets relating to a specific investment activity. The sukuk issuer, often a special purpose vehicle established to issue the sukuk, holds title to an asset or pool of assets. The sukuk represent an interest in that asset, so the income to the investor comes from a share in revenues generated from the asset, not from interest on the investor's money. The sukuk investor's investment in the sukuk does not represent a debt by the issuer of the underlying asset to the entity that issued the sukuk. The issuer of the sukuk agrees in advance to repurchase the sukuk from the investor on a certain date at a certain price.

As unsecured investments, sukuk are backed only by the credit of the issuing entity, which may be a special purpose vehicle that holds no other assets. They are thus subject to the risk that the issuer may not be able to repurchase the instrument at the agreed upon date for the agreed upon price, if at all. Furthermore, since the purchasers of sukuk are investors in the underlying asset, they are subject to the risk that the asset may not perform as expected, and the flow of income from the investments may be slower than expected or may cease altogether. In the event of default, the process may take longer to resolve than conventional bonds. Evolving interpretations of Islamic law by courts or prominent scholars may affect the free transferability of sukuk in ways that cannot now be foreseen. In that event, a Fund may be required to hold its sukuk for longer than intended, even if their condition is deteriorating.

While the sukuk market has grown significantly in recent years, there may be times when the market is illiquid and it is difficult for a Fund to make an investment in or dispose of sukuk. Furthermore, the global sukuk market is significantly smaller than the conventional bond markets and restrictions imposed by the Shariah board of the issuing entity may limit the investable universe of a Fund. Although a Fund may invest in sukuk, other investments by a Fund, and each Fund as a whole, will not conform to Shariah law.

Terrorism Risks. The terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001, had a disruptive effect on the U.S. economy and financial markets. Terrorist attacks and other geopolitical events have led to, and may in the future lead to, increased short-term market volatility and may have long-term effects on U.S. and world economies and financial markets. Those events could also have an acute effect on individual issuers, related groups of issuers, or issuers concentrated in a single geographic area. A similar disruption of the financial markets or other terrorist attacks could adversely impact interest rates, auctions, secondary trading, ratings, credit risk, inflation and other factors relating to portfolio securities and adversely affect Fund service providers and the Funds' operations.

U.S. Government and Agency Securities. "U.S. Government Securities" are obligations of the Treasury Department backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. During times of market turbulence, investors may turn to the safety of securities issued or guaranteed by the Treasury Department, causing the prices of these securities to rise and their yields to decline. As a result of this and other market influences, yields of short-term Treasury Department debt instruments are currently near historical lows.

"U.S. Government Agency Securities" are issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies, or by instrumentalities of the U.S. Government, such as Ginnie Mae (also known as the Government National Mortgage Association), Fannie Mae (also known as the Federal National Mortgage Association), Freddie Mac (also known as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation), SLM Corporation (formerly, the Student Loan Marketing Association) (commonly known as "Sallie Mae"), Federal Home Loan Banks ("FHLB"), and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Some U.S. Government Agency Securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States, while others may be supported by the issuer's ability to borrow from the Treasury Department, subject to the Treasury Department's discretion in certain cases, or only by the credit of the issuer. Accordingly, there is at least a possibility of default. U.S. Government Agency Securities include U.S. Government agency mortgage-backed securities. (See "Mortgage-Backed Securities" above.) The market prices of U.S. Government Agency Securities are not guaranteed by the U.S. Government and generally fluctuate inversely with changing interest rates.

U.S. Government Agency Securities are deemed to include (i) securities for which the payment of principal and interest is backed by an irrevocable letter of credit issued by the U.S. Government, its agencies, authorities or instrumentalities and (ii) participations in loans made to foreign governments or their agencies that are so guaranteed. The secondary market for certain of these participations is extremely limited. In the absence of a suitable secondary market, such participations may therefore be regarded as illiquid.

A Fund may invest in separately traded principal and interest components of securities issued or guaranteed by the Treasury Department. The principal and interest components of selected securities are traded independently under the Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities ("STRIPS") program. Under the STRIPS program, the principal and interest components are individually numbered and separately issued by the Treasury Department at the request of depository financial institutions, which then trade the component parts independently. The market prices of STRIPS generally are more volatile than that of Treasury Department bills with comparable maturities.

Variable or Floating Rate Securities; Demand and Put Features. Variable rate and floating rate securities provide for automatic adjustment of the interest rate at fixed intervals (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, or semi-annually) or automatic adjustment of the interest rate whenever a specified interest rate or index changes. The interest rate on variable and floating rate securities (collectively, "Adjustable Rate Securities") ordinarily is determined by reference to a particular bank's prime rate, the 90-day Treasury Department Bill rate, the rate of return on commercial paper or bank CDs, an index of short-term tax-exempt rates or some other objective measure.

Adjustable Rate Securities frequently permit the holder to demand payment of the obligations' principal and accrued interest at any time or at specified intervals not exceeding one year. The demand feature usually is backed by a credit instrument (e.g., a bank letter of credit) from a creditworthy issuer and sometimes by insurance from a creditworthy insurer. Without these credit enhancements, some Adjustable Rate Securities might not meet a Fund's quality standards. Accordingly, in purchasing these securities, a Fund relies primarily on the creditworthiness of the credit instrument issuer or the insurer. A Fund can also buy fixed rate securities accompanied by a demand feature or by a put option, which permits the Fund to sell the security to the issuer or third party at a specified price. A Fund may rely on the creditworthiness of issuers of the credit enhancements in purchasing these securities.

Policies and Limitations. No Fund may invest more than 5% of its total assets in securities backed by credit instruments from any one issuer or by insurance from any one insurer. For purposes of this limitation, each Fund excludes securities that do not rely on the credit instrument or insurance for their ratings, i.e., stand on their own credit. In calculating its dollar-weighted average maturity and duration, a Fund is permitted to treat certain Adjustable Rate Securities as maturing on a date prior to the date on which the final repayment of principal must unconditionally be made. In applying such maturity shortening devices, the Manager considers whether the interest rate reset is expected to cause the security to trade at approximately its par value.

Warrants and Rights. Warrants and rights may be acquired by a Fund in connection with other securities or separately. Warrants are securities permitting, but not obligating, their holder to subscribe for other securities or commodities and provide a Fund with the right to purchase at a later date other securities of the issuer. Rights are similar to warrants but typically are issued by a company to existing holders of its stock and provide those holders the right to purchase additional shares of stock at a later date. Rights also normally have a shorter duration than warrants. Warrants and rights do not carry with them the right to dividends or voting rights with respect to the securities that they entitle their holder to purchase, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. Warrants and rights may be more speculative than certain other types of investments and entail risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional equity instrument. While warrants and rights are generally considered equity securities, because the value of a warrant or right is derived, at least in part, from the value of the underlying securities, they may be considered hybrid instruments that have features of both equity securities and derivative instruments. However, there are characteristics of warrants and rights that differ from derivatives, including that the value of a warrant or right does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities. The purchase of warrants and rights involves the risk that a Fund could lose the purchase value of the warrants or rights if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not exercised prior to the warrants' or rights' expiration date because warrants and rights cease to have value if they are not exercised prior to their expiration date. Also, the purchase of warrants and rights involves the risk that the effective price paid for the warrants or rights added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security's market price such as when there is no movement in the price of the underlying security. The market for warrants or rights may be very limited and it may be difficult to sell them promptly at an acceptable price.

When-Issued and Delayed-Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments. A Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis and may purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis. These transactions involve a commitment by a Fund to purchase or sell securities at a future date (ordinarily within two months, although a Fund may agree to a longer settlement period). These transactions may involve mortgage-backed securities, such as GNMA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac certificates. The price of the underlying securities (usually expressed in terms of yield) and the date when the securities will be delivered and paid for (the settlement date) are fixed at the time the transaction is negotiated. When-issued and delayed-delivery purchases and forward commitment transactions are negotiated directly with the other party, and such commitments are not traded on exchanges.

When-issued and delayed-delivery purchases and forward commitment transactions enable a Fund to "lock in" what the Manager believes to be an attractive price or yield on a particular security for a period of time, regardless of future changes in interest rates. For instance, in periods of rising interest rates and falling prices, a Fund might sell securities it owns on a forward commitment basis to limit its exposure to falling prices. In periods of falling interest rates and rising prices, a Fund might purchase a security on a when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment basis and sell a similar security to settle such purchase, thereby obtaining the benefit of currently higher yields. When-issued, delayed-delivery and forward commitment transactions are subject to the risk that a counterparty may fail to complete the purchase or sale of the security. If this occurs, a Fund may lose the opportunity to purchase or sell the security at the agreed upon price. To reduce this risk, a Fund will enter into transactions with established counterparties and the Manager will monitor the creditworthiness of such counterparties.

The value of securities purchased on a when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment basis and any subsequent fluctuations in their value are reflected in the computation of a Fund's NAV starting on the date of the agreement to purchase the securities. Because a Fund has not yet paid for the securities, this produces an effect similar to leverage. A Fund does not earn interest on securities it has committed to purchase until the securities are paid for and delivered on the settlement date. Because a Fund is committed to buying them at a certain price, any change in the value of these securities, even prior to their issuance, affects the value of the Fund's interests. The purchase of securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis also involves a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines before the settlement date. When a Fund makes a forward commitment to sell securities it owns, the proceeds to be received upon settlement are included in that Fund's assets. Fluctuations in the market value of the underlying securities are not reflected in a Fund's NAV as long as the commitment to sell remains in effect.

When-issued, delayed-delivery and forward commitment transactions may cause a Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so in order to satisfy its purchase or sale obligations.

Policies and Limitations. A Fund will purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis or purchase or sell securities on a forward commitment basis only with the intention of completing the transaction and actually purchasing or selling the securities. If deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy, however, a Fund may dispose of or renegotiate a commitment after it has been entered into. A Fund also may sell securities it has committed to purchase before those securities are delivered to the Fund on the settlement date. A Fund may realize capital gains or losses in connection with these transactions. Depending on the terms of the when-issued, delayed-delivery and forward commitment transactions, these transactions may meet the definition of a derivatives transaction under Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act and, if they do, they will be subject to the requirements of that rule.

A Fund may also enter into a TBA agreement and "roll over" such agreement prior to the settlement date by selling the obligation to purchase the pools set forth in the agreement and entering into a new TBA agreement for future delivery of pools of mortgage-backed securities. TBA mortgage-backed securities may increase prepayment risks because the underlying mortgages may be less favorable than anticipated by a Fund.

Zero Coupon Securities, Step Coupon Securities, Discount Obligations and Pay-in-Kind Securities. A Fund may invest in zero coupon securities, step coupon securities and pay-in-kind securities. These do not entitle the holder to any periodic payment of interest prior to maturity or that specify a future date when the securities begin to pay current interest. Each Fund may also acquire certain debt securities at a discount. These discount obligations involve special risk considerations. Zero coupon securities and step coupon securities are debt obligations that are issued and traded at a discount from their face amount or par value (known as "original issue discount" or "OID"). OID varies depending on prevailing interest rates, the time remaining until cash payments begin, the liquidity of the security, and the perceived credit quality of the issuer.

Zero coupon securities and step coupon securities are redeemed at face value when they mature. Accrued OID must be included in a Fund's gross income for federal tax purposes ratably each taxable year prior to the receipt of any actual payments. Pay-in-kind securities pay "interest" through the issuance of additional securities.

Because each Fund must distribute substantially all of its net investment income (including non-cash income attributable to OID and "interest" on pay-in-kind securities) and net realized gains to its shareholders each taxable year to qualify (in the case of Real Estate Portfolio) or continue to qualify for treatment as a RIC and to minimize or avoid payment of federal income and excise taxes, a Fund may have to dispose of portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances to generate cash, or may be required to borrow, to satisfy the distribution requirements. See "Additional Tax Information - Taxation of the Funds."

The market prices of zero coupon securities, step coupon securities, pay-in-kind securities and discount obligations generally are more volatile than the prices of securities that pay cash interest periodically. Those securities and obligations are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than other types of debt securities having a similar maturity and credit quality.

Sustainable Equity Portfolio - Description of ESG Criteria

ESG Criteria

The Fund believes that corporate responsibility is a hallmark of quality and has the potential to produce positive investment results. The Fund is designed to allow investors to put their money to work and also support companies that follow principles of good corporate citizenship. The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital by investing primarily in securities of companies that meet its financial and environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria.

As stated in the prospectus, the Portfolio Manager employs a fundamental, research driven approach to stock selection and portfolio construction, with a focus on long term sustainability issues that, in the judgement of the Portfolio Manager, are financially material. This sustainable investment approach seeks to identify high quality, well-positioned companies with leadership that is focused on ESG issues relevant to their business. In doing such, the Portfolio Manager seeks to identify companies with certain practices, including (i) clear and relevant communication regarding management's understanding, commitment to, and prioritization of, sustainability issues relevant to the business;(ii) identification and disclosure of material sustainability considerations and management objectives (e.g., sustainability-linked goals and targets, including their supply chain, or executive compensation frameworks linked to such goals and targets); and/or (iii) board-level oversight on material sustainability issues.

Among companies that meet these criteria, the Portfolio Manager looks for those that show leadership in environmental, social and governance considerations, including safe and equitable workplace practices and constructive community relations. The Fund focuses on companies that are responsive to environmental issues; are agents of favorable change in workplace policies (particularly for women and minorities); are committed to upholding universal human rights standards; and are good corporate citizens. In addition, the Fund avoids companies with products with negative public health implications. In doing such, the Fund seeks to identify companies with certain practices, including those outlined herein.

The Fund looks for companies that show leadership in their environmental and workplace practices. The Fund seeks to invest in companies that demonstrate ESG policies in the following areas:

In addition to examining ESG practices, the Fund endeavors to avoid companies that derive revenue from gambling or the production of:

The Fund may also consider public health issues, externalities associated with a company's products, and general corporate citizenship in making its investment decisions.

Interpretation of ESG Criteria

The Fund's ESG Criteria require interpretation in their application and are at the discretion of the portfolio management team. To determine and monitor revenue-based and absolute exclusions, the portfolio management team uses data generated internally by the Manager and/or its affiliates or provided by one or more external ESG research providers. The following discussion provides further detail about the interpretation of the Fund's ESG Criteria.

Tobacco

Manufacturers. The Fund does not buy or hold companies that derive 5% or more of revenues from the manufacture of tobacco products. This primarily excludes producers of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, and smokeless tobacco products (snuff and chewing tobacco).

Processors and Suppliers. The Fund does not buy or hold companies that are in the business of processing tobacco and supplying tobacco to these manufacturers.

Retail Sales. The Fund does not buy or hold companies that derive a majority of revenues from the retail sale of tobacco products.

Tobacco-Related Products. The Fund does not buy or hold companies that derive a majority of revenues from the sale of goods used in the actual manufacture of tobacco products, such as cigarette papers and filters.

The Fund may buy or hold companies that sell certain key products to the tobacco industry. These items include: cigarette packets, boxes, or cartons; the paperboard used in the manufacture of cigarette boxes or cartons; the cellophane wrap used to enclose cigarette packets or boxes; magazine or newspaper space sold for cigarette advertisements; and billboard space rented for cigarette advertisements. In general, the Fund does not exclude such companies from investment, although it may reconsider companies that derive substantial revenues from these activities on a case-by-case basis.

Alcohol

Manufacturers and Producers. The Fund does not buy or hold companies that derive 5% or more of revenues from the manufacture of alcoholic beverages. This primarily excludes distillers of hard liquors, brewers, and vintners.

Retail Sales. The Fund does not buy or hold companies that derive a majority of revenues from the retail sale of alcoholic beverages. This relates primarily to restaurant chains and convenience stores.

The Fund may buy or hold:

Gambling

Owners and Operators. The Fund does not buy or hold companies that derive 5% or more of revenues from the provision of gaming services. This primarily excludes owners and operators of casinos, riverboat gambling facilities, horse tracks, dog tracks, bingo parlors, or other betting establishments.

Manufacturers of Gaming Equipment. The Fund does not buy or hold companies that derive 5% or more of revenues from the manufacture of gaming equipment or the provision of goods and services to lottery operations.

