PROSPECTUS
March 1, 2019
Shelton BDC Income Fund, Institutional Shares: LOAIX, Investor Shares: LOANX
Shelton Real Estate Income Fund, Institutional Shares: RENIX, Investor Shares: RENTX
Shelton Tactical Credit Fund, Institutional Shares: DEBIX, Investor Shares: DEBTX
Shelton International Select Equity Fund, Institutional Shares: SISEX, Investor Shares: SISLX
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed on whether the information in this prospectus is adequate or accurate. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. The Funds are not bank deposits and are not guaranteed, endorsed or insured by any financial institution or government entity such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Some funds or classes in this Prospectus may not be available in your state. Please check with your advisor to determine those funds and share classes available for sale in your state. The information contained in this Prospectus relates to all classes of shares of the Funds unless otherwise noted.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SHELTON BDC INCOME FUND | 6 |
SHELTON REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND | 9 |
SHELTON TACTICAL CREDIT FUND | 12 |
SHELTON INTERNATIONAL SELECT EQUITY FUND | 15 |
Summary of Other Important Information About Fund Shares | 18 |
Investment Objectives and Principal Strategies | 18 |
Investment Risks | 21 |
Additional Risks | 24 |
Fund Organization and Management | 24 |
How to Buy Shares | 25 |
How to Sell Shares | 26 |
Other Important Policies Related to Buying and Selling Shares | 27 |
Other Policies | 28 |
Dividends and Taxes | 29 |
Notice of Privacy Policy | 32 |
Financial Highlights | 34 |
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SHELTON BDC INCOME FUND Ticker Symbols: LOAIX and LOANX
Investment Objective
The Fund’s investment objective is to provide a high level of income with the potential for capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay when you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The table and example do not reflect any transaction fees that may be charged by financial intermediaries or commissions that a shareholder may be required to pay directly to its financial intermediary when buying or selling shares.
Shareholder Fees (fee paid directly from your investment) | LOAIX | LOANX |
Annual Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||
Management fees | 0.90% | 0.90% |
Distribution (12b-1) fees | none | 0.25% |
Other expenses | 0.89% | 0.89% |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1) | 9.14% | 9.14% |
(fees and expenses incurred directly by the Fund as a result of investment in shares of one or more Acquired Funds) | ||
Total annual operating expenses | 10.93% | 11.18% |
Expense Reimbursement(2) | (0.54)% | (0.54)% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement | 10.39% | 10.64% |
(1) | ‘‘Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses’’ are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund’s financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund. |
(2) | The Fund’s Advisor, Shelton Capital Management, has contractually agreed to reimburse expenses incurred by the Fund to the extent that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, certain compliance costs, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation or merger and reorganization expenses, for example) exceed 1.25% and 1.50% until May 1, 2019. This agreement may only be terminated with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Fund. Shelton may be reimbursed for any foregone advisory fees or unreimbursed expenses within three fiscal years following a particular reduction or expense, but only to the extent the reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed applicable expense limits, and the effect of the reimbursement is measured after all ordinary operating expenses are calculated. Any such reimbursement is subject to the review and approval of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. |
Example of Expenses
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
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The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. This example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | |
LOAIX | $1,011 | $2,958 | $4,682 | $8,171 |
LOANX | $1,034 | $3,016 | $4,760 | $8,260 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example of Expenses, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 118% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund invests substantially all (and under normal market conditions, at least 80%) of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in common stocks and other equity securities of business development companies (‘‘BDCs’’) that are traded on one or more nationally recognized securities exchanges.
The equity securities in which the Fund may invest consist of:
● | common stocks; |
● | securities convertible into common stocks; and |
● | preferred stocks. |
In addition, although the Fund typically invests in equity securities, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in debt securities of BDCs and other issuers of any maturity, duration or credit rating.
