Risk Considerations
Equity Risk. An investment in a portfolio containing common stocks is subject to certain risks, such as an economic recession and the possible deterioration of either the financial condition of the issuers of the equity securities or the general condition of the stock market.
Buy & Hold Risk – Taxable Trusts. This UIT is a buy and hold strategy and investors should consider their ability to hold the trust until maturity. There may be tax consequences unless units are purchased in an IRA or other qualified plan.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are bonds, preferred stocks and other securities that pay a fixed rate of interest (or dividends) and will repay principal at a fixed date in the future. However, these securities may be converted into a specific number of common stocks at a specified time. As such, an investment in convertible securities entails some of the risks associated with both common stocks and bonds.
COVID-19 Economic Impact Risk. The ongoing effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic, or the potential impacts of any future public health crisis, may cause significant volatility and uncertainty in global financial markets. While vaccines have been developed, there is no guarantee that vaccines will be effective against future variants of the disease.
ETF Risk. ETFs are subject to various risks, including management's ability to meet the fund's investment objective, and to manage the fund's portfolio when the underlying securities are redeemed or sold, during periods of market turmoil and as investors' perceptions regarding ETFs or their underlying investments change. Unlike open-end funds, which trade at prices based on a current determination of the fund's net asset value, ETFs frequently trade at a discount from their net asset value in the secondary market.
Investment Grade Bonds Risk. Investment grade securities are subject to numerous risks including higher interest rates, economic recession, deterioration of the investment grade security market or investors' perception thereof, possible downgrades and defaults of interest and/or principal.
Limited Duration Bonds Risk. Limited duration bonds are subject to interest rate risk, which is the risk that the value of a security will fall if interest rates increase. While limited duration bonds are generally subject to less interest rate sensitivity than longer duration bonds, there can be no assurance that interest rates will rise during the life of the trust.
Market Disruption Risk. Ongoing armed conflicts between Russia and Ukraine in Europe and among Israel, Hamas and other militant groups in the Middle East, have caused and could continue to cause significant market disruptions and volatility within the markets in Russia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The hostilities and sanctions resulting from those hostilities could have a significant impact on certain investments as well as performance.
MLP Risk. Investments in Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) are subject to the risks generally applicable to companies in the energy and natural resources sectors, including commodity pricing risk, supply and demand risk, depletion risk and exploration risk. There are certain tax risks associated with MLPs, including the risk that U.S. taxing authorities could challenge the trust's treatment of the MLPs for federal income tax purposes. These tax risks could have a negative impact on the after-tax income available for distribution by the MLPs and/or the value of the trust's investments.
REITs Risk. An investment in a portfolio containing REIT securities is subject to additional risks including limited diversification. Companies involved in the real estate industry are subject to changes in the real estate market, vacancy rates and competition, volatile interest rates and economic recession.
TIPS Risk. TIPS are subject to numerous risks including changes in interest rates, economic recession and deterioration of the bond market or investors' perception thereof.
Volatility Risk. The value of the securities held by the trust may be subject to steep declines or increased volatility due to changes in performance or perception of the issuers.
Additional Risk. For a discussion of additional risks of investing in the trust see the "Risk Factors" section of the prospectus.
Important Note. It is important to note that an investment can be made in the underlying funds directly rather than through the trust. These direct investments can be made without paying the trust's sales charge, operating expenses and organizational costs.
Operational Risk. As the use of Internet technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, the trust has become more susceptible to potential operational risks through breaches in cybersecurity.