The Fund may buy or hold companies that:

Military Contracting

Major Prime Contractors. The Fund does not buy or hold companies that derive 5% or more of revenues from weapons related contracts. Although the Fund may invest in companies that derive less than 5% of revenues from weapons contracts, the Fund generally avoids large military contractors that have weapons-related contracts that total less than 5% of revenues but are, nevertheless, substantial in dollar value and designed exclusively for weapons-related activities. While it is often difficult to obtain precise weapons contracting figures, the Fund will make a good faith effort to do so.

Non-Weapons-Related Sales to the Department of Defense. The Fund does not buy or hold companies that derive their total revenue primarily from non-consumer sales to the Department of Defense ("DoD").

In some cases, it is difficult to clearly distinguish between contracts that are weapons-related and those that are not. The Fund will use its best judgment in making such determinations.

The Fund may buy or hold companies that:

Controversial Weapons/Firearms/Munitions

The Fund is committed to supporting and upholding conventions that seek to ban the production of controversial weapons. As a result, the Fund is prohibited from investing in securities issued by companies that we believe are involved in the manufacture of controversial weapons.

We define involvement in the manufacture of controversial weapons as either being responsible for end manufacture and assembly of controversial weapons, or being responsible for the manufacture of intended use components for controversial weapons. Dual-use component manufacturers or delivery platform manufacturers are not included. We define controversial weapons as follows:

Manufacturers. The Fund is prohibited from purchasing the securities of issuers that derive more than 5% of their revenues from the production of weapons or tailor‐made components thereof. The Fund is also prohibited from purchasing the securities of issuers that manufacture nuclear weapons or key nuclear weapons components. This also includes the manufacture of firearms such as pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, or sub-machine guns. The Fund will also not buy or hold companies that produce small arms ammunition.

Retailers. The Fund does not buy or hold companies that derive a majority of revenues from the wholesale or retail distribution of firearms or small arms ammunition.

Private Prisons

The Fund does not buy or hold companies that are involved in the operation of for-profit prisons or the provision of integral services to these types of facilities, given significant social controversy, reputational risks, dependency on Department of Justice policies, and facilities which are not easily reconfigurable for alternate uses.

Environment

The Fund seeks to invest in companies that have demonstrated a commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability through either minimizing their environmental footprint or producing products and services that have a direct environmental benefit. Among other things, it will look for companies:

Environmental Risk

The Fund seeks to avoid companies whose products it has determined pose unacceptable levels of environmental risk. To that end, the Fund does not buy or hold companies that:

Nuclear Power

Majority Owners and Operators. The Fund does not buy or hold companies that are majority owners or operators of nuclear power plants.

The Fund may buy or hold:

Fossil Fuels. We believe a sustainable portfolio minimizes or neutralizes the exposure to certain pieces of the fossil fuel value chain owing to the varied contribution to climate and environmental risk.

Coal and unconventional oil & gas supply. Given the high carbon footprint among fossil fuels, the Fund is prohibited from purchasing the securities of companies that derive substantial revenue from the extraction of coal or unconventional oil methods. To that end, the Fund may not buy or hold securities in companies that:

Electricity Generation. For companies where power generation makes up more than 10% of revenue, we believe a sustainable portfolio should only invest in generation owners that are aligned with a lower carbon emissions economy. The Fund therefore may not buy or hold securities in companies that:

Conventional oil & gas supply. We recognize natural gas can play a role in the transition to a lower carbon economy, and believe oil and gas producers should be evolving their businesses to increase the proportion of gas and renewables in the business mix. The Fund therefore is prohibited from investments in companies with less than 20% of reserves from natural gas.

The Fund focuses on identifying companies that are responsive to environmental issues, including those that have identified and communicated climate-related risks and opportunities, have identified and communicated net-zero transition plans, have committed to or are transitioning to facilitate global decarbonization and/or the reduction of other greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition, the Fund may invest in energy companies that have demonstrated a commitment to the carbon transition. Carbon transition refers to the global energy sector's shift from fossil-based systems of energy production and consumption - including oil, natural gas and coal - to renewable energy sources.

Demonstrated commitment may include the following:

A combination of the above characteristics and leadership qualities will be taken into consideration to provide a holistic view of a company's overall management, preparedness and actionable commitments in order to transition to a lower carbon economy, all of which may influence decisions regarding security purchases and portfolio construction.

Contributing Activity. Where referenced, a "contributing activity" refers to an environmentally sustainable economic activity in the areas of climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, the sustainable use and protection of water and marine resources, the transition to a circular economy, pollution prevention and control and the protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems.

The Fund seriously considers a company's environmental liabilities, both accrued and unaccrued, as a measure of environmental risk. It views public disclosure of these liabilities as a positive step.

Regulatory Problems

The Fund seeks to avoid companies with involvement in major environmental controversies. It will look at a combination of factors in this area and will decide if, on balance, a company qualifies for investment. Negative factors may include:

Positive factors may include:

If a company already held in the Fund becomes involved in an environmental controversy, the Fund will communicate with the company to press for positive action. The Fund will not necessarily divest the company's shares if it perceives a path to remediation and policies and procedures are implemented to mitigate risk of recurrence.

Employment and Workplace Practices

The Fund endeavors to invest in companies whose employment and workplace practices are considered safe, fair and egalitarian. Examples of favorable employment practices include, but are not limited to, companies that:

The Fund will seek to avoid investing in companies that have:

Although the Fund is deeply concerned about the labor practices of companies with international operations, it may buy or hold companies that are currently or have been involved in related controversies. The Fund recognizes that it is often difficult to obtain accurate and consistent information in this area; however, it will seek to include companies that are complying with or exceeding International Labour Organization (ILO) standards.

Diversity

The Fund strives to invest in companies that are leaders in promoting diversity in the workplace. Examples of favorable practices include, but are not limited to, companies that:

In general, the Fund seeks to avoid buying companies with recent material discrimination lawsuits related to gender, race, disability, or sexual orientation. For example, this may include companies:

Although the Fund views companies involved in non-class action discrimination lawsuits and/or lawsuits that have been settled or ruled upon with some concern, it may buy or hold such companies. These types of lawsuits will be given particular weight if a company does not have a strong record of promoting diversity in the workplace.

While the Fund encourages companies to have diverse boards of directors and senior management, the absence of women and minorities in these positions does not warrant a company's exclusion from the Fund.

Community Relations

The Fund believes that it is important for companies to have positive relations with the communities in which they are located inclusive of all races and socio-economic status. Examples of favorable practices include, but are not limited to, companies that:

The Fund seeks to avoid companies with involvement in recent environmental controversies that have significantly affected entire communities (See "Environmental Risk" and "Regulatory Problems" above). The Fund will be particularly stringent with those companies of which the managers are aware that do not have positive relations with the communities in which they operate.

Human Rights

Global Norms and Standards. The Fund is prohibited from purchasing the securities of issuers whose activities breach the principles of the UN Global Compact (UNGC), the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises, the ILO's declaration on Fundamental Rights and Principles at Work and the UN Guiding Principles (UNGP). We look for companies that:

Product Integrity (Safety, Quality)

The Fund seeks to avoid companies whose products have negative public health implications. Among other things, the Fund will consider:

Supply Chain Management

The Fund seeks companies with well-managed supply chain systems that meet or exceed reliability, efficiency, product quality and regulatory standards. Among other things, the Fund will consider:

Disclosure

The Fund seeks companies that demonstrate a commitment to:

General

Corporate Actions. If a company held in the Fund subsequently becomes involved in tobacco, alcohol, gambling, weapons, or nuclear power (as described above) through a corporate acquisition or change of business strategy, and lacking a credible path to remediation no longer satisfies the ESG Criteria, the Fund will eliminate the position at the time deemed appropriate by the Fund given market conditions. The Fund will divest such companies' shares whether or not they have taken strong positive initiatives in the other ESG areas that the Fund considers.

Parent and Subsidiary Relationships. This policy will also evaluate parent / subsidiary relationships and upon evaluation of an issuer's eligibility pursuant to the Sustainable Exclusion Policy, all subsidiaries which are greater than 50% owned by the issuer, will be considered consolidated for the purpose of considering the metrics and overall worthiness of the issuer to comply with the policy. This policy, however, does not require that the parent company of an issuer be considered when evaluating the issuer's metrics and overall worthiness to comply with this policy. As such, the policy permits investment in an issuer whose products and services meet the requirements of the policy, provided that the issuer is a stand-alone business operation whose obligations are non-recourse to its parent company, such issuers being "Eligible Subsidiaries.". Financial services firms (e.g., banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, insurance companies) and investment companies will not be consolidated with other companies based on their investment in or provision of loans to such companies.

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Each Fund's performance figures are based on historical results and are not intended to indicate future performance. The share price and total return of each Fund will vary, and an investment in a Fund, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than an investor's original cost.

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

The following tables set forth information concerning the Fund Trustees and Officers of the Trust. All persons named as Fund Trustees and Officers also serve in similar capacities for other funds administered or managed by NBIA. A Fund Trustee who is not an "interested person" of NBIA (including its affiliates) or the Trust is deemed to be an independent Fund Trustee ("Independent Fund Trustee").

Information about the Board of Trustees

Information about the Officers of the Trust

The Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees ("Board") is responsible for managing the business and affairs of the Trust. Among other things, the Board generally oversees the portfolio management of each Fund and reviews and approves each Fund's investment advisory and sub-advisory contracts and other principal contracts.

The Board has appointed an Independent Fund Trustee to serve in the role of Chairman of the Board. The Chair's primary responsibilities are (i) to participate in the preparation of the agenda for meetings of the Board and in the identification of information to be presented to the Board; (ii) to preside at all meetings of the Board; (iii) to act as the Board's liaison with management between meetings of the Board; and (iv) to act as the primary contact for board communications. The Chair may perform such other functions as may be requested by the Board from time to time. Except for any duties specified herein or pursuant to the Trust's Declaration of Trust or By-laws, the designation as Chair does not impose on such Independent Fund Trustee any duties, obligations or liability that is greater than the duties, obligations or liability imposed on such person as a member of the Board, generally.

As described below, the Board has an established committee structure through which the Board considers and addresses important matters involving the Funds, including those identified as presenting conflicts or potential conflicts of interest for management. The Independent Fund Trustees also regularly meet outside the presence of management and are advised by experienced independent legal counsel knowledgeable in matters of investment company regulation. The Board periodically evaluates its structure and composition as well as various aspects of its operations. The Board believes that its leadership structure, including its Independent Chair and its committee structure, is appropriate in light of, among other factors, the asset size of the fund complex overseen by the Board, the nature and number of funds overseen by the Board, the number of Fund Trustees, the range of experience represented on the Board, and the Board's responsibilities.

Additional Information About Fund Trustees

In choosing each Fund Trustee to serve, the Board was generally aware of each Fund Trustee's skills, experience, judgment, analytical ability, intelligence, common sense, previous profit and not-for-profit board membership and, for each Independent Fund Trustee, his or her demonstrated willingness to take an independent and questioning stance toward management. Each Fund Trustee also now has considerable familiarity with the Trust and each Fund of the Trust, their investment manager, sub-advisers, administrator and distributor, and their operations, as well as the special regulatory requirements governing regulated investment companies and the special responsibilities of investment company directors, and in the case of each Trustee who has served on the Board over multiple years, as a result of his or her substantial prior service as a Trustee of the Trust. No particular qualification, experience or background establishes the basis for any Fund Trustee's position on the Board and the Governance and Nominating Committee and individual Board members may have attributed different weights to the various factors.

In addition to the information set forth in the table above and other relevant qualifications, experience, attributes or skills applicable to a particular Fund Trustee, the following provides further information about the qualifications and experience of each Fund Trustee.

Independent Fund Trustees

Fund Trustees who are "Interested Persons"

Information About Committees

The Board has established several standing committees to oversee particular aspects of the Funds' management. The standing committees of the Board are described below.

Audit Committee. The Audit Committee's purposes are: (a) in accordance with exchange requirements and Rule 32a-4 under the 1940 Act, to oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Funds and, as the Committee deems appropriate, to inquire into the internal control over financial reporting of service providers; (b) in accordance with exchange requirements and Rule 32a-4 under the 1940 Act, to oversee the quality and integrity of the Funds' financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (c) in accordance with exchange requirements and Rule 32a-4 under the 1940 Act, to oversee, or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of, the Funds' compliance with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Funds' accounting and financial reporting, internal control over financial reporting and independent audits; (d) to approve prior to appointment by the Board, the engagement of the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm and, in connection therewith, to review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm; (e) to act as a liaison between the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm and the full Board; (f) to oversee the operation of policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that each portfolio holding is valued in an appropriate and timely manner, reflecting information known to management (including management's internal Valuation Committee) about the issuer, current market conditions, and other material factors ("Pricing Policy"); (g) to consider and evaluate, and recommend to the Board when the Committee deems it appropriate, amendments to the Pricing Policy proposed by management, counsel, the auditors, the Committee itself or others; and (h) to oversee fair value determinations performed by the Manager as the Funds' valuation designee and, in connection therewith, to receive and review the reports and notifications required to be provided by the valuation designee pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act and to request such information from the valuation designee as the Committee deems necessary to oversee the performance of fair valuation determinations by the valuation designee. Its members are Michael J. Cosgrove (Chair), Martha C. Goss (Vice Chair), and Deborah C. McLean. All members are Independent Fund Trustees. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the Committee met seven times.

Contract Review Committee. The Contract Review Committee is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations to the Board regarding whether to approve or renew the Trust's principal contractual arrangements, Rule 12b-1 plans, and such other agreements or plans involving the Trust as the Board determines from time to time. The Contract Review Committee oversees and guides the process by which the Independent Trustees annually consider whether to approve or renew such contracts and plans. Its members are Marc Gary, Deborah C. McLean (Chair), George W. Morriss (Vice Chair), Michael J. Cosgrove, and Franklyn E. Smith. All members are Independent Fund Trustees. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the Committee met six times.

Ethics and Compliance Committee. The Ethics and Compliance Committee generally: (a) coordinates the Board's oversight of the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO") in connection with the implementation of the Trust's program for compliance with Rule 38a-1 and the Trust's implementation and enforcement of its compliance policies and procedures; (b) oversees the compliance with the Trust's Code of Ethics, which restricts the personal securities transactions, including transactions in Fund shares, of employees, officers, and trustees; (c) considers and evaluates management's framework for identifying, prioritizing, and managing compliance risks; (d) oversees the program by which the manager seeks to monitor and improve the quality of execution for portfolio transactions; and (e) considers and evaluates management's reports regarding internal audit reviews involving compliance matters; payments made to third-party intermediaries; and proxy voting policies, guidelines and procedures. The Committee shall not assume oversight duties to the extent that such duties have been assigned by the Board expressly to another Committee of the Board (such as oversight of internal controls over financial reporting, which has been assigned to the Audit Committee) or to the Board as a whole. The Committee's primary function is oversight. Each investment adviser, subadviser, principal underwriter, administrator, custodian and transfer agent, as applicable (collectively, "Service Providers") is responsible for its own compliance with the federal securities laws and for devising, implementing, maintaining and updating appropriate policies, procedures and codes of ethics to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations and their contracts with the Funds. The CCO is responsible for administering each Fund's compliance program, including devising and implementing appropriate methods of testing compliance by the Fund and its Service Providers. Its members are Marc Gary (Chair), Ami G. Kaplan (Vice Chair), Michael M. Knetter, and Tom D. Seip. All members are Independent Fund Trustees. The entire Board will receive at least annually a report on the compliance programs of the Trust and service providers and the required annual reports on the administration of the Code of Ethics and the required annual certifications from the Trust and NBIA. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the Committee met four times.

Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is responsible for acting in an emergency when a quorum of the Board is not available; the Committee has all the powers of the Board when the Board is not in session to the extent permitted by Delaware law. Its members are Joseph V. Amato (Vice Chair), Michael J. Cosgrove, Marc Gary, Martha C. Goss, Michael M. Knetter, Deborah C. McLean, George W. Morriss, and Tom D. Seip (Chair). All members, except for Mr. Amato, are Independent Fund Trustees. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the Committee met one time.