BDCs are publicly-held, closed-end investment funds that are regulated by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the ‘‘1940 Act’’). BDCs primarily lend to or invest in private or thinly-traded companies. They also offer managerial assistance to the companies in which they invest. BDCs must adhere to various substantive regulatory requirements under the 1940 Act. For example, the 1940 Act restricts the types of assets in which a BDC may invest (i.e., at least 70% of the BDC’s total assets must be ‘‘qualifying assets,’’ as defined in the 1940 Act). The 1940 Act also regulates how BDCs employ ‘‘leverage’’ (i.e., how BDCs use borrowed funds to make investments). Because the 1940 Act applies unique ‘‘coverage ratio’’ tests to BDCs, BDCs may incur more debt than other regulated closed-end investment companies. Specifically, on one hand, the total assets of a closed-end investment company (other than a BDC) must exceed the fund’s outstanding debt by at least 300%. On the other hand, the total assets of a BDC must exceed the BDC’s outstanding debt by only 200%, thereby allowing a BDC to employ more leverage than other regulated closed-end investment companies. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and loss on amounts invested and, as a result, increases the risks associated with the securities of leveraged companies.
The Advisor evaluates equity securities primarily on the BDC’s or other issuer’s ability to sustain its current dividend and secondarily considers the potential for capital appreciation. The Advisor intends to allocate the Fund’s assets among BDCs that, in its view, are paying attractive rates of distribution and appear capable of sustaining that distribution level over time. The Advisor incorporates into its assessment, among other factors, dividend yield, price to book, financial operations, portfolio of investments and management quality. The Advisor will also consider the amount of leverage employed by a BDC or other issuer before deciding to invest in its securities. In selecting securities for investment, the Advisor generally seeks to invest in securities with relatively high distribution rates, and that it believes will continue to pay distributions at those rates for the foreseeable future. Distributions from such securities may consist of income, capital gains and/or return of capital and cannot be guaranteed to continue.
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When selecting securities for the Fund, the Advisor may utilize fundamental, technical and other related methodologies to determine the intrinsic value of a security. Examples of fundamental methodologies include consideration of a stock’s financials, economic factors that might impact the stock, and the qualitative and quantitative factors. Technical methodologies generally refer to the consideration of past market data, primarily using price and volume data. The Advisor expects that it will sell a security if, in the judgment of the portfolio manager, the security’s income potential has been compromised, an issuer’s fundamentals have deteriorated or may deteriorate or a more attractive investment opportunity is identified.
Principal Risks of Investing
You could lose money by investing in the Fund, and the Fund could underperform other investments. You should expect the Fund’s share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund’s performance could be hurt by:
BDC Risk. The Fund primarily invests in securities issued by publicly-traded BDCs. As a result, the Fund’s portfolio will be significantly affected by the performance of the BDCs in which the Fund invests and the performance of such BDCs’ portfolio companies, as well as the overall economic environment. The Fund may be exposed to greater risk and experience higher volatility than would a portfolio that was not focused on investing in BDCs.
BDCs primarily invest in privately-held and thinly-traded companies. These types of portfolio companies are generally considered to be below investment grade, and the debt securities of those companies, in turn, are often referred to as ‘‘high-yield’’ or ‘‘junk.’’ The revenues, income (or losses) and valuations of these companies can, and often do, fluctuate suddenly and dramatically, and they face considerable risk of loss. In addition, the fair value of a BDC’s investments in privately-held or thinly-traded companies often is not readily determinable. Although each BDC’s board of directors is responsible for determining the fair value of these securities, the uncertainty regarding fair value may adversely affect the determination of the BDC’s net asset value (‘‘NAV’’). This could cause the Fund’s investments in a BDC to be inaccurately valued.
BDCs often borrow funds to make investments and, as a result, are exposed to the risks of leverage. Leverage magnifies the potential loss on amounts invested and therefore increases the risks associated with an investment in a leveraged BDC’s securities. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique. Moreover, BDCs’ management fees, which are generally higher than the management fees charged to other funds, are normally payable on gross assets, including those assets acquired through the use of leverage. This may give a BDC’s investment advisor a financial incentive to incur leverage.
Convertible Securities Risk. Investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than investments in an issuer’s common stock because convertible securities rank senior to common stock in an issuer’s capital structure. The extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large part upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed-income security. Convertible securities are subordinate in rank to any senior debt obligations of an issuer, and, therefore, entail more risk than the issuer’s debt obligations. Convertible securities generally offer lower interest than non-convertible debt securities of similar credit quality due to the potential for capital appreciation and are often lower-rated securities.