Governance and Nominating Committee. The Governance and Nominating Committee is responsible for: (a) considering and evaluating the structure, composition and operation of the Board and each committee thereof, including the operation of the annual self-evaluation by the Board; (b) evaluating and nominating individuals to serve as Fund Trustees including as Independent Fund Trustees, as members of committees, as Chair of the Board and as officers of the Trust; (c) recommending for Board approval any proposed changes to Committee membership and recommending for Board and Committee approval any proposed changes to the Chair and Vice Chair appointments of any Committee following consultation with members of each such Committee; and (d) considering and making recommendations relating to the compensation of Independent Fund Trustees. Its members are Martha C. Goss (Chair), Michael M. Knetter, and Tom D. Seip. All members are Independent Fund Trustees. The selection and nomination of candidates to serve as independent trustees is committed to the discretion of the current Independent Fund Trustees. The Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders; shareholders may send resumes of recommended persons to the attention of Claudia A. Brandon, Secretary, Neuberger Berman Advisers Management Trust, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the Committee met three times.

Investment Performance Committee. The Investment Performance Committee is responsible for overseeing and guiding the process by which the Board reviews Fund performance and interfacing with management personnel responsible for investment risk management. Each Fund Trustee is a member of the Committee. Michael M. Knetter and Deborah C. McLean are the Chair and the Vice Chair, respectively, of the Committee. All members, except for Mr. Amato, are Independent Fund Trustees. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the Committee met four times.

Risk Management Oversight

As an integral part of its responsibility for oversight of the Funds in the interests of shareholders, the Board oversees risk management of the Funds' administration and operations. The Board views risk management as an important responsibility of management.

A Fund faces a number of risks, such as investment risk, counterparty risk, valuation risk, liquidity risk, reputational risk, risk of operational failure or lack of business continuity, cybersecurity risk, and legal, compliance and regulatory risk. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of a Fund. Under the overall supervision of the Board, the Funds, the Funds' investment manager, and the affiliates of the investment manager, or other service providers to the Funds, employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various of those possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Different processes, procedures and controls are employed with respect to different types of risks.

The Board exercises oversight of the investment manager's risk management processes primarily through the Board's committee structure. The various committees, as appropriate, and/or, at times, the Board, meet periodically with the Chief Risk Officer, head of operational risk, the Chief Information Security Officer, the Chief Compliance Officer, the Treasurer, the Chief Investment Officers for equity, alternative and fixed income, the heads of Internal Audit, and the Funds' independent auditor. The committees or the Board, as appropriate, review with these individuals, among other things, the design and implementation of risk management strategies in their respective areas, and events and circumstances that have arisen and responses thereto.

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Funds can be identified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the Funds' goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Fund Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Furthermore, it is in the very nature of certain risks that they can be evaluated only as probabilities, and not as certainties. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board's risk management oversight is subject to substantial limitations, and no risk management program can predict the likelihood or seriousness of, or mitigate the effects of, all potential risks.

Compensation and Indemnification

The Trust's Trust Instrument provides that the Trust will indemnify its Fund Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses reasonably incurred in connection with litigation in which they may be involved because of their offices with the Trust, unless it is adjudicated that they (a) engaged in bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of their offices, or (b) did not act in good faith in the reasonable belief that their action was in the best interest of the Trust. In the case of settlement, such indemnification will not be provided unless it has been determined (by a court or other body approving the settlement or other disposition, by a majority of disinterested trustees based upon a review of readily available facts, or in a written opinion of independent counsel) that such officers or Fund Trustees have not engaged in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of their duties.

Officers and Fund Trustees who are interested persons of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act, receive no salary or fees from the Trust.

Effective January 1, 2024, for serving as a trustee of the Neuberger Berman Funds, each Independent Fund Trustee and any Fund Trustee who is an "interested person" of the Trust but who is not an employee of NBIA or its affiliates receives an annual retainer of $200,000, paid quarterly, and a fee of $17,500 for each of the regularly scheduled meetings he or she attended in-person or by telephone. For any additional special in-person or telephonic meeting of the Board, the Governance and Nominating Committee will determine whether a fee is warranted. To compensate for the additional time commitment, the Chair of the Audit Committee and the Chair of the Contract Review Committee (effective January 1, 2023) receive $25,000 per year and each Chair of the other Committees (effective January 1, 2024) receives $20,000 per year, with the exception of the Chair of the Executive Committee who receives no additional compensation for this role. No additional compensation is provided for service on a Board committee. The Chair of the Board who is also an Independent Fund Trustee receives an additional $90,000 per year.

The Neuberger Berman Funds reimburse Independent Fund Trustees for their travel and other out-of-pocket expenses related to attendance at Board meetings. The Independent Fund Trustee compensation is allocated to each fund in the fund family based on a method the Board finds reasonable.

The following table sets forth information concerning the compensation of the Fund Trustees. The Trust does not have any retirement plan for the Fund Trustees.

TABLE OF COMPENSATION

FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDED 12/31/2023

Ownership of Equity Securities by the Fund Trustees

The following table sets forth the aggregate dollar range of securities owned by each Fund Trustee in the Trust and in all the funds in the fund family overseen by the Fund Trustee, valued as of December 31, 2023. None of the Fund Trustees own securities in the Trust because Fund shares are available only through the purchase of variable annuity or variable life insurance contracts issued by insurance companies through their separate accounts or through certain qualified pension and retirement plans.

A = None; B = $1-$10,000; C = $10,001-$50,000; D = $50,001-$100,000; E = over $100,000

As of March 31, 2024, the Fund Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, did not own beneficially or of record any outstanding shares of any Fund.

Independent Fund Trustees' Ownership of Securities

No Independent Fund Trustee (including his/her immediate family members) owns any securities (not including shares of registered investment companies) in any Neuberger Berman entity.

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION SERVICES

Investment Manager and Administrator

NBIA serves as the investment manager to the Funds pursuant to management agreements with the Trust, one for each Fund dated May 4, 2009 (each a "Management Agreement" and collectively, the "Management Agreements").

Each Management Agreement provides, in substance, that NBIA will make and implement investment decisions for the Funds in its discretion and will continuously develop an investment program for each Fund's assets. Each Management Agreement permits NBIA to effect securities transactions on behalf of each Fund through associated persons of NBIA. Each Management Agreement also specifically permits NBIA to compensate, through higher commissions, brokers and dealers who provide investment research and analysis to a Fund.

NBIA provides to each Fund, without separate cost, office space, equipment, and facilities and the personnel necessary to perform executive, administrative, and clerical functions. NBIA pays all salaries, expenses, and fees of the officers, trustees, and employees of the Trust who are officers, directors, or employees of NBIA. One director of NBIA, who also serves as an officer of NBIA, presently serves as a Fund Trustee and officer of the Trust. See "Trustees and Officers." Each Fund pays NBIA a management fee based on the Fund's average daily net assets, as described below.

NBIA also provides facilities, services, and personnel as well as accounting, record keeping and other services to the Funds pursuant to two administration agreements with the Trust, one for Class I and one for Class S (each, a "Class"), each dated May 4, 2009 (each, an "Administration Agreement", and collectively, the "Administration Agreements"). For such administrative services, each Class of a Fund pays NBIA a fee based on the Class's average daily net assets, as described below.

Under each Administration Agreement, NBIA provides to each Class and its shareholders certain shareholder, shareholder-related, and other services that are not furnished by the Fund's shareholder servicing agent or third party investment providers. NBIA provides the direct shareholder services specified in the Administration Agreements and assists the shareholder servicing agent or third party investment providers in the development and implementation of specified programs and systems to enhance overall shareholder servicing capabilities. NBIA or the third party investment provider solicits and gathers shareholder proxies, performs services connected with the qualification of each Fund's shares for sale in various states, and furnishes other services the parties agree from time to time should be provided under the Administration Agreements.

The services provided by NBIA under the Management Agreements and Administration Agreements include, among others, overall responsibility for providing all supervisory, management, and administrative services reasonably necessary for the operation of the Funds, which may include, among others, compliance monitoring, operational and investment risk management, legal and administrative services and portfolio accounting services. These services also include, among other things: (i) coordinating and overseeing all matters relating to the operation of the Funds, including overseeing the shareholder servicing agent, custodian, accounting services agent, independent auditors, legal counsel and other agents and contractors engaged by the Funds; (ii) assuring that all financial, accounting and other records required to be prepared and preserved by the Funds are prepared and preserved by it or on its behalf in accordance with applicable laws and regulations; (iii) assisting in the preparation of all periodic reports by the Funds to shareholders; (iv) assisting in the preparation of all reports and filings required to maintain the registration and qualification of each Fund and its shares, or to meet other regulatory or tax requirements applicable to the Fund under federal and state securities and tax laws; and (v) furnishing such office space, office equipment and office facilities as are adequate for the needs of the Funds.

NBIA also plays an active role in the daily pricing of Fund shares, provides information to the Board necessary to its oversight of certain valuation functions, and annually conducts due diligence on the outside independent pricing services. NBIA prepares reports and other materials necessary and appropriate for the Board's ongoing oversight of each Fund and its service providers; and prepares an extensive report in connection with the Board's annual review of the Management Agreements, Distribution Agreements and Rule 12b-1 Plans.

Each Management Agreement continues until October 31, 2024. Each Management Agreement is renewable thereafter from year to year with respect to a Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote of a majority of the Independent Fund Trustees, and (2) by the vote of a majority of the Fund Trustees or by a 1940 Act majority vote of the outstanding shares of that Fund. Each Administration Agreement continues until October 31, 2024. Each Administration Agreement is renewable thereafter from year to year with respect to a Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote of a majority of the Independent Fund Trustees, and (2) by the vote of a majority of the Fund Trustees or by a 1940 Act majority vote of the outstanding shares of that Fund.

Each Management Agreement is terminable, without penalty, with respect to a Fund on 60 days' written notice either by the Trust or by NBIA. Each Administration Agreement is terminable, without penalty, with respect to a Fund on 60 days' written notice either by the Trust or by NBIA. Each Agreement terminates automatically if it is assigned.

From time to time, NBIA or a Fund may enter into arrangements with registered broker-dealers or other third parties pursuant to which it pays the broker-dealer or third party a per account fee or a fee based on a percentage of the aggregate NAV of Fund shares purchased by the broker-dealer or third party on behalf of its customers, in payment for administrative and other services rendered to such customers.

NBIA may engage one or more of foreign affiliates that are not registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended ("participating affiliates") in accordance with applicable SEC no-action letters. As participating affiliates, whether or not registered with the SEC, the affiliates may provide designated investment personnel to associate with NBIA as "associated persons" of NBIA and perform specific advisory services for NBIA, including services for the Funds, which may involve, among other services, portfolio management and/or placing orders for securities and other instruments. The designated employees of a participating affiliate act for NBIA and are subject to certain NBIA policies and procedures as well as supervision and periodic monitoring by NBIA. The Funds will pay no additional fees and expenses as a result of any such arrangements.

Third parties may be subject to federal or state laws that limit their ability to provide certain administrative or distribution related services. NBIA and the Funds intend to contract with third parties for only those services they may legally provide. If, due to a change in laws governing those third parties or in the interpretation of any such law, a third party is prohibited from performing some or all of the above-described services, NBIA or a Fund may be required to find alternative means of providing those services. Any such change is not expected to impact the Funds or their shareholders adversely.

From time to time, NBIA or its affiliates may invest "seed" capital in a Fund. These investments are generally intended to enable the Fund to commence investment operations and achieve sufficient scale, and may be withdrawn, in whole or in part, at such time as NBIA or its affiliates determine to be appropriate. NBIA and its affiliates may, from time to time, hedge some or all of the investment exposure of the seed capital invested in the Fund.

Management and Administration Fees

For investment management services, Mid Cap Growth Portfolio, Mid Cap Intrinsic Value Portfolio and Sustainable Equity Portfolio each pay NBIA a fee at the annual rate of 0.55% of the first $250 million of the Fund's average daily net assets, 0.525% of the next $250 million, 0.50% of the next $250 million, 0.475% of the next $250 million, 0.45% of the next $500 million, 0.425% of the next $2.5 billion, and 0.40% of average daily net assets in excess of $4 billion.

Short Duration Bond Portfolio pays NBIA a fee for investment management services at the annual rate of 0.17% of the first $2 billion of the Fund's average daily net assets and 0.15% in excess of $2 billion. Prior to February 28, 2020, Short Duration Bond Portfolio paid NBIA a fee for investment management services at the annual rate of 0.25% of the first $500 million of the Fund's average daily net assets, 0.225% of the next $500 million, 0.20% of the next $500 million, 0.175% of the next $500 million, and 0.150% of average daily net assets in excess of $2 billion.

Real Estate Portfolio pays NBIA a fee for investment management services at the annual rate of 0.85% of the Fund's average daily net assets.

For administrative services, each Fund (except Short Duration Bond Portfolio) pays NBIA a fee at the annual rate of 0.30% of that Fund's average daily net assets. For administrative services, Short Duration Bond Portfolio pays NBIA a fee at the annual rate of 0.40% of average daily net assets. In addition, each Fund pays certain out-of-pocket expenses for technology used for shareholder servicing and shareholder communications subject to the prior approval of an annual budget by the Fund Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Fund Trustees, and periodic reports to the Board on actual expenses.

With a Fund's consent, NBIA may subcontract to third parties, including investment providers, some of its responsibilities to that Fund under the Administration Agreement. In addition, a Fund may compensate third parties, including investment providers, for recordkeeping, accounting, and other services.

During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, each Fund accrued management and administration fees as follows:

Contractual Expense Limitations

NBIA has contractually undertaken, during the respective period noted below, to waive fees and/or reimburse annual operating expenses of each Class of each Fund listed below so that its total operating expenses (excluding interest, transaction costs, brokerage commissions, dividend and interest expenses relating to short sales, acquired fund fees and expenses, taxes including any expenses relating to tax reclaims, and extraordinary expenses, if any) ("Operating Expenses") do not exceed the rate per annum noted below. Commitment fees relating to borrowings are treated as interest for purposes of this exclusion. Because the contractual undertaking excludes certain expenses, a Fund's net expenses may exceed its contractual expense limitation.

Each Fund listed agrees to repay NBIA out of assets attributable to each of its respective Classes noted below for any fees waived by NBIA under the expense limitation or any Operating Expenses NBIA reimburses in excess of the expense limitation, provided that the repayment does not cause that Class' Operating Expenses to exceed the expense limitation in place at the time the fees were waived and/or the expenses were reimbursed, or the expense limitation in place at the time the Fund repays NBIA, whichever is lower. Any such repayment must be made within three years after the year in which NBIA incurred the expense.

With respect to any Fund, the appropriateness of these undertakings is determined on a Fund-by-Fund and Class-by-Class basis.

NBIA reimbursed each Class of each Fund listed below the following amount of expenses pursuant to each Fund's contractual expense limitation:

Each Class of each Fund listed below repaid NBIA the following amounts of expenses that NBIA reimbursed to each Class. The table below shows the amounts reimbursed by NBIA pursuant to this arrangement:

Portfolio Manager Information

The table below lists the Portfolio Manager(s) of each Fund and the Fund(s) for which the Portfolio Manager has day-to-day management responsibility.

Accounts Managed

The table below describes the accounts for which each Portfolio Manager has day-to-day management responsibility as of December 31, 2023, except as otherwise indicated.

Conflicts of Interest

Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a Portfolio Manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one Fund or other account. The management of multiple funds and accounts (including proprietary accounts) may give rise to actual or potential conflicts of interest if the funds and accounts have different or similar objectives, benchmarks, time horizons, and fees, as the Portfolio Manager must allocate his or her time and investment ideas across multiple funds and accounts. The Portfolio Manager may execute transactions for another fund or account that may adversely impact the value of securities or instruments held by a Fund, and which may include transactions that are directly contrary to the positions taken by a Fund. For example, a Portfolio Manager may engage in short sales of securities or instruments for another account that are the same type of securities or instruments in which a Fund it manages also invests. In such a case, the Portfolio Manager could be seen as harming the performance of the Fund for the benefit of the account engaging in short sales if the short sales cause the market value of the securities or instruments to fall. Additionally, if a Portfolio Manager identifies a limited investment opportunity that may be suitable for more than one fund or other account, a Fund may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity. There may also be regulatory limitations that prevent a Fund from participating in a transaction that another account or fund managed by the same Portfolio Manager will invest. For example, the 1940 Act prohibits the Funds from participating in certain transactions with certain of its affiliates and from participating in "joint" transactions alongside certain of its affiliates. The prohibition on "joint" transactions may limit the ability of the Funds to participate alongside its affiliates in privately negotiated transactions unless the transaction is otherwise permitted under existing regulatory guidance and may reduce the amount of privately negotiated transactions that the Funds may participate. Further, the Manager may take an investment position or action for a fund or account that may be different from, inconsistent with, or have different rights than (e.g., voting rights, dividend or repayment priorities or other features that may conflict with one another), an action or position taken for one or more other funds or accounts, including a Fund, having similar or different objectives. A conflict may also be created by investing in different parts of an issuer's capital structure (e.g., equity or debt, or different positions in the debt structure). Those positions and actions may adversely impact, or in some instances benefit, one or more affected accounts, including the funds. Potential conflicts may also arise because portfolio decisions and related actions regarding a position held for a fund or another account may not be in the best interests of a position held by another fund or account having similar or different objectives. If one account were to buy or sell portfolio securities or instruments shortly before another account bought or sold the same securities or instruments, it could affect the price paid or received by the second account. Securities selected for funds or accounts other than a Fund may outperform the securities selected for the Fund. Finally, a conflict of interest may arise if the Manager and a Portfolio Manager have a financial incentive to favor one account over another, such as a performance-based management fee that applies to one account but not all funds or accounts for which the Portfolio Manager is responsible. In the ordinary course of operations, certain businesses within the Neuberger Berman organization (the "Firm") will seek access to material non-public information. For instance, NBIA portfolio managers may obtain and utilize material non-public information in purchasing loans and other debt instruments and certain privately placed or restricted equity instruments. From time to time, NBIA portfolio managers will be offered the opportunity on behalf of applicable clients to participate on a creditors or other similar committee in connection with restructuring or other "work-out" activity, which participation could provide access to material non-public information. The Firm maintains procedures that address the process by which material non-public information may be acquired intentionally by the Firm. When considering whether to acquire material non-public information, the Firm will attempt to balance the interests of all clients, taking into consideration relevant factors, including the extent of the prohibition on trading that would occur, the size of the Firm's existing position in the issuer, if any, and the value of the information as it relates to the investment decision-making process. The acquisition of material non-public information would likely give rise to a conflict of interest since the Firm may be prohibited from rendering investment advice to clients regarding the securities or instruments of such issuer and thereby potentially limiting the universe of securities or instruments that the Firm, including a Fund, may purchase or potentially limiting the ability of the Firm, including a Fund, to sell such securities or instruments. Similarly, where the Firm declines access to (or otherwise does not receive or share within the Firm) material non-public information regarding an issuer, the portfolio managers could potentially base investment decisions with respect to assets of such issuer solely on public information, thereby limiting the amount of information available to the portfolio managers in connection with such investment decisions. In determining whether or not to elect to receive material non-public information, the Firm will endeavor to act fairly to its clients as a whole. The Firm reserves the right to decline access to material non-public information, including declining to join a creditors or similar committee.

NBIA and each Fund have adopted certain compliance procedures which are designed to address these types of conflicts. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.

Compensation of Portfolio Managers

Our compensation philosophy is one that focuses on rewarding performance and incentivizing our employees. We are also focused on creating a compensation process that we believe is fair, transparent, and competitive with the market.

Compensation for Portfolio Managers consists of either (i) fixed (salary) and variable (discretionary bonus) compensation but is more heavily weighted on the variable portion of total compensation, (ii) on a production model, whereby formulaic compensation is paid from the team compensation pool on a fixed schedule (typically monthly) or (iii) a combination of salary, bonus and/or production compensation. Compensation is paid from a team compensation pool made available to the portfolio management team with which the Portfolio Manager is associated. The size of the team compensation pool is determined based on a formula that takes into consideration a number of factors including the pre-tax revenue that is generated by that particular portfolio management team, less certain adjustments. The amount allocated to individual Portfolio Managers is determined on the basis of a variety of criteria, including investment performance (including the aggregate multi-year track record), utilization of central resources (including research, sales and operations/support), business building to further the longer term sustainable success of the investment team, effective team/people management, and overall contribution to the success of Neuberger Berman. Certain Portfolio Managers may manage products other than mutual funds, such as high net worth separate accounts. The share of pre-tax revenue a Portfolio Manager receives pursuant to any such arrangement will vary based on certain revenue thresholds.

The terms of our long-term retention incentives are as follows:

Employee-Owned Equity. Certain employees (primarily senior leadership and investment professionals) participated in Neuberger Berman's equity ownership structure, which was launched as part of the firm's management buyout in 2009 and designed to incentivize and retain key personnel. We currently offer an equity acquisition program which allows employees a more direct opportunity to invest in Neuberger Berman.

Contingent Compensation. Certain employees may participate in the Neuberger Berman Group Contingent Compensation Plan (the "CCP") to serve as a means to further align the interests of our employees with the success of the firm and the interests of our clients, and to reward continued employment. Under the CCP, up to 20% of a participant's annual total compensation in excess of $500,000 is contingent and subject to vesting. The contingent amounts are maintained in a notional account that is tied to the performance of a portfolio of Neuberger Berman investment strategies as specified by the firm on an employee-by-employee basis. By having a participant's contingent compensation tied to Neuberger Berman investment strategies, each employee is given further incentive to operate as a prudent risk manager and to collaborate with colleagues to maximize performance across all business areas. In the case of members of investment teams, including Portfolio Managers, the CCP is currently structured so that such employees have exposure to the investment strategies of their respective teams as well as the broader Neuberger Berman portfolio.

Restrictive Covenants. Most investment professionals, including Portfolio Managers, are subject to notice periods and restrictive covenants which include employee and client non-solicit restrictions as well as restrictions on the use of confidential information. In addition, depending on participation levels, certain senior professionals who have received equity grants have also agreed to additional notice and transition periods and, in some cases, non-compete restrictions. For confidentiality and privacy reasons, we cannot disclose individual restrictive covenant arrangements.

Ownership of Securities

Set forth below is the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Portfolio Manager in the Fund(s) that the Portfolio Manager manages, as of December 31, 2023. None of the Portfolio Managers own Fund shares because Fund shares are available only through the purchase of variable annuity or variable life insurance contracts issued by insurance companies through their separate accounts or through certain qualified pension and retirement plans.

A = None; B = $1-$10,000; C = $10,001 - $50,000; D =$50,001-$100,000; E = $100,001-$500,000; F = $500,001-$1,000,000; G = Over $1,000,001

Other Investment Companies or Accounts Managed

The investment decisions concerning the Funds and the other registered investment companies managed by NBIA (collectively, "Other NB Funds") have been and will continue to be made independently of one another. In terms of their investment objectives, most of the Other NB Funds differ from the Funds. Even where the investment objectives are similar, however, the methods used by the Other NB Funds and the Funds to achieve their objectives may differ. The investment results achieved by all of the registered investment companies managed by NBIA have varied from one another in the past and are likely to vary in the future. In addition, NBIA or its affiliates may manage one or more Other NB Funds or other accounts with similar investment objectives and strategies as the Funds that may have risks that are greater or less than the Funds.

There may be occasions when a Fund and one or more of the Other NB Funds or other accounts managed by NBIA are contemporaneously engaged in purchasing or selling the same securities from or to third parties. When this occurs, the transactions may be aggregated to obtain favorable execution to the extent permitted by applicable law and regulations. The transactions will be allocated according to one or more methods designed to ensure that the allocation is equitable to the funds and accounts involved. Although in some cases this arrangement may have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the securities as to a Fund, in other cases it is believed that a Fund's ability to participate in volume transactions may produce better executions for it. In any case, it is the judgment of the Fund Trustees that the desirability of a Fund having its advisory arrangements with NBIA outweighs any disadvantages that may result from contemporaneous transactions.

The Funds are subject to certain limitations imposed on all advisory clients of NBIA (including the Funds, the Other NB Funds, and other managed funds or accounts) and personnel of NBIA and its affiliates. These include, for example, limits that may be imposed in certain industries or by certain companies, and policies of NBIA that limit the aggregate purchases, by all accounts under management, of the outstanding shares of public companies.

Codes of Ethics

The Funds and NBIA have personal securities trading policies that restrict the personal securities transactions of employees, officers, and Fund Trustees. Their primary purpose is to ensure that personal trading by these individuals does not disadvantage any fund managed by NBIA. The Funds' Portfolio Managers and other investment personnel who comply with the policies' preclearance and disclosure procedures may be permitted to purchase, sell or hold certain types of securities which also may be or are held in the funds they advise, but are restricted from trading in close conjunction with their funds or taking personal advantage of investment opportunities that may belong to the funds. Text-only versions of the Codes of Ethics can be viewed online or downloaded from the EDGAR Database on the SEC's internet web site at www.sec.gov.

Management and Control of NBIA

NBIA is an indirect subsidiary of Neuberger Berman Group LLC ("NBG"). The directors, officers and/or employees of NBIA who are deemed "control persons" of NBIA are: Joseph Amato, Ashok Bhatia, Kenneth deRegt, Douglas Kramer, and Steven Wright. Mr. Amato is a Trustee of the Trust.

NBG's voting equity is owned by NBSH Acquisition, LLC ("NBSH"). NBSH is owned by portfolio managers, members of the NBG's management team, and certain of NBG's key employees and senior professionals.

DISTRIBUTION ARRANGEMENTS

Short Duration Bond Portfolio offers one class of shares, known as Class I shares. Real Estate Portfolio (once it commences operations) will offer one Class of shares, known as Class S shares. Mid Cap Growth Portfolio, Mid Cap Intrinsic Value Portfolio, and Sustainable Equity Portfolio each offers two classes of shares, known as Class I and Class S shares.

Distributor

Neuberger Berman BD LLC ("Neuberger Berman" or the "Distributor") serves as the distributor in connection with the continuous offering of each Fund's shares. Class I shares are offered on a no-load basis. Class S shares are sold with a 0.25% distribution (12b-1) fee.

In connection with the sale of its shares, each Fund has authorized the Distributor to give only the information, and to make only the statements and representations, contained in the Prospectuses and this SAI or that properly may be included in sales literature and advertisements in accordance with the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act, and applicable rules of self-regulatory organizations. Sales may be made only by a Prospectus, which may be delivered personally, through the mails, or by electronic means. The Distributor is the Funds' "principal underwriter" within the meaning of the 1940 Act. It acts as agent in arranging for the sale of each Fund's shares without sales commission or other compensation (except for Class S) and either it or its affiliates bear all advertising and promotion expenses incurred in the sale of the Funds' shares. Shares of the Funds are continuously offered to variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies issued by participating insurance companies.

The Trust, on behalf of each Fund, and the Distributor are parties to a Distribution Agreement with respect to the Fund's Class I, as applicable, and Distribution and Shareholder Services Agreements with respect to Class S of the Fund, as applicable ("Distribution Agreements"). The Distribution Agreements continue until October 31, 2024. The Distribution Agreements may be renewed annually with respect to a Fund if specifically approved by (1) the vote of a majority of the Independent Fund Trustees and (2) the vote of a majority of the Fund Trustees or a 1940 Act majority vote of the outstanding shares of that Fund. The Distribution Agreements may be terminated by either party and will terminate automatically on their assignment, in the same manner as each Management Agreement.

Additional Payments to Financial Intermediaries

The Distributor and/or NBIA and/or their affiliates may pay additional compensation and/or provide incentives (out of their own resources and not as an expense of the Funds) to certain brokers, dealers, or other financial intermediaries ("Financial Intermediaries") in connection with the sale, distribution, retention and/or servicing of Fund shares.

Such payments (often referred to as revenue sharing payments) are intended to provide additional compensation to Financial Intermediaries for various services, including without limitation, participating in joint advertising with a Financial Intermediary, granting the Distributor's and/or NBIA's and/or their affiliates' personnel reasonable access to a Financial Intermediary's financial advisers and consultants, and allowing the Distributor's and/or NBIA's and/or their affiliates' personnel to attend conferences. The Distributor and/or NBIA and/or their affiliates may make other payments or allow other promotional incentives to Financial Intermediaries to the extent permitted by SEC and FINRA rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.

In addition, the Distributor and/or NBIA and/or their affiliates may pay for: placing the Funds on the Financial Intermediary's sales system, preferred or recommended fund list, providing periodic and ongoing education and training of Financial Intermediary personnel regarding the Funds; disseminating to Financial Intermediary personnel information and product marketing materials regarding the Funds; explaining to clients the features and characteristics of the Funds; conducting due diligence regarding the Funds; providing reasonable access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of a Financial Intermediary; training due diligence, sales reporting data or information and other promotional incentives, and furnishing marketing support and other services. Additional compensation also may include non-cash compensation, financial assistance to Financial Intermediaries in connection with conferences, seminars for the public and advertising campaigns, technical and systems support and reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that a Financial Intermediary charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) and other similar charges.

The level of such payments made to Financial Intermediaries may be a fixed fee or based upon one or more of the following factors: reputation in the industry, ability to attract and retain assets, target markets, customer relationships, quality of service, actual or expected sales, current assets and/or number of accounts of the Fund attributable to the Financial Intermediary, the particular Fund or fund type or other measures as agreed to by the Distributor and/or NBIA and/or their affiliates and the Financial Intermediaries or any combination thereof. The amount of these payments is determined at the discretion of the Distributor and/or NBIA and/or their affiliates from time to time, may be substantial, and may be different for different Financial Intermediaries based on, for example, the nature of the services provided by the Financial Intermediary.

Receipt of, or the prospect of receiving, this additional compensation, may influence a Financial Intermediary's recommendation of the Funds or of any particular share class of the Funds. These payment arrangements, however, will not change the price that an investor pays for Fund shares or the amount that a Fund receives to invest on behalf of an investor and will not increase Fund expenses. You should review your Financial Intermediary's compensation disclosure and/or talk to your Financial Intermediary to obtain more information on how this compensation may have influenced your Financial Intermediary's recommendation of a Fund.

In addition to the compensation described above, the Funds and/or the Distributor and/or NBIA and/or their affiliates may pay fees to Financial Intermediaries and their affiliated persons for maintaining Fund share balances and/or for subaccounting, administrative or transaction processing services related to the maintenance of accounts for retirement and benefit plans and other omnibus accounts ("subaccounting fees"). Such subaccounting fees paid by the Funds may differ depending on the Fund and are designed to be equal to or less than the fees the Funds would pay to their transfer agent for similar services. Because some subaccounting fees are directly related to the number of accounts and assets for which a Financial Intermediary provides services, these fees will increase with the success of the Financial Intermediary's sales activities.

The Distributor and NBIA and their affiliates are motivated to make the payments described above since they promote the sale of Fund shares and the retention of those investments by clients of Financial Intermediaries. To the extent Financial Intermediaries sell more shares of the Funds or retain shares of the Funds in their clients' accounts, NBIA and/or its affiliates benefit from the incremental management and other fees paid to NBIA and/or its affiliates by the Funds with respect to those assets.

Distribution Plan (Class I Only)

The Trust, on behalf of Mid Cap Growth Portfolio, Mid Cap Intrinsic Value Portfolio, Short Duration Bond Portfolio, and Sustainable Equity Portfolio has adopted a Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act ("Plan") with respect to Class I of each Fund. The Plan provides that the administration fee received by the Distributor from each of the Funds may be used by the Distributor to reimburse itself for expenses incurred in connection with the offering of a Fund's shares. Specifically, the Distributor may reimburse itself for the expenses of printing and distributing any prospectuses, reports and other literature used by the Distributor, and for advertising, and other promotional activities.

Under the Plan no separate payment is required by a Fund, it being recognized that each Fund presently pays, and will continue to pay, an administration fee to the Distributor. To the extent that any payments made by a Fund to the Distributor, including payment of administration fees, should be deemed to be indirect financing of any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of a Fund within the context of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, those payments are authorized under the Plan.