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Credit Risk. An issuer or guarantor of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make scheduled payments of interest and principal. Actual or perceived deterioration in an issuer’s or guarantor’s financial condition may affect a security’s value.
Credit Risk of Underlying Investments. The Fund is indirectly exposed to the credit risk associated with the debt investments of the BDCs in which the Fund invests. BDCs invest in small companies in the initial stages of development. The types of portfolio companies in which BDCs invest are generally considered to be below investment grade, and the debt securities of those companies, in turn, are often referred to as ‘‘high-yield’’ or ‘‘junk.’’ There is an increased risk that such a portfolio company will fail to make payments on its debts as compared to more developed companies. If a portfolio company fails to make payments to a BDC, the BDC’s performance could be negatively affected and, to the extent that the Fund invests in the BDC, the value of the Fund’s investment in the BDC may be negatively affected as well.
Economic and Political Risks. These effects may be short-term by causing a change in the market that is corrected in a year or less, or they may have long-term impacts which may cause changes in the market that may last for many years. Some factors may affect changes in one sector of the economy or one stock, but don’t have an impact on the overall market. The particular sector of the economy or the individual stock may be affected for a short or long-term.
Equity Risk. Equity securities can be volatile and may decline in value because of changes in the actual or perceived financial condition of their issuers or other events affecting their issuers. The Fund’s target index may, at times, become focused in stocks of a particular sector, category or group of companies, which could cause Fund to underperform the overall stock market.
High-Yield (‘‘Junk’’) Bond Risk. Compared to higher quality debt securities, high-yield bonds (commonly referred to as ‘‘junk’’ bonds) involve a greater risk of default or price changes due to changes in the credit quality of the issuer because they are generally unsecured and may be subordinated to other creditors’ claims. The values of junk bonds often fluctuate more in response to company, political, regulatory or economic developments than higher quality bonds. Their values can decline significantly over short periods of time or during periods of economic difficulty when the bonds could be difficult to value or sell at a fair price. Credit ratings on junk bonds do not necessarily reflect their actual market value. Through its investments in BDCs, Fund is indirectly exposed to the credit risks associated with in BDCs’ debt investments. The portfolio companies in which BDCs invest are generally considered to be below investment grade, and the debt securities of those companies, in turn, are often referred to as high-yield or junk. In addition, debt securities issued by a BDC may also be considered to be non-investment grade or junk.
Investment in Other Investment Companies Risk. The Fund’s investment in other investment companies, including BDCs, may subject the Fund indirectly to the underlying risks of those investment companies. The Fund also will bear its share of each underlying investment company’s fees and expenses, which are in addition to the Fund’s own fees and expenses. Shares of an investment company may trade at prices that reflect a premium above or a discount below NAV, and such premium or discount may be substantial. If an investment company’s shares are purchased at a premium to NAV, the premium may not exist when those shares are sold, and the Fund could incur a loss.
BDCs, like other investment companies, are often parties to contractual agreements under which a BDC’s investment advisor or another third-party agrees to waive fees or pay a portion of the BDC’s expenses. Once the contract terminates or ends, the BDC’s expenses may increase and, as a result, the acquired fund fees and expenses paid by the Fund’s shareholders may increase as well. Further, the acquired fund fees and expenses paid by the Fund’s shareholders may increase further if the BDC’s investment advisor or another third-party seeks to recoup any previously waived fees or paid expenses.
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Large Shareholder Risk. To the extent that shares of the Fund are held by large shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that these shareholders will redeem Fund shares in large amounts. These transactions could adversely affect the Fund if it is forced to sell portfolio securities to raise the cash that is necessary to satisfy shareholder redemption requests. This risk is particularly pronounced when one shareholder owns a substantial portion of the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. The Fund may not be able to purchase or sell a security in a timely manner or at desired prices or achieve its desired weighting in a security. Liquidity risk may result from the lack of an active market or a reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed income securities, and may be magnified under circumstances that cause increased supply in the market due to unusually high selling activity.
Manager Risk. Shelton Capital Management’s opinion about the intrinsic worth or creditworthiness of a company or security may be incorrect or the market may continue to undervalue the company or security. Shelton Capital Management may not make timely purchases or sales of securities for the Fund.
Market Exposure Risk. Investment prices may increase or decrease, sometimes suddenly and unpredictably, due to general market conditions. The Fund is primarily invested in the U.S. stock markets. As with any investment whose performance is linked to these markets, the value of an investment in the Fund will change. During a declining stock market, investment in this Fund would lose money.
MidCap Stock Risk. The risk that stocks of relatively smaller capitalization within the midcap range of companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies. Relatively smaller capitalization companies may have limited product lines or financial resources, or may be dependent upon a small or inexperienced management group, and their securities may trade less frequently and in lower volume than the securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater the risk.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as a non-diversified management investment company under the 1940 Act. This means that the Fund may invest a greater portion of its assets in a limited number of issuers than would be the case if the Fund were classified as a diversified management investment company. The value of a specific security can perform differently from the market as a whole for reasons related to the issuer, such as operational performance, financial leverage and investment-level performance. The value of the Fund may decrease in response to the activities and financial prospects of an individual security in the Fund’s portfolio. Additionally, the Fund may be subject to greater risk, because the Fund’s performance may be more sensitive to any single economic, business, political or regulatory occurrence than the value of shares of a diversified investment company.
Preferred Stock Risk. There are various risks associated with investing in preferred stock, including credit risk, liquidity risk, interest rate risk, deferral and omission of distributions, subordination to bonds and other debt securities in a company’s capital structure, limited liquidity, limited voting rights and special redemption rights.
SmallCap Stock Risk. The risk that stocks of smaller capitalization companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies. Small capitalization companies may have limited product lines or financial resources, or may be dependent upon a small or inexperienced management group, and their securities may trade less frequently and in lower volume than the securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater the risk.
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Bar Chart and Performance Table
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows calendar year returns and the average annual total return table indicates risk by illustrating how much returns can differ from one year to the next and how fund performance compares with that of a comparable market index. These figures assume that all distributions are reinvested. The Fund’s performance will fluctuate, and past performance (before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Updated performance information may be obtained on our website www.sheltoncap.com or by calling (800) 955-9988.
Best Quarter: 8.28% (Q3, 2016)
Worst Quarter: -7.20% (Q3, 2015)
Year to date performance as of 12/31/17: 3.73%
Date of inception: 04/22/2014
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Average Annual Return (for the period ended 12/31/17)
BDC Income Fund (Institutional Class - LOAIX) | 1 year | Period From Inception |
Return Before Taxes | 3.73% | 3.65% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 1.14% | 0.81% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 2.14% | 1.46% |
Wells Fargo BDC Index | -9.09% | 2.67% |
It is not possible for individuals to invest directly in an index. Performance figures for an index do not reflect deductions for sales charges, commissions, expenses or taxes.
Fund Management
Shelton Capital Management serves as the investment advisor to the Fund. Mr. William Mock has served as a member of the BDC Income Fund portfolio management team since March 2017.
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Other Important Information about Fund Shares
For important information about purchase and sale of Fund shares, tax information, and payments to financial intermediaries please turn to the “Summary of Other Important Information About Fund Shares” section on page 18 of this prospectus.
SHELTON REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND Ticker Symbols: RENIX and RENTX
Investment Objective
The Fund’s investment objective is to provide current income with the potential for capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay when you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The table and example do not reflect any transaction fees that may be charged by financial intermediaries or commissions that a shareholder may be required to pay directly to its financial intermediary when buying or selling shares.