Distribution Plan (Class S)

The Trust, on behalf of Mid Cap Growth Portfolio, Real Estate Portfolio, Mid Cap Intrinsic Value Portfolio, and Sustainable Equity Portfolio has also adopted a Plan with respect to Class S of each Fund. The Plan provides that the Funds will compensate the Distributor for administrative and other services provided to the Funds, its activities and expenses related to the sale and distribution of Class S shares, and ongoing services to Class S investors in the Funds. Under the Plan, the Distributor receives from the Funds a fee at the annual rate of 0.25% of that Fund's average daily net assets attributable to Class S shares (without regard to expenses incurred by Class S shares). The Distributor may pay up to the full amount of this fee to third parties that make available Fund shares and/or provide services to the Fund's and their Class S shareholders. The fee paid to a third party is based on the level of such services provided. Third parties may use the payments for, among other purposes, compensating employees engaged in sales and/or shareholder servicing.

Services may include, among other things: teleservicing support in connection with the Funds; delivery and responding to inquires with regard to Fund prospectuses and/or SAIs, reports, notices, proxies and proxy statements and other information respecting the Funds (but not including services paid for by the Trust such as printing and mailing); facilitation of the tabulation of Variable Contract owners' votes in the event of a meeting of Trust shareholders; maintenance of Variable Contract records reflecting shares purchased and redeemed and share balances, and the conveyance of that information to the Trust, or its transfer agent as may be reasonably requested; provision of support services including providing information about the Trust and its Funds and answering questions concerning the Trust and its Funds, including questions respecting Variable Contract owners' interests in one or more Funds; provision and administration of Variable Contract features for the benefit of Variable Contract owners participating in the Trust including fund transfers, dollar cost averaging, asset allocation, portfolio rebalancing, earnings sweep, and pre-authorized deposits and withdrawals; and provision of other services as may be agreed upon from time to time.

The amount of fees paid by the Funds during any year may be more or less than the cost of distribution and other services provided to that Fund and its investors. FINRA rules limit the amount of annual distribution and service fees that may be paid by a mutual fund and impose a ceiling on the cumulative distribution fees paid. The Plan complies with these rules.

The table below sets forth the amount of fees accrued for the Fund and Class indicated below:

Distribution Plan (Class I and Class S)

Each Plan requires that the Distributor provide the Fund Trustees for their review a quarterly written report identifying the amounts expended by each Class and the purposes for which such expenditures were made.

Prior to approving the Plans, the Fund Trustees considered various factors relating to the implementation of the Plans and determined that there is a reasonable likelihood that the Plans will benefit the applicable Classes of the Funds and their shareholders. To the extent the Plans allow the Funds to penetrate markets to which they would not otherwise have access, the Plans may result in additional sales of Fund shares; this, in turn, may enable the Funds to achieve economies of scale that could reduce expenses.

Each Plan is renewable from year to year with respect to each Fund, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote of a majority of the Fund Trustees and (2) by a vote of the majority of those Independent Fund Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Distribution Agreement or the Plans pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act ("Rule 12b-1 Trustees"). The Plans may not be amended to (i) authorize direct payments by a Fund to finance any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of that Fund or (ii) increase materially the amount of fees paid by any Class of any Fund thereunder unless such amendment is approved by a 1940 Act majority vote of the outstanding shares of the Class and by the Fund Trustees in the manner described above. A Plan is terminable with respect to a Class of a Fund at any time by a vote of a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees or by a 1940 Act majority vote of the outstanding shares in the Class.

From time to time, one or more of the Funds may be closed to new investors. Because the Plan for Class S shares of the Funds pay for ongoing shareholder and account services, the Board may determine that it is appropriate for a Fund to continue paying a 12b-1 fee, even though the Fund is closed to new investors.

ADDITIONAL PURCHASE INFORMATION

Share Prices and Net Asset Value

Each Fund's shares are bought or sold at the offering price or at a price that is the Fund's NAV per share. The NAV for each Class of a Fund is calculated by subtracting total liabilities of that Class from total assets attributable to that Class (the market value of the securities the Fund holds plus cash and other assets). Each Fund's per share NAV is calculated by dividing its NAV by the number of Fund shares outstanding attributable to that Class and rounding the result to the nearest full cent.

Each Fund normally calculates its NAV on each day the New York Stock Exchange (the "Exchange" or the "NYSE") is open once daily as of 4:00 P.M., Eastern time. Because the value of a Fund's portfolio securities changes every business day, its share price usually changes as well. In the event of an emergency or other disruption in trading on the Exchange, a Fund's share price would still normally be determined as of 4:00 P.M., Eastern time. The Exchange is generally closed on all national holidays and Good Friday; Fund shares will not be priced on those days or other days on which the Exchange is scheduled to be closed. When the Exchange is closed for unusual reasons, Fund shares will generally not be priced although a Fund may decide to remain open and in such a case, the Fund would post a notice on www.nb.com.

A Fund generally values its investments based upon their last reported sale prices, market quotations, or estimates of value provided by an independent pricing service as of the time as of which the Fund's share price is calculated.

A Fund uses one or more independent pricing services approved by NBIA to value its equity portfolio securities (including exchange-traded derivative instruments and securities issued by ETFs). An independent pricing service values equity portfolio securities (including exchange-traded derivative instruments and securities issued by ETFs) listed on the NYSE, the NYSE MKT LLC or other national securities exchanges, and other securities or instruments for which market quotations are readily available, at the last reported sale price on the day the securities are being valued. Securities traded primarily on the NASDAQ Stock Market are normally valued by the independent pricing service at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price ("NOCP") provided by NASDAQ each business day. The NOCP is the most recently reported price as of 4:00:02 p.m., Eastern time, unless that price is outside the range of the "inside" bid and asked prices (i.e., the bid and asked prices that dealers quote to each other when trading for their own accounts); in that case, NASDAQ will adjust the price to equal the inside bid or asked price, whichever is closer. Because of delays in reporting trades, the NOCP may not be based on the price of the last trade to occur before the market closes. If there is no sale of a security or other instrument on a particular day, the independent pricing services may value the security or other instrument based on market quotations.

A Fund uses one or more independent pricing services approved by NBIA to value its debt portfolio securities and other instruments, including certain derivative instruments that do not trade on an exchange. Valuations of debt securities and other instruments provided by an independent pricing service are based on readily available bid quotations or, if quotations are not readily available, by methods that include considerations such as: yields or prices of securities of comparable quality, coupon, maturity and type; indications as to values from dealers; and general market conditions. Valuations of derivatives that do not trade on an exchange provided by an independent pricing service are based on market data about the underlying investments. Short-term securities with remaining maturities of less than 60 days may be valued at cost, which, when combined with interest earned, approximates market value, unless other factors indicate that this method does not provide an accurate estimate of the short-term security's value.

NBIA has developed a process to periodically review information provided by independent pricing services for all types of securities.

Investments in non-exchange traded investment companies are valued using the respective fund's daily calculated NAV per share. The prospectuses for these funds explain the circumstances under which the funds will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing.

If a valuation for a security is not available from an independent pricing service or if NBIA believes in good faith that the valuation received does not reflect the amount a Fund might reasonably expect to receive on a current sale of that security, the Fund seeks to obtain quotations from brokers or dealers. If such quotations are not readily available, the Fund may use a fair value estimate made according to methods NBIA has approved in the good-faith belief that the resulting valuation will reflect the fair value of the security. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, the Board designated NBIA as the Funds' valuation designee. As the Funds' valuation designee, NBIA is responsible for determining fair value in good faith for all Fund investments. A Fund may also use these methods to value certain types of illiquid securities and instruments for which broker quotes are rarely, if ever, available, such as options that are out of the money, or for which no trading activity exists. Fair value pricing generally will be used if the market in which a portfolio security trades closes early or if trading in a particular security was halted during the day and did not resume prior to a Fund's NAV calculation. Numerous factors may be considered when determining the fair value of a security or other instrument, including available analyst, media or other reports, trading in futures or ADRs, and whether the issuer of the security or other instrument being fair valued has other securities or other instruments outstanding.

The value of a Fund's investments in foreign securities is generally determined using the same valuation methods used for other Fund investments, as discussed above. Foreign security prices expressed in local currency values are translated from the local currency into U.S. dollars using the exchange rates as of 4:00 p.m., Eastern time.

If, after the close of the principal market on which a security is traded and before the time a Fund's securities are priced that day, an event occurs that NBIA deems likely to cause a material change in the value of that security, NBIA may ascertain a fair value for such security. Such events may include circumstances in which the value of the U.S. markets changes by a percentage deemed significant with respect to the security in question.

NBIA has approved the use of ICE Data Service ("ICE") to assist in determining the fair value of foreign equity securities when changes in the value of a certain index suggest that the closing prices on the foreign exchanges may no longer represent the amount that a Fund could expect to receive for those securities or on days when foreign markets are closed and U.S. markets are open. In each of these events, ICE will provide adjusted prices for certain foreign equity securities using a statistical analysis of historical correlations of multiple factors. NBIA has also approved the use of ICE to evaluate the prices of foreign income securities as of the time at which a Fund's share price is calculated. ICE utilizes benchmark spread and yield curves and evaluates available market activity from the local close to the time as of which a Fund's share price is calculated to assist in determining prices for certain foreign income securities. In the case of both foreign equity and foreign income securities, in the absence of precise information about the market values of these foreign securities as of the time at which a Fund's share price is calculated, NBIA has determined based on available data that prices adjusted or evaluated in this way are likely to be closer to the prices a Fund could realize on a current sale than the prices of those securities established at the close of the foreign markets in which the securities primarily trade. Foreign securities are traded in foreign markets that may be open on days when the NYSE is closed. As a result, the NAV of a Fund may be significantly affected on days when shareholders do not have access to that Fund.

Under the 1940 Act, the Funds are required to act in good faith in determining the fair value of portfolio securities. The SEC has recognized that a security's valuation may differ depending on the method used for determining value. The fair value ascertained for a security is an estimate and there is no assurance, given the limited information available at the time of fair valuation, that a security's fair value will be the same as or close to the subsequent opening market price for that security.

ADDITIONAL REDEMPTION INFORMATION

Suspension of Redemptions

The right to redeem a Fund's shares may be suspended or payment of the redemption price postponed (1) when the NYSE is closed, (2) when the bond market is closed, (3) when trading on the NYSE is restricted, (4) when an emergency exists as a result of which it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to dispose of securities it owns or fairly to determine the value of its net assets, or (5) for such other period as the SEC may by order permit for the protection of the Fund's shareholders. Applicable SEC rules and regulations shall govern whether the conditions prescribed in (3) or (4) exist. If the right of redemption is suspended, shareholders may withdraw their offers of redemption or they will receive payment at the NAV per share in effect at the close of business on the first day the NYSE is open ("Business Day") after termination of the suspension.

Redemptions in Kind

Each Fund reserves the right, under certain conditions, to honor any request for redemption by making payment in whole or in part in securities valued as described in "Share Prices and Net Asset Value" above. If payment is made in securities, a shareholder or Institution generally will incur brokerage expenses or other transaction costs in converting those securities into cash and will be subject to fluctuation in the market prices of those securities until they are sold. The Funds do not redeem in kind under normal circumstances, but would do so when NBIA or the Fund Trustees determine that it is in the best interests of a Fund's shareholders as a whole or the transaction is otherwise effected in accordance with procedures adopted by the Fund's Trustees.

A Fund also may elect to honor a shareholder's request for the Fund to pay in kind for redemptions in an attempt to manage any liquidity needs, to manage and optimize its portfolio composition, to offset transaction costs associated with portfolio transactions, and/or to more efficiently manage its portfolio. The securities provided to investors in an in kind redemption may be a pro-rata portion of the Fund's portfolio or a non-pro-rata portion of the Fund's portfolio selected by the Manager based upon various circumstances and subject to the Fund's policies and procedures and any applicable laws or regulations. If the securities provided to investors in an in kind redemption are a non-pro-rata portion of the Fund's portfolio, it will only include securities that have been disclosed in the Fund's most recent public portfolio holdings disclosure.

Paying in kind for redemptions could negatively impact the market value of the securities redeemed in kind based on the subsequent sale of such securities by the redeeming stockholder and negatively impact the Fund. Redemptions in kind may benefit the Fund and its shareholders by reducing the need for the Fund to maintain significant cash reserves and/or to sell Fund investments to either meet redemption requests or for other activities, such as portfolio rebalancing and changing its portfolio composition. Accordingly, the Fund may be able to reduce transaction costs, to reduce cash drag, and/or to lower capital gain realization.

DIVIDENDS AND OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS

Each Fund distributes to its shareholders (insurance company separate accounts and qualified plans) substantially all of the net investment income it earns (by Class, after deducting expenses attributable to the Class) and any net capital gains (both long-term and short-term) and net gains from foreign currency transactions, if any, it realizes that are allocable to that Class. A Fund's net investment income, for financial accounting purposes, consists of all income accrued on its assets less accrued expenses but does not include net capital and foreign currency gains and losses. Net investment income and realized gains and losses of each Fund are reflected in its NAV until they are distributed. Each Fund calculates its net investment income and NAV per share as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE on each Business Day (usually 4:00 p.m. Eastern time).

Each Fund normally pays dividends from net investment income and distributions of net realized capital gains and net realized gains from foreign currency transactions, if any, once annually, in October.

ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION

Taxation of the Funds

To qualify (in the case of Real Estate Portfolio, which has not commenced operations, and thus has not completed a taxable year, as of the date hereof) or continue to qualify for treatment as a RIC under the Code, each Fund -- which is treated as a separate corporation for federal tax purposes -- must distribute to its shareholders for each taxable year at least the sum of (1) 90% of its investment company taxable income (consisting generally of net investment income, the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss, and net gains and losses from certain foreign currency transactions, all determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid) and (2) 90% of its net interest income excludable from gross income under section 103(a) of the Code ("Distribution Requirement") and must meet several additional requirements. With respect to each Fund, these requirements include the following:

Each Fund intends to satisfy the Distribution Requirement, the Income Requirement, and the RIC Diversification Requirements each taxable year. By qualifying for treatment as a RIC, a Fund will be relieved of federal income tax on the part of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) that it distributes to its shareholders. If a Fund failed to qualify for that treatment as a RIC for any taxable year -- either (1) by failing to satisfy the Distribution Requirement or (2) by failing to satisfy the Income Requirement and/or either RIC Diversification Requirement and was unable, or determined not to avail itself of Code provisions that enable a RIC to cure a failure to satisfy any of the Income and Diversification Requirements as long as the failure "is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect" and the RIC pays a deductible tax calculated in accordance with those provisions and meets certain other requirements -- then for federal tax purposes it would be taxed as an ordinary corporation on the full amount of its taxable income for that year without being able to deduct the distributions it makes to its shareholders. In addition, the Fund could be required to pay taxes and interest, and make distributions before requalifying for RIC treatment. Most importantly, each Separate Account (defined below) invested therein would fail to satisfy the diversification requirements under section 817(h) of the Code described in the following sub-section, with the results that the variable contracts supported thereby would no longer be eligible for tax deferral and the shareholders therefore would have to treat all Fund distributions, including distributions of net capital gain, as taxable dividends (that is, ordinary income) to the extent of the Fund's earnings and profits.

Section 817(h)

The Funds serve as the underlying investments for variable contracts issued through segregated asset accounts (i.e., separate accounts) of life insurance companies (each, a "Separate Account"). Section 817(h) of the Code and Treasury Department regulations promulgated thereunder impose certain diversification requirements, described in the following paragraphs, on the assets of Separate Accounts that fund variable contracts (and because each Fund is a "Closed Fund," as defined below, the assets of the Fund) ("Section 817 Diversification Requirements"), which are in addition to the diversification requirements imposed on the Funds by the 1940 Act and the RIC Diversification Requirements. For purposes of the Section 817 Diversification Requirements, a Separate Account investing in shares of a RIC may "look through" the RIC to its pro rata portion of the RIC's assets, provided that the RIC's shares are generally held only by Separate Accounts, the fund manager in connection with the creation or management of a fund, and certain other permitted investors (a "Closed Fund"). Each Fund intends to comply for its current and future taxable years with the Section 817 Diversification Requirements.