Shareholder Fees (fee paid directly from your investment) | RENIX | RENTX |
Sales and redemption charges | none | none |
Annual Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||
Management fees | 0.80% | 0.80% |
Distribution (12b-1) fees | none | 0.25% |
Other expenses | 1.31% | 1.31% |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(1) (fees and expenses incurred directly by the Fund as a result of investment in shares of one or more Acquired Funds) |
0.02% | 0.02% |
Total annual operating expenses | 2.13% | 2.38% |
Expense Reimbursement(2) | (0.94)% | (0.94)% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement | 1.19% | 1.44% |
(1) | ‘‘Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses’’ are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund’s financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund. |
(2) | The Fund’s Advisor, Shelton Capital Management, has contractually agreed to reimburse expenses incurred by the Fund to the extent that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, certain compliance costs, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation or merger and reorganization expenses, for example) exceed 1.17% and 1.42% until May 1, 2019. This agreement may only be terminated with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Fund. Shelton may be reimbursed for any foregone advisory fees or unreimbursed expenses within three fiscal years following a particular reduction or expense, but only to the extent the reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed applicable expense limits, and the effect of the reimbursement is measured after all ordinary operating expenses are calculated. Any such reimbursement is subject to the review and approval of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. |
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Example of Expenses
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. This example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | |
RENIX | $119 | $570 | $1,048 | $2,367 |
RENTX | $145 | $646 | $1,175 | $2,624 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example of Expenses, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 41% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund’s principal investment strategies described in this Prospectus are the strategies that the Advisor believes are most likely to be important in achieving the Fund’s investment objective.
The Advisor intends to allocate the Fund’s assets among real estate securities that, in the view of the Advisor, represent attractive investment opportunities. The Advisor evaluates securities based primarily on the relative attractiveness of income and secondarily considers the potential for capital appreciation. The Advisor seeks to allocate the Fund’s assets such that the Fund may benefit from the performance of various sectors of the real estate market. In selecting securities for investment, the Advisor assesses the likely risks and returns of the different alternative investment opportunities and evaluates the potential correlation among the investments under consideration. The Advisor generally seeks to invest in securities for which the expected risk-adjusted yields are determined to be attractive and are likely to have low correlations among each other and with the broader securities markets. When determining an asset
allocation, the Advisor may utilize fundamental, technical and other related methodologies to determine the intrinsic value of an underlying security. The Advisor may strategically rebalance its investment strategies according to the current market conditions, but will remain true to its fundamental analysis with respect to real estate asset class diversification across sector risk over time. The Advisor manages investments with a long-term view while being mindful of the historical context of the markets. The Advisor plans to sell a security if, in the judgment of the portfolio managers, the security’s income potential has been compromised, an issuer’s fundamentals have deteriorated or may deteriorate or a more attractive investment opportunity is identified.
Real Estate Securities. The Fund concentrates its investments in real estate securities. For purposes of the Fund’s investment policies, a ‘‘real estate security’’ is a security issued by a real estate company, which the Fund considers to be a company that either:
● | derives at least 50% of its revenues from the ownership, construction, financing, management or sale of commercial, industrial or residential real estate and land; or |
● | has at least 50% of its assets invested in such real estate. |
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The Fund invests substantially all (and under normal market conditions, at least 80%) of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in income producing real estate securities, including securities issued by real estate investment trusts (REITs).
The securities in which the Fund invests consist of:
● | REITs |
● | common stocks |
● | rights or warrants to purchase common stocks |
● | foreign securities |
● | depositary receipts |
● | securities convertible into common stocks where the conversion feature represents, in the Advisor’s view, a significant element of the securities’ value |
● | preferred stocks |
● | corporate debt obligations, including high-yield debt securities (commonly referred to as ‘‘junk’’ bonds) |
● | Commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) |
The Fund may invest in securities across all market capitalization ranges. Although the Advisor anticipates that the Fund will invest a substantial portion of its assets in equity securities, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its net assets in debt securities of any maturity, duration or credit rating.
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.
Principal Investment Risks
You could lose money by investing in the Fund, and the Fund could underperform other investments. You should expect the Fund’s share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund’s performance could be hurt by:
Convertible Securities Risk. Investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than investments in an issuer’s common stock because convertible securities rank senior to common stock in an issuer’s capital structure. The extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large part upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed-income security. Convertible securities are subordinate in rank to any senior debt obligations of an issuer, and, therefore, entail more risk than the issuer’s debt obligations. Convertible securities generally offer lower interest than non-convertible debt securities of similar credit quality due to the potential for capital appreciation and are often lower-rated securities.
Credit Risk. An issuer or guarantor of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make scheduled payments of interest and principal. Actual or perceived deterioration in an issuer’s or guarantor’s financial condition may affect a security’s value.
Debt Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in debt securities, the value of the Fund’s investment will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of debt securities. In general, the market price of debt securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default) and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment, possibly causing the Fund’s share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments.
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Economic and Political Risks. These effects may be short-term by causing a change in the market that is corrected in a year or less, or they may have long-term impacts which may cause changes in the market that may last for many years. Some factors may affect changes in one sector of the economy or one stock, but don’t have an impact on the overall market. The particular sector of the economy or the individual stock may be affected for a short or long-term.
Equity Risk. Equity securities can be volatile and may decline in value because of changes in the actual or perceived financial condition of their issuers or other events affecting their issuers. The Fund’s target index may, at times, become focused in stocks of a particular sector, category or group of companies, which could cause Fund to underperform the overall stock market.
High-Yield (‘‘Junk’’) Bond Risk. Compared to higher quality debt securities, high-yield bonds (commonly referred to as ‘‘junk’’ bonds) involve a greater risk of default or price changes due to changes in the credit quality of the issuer because they are generally unsecured and may be subordinated to other creditors’ claims. The values of junk bonds often fluctuate more in response to company, political, regulatory or economic developments than higher quality bonds. Their values can decline significantly over short periods of time or during periods of economic difficulty when the bonds could be difficult to value or sell at a fair price. Credit ratings on junk bonds do not necessarily reflect their actual market value.
Large Shareholder Risk. To the extent that shares of the Fund are held by large shareholders, the Fund is subject to the risk that these shareholders will redeem Fund shares in large amounts. These transactions could adversely affect the Fund if it is forced to sell portfolio securities to raise the cash that is necessary to satisfy shareholder redemption requests. This risk is particularly pronounced when one shareholder owns a substantial portion of the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. The Fund may not be able to purchase or sell a security in a timely manner or at desired prices or achieve its desired weighting in a security. Liquidity risk may result from the lack of an active market or a reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed income securities, and may be magnified under circumstances that cause increased supply in the market due to unusually high selling activity.
Manager Risk. Shelton Capital Management’s opinion about the intrinsic worth or creditworthiness of a company or security may be incorrect or the market may continue to undervalue the company or security. Shelton Capital Management may not make timely purchases or sales of securities for the Fund.
Market Exposure Risk. Investment prices may increase or decrease, sometimes suddenly and unpredictably, due to general market conditions. The Fund is primarily invested in the U.S. stock markets. As with any investment whose performance is linked to these markets, the value of an investment in the Fund will change. During a declining stock market, investment in this Fund would lose money.
Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Mortgage-backed securities are subject to prepayment or call risk (i.e., the risks that the borrower’s payments may be received earlier or later than expected due to changes in prepayment rates on underlying loans. Faster prepayments often happen when interest rates are falling. As a result, a Fund may reinvest these early payments at lower interest rates, thereby reducing the Fund’s income. Conversely, when interest rates rise, prepayments may happen more slowly, causing the security to lengthen in duration. Longer duration securities tend to be more volatile. Securities may be prepaid at a price less than the original purchase value. An unexpectedly high rate of defaults on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may adversely affect the value of mortgage-backed securities and could result in losses to a Fund. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of mortgage pools that include subprime mortgages. Subprime mortgages refer to loans made to borrowers with weakened credit histories or with lower capacity to make timely payments on their mortgages. Many of the risks of investing in CMBS reflect the risks of investing in the real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans. These risks reflect the effects of local and other economic conditions on real estate markets, the ability of tenants to make loan payments and the ability of a property to attract and retain tenants. CMBS may be less liquid and exhibit greater price volatility than other types of mortgage- or asset-backed securities.
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Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as a non-diversified management investment company under the 1940 Act. This means that the Fund may invest a greater portion of its assets in a limited number of issuers than would be the case if the Fund were classified as a diversified management investment company. The value of a specific security can perform differently from the market as a whole for reasons related to the issuer, such as operational performance, financial leverage and investment-level performance. The value of the Fund may decrease in response to the activities and financial prospects of an individual security in the Fund’s portfolio. Additionally, the Fund may be subject to greater risk, because the Fund’s performance may be more sensitive to any single economic, business, political or regulatory occurrence than the value of shares of a diversified investment company.
Non-U.S. currency risk. Non-U.S. currencies may decline relative to the U.S. dollar, which reduces the unhedged value of securities denominated in or otherwise exposed to those currencies. Shelton Capital Management may not be able to determine accurately the extent to which a security or its issuer is exposed to currency risk.
Non-U.S. investment risk. Securities of non-U.S. issuers (including ADRs and other securities that represent interests in a non-U.S. issuer’s securities) may be less liquid, more volatile, and harder to value than U.S. securities. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to political, economic, or market instability, or unfavorable government action in their local jurisdictions or economic sanctions or other restrictions imposed by U.S. or foreign regulators. There may be less information publicly available about non-U.S. issuers and their securities and those issuers may be subject to lower levels of government regulation and oversight. These risks may be higher when investing in emerging market issuers. Certain of these elevated risks may also apply to securities of U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations.
Preferred Stock Risk. There are various risks associated with investing in preferred stock, including credit risk, liquidity risk, interest rate risk, deferral and omission of distributions, subordination to bonds and other debt securities in a company’s capital structure, limited liquidity, limited voting rights and special redemption rights.
Real Estate Industry Concentration Risk. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in real estate securities, the Fund’s portfolio is significantly impacted by the performance of the real estate market generally, and the Fund may be exposed to greater risk and experience higher volatility than would a more diversified portfolio. The value of investments in the real estate industry may go through cycles of relative under-performance and over-performance in comparison to the broader securities markets. The value of the Fund’s shares will be affected by factors generally affecting the real estate industry, including, among others: changes in general economic and market conditions; falling property values; declining rents; risks related to local economic conditions, overbuilding, development and increased competition; increases in property taxes and operating expenses; changes in local laws or regulations; casualty and condemnation losses; variations in rental income, neighborhood values and the appeal of property to tenants; the availability of financing; and changes in interest rates. The value of real estate companies also may drop because of poor management or the failure of borrowers to pay their loans, and residential developers, in particular, could be negatively impacted by falling home prices, slower mortgage origination and rising construction costs.
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Rights and Warrants Risk. Investments in warrants involve certain risks, including the possible lack of a liquid market for the resale of the warrants, and potential price fluctuations due to adverse market conditions or other factors. In addition, changes in a warrant’s value do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security and the price of the warrant may be more volatile that the price of its underlying security. If a right or warrant is not exercised within a specified time period, it becomes worthless.
Bar Chart and Performance Table
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows calendar year returns and the average annual total return table indicates risk by illustrating how much returns can differ from one year to the next and how fund performance compares with that of a comparable market index. These figures assume that all distributions are reinvested. The Fund’s performance will fluctuate, and past performance (before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Updated performance information may be obtained on our website www.sheltoncap.com or by calling (800) 955-9988.
Best Quarter: 9.78% (Q1, 2014)
Worst Quarter: -5.61% (Q2, 2015)
Year to date performance as of 12/31/17: 3.72%
Date of inception: 06/07/2013
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Average Annual Return (for the period ended 12/31/17) Real Estate Income Fund (Institutional Class- RENIX) |
1 year | Period from Inception |
Return Before Taxes | 3.72% | 7.03% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 2.24% | 3.60% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 2.09% | 4.21% |
S&P U.S. REIT Index | -4.72% | 5.59% |
It is not possible for individuals to invest directly in an index. Performance figures for an index do not reflect deductions for sales charges, commissions, expenses or taxes.
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Fund Management
Shelton Capital Management serves as the investment advisor to the Fund. Mr. William Mock has served as a member of the portfolio management team since April 2018.
Other Important Information about Fund Shares
For important information about purchase and sale of Fund shares, tax information, and payments to financial intermediaries please turn to the “Summary of Other Important Information About Fund Shares” section on page 18 of this prospectus.
SHELTON TACTICAL CREDIT FUND Ticker Symbols: DEBIX and DEBTX
Investment Objective
The Fund’s investment objective is to seek current income and capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay when you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The table and example do not reflect any transaction fees that may be charged by financial intermediaries or commissions that a shareholder may be required to pay directly to its financial intermediary