Section 817(h)(2) provides, as a "safe harbor," that a Separate Account that funds variable contracts is treated as meeting the Section 817 Diversification Requirements if, as of the close of each calendar quarter, the assets in the account meet the RIC Diversification Requirements and no more than 55% of those assets consist of cash, cash items, Government securities, and securities of other RICs. The Treasury Department regulations amplify the Section 817 Diversification Requirements and provide that a Separate Account will be deemed adequately diversified if, as of the end of each calendar quarter (or within 30 days thereafter), (1) no more than 55% of the value of the account's total assets is represented by any one investment, (2) no more than 70% of that value is represented by any two investments, (3) no more than 80% of that value is represented by any three investments, and (4) no more than 90% of that value is represented by any four investments. For those purposes, all securities of the same issuer are treated as a single investment, but each Government agency or instrumentality is treated as a separate issuer.

If a Separate Account on which a variable contract is based is not "adequately diversified" for a calendar quarter, then (1) the variable contract would not be treated as a life insurance contract or annuity contract under the Code for that quarter and all subsequent periods and (2) the holder of the contract would be required to include in gross income, as ordinary income, "the income on the contract" for each taxable year. Further, the income on such a variable contract that is a life insurance contract for all prior taxable years would be treated as received or accrued during the taxable year of the holder in which the contract ceased to meet the definition of a "life insurance contract" under the Code. The "income on the contract" is generally the excess of (a) the sum of the increase in the net surrender value of the contract during the taxable year and the cost of the life insurance protection provided under the contract during the year over (b) the premiums paid under the contract during the taxable year. In addition, if a Fund does not constitute a Closed Fund, the holders of the variable contracts that invest in the Fund through a Separate Account would be treated as owners of the Fund shares and subject to tax on distributions made by the Fund.

Each Fund other than Real Estate Portfolio has been, and all Funds will be, managed with the intention of complying with all the foregoing diversification requirements. It is possible that, in order to comply with those requirements, less desirable investment decisions may be made that would affect the investment performance of the Funds.

Tax Aspects of the Funds' Investments

Dividends and interest a Fund receives, and gains it realizes, on foreign securities may be subject to income, withholding, or other taxes imposed by foreign countries and U.S. possessions ("foreign taxes") that would reduce the total return on its investments. Tax treaties between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate these foreign taxes, however, many foreign countries do not impose taxes on capital gains in respect of investments by foreign investors.

A Fund's use of hedging strategies, such as writing (selling) and purchasing options and futures contracts and entering into forward contracts, involves complex rules that will determine for income tax purposes the amount, character, and timing of recognition of the gains and losses it realizes in connection therewith. Gains from the disposition of foreign currencies (except certain gains that may be excluded by future regulations), and gains from Financial Instruments a Fund derives with respect to its business of investing in securities or foreign currencies, will be treated as "qualifying income" under the Income Requirement.

Some futures contracts, certain foreign currency contracts, and "nonequity" options (i.e., certain listed options, such as those on a "broad-based" securities index) -- except any "securities futures contract" that is not a "dealer securities futures contract" (both as defined in the Code) and any interest rate swap, currency swap, basis swap, interest rate cap, interest rate floor, commodity swap, equity swap, equity index swap, credit default swap, or similar agreement -- in which a Fund invests may be subject to Code section 1256 (collectively, "Section 1256 contracts"). Any Section 1256 contracts a Fund holds at the end of its taxable year (and generally for purposes of the Excise Tax, on October 31 of each year) must be "marked to market" (that is, treated as having been sold at that time for their fair market value) for federal tax purposes, with the result that unrealized gains or losses will be treated as though they were realized. Sixty percent of any net gain or loss recognized as a result of these deemed sales, and 60% of any net realized gain or loss from any actual sales, of Section 1256 contracts are treated as long-term capital gain or loss; the remainder is treated as short-term capital gain or loss. These rules may operate to increase the amount that a Fund must distribute to satisfy the Distribution Requirement (i.e., with respect to the portion treated as short-term capital gain), which will be taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income when distributed to them, and to increase the net capital gain the Fund recognizes, without in either case increasing the cash available to it. Section 1256 contracts also may be marked-to-market for purposes of the Excise Tax. A Fund may elect to exclude certain transactions from the operation of these rules, although doing so may have the effect of increasing the relative proportion of short-term capital gain (taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income when distributed to them) and/or increasing the amount of dividends it must distribute to meet the Distribution Requirement and avoid imposition of the Excise Tax.

The premium a Fund receives for writing (selling) a put or call option is not included in gross income at the time of receipt. If an option written (sold) by a Fund expires, it realizes a short-term capital gain equal to the amount of the premium it received for writing the option. If a Fund terminates its obligations under such an option by entering into a closing transaction, it realizes a short-term capital gain (or loss), depending on whether the cost of the closing transaction is less (or more) than that amount. If a call option written by a Fund is exercised, it is treated as having sold the underlying security, producing long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending on the holding period of the underlying security and whether the sum of the option price it receives on the exercise plus the premium it received when it wrote the option is more or less than its basis in the underlying security.

A Fund may invest in the stock of "passive foreign investment companies" ("PFICs"). A PFIC is any foreign corporation (with certain exceptions) that, in general, meets either of the following tests for a taxable year: (1) at least 75% of its gross income is passive or (2) an average of at least 50% of its assets produce, or are held for the production of, passive income. Under certain circumstances, a Fund that holds stock of a PFIC will be subject to federal income tax on a portion of any "excess distribution" it receives on the stock and of any gain on its disposition of the stock (collectively, "PFIC income"), plus interest thereon, even if the Fund distributes the PFIC income as a dividend to its shareholders. The balance of the PFIC income will be included in the Fund's investment company taxable income and, accordingly, will not be taxable to it to the extent it distributes that income to its shareholders.

If a Fund invests in a PFIC and elects to treat the PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" ("QEF"), then in lieu of the Fund's incurring the foregoing tax and interest obligation, the Fund would be required to include in income each taxable year its pro rata share of the QEF's annual ordinary earnings and net capital gain -- which the Fund most likely would have to distribute to satisfy the Distribution Requirement and avoid imposition of the Excise Tax -- even if the Fund did not receive a distribution of those earnings and gain from the QEF. In most instances it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to make this election because of certain requirements thereof.

Each Fund may elect to "mark-to-market" any stock in a PFIC it owns at the end of its taxable year. "Marking-to-market," in this context, means including in gross income each taxable year (and treating as ordinary income) the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the stock over a Fund's adjusted basis therein (including net mark-to-market gain or loss for each prior taxable year for which an election was in effect) as of the end of that year. Pursuant to the election, a Fund also would be allowed to deduct (as an ordinary, not a capital, loss) the excess, if any, of its adjusted basis in PFIC stock over the fair market value thereof as of the taxable year-end, but only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains with respect to that stock the Fund included in income for prior taxable years under the election. A Fund's adjusted basis in each PFIC's stock subject to the election would be adjusted to reflect the amounts of income included and deductions taken thereunder. Any gain on the sale of PFIC stock subject to a mark-to-market election would be treated as ordinary income.

Investors should be aware that determining whether a foreign corporation is a PFIC is a fact-intensive determination that is based on various facts and circumstances and thus is subject to change, and the principles and methodology used therein are subject to interpretation. As a result, a Fund may not be able, at the time it acquires a foreign corporation's shares, to ascertain whether the corporation is a PFIC, and a foreign corporation may become a PFIC after a Fund acquires shares therein. While each Fund may make appropriate elections when they are available to lessen the adverse tax consequences detailed above, there are no guarantees that it will be able to do so, and each Fund reserves the right to make such investments as a matter of its investment policy.

A Fund may acquire zero coupon or other securities issued with OID, as well as pay-in-kind securities, which pay "interest" through the issuance of additional securities, and U.S. TIPS, the principal value of which is adjusted daily in accordance with changes in the Consumer Price Index. As a holder of those securities, a Fund must include in gross income the OID that accrues on the securities during the taxable year, as well as such "interest" received on pay-in-kind securities and principal adjustments on U.S. TIPS, even if it receives no corresponding payment on them during the year. Similarly, a Fund must include in its gross income each taxable year any increase for that year in the net principal value of each inflation-indexed security it holds, even though it does not receive cash representing the increase until the security matures. Because each Fund annually must distribute to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income, including any accrued OID, and other non-cash income, to satisfy the Distribution Requirement and avoid imposition of the Excise Tax, a Fund may be required in a particular year to distribute as a dividend an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash it actually receives. Those distributions will be made from a Fund's cash assets or, if necessary, from the proceeds of sales of its securities. A Fund may realize capital gains or losses from those sales, which would increase or decrease its investment company taxable income and/or net capital gain.

If a Fund has an "appreciated financial position" -- generally, an interest (including an interest through an option, futures or forward contract, or short sale) with respect to any stock, debt instrument (other than "straight debt"), or partnership interest the fair market value of which exceeds its adjusted basis -- and enters into a "constructive sale" of the position, the Fund will be treated as having made an actual sale thereof, with the result that it will recognize gain at that time. A constructive sale generally consists of a short sale, an offsetting notional principal contract, or a futures or forward contract a Fund or a related person enters into with respect to the same or substantially identical property. In addition, if the appreciated financial position is itself a short sale or such a contract, acquisition of the underlying property or substantially identical property will be deemed a constructive sale. The foregoing will not apply, however, to any Fund's transaction during any taxable year that otherwise would be treated as a constructive sale if the transaction is closed within 30 days after the end of that year and the Fund holds the appreciated financial position unhedged for 60 days after that closing (i.e., at no time during that 60-day period is the Fund's risk of loss regarding that position reduced by reason of certain specified transactions with respect to substantially identical or related property, such as having an option to sell, being contractually obligated to sell, making a short sale of, or granting an option to buy substantially identical stock or securities).

A Fund may invest in ownership units (i.e., limited partnership or similar interests) in MLPs, which generally are classified as partnerships for federal tax purposes. Most MLPs in which a Fund may invest are expected to be QPTPs, all the net income from which (regardless of source) would be qualifying income for the Fund under the Income Requirement. If a Fund invests in an MLP, or an ETF organized as a partnership, that is not a QPTP, including a company principally engaged in the real estate industry that is classified for federal tax purposes as a partnership (and not as a corporation or REIT), the net income the Fund earns therefrom would be treated as such qualifying income only to the extent it would be such if realized directly by the Fund in the same manner as realized by that MLP, ETF, or company.

A Fund may invest in REITs that (1) hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits ("REMICs") or (2) engage in mortgage securitization transactions that cause the REITs to be taxable mortgage pools ("TMPs") or have a qualified REIT subsidiary that is a TMP. A portion of the net income allocable to REMIC residual interest holders may be an "excess inclusion." The Code authorizes the issuance of regulations dealing with the taxation and reporting of excess inclusion income of REITs and RICs that hold residual REMIC interests and of REITs, or qualified REIT subsidiaries, that are TMPs. Although those regulations have not yet been issued, in 2006 the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service ("Service") issued a notice ("Notice") announcing that, pending the issuance of further guidance, the Service would apply the principles in the following paragraphs to all excess inclusion income, whether from REMIC residual interests or TMPs.

The Notice provides that a REIT must (1) determine whether it or its qualified REIT subsidiary (or a part of either) is a TMP and, if so, calculate the TMP's excess inclusion income under a "reasonable method," (2) allocate its excess inclusion income to its shareholders generally in proportion to dividends paid, (3) inform shareholders that are not "disqualified organizations" (i.e., governmental units and tax-exempt entities that are not subject to tax on unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI")) of the amount and character of the excess inclusion income allocated thereto, (4) pay tax (at the highest federal income tax rate imposed on corporations) on the excess inclusion income allocated to its disqualified organization shareholders, and (5) apply the withholding tax provisions with respect to the excess inclusion part of dividends paid to foreign persons without regard to any treaty exception or reduction in tax rate. Excess inclusion income allocated to certain tax-exempt entities (including qualified retirement plans, individual retirement accounts and public charities) constitutes UBTI to them.

A RIC with excess inclusion income is subject to rules identical to those in clauses (2) through (5) (substituting "that are nominees" for "that are not 'disqualified organizations'" in clause (3) and inserting "record shareholders that are" after "its" in clause (4)). The Notice further provides that a RIC is not required to report the amount and character of the excess inclusion income allocated to its shareholders that are not nominees, except that (1) a RIC with excess inclusion income from all sources that exceeds 1% of its gross income must do so and (2) any other RIC must do so by taking into account only excess inclusion income allocated to the RIC from REITs the excess inclusion income of which exceeded 3% of its dividends. A Fund will not invest directly in REMIC residual interests and does not intend to invest in REITs that, to its knowledge, invest in those interests or are TMPs or have a qualified REIT subsidiary that is a TMP.

A Fund may invest in one or more wholly owned subsidiaries as special purpose entities to hold certain investments that, if held directly by the Fund, might not generate qualifying income for the Fund under the Income Requirement. Any such special purpose entity likely would be subject to federal income tax, resulting in a reduced after-tax return on the investment return of the assets held by it, as compared with a direct investment by the Fund in such assets.

A Fund may sustain net capital losses (i.e., realized capital losses in excess of realized capital gains, whether short-term or long-term) for a taxable year. A Fund's net capital losses, if any, cannot be used by its shareholders (i.e., they do not flow through to its shareholders). Rather, a Fund may use its net capital losses realized in a particular taxable year, subject to applicable limitations, to offset its net capital gains realized in one or more subsequent taxable years (a "capital loss carryover" or "CLCO") -- realized net capital losses may not be "carried back" -- without being required to distribute those gains to its shareholders. CLCOs may be applied against realized capital gains in each succeeding taxable year, until they have been reduced to zero.

Special Tax Considerations Pertaining to Funds of Funds

If a Fund invests its assets in shares of underlying funds, the Fund's distributable net income and net realized capital gains will include dividends and other distributions, if any, from those underlying funds and reflect gains and losses on the disposition of underlying funds' shares. To the extent that an underlying fund realizes net losses on its investments for a given taxable year, a Fund that invests therein will not be able to benefit from those losses unless and until (1) the underlying fund realizes gains that it can offset by those losses or (2) the Fund in effect recognizes its (indirect) proportionate share of those losses (which will be reflected in the underlying fund's shares' NAV) when it disposes of the shares. Moreover, even when a Fund does make such a disposition at a loss, a portion of its loss may be recognized as a long-term capital loss, which will not be treated as favorably for federal income tax purposes as a short-term capital loss or an ordinary deduction. In particular, a Fund will not be able to offset any net capital losses from its dispositions of underlying fund shares against its ordinary income (including distributions of any net short-term capital gains realized by an underlying fund).

In addition, in certain circumstances, the so-called "wash sale" rules may apply to Fund redemptions of underlying fund shares that have generated losses. A wash sale occurs if a Fund redeems shares of an underlying fund (whether for rebalancing the Fund's portfolio of underlying fund shares or otherwise) at a loss and the Fund acquires other shares of that underlying fund during the period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date of the redemption. Any loss a Fund realizes on such a redemption will be disallowed to the extent of such a replacement, in which event the basis in the acquired shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. These rules could defer a Fund's losses on wash sales of underlying fund shares for extended (and, in certain cases, potentially indefinite) periods of time.

* * * * *

The foregoing is an abbreviated summary of certain federal tax considerations affecting each Fund and its shareholders. It does not purport to be complete or to deal with all aspects of federal taxation that may be relevant to shareholders in light of their particular circumstances. It is based on current provisions of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder and judicial decisions and administrative pronouncements published at the date of this SAI, all of which are subject to change, some of which may be retroactive. Prospective investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers for more detailed information and for information regarding other federal tax considerations and any state, local or foreign taxes that may apply to them.

FUND TRANSACTIONS

In effecting securities transactions, the Funds seek to obtain the best price and execution of orders. While affiliates of NBIA are permitted to act as brokers for the Funds in the purchase and sale of their portfolio securities (other than certain securities traded on the OTC market) where such brokers are capable of providing best execution ("Affiliated Brokers"), the Funds generally will use unaffiliated brokers. For Fund transactions which involve securities traded on the OTC market, a Fund purchases and sells OTC securities in principal transactions with dealers who are the principal market makers for such securities.

Purchases and sales of certain debt securities generally are transacted with issuers, underwriters, or dealers that serve as primary market-makers, who act as principals for the securities on a net basis. The Funds typically do not pay brokerage commissions for such purchases and sales. Instead, the price paid for newly issued securities usually includes a concession or discount paid by the issuer to the underwriter, and the prices quoted by market-makers reflect a spread between the bid and the asked prices from which the dealer derives a profit.

For Fund transactions which involve securities traded on the OTC market, a Fund purchases and sells OTC securities in principal transactions with dealers who are the principal market makers for such securities. Loans will be purchased in individually negotiated transactions with commercial banks, thrifts, insurance companies, finance companies and other financial institutions. In determining whether to purchase loans from these financial institutions, the Manager may consider, among other factors, the financial strength, professional ability, level of service and research capability of the institution. While financial institutions generally are not required to repurchase loans which they have sold, they may act as principal or on an agency basis in connection with the Fund's disposition of loans.

During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, Mid Cap Growth Portfolio paid total brokerage commissions of $263,868, $216,083, and $162,794, respectively, of which $0, $0, and $0, respectively, was paid to Neuberger Berman. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, transactions in which the Fund used Neuberger Berman as broker comprised 0% of the aggregate dollar amount of transactions involving the payment of commissions, and 0% of the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by it during the year ended December 31, 2023. 100% of the $263,868 paid to other brokers by the Fund during that fiscal year (representing commissions on transactions involving approximately $987,422,057) was directed to those brokers at least partially on the basis of research services they provided. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the Fund did not acquire or hold any securities of its regular brokers or dealers.

During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, Mid Cap Intrinsic Value Portfolio paid total brokerage commissions of $49,771, $36,079, and $54,615, respectively, of which $0, $0, and $0, respectively, was paid to Neuberger Berman. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, transactions in which the Fund used Neuberger Berman as broker comprised 0% of the aggregate dollar amount of transactions involving the payment of commissions, and 0% of the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by it during the year ended December 31, 2023. 100 % of the $49,771 paid to other brokers by the Fund during that fiscal year (representing commissions on transactions involving approximately $58,096,909) was directed to those brokers at least partially on the basis of research services they provided. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the Fund did not acquire or hold any securities of its regular brokers or dealers.

During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, Short Duration Bond Portfolio paid total brokerage commissions of $5,445, $12,507, and $9,120, respectively. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, transactions in which the Fund used Neuberger Berman as broker comprised 0% of the aggregate dollar amount of transactions involving the payment of commissions, and 0% of the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by it during the year ended December 31, 2023. 100% of the $5,445 paid to other brokers by the Fund during that fiscal year (representing commissions on transactions involving approximately $6,285) was directed to those brokers at least partially on the basis of research services they provided. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the Fund acquired securities of the following of its "regular brokers or dealers" (as defined under the 1940 Act): Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs & Co., Bank of America Securities, LLC, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., Wells Fargo Brokerage Services, LLC, U.S. Bancorp and Barclays Capital Inc.; at that date, the Fund held the securities of its regular brokers or dealers with an aggregate value as follows: Morgan Stanley, $2,060,282; Goldman Sachs & Co., $1,710,939; Bank of America Securities, LLC, $1,448,445; JP Morgan Chase & Co., $1,316,355; Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., $1,267,465; Wells Fargo Brokerage Services, LLC, $1,078,172; U.S. Bancorp, LLC, $754,852; and Barclays Capital Inc., $452,896.

During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, Sustainable Equity Portfolio paid total brokerage commission of $68,339, $168,072, and $97,796, respectively, of which $0, $0, and $0, respectively, was paid to Neuberger Berman. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, transactions in which the Fund used Neuberger Berman as broker comprised 0% of the aggregate dollar amount of transactions involving the payment of commissions, and 0% of the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by it during the year ended December 31, 2023. 100% of the $68,339 paid to other brokers by the Fund during that fiscal year (representing commissions on transactions involving approximately $226,092,235) was directed to those brokers at least partially on the basis of research services they provided. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the Fund acquired securities of the following of its "regular brokers or dealers" (as defined under the 1940 Act): Bank of America Securities, LLC, and JP Morgan Chase & Co.; at that date, the Fund held the securities of its regular brokers or dealers with an aggregate value as follows: Bank of America Securities, LLC, $15,034,766; and JP Morgan Chase & Co., $14,673,677.

The amount of brokerage commissions paid by a Fund may vary significantly from year to year due to a variety of factors, including the types of investments selected by the Manager, investment strategy changes, changing asset levels, shareholder activity, and/or portfolio turnover.

Commission rates, being a component of price, are considered along with other relevant factors in evaluating best price and execution. In selecting a broker other than an Affiliated Broker to execute Fund transactions, NBIA generally considers the quality and reliability of brokerage services, including execution capability, speed of execution, overall performance, and financial responsibility, and may consider, among other factors, research and other investment information or services ("research services") provided by those brokers as well as any expense offset arrangements offered by the brokers.

Each Fund may use an Affiliated Broker where, in the judgment of NBIA, that firm is able to obtain a price and execution at least as favorable as other qualified brokers. To the Funds' knowledge, no affiliate of any Fund receives give-ups or reciprocal business in connection with its securities transactions.

The use of an Affiliated Broker for each Fund is subject to the requirements of Section 11(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Section 11(a) prohibits members of national securities exchanges from retaining compensation for executing exchange transactions for accounts which they or their affiliates manage, except where they have the authorization of the persons authorized to transact business for the account and comply with certain annual reporting requirements. Before an Affiliated Broker is used, the Trust and NBIA expressly authorize the Affiliated Broker to retain such compensation, and the Affiliate Broker would have to agree to comply with the reporting requirements of Section 11(a).

Under the 1940 Act, commissions paid by each Fund to an Affiliated Broker in connection with a purchase or sale of securities on a securities exchange may not exceed the usual and customary broker's commission. Accordingly, with respect to each Fund the commissions paid an Affiliated Broker will be at least as favorable to the Fund as those that would be charged by other qualified brokers having comparable execution capability in NBIA's judgment. The Funds do not deem it practicable and in their best interests to solicit competitive bids for commissions on each transaction effected by an Affiliated Broker. However, when an Affiliated Broker is executing portfolio transactions on behalf of a Fund, consideration regularly will be given to information concerning the prevailing level of commissions charged by other brokers on comparable transactions during comparable periods of time. The 1940 Act generally prohibits an Affiliated Broker from acting as principal in the purchase of portfolio securities from, or the sale of portfolio securities to, a Fund unless an appropriate exemption is available.

A committee of Independent Fund Trustees from time to time will review, among other things, information relating to the commissions charged by an Affiliated Broker to the Funds and to their other customers and information concerning the prevailing level of commissions charged by other brokers having comparable execution capability.

To ensure that accounts of all investment clients, including a Fund, are treated fairly in the event that an Affiliated Broker receives transaction instructions regarding the same security for more than one investment account at or about the same time, the Affiliated Broker may combine orders placed on behalf of clients, including advisory accounts in which affiliated persons have an investment interest, for the purpose of negotiating brokerage commissions or obtaining a more favorable price. Where appropriate, securities purchased or sold may be allocated, in terms of amount, to a client according to the proportion that the size of the order placed by that account bears to the aggregate size of orders contemporaneously placed by the other accounts, subject to de minimis exceptions. All participating accounts will pay or receive the same price when orders are combined.

Under policies adopted by the Board, an Affiliated Broker may enter into agency cross-trades on behalf of a Fund. An agency cross-trade is a securities transaction in which the same broker acts as agent on both sides of the trade and the broker or an affiliate has discretion over one of the participating accounts. In this situation, the Affiliated Broker would receive brokerage commissions from both participants in the trade. The other account participating in an agency cross-trade with a Fund cannot be an account over which the Affiliated Broker exercises investment discretion. A member of the Board who will not be affiliated with the Affiliated Broker will review information about each agency cross-trade that the Fund participates in.

In selecting a broker to execute Fund transactions, NBIA considers the quality and reliability of brokerage services, including execution capability, speed of execution, overall performance, and financial responsibility, and may consider, among other factors, research and other investment information provided by non-affiliated brokers.

A committee comprised of officers of NBIA who are portfolio managers of the Funds and Other NB Funds (collectively, "NB Funds") and some of NBIA's managed accounts ("Managed Accounts") periodically evaluates throughout the year the nature and quality of the brokerage and research services provided by other brokers. Based on this evaluation, the committee establishes a list and projected rankings of preferred brokers for use in determining the relative amounts of commissions to be allocated to those brokers. Ordinarily, the brokers on the list effect a large portion of the brokerage transactions for the NB Funds and the Managed Accounts. However, in any semi-annual period, brokers not on the list may be used, and the relative amounts of brokerage commissions paid to the brokers on the list may vary substantially from the projected rankings. These variations reflect the following factors, among others: (1) brokers not on the list or ranking below other brokers on the list may be selected for particular transactions because they provide better price and/or execution, which is the primary consideration in allocating brokerage; (2) adjustments may be required because of periodic changes in the execution capabilities of or research or other services provided by particular brokers or in the execution or research needs of the NB Funds and/or the Managed Accounts; and (3) the aggregate amount of brokerage commissions generated by transactions for the NB Funds and the Managed Accounts may change substantially from one semi-annual period to the next.

The commissions paid to a broker other than an Affiliated Broker may be higher than the amount another firm might charge if the Manager determines in good faith that the amount of those commissions is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by the broker. The Manager believes that those research services benefit the Funds by supplementing the information otherwise available to the Manager. That research may be used by the Manager in servicing Other NB Funds and in servicing the Managed Accounts. On the other hand, research received by the Manager from brokers effecting portfolio transactions on behalf of the Other NB Funds and from brokers effecting portfolio transactions on behalf of the Managed Accounts may be used for the Funds' benefit.

In certain instances the Manager may specifically allocate brokerage for research services (including research reports on issuers and industries, as well as economic and financial data) which may otherwise be purchased for cash. While the receipt of such services has not reduced the Manager's normal internal research activities, the Manager's expenses could be materially increased if it were to generate such additional information internally. To the extent such research services are provided by others, the Manager is relieved of expenses it may otherwise incur. In some cases research services are generated by third parties but provided to the Manager by or through broker dealers. Research obtained in this manner may be used in servicing any or all clients of the Manager and may be used in connection with clients other than those clients whose brokerage commissions are used to acquire the research services described herein. With regard to allocation of brokerage to acquire research services described above, the Manager always considers its best execution obligation when deciding which broker to utilize.

Insofar as Fund transactions result from active management of equity securities, and insofar as Fund transactions result from seeking capital appreciation by selling securities whenever sales are deemed advisable without regard to the length of time the securities may have been held, it may be expected that the aggregate brokerage commissions paid by a Fund to brokers (including to Affiliated Brokers) may be greater than if securities were selected solely on a long-term basis.

A Fund may, from time to time, loan portfolio securities to broker-dealers affiliated with NBIA ("Affiliated Borrowers") in accordance with the terms and conditions of an order issued by the SEC. The order exempts such transactions from the provisions of the 1940 Act that would otherwise prohibit these transactions, subject to certain conditions. In accordance with the order, securities loans made by a Fund to Affiliated Borrowers are fully secured by cash collateral. Each loan to an Affiliated Borrower by a Fund will be made on terms at least as favorable to the Fund as comparable loans to unaffiliated borrowers, and no loans will be made to an Affiliated Borrower unless the Affiliated Borrower represents that the terms are at least as favorable to the Fund as those it provides to unaffiliated lenders in comparable transactions. All transactions with Affiliated Borrowers will be reviewed periodically by officers of the Trust and reported to the Board.

Portfolio Turnover

A Fund's portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing (1) the lesser of the cost of the securities purchased or the proceeds from the securities sold by the Fund during the fiscal year (other than securities, including options whose maturity or expiration date at the time of acquisition was one year or less), by (2) the month-end average of the value of such securities owned by the Fund during the fiscal year.

Portfolio turnover may vary significantly from year to year due to a variety of factors, including fluctuating volume of shareholder purchase and redemption orders, market conditions, investment strategy changes, and/or changes in the Manager's investment outlook.

Proxy Voting

The Board has delegated to NBIA the responsibility to vote proxies related to the securities held in the Funds' portfolios. Under this authority, NBIA is required by the Board to vote proxies related to portfolio securities in the best interests of each Fund and its shareholders. The Board permits NBIA to contract with a third party to obtain proxy voting and related services, including research of current issues.

NBIA has implemented written Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures ("Proxy Voting Policy") that are designed to reasonably ensure that NBIA votes proxies prudently and in the best interest of its advisory clients for whom NBIA has voting authority, including the Funds. The Proxy Voting Policy also describes how NBIA addresses any conflicts that may arise between its interests and those of its clients with respect to proxy voting. The following is a summary of the Proxy Voting Policy. The Proxy Voting Policy can be found in Appendix B to this SAI. NBIA's Governance and Proxy Voting Guidelines ("voting guidelines") are available on www.nb.com.

NBIA's Governance and Proxy Committee ("Proxy Committee") is responsible for developing, authorizing, implementing and updating the Proxy Voting Policy, administering and overseeing the proxy voting process and engaging and overseeing any independent third-party vendors as voting delegates to review, monitor and/or vote proxies. In order to apply the Proxy Voting Policy noted above in a timely and consistent manner, NBIA utilizes Glass, Lewis & Co. ("Glass Lewis") to vote proxies in accordance with NBIA's voting guidelines. In instances where a material conflict has been determined to exist, NBIA will generally instruct that such shares be voted in the same proportion as other shares are voted with respect to a proposal, subject to applicable legal, regulatory and operational requirements.

NBIA retains final authority and fiduciary responsibility for proxy voting. NBIA believes that this process is reasonably designed to address material conflicts of interest that may arise between NBIA and a Fund or other clients as to how proxies are voted.

In the event that an investment professional at NBIA believes that it is in the best interests of a client or clients to vote proxies in a manner inconsistent with the voting guidelines, the Proxy Committee will review information submitted by the investment professional to determine that there is no material conflict of interest between NBIA and the client with respect to the voting of the proxy in the requested manner. In the event that the Proxy Committee determines that such vote will not present a material conflict, the Proxy Committee will make a determination whether to vote such proxy as recommended by the NB investment professional.

If the Proxy Committee determines that the voting of a proxy as recommended by the investment professional would not be appropriate, the Proxy Committee shall: (i) take no further action, in which case NBIA shall vote such proxy in accordance with the voting guidelines; (ii) disclose such conflict to the client or clients and obtain instructions or consent, which may be negative consent, from the client as to how to vote the proxy; (iii) suggest that the client or clients engage another party to determine how to vote the proxy; (iv) instruct that such shares be voted in the same proportion as other shares are voted with respect to a proposal, subject to applicable legal, regulatory and operational requirements; or (v) engage another independent third party to determine how to vote the proxy.

Information regarding how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available, without charge, by calling 1-800-877-9700 (toll-free) or by visiting www.nb.com or the website of the SEC, www.sec.gov.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Policy

The Funds prohibit the disclosure of their portfolio holdings, before such portfolio holdings are publicly disclosed, to any outside parties, including individual or institutional investors, intermediaries, third party service providers to NBIA or the Funds, rating and ranking organizations, and affiliated persons of the Funds or NBIA (the "Potential Recipients") unless such disclosure is consistent with the Funds' legitimate business purposes and is in the best interests of their shareholders (the "Best Interests Standard").

NBIA and the Funds have determined that the only categories of Potential Recipients that meet the Best Interests Standard are certain mutual fund rating and ranking organizations and third party service providers to NBIA or the Funds with a specific business reason to know the portfolio holdings of the Funds (e.g., custodians, prime brokers, etc.) (the "Allowable Recipients"). As such, certain procedures must be adhered to before the Allowable Recipients may receive the portfolio holdings prior to their being made public. Allowable Recipients that get approved for receipt of the portfolio holdings are known as "Approved Recipients." NBIA may expand the categories of Allowable Recipients only if it is determined that the Best Interests Standard has been met and only with the written concurrence of NBIA's legal and compliance department. These procedures are designed to address conflicts of interest between the shareholders, on the one hand, and NBIA or any affiliated person of either NBIA or the Funds on the other, by creating a review and approval process of Potential Recipients of portfolio holdings consistent with the Best Interests Standard.

NBIA serves as investment adviser to various other funds and accounts that may have investment objectives, strategies and portfolio holdings that are substantially similar to or overlap with those of the Funds, and in some cases, these other funds and accounts may publicly disclose portfolio holdings on a more frequent basis than is required for the Funds. As a result, it is possible that other market participants may use such information for their own benefit, which could negatively impact the Funds' execution of purchase and sale transactions.

Public Disclosure

Portfolio Characteristics and Select Portfolio Holdings Information - Generally, no earlier than five business days after month end, the Funds may publicly disclose on the Funds' website, including in Portfolio Manager commentaries, Fact Sheets or other marketing materials, certain portfolio characteristics for the month or quarter as of month-end or quarter-end, as applicable, including but not limited to: up to the top 10 holdings of the Fund; up to the top 10 holdings that contributed to or detracted from performance; or changes to portfolio composition, including up to five Fund holdings that were bought or sold during the period. Funds that engage in short selling may also disclose up to the 10 top short positions.

In addition, the Funds may distribute portfolio attribution analyses, portfolio characteristics and related data and commentary that may be based on non-public portfolio holdings ("Portfolio Data") to third-parties upon request. Such parties may include, but are not limited to, members of the press, investors or potential investors in the Fund, or representatives of such investors or potential investors, such as consultants, financial intermediaries, fiduciaries of a 401(k) plan or a trust and their advisers and rating and ranking organizations. This permits the distribution of oral or written information about the Funds, including, but not limited to, how each Fund's investments are divided among: various sectors; industries; countries; value and growth stocks; small-, mid- and large-cap stocks; and various asset classes such as stocks, bonds, currencies and cash; as well as types of bonds, bond maturities, bond coupons and bond credit quality ratings. Portfolio Data may also include information on how these various weightings and factors contributed to Fund performance including the attribution of a Fund's return by asset class, sector, industry and country. Portfolio Data may also include various financial characteristics of a Fund or its underlying portfolio securities, including, but not limited to, alpha, beta, R-squared, duration, maturity, information ratio, Sharpe ratio, earnings growth, pay-out ratio, price/book value, projected earnings growth, return on equity, standard deviation, tracking error, weighted average quality, market capitalization, percent debt to equity, price to cash flow, dividend yield or growth, default rate, portfolio turnover and risk and style characteristics.

Complete Portfolio Holdings - Typically, public disclosure is achieved by required filings with the SEC and/or posting the information to the Funds' website, which is accessible to the public. The Funds typically disclose their complete portfolio holdings 15 to 30 calendar days after the relevant period end on the Fund's website at www.nb.com. A Fund may also post intra-month updates to holdings and certain portfolio characteristics to www.nb.com. Any such intra-month update would be in addition to and not in lieu of the holdings disclosure policies described above.

Selective Disclosure Procedures

Disclosure of portfolio holdings may be requested by completing and submitting a holdings disclosure form to NBIA's legal and compliance department or to the Funds' Chief Compliance Officer for review, approval and processing.

Neither the Funds, NBIA, nor any affiliate of either may receive any compensation or consideration for the disclosure of portfolio holdings. Each Allowable Recipient must be subject to a duty of confidentiality or sign a non-disclosure agreement, including an undertaking not to trade on the information, before they may become an Approved Recipient. Allowable Recipients are (1) required to keep all portfolio holdings information confidential and (2) prohibited from trading based on such information. The Funds' Chief Compliance Officer shall report any material issues that may arise under these policies to the Board.

Pursuant to a Code of Ethics adopted by the Funds and NBIA ("NB Code"), employees are prohibited from revealing information relating to current or anticipated investment intentions, portfolio holdings, portfolio transactions or activities of the Funds except to persons whose responsibilities require knowledge of the information. The NB Code also prohibits any individual associated with the Funds or NBIA, from engaging directly or indirectly, in any transaction in securities held or to be acquired by the Funds while in possession of material non-public information regarding such securities or their issuer.

Portfolio Holdings Approved Recipients

The Funds currently have ongoing arrangements to disclose portfolio holdings information prior to its being made public with the following Approved Recipients:

State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street"). Each Fund has selected State Street as custodian for its securities and cash. Pursuant to a custodian contract, each Fund employs State Street as the custodian of its assets. As custodian, State Street creates and maintains all records relating to each Fund's activities and supplies each Fund with a daily tabulation of the securities it owns and that are held by State Street. Pursuant to such contract, State Street agrees that all books, records, information and data pertaining to the business of each Fund which are exchanged or received pursuant to the contract shall remain confidential, shall not be voluntarily disclosed to any other person, except as may be required by law, and shall not be used by State Street for any purpose not directly related to the business of any Fund, except with such Fund's written consent. State Street receives reasonable compensation for its services and expenses as custodian.

Securities Lending Agent. Each Fund has entered into a securities lending agreement with State Street under which State Street acts as a principal borrower or agent to lend securities to entities on State Street's approved list of borrowers, which includes State Street and its affiliates. Those principal borrowers or agents may receive each Fund's portfolio holdings daily. Each such principal borrower that receives such information is or will be subject to an agreement that all financial, statistical, personal, technical and other data and information related to the Fund's operations that is designated by the Fund as confidential will be protected from unauthorized use and disclosure by the principal borrower. Each Fund pays State Street a fee for agency and/or administrative services related to its role as lending agent. Each Fund also pays the principal borrowers a fee with respect to the cash collateral that it receives and retains the income earned on reinvestment of that cash collateral.

Other Third-Party Service Providers to the Funds. The Funds may also disclose portfolio holdings information prior to its being made public to their independent registered public accounting firm, legal counsel, financial printers, proxy voting firms, pricing vendors and other third-party service providers to the Funds who require access to this information to fulfill their duties to the Funds.

In addition, the Funds may disclose portfolio holdings information to third parties that calculate information derived from holdings for use by NBIA. Currently, each Fund provides its complete portfolio holdings to FactSet Research Systems Inc. ("FactSet") each day for this purpose. FactSet receives reasonable compensation for its services.

The Funds may also, from time to time, disclose portfolio holdings information to a proxy solicitation service, Glass Lewis, or to a class action service provider, Financial Recovery Technologies, although they typically receive holdings information after that information is already public. The Funds may also, from time to time, disclose portfolio holdings information to trade organizations, such as the Investment Company Institute and the Loan Syndicates & Trading Association.

In all cases the third-party service provider receiving the information has agreed in writing (or is otherwise required by professional and/or written confidentiality requirements or fiduciary duty) to keep the information confidential, to use it only for the agreed-upon purpose(s) and not to trade securities on the basis of such information.

Rating, Ranking and Research Agencies. Each Fund sends its complete portfolio holdings information to the following rating, ranking and research agencies for the purpose of having such agency develop a rating, ranking or specific research product for the Fund. Each Fund provides its complete portfolio holdings to: Lipper, a Refinitiv company, on the sixth business day following each month-end and Bloomberg and Morningstar on the 16th calendar day following month-end if the Fund posts its holdings monthly (but if a Fund posts its holdings quarterly, it provides its holdings on a quarterly basis no earlier than the 15th calendar day following the relevant quarter-end). No compensation is received by any Fund, NBIA, or any other person in connection with the disclosure of this information. NBIA either has entered into or expects shortly to enter into a written confidentiality agreement, with each rating, ranking or research agency in which the agency agrees or will agree to keep each Fund's portfolio holdings confidential and to use such information only in connection with developing a rating, ranking or research product for the Fund.

REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS

Shareholders of each Fund receive unaudited semi-annual financial statements, as well as year-end financial statements audited by the respective independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund. Each Fund's statements show the investments owned by it and the market values thereof and provide other information about the Fund and its operations.

ORGANIZATION, CAPITALIZATION AND OTHER MATTERS

Each Fund is a separate ongoing series of the Trust, a Delaware statutory trust organized pursuant to an Amended and Restated Trust Instrument dated as of March 27, 2014. The Trust is registered under the 1940 Act as an open-end management investment company, commonly known as a mutual fund. The Trust has five separate operating series. The Fund Trustees may establish additional series or classes of shares without the approval of shareholders. The assets of each series belong only to that series, and the liabilities of each series are borne solely by that series and no other.

Prior to September 26, 2008, Short Duration Bond Portfolio was named Lehman Brothers Short Duration Bond Portfolio. Prior to May 1, 2007, the Fund was named Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio. Prior to May 1, 2012, Mid Cap Intrinsic Value Portfolio was named Regency Portfolio. NBIA serves as investment manager to other mutual funds, and the investments for the Funds (through their corresponding series) are managed by the same portfolio managers who manage one or more other mutual funds, that have similar names, investment objectives and investment styles as each Fund and are offered directly to the public by means of separate prospectuses. These other mutual funds are not part of the Trust. You should be aware that each Fund is likely to differ from the other mutual funds in size, cash flow pattern, and certain tax matters, and may differ in risk/return characteristics. Accordingly, the portfolio holdings and performance of the Funds may vary from those of the other mutual funds with similar names.

Description of Shares. Each Fund is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest (par value $0.001 per share). Shares of each Fund represent equal proportionate interests in the assets of that Fund only and have identical voting, dividend, redemption, liquidation, and other rights except that expenses allocated to a Class may be borne solely by such Class as determined by the Fund Trustees and a Class may have exclusive voting rights with respect to matters affecting only that Class. All shares issued are fully paid and non-assessable, and shareholders have no preemptive or other rights to subscribe to any additional shares.

Shareholder Meetings. The Fund Trustees do not intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders of the Funds. The Fund Trustees will call special meetings of shareholders of a Fund or Class only if required under the 1940 Act or in their discretion or upon the written request of holders of 25% or more of the outstanding shares of that Fund or Class entitled to vote at the meeting. Pursuant to current interpretations of the 1940 Act, the Life Companies will solicit voting instructions from Variable Contract owners with respect to any matters that are presented to a vote of shareholders of that Fund.

Certain Provisions of Trust Instrument. Under Delaware law, the shareholders of a Fund will not be personally liable for the obligations of any Fund; a shareholder is entitled to the same limitation of personal liability extended to shareholders of a Delaware corporation. To guard against the risk that Delaware law might not be applied in other states, the Trust Instrument requires that every written obligation of the Trust or a Fund contain a statement that such obligation may be enforced only against the assets of the Trust or Fund and provides for indemnification out of Trust or Fund property of any shareholder nevertheless held personally liable for Trust or Fund obligations, respectively, merely on the basis of being a shareholder.

CUSTODIAN AND TRANSFER AGENT

Each Fund has selected State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA 02111, as custodian for its securities and cash. SS&C GIDS, Inc. serves as each Fund's transfer and shareholder servicing agent, administering purchases, redemptions and transfers of Fund shares and the payment of dividends and other distributions. All correspondence should be mailed to Neuberger Berman Funds, P.O. Box 219189, Kansas City, MO 64121-9189.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Each Fund has selected Ernst & Young LLP, 200 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA 02116, as the independent registered public accounting firm that will audit its financial statements.

LEGAL COUNSEL

The Trust has selected K&L Gates LLP, 1601 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006-1600, as its legal counsel.

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

Shares of the Funds are issued and redeemed in connection with investments in and payments under certain variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies (collectively, "Variable Contracts") issued through separate accounts of life insurance companies (the "Life Companies") and Qualified Plans. As of March 31, 2024, the separate accounts of the Life Companies and Qualified Plans were known to the Board and the management of the Trust to own of record all shares of Mid Cap Growth Portfolio, Mid Cap Intrinsic Value Portfolio, Short Duration Bond Portfolio, and Sustainable Equity Portfolio. There were no shareholders of the Real Estate Portfolio as of the same date. A control person may be able to take actions regarding a Fund without the consent or approval of shareholders.

As of March 31, 2024, separate accounts of the following Life Companies and Qualified Plans owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the shares of the following Funds:

As of March 31, 2024, the following shareholders owned of record or beneficially more than 25% of the outstanding shares of a Fund as set forth below. A shareholder who owns of record or beneficially more than 25% of the outstanding shares of a Fund or who is otherwise deemed to "control" a Fund may be able to determine or significantly influence the outcome of matters submitted to a vote of the Fund's shareholders.

These Life Companies are required to vote Fund shares in accordance with instructions received from owners of Variable Contracts funded by separate accounts with respect to separate accounts of these Life Companies that are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as unit investment trusts.

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

This SAI and the Prospectuses do not contain all the information included in the Trust's registration statement filed with the SEC under the 1933 Act with respect to the securities offered by the Prospectuses. The registration statement, including the exhibits filed therewith, may be examined at the SEC's offices in Washington, D.C. The SEC maintains a website (http://www.sec.gov) that contains this SAI, material incorporated by reference and other information regarding the Funds.

Statements contained in this SAI and in the Prospectuses as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to are not necessarily complete. In each instance where reference is made to a contract or other document a copy of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, each such statement is qualified in all respects by such reference.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Each Fund's (other than the Real Estate Portfolio) audited financial statements, notes to the audited financial statements, and reports of the independent registered public accounting firm contained in each Fund's Annual Report to the shareholders of the Trust for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 are incorporated by reference into this SAI.

APPENDIX A

Long-Term and Short-Term Debt Securities Rating Descriptions

S&P Global Ratings - Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings*:

The following descriptions have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC.

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.

Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") -- Global Long-Term Rating Scale:

The following descriptions have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.

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. Additionally, a "(hyb)" indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms.*

Fitch Ratings, Inc. ("Fitch") -- Corporate Finance Obligations - Long-Term Rating Scale:

The following descriptions have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc., Fitch Ratings Ltd. and its subsidiaries.

AAA - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - Speculative. 'BB' ratings indicate 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 - Highly Speculative. 'B' ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

CCC - Substantial Credit Risk. 'CCC' ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present.

CC - Very High Levels of Credit Risk. 'CC' ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk.

C - Exceptionally High Levels of Credit Risk. 'C' indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

Ratings in the categories of 'CCC', 'CC' and 'C' can also relate to obligations or issuers that are in default. In this case, the rating does not opine on default risk but reflects the recovery expectation only.

DBRS -- Long Term Obligations Rating Scale:

The following descriptions have been published by DBRS Morningstar.

AAA- Highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

AA- 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- 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- Adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

BB- Speculative, non investment-grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.

B- Highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.

CCC, CC, C - 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 - 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, a downgrade to D may occur. DBRS Morningstar may also use SD (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a distressed exchange. See the Default Definition document on dbrsmorningstar.com under Understanding Ratings for more information.

S&P Global Ratings -- Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings:

The following descriptions have been published by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC.

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 commitments 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 the 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.

Dual ratings may be assigned to debt issues that have a put option or demand feature. The first component of the rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second component of the rating addresses only the demand feature. The first component of the rating can relate to either a short-term or long-term transaction and accordingly use either short-term or long-term rating symbols. The second component of the rating relates to the put option and is assigned a short-term rating symbol (for example, 'AAA/A-1+' or 'A-1+/A-1'). With U.S. municipal short-term demand debt, the U.S. municipal short-term note rating symbols are used for the first component of the rating (for example, 'SP-1+/A-1+').

Moody's -- Global Short-Term Rating Scale:

The following descriptions have been published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.

P-1 - Ratings of Prime-1 reflect a superior ability to repay short-term obligations.

P-2 - Ratings of Prime-2 reflect a strong ability to repay short-term obligations.

P-3 - Ratings of 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.

Fitch -- Short-Term Ratings Assigned to Issuers and Obligations:

The following descriptions have been published by Fitch Ratings, Inc., Fitch Ratings Ltd. and its subsidiaries.

F1 - Highest Short-Term Credit Quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

F2 - Good Short-Term Credit Quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

F3 - Fair Short-Term Credit Quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

B - Speculative Short-Term Credit Quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

C - 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.

DBRS -- Commercial Paper and Short-Term Debt Rating Scale:

The following descriptions have been published by DBRS Morningstar.

R-1 (high) - 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) - 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) - Good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favourable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

R-2 (high) - 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) - 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) - 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 - Lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is 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 - Speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.

R-5 - 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 - 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, a downgrade to D may occur. DBRS Morningstar may also use SD (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a distressed exchange.

See the Default Definition document on dbrsmorningstar.com under Understanding Ratings for more information.

A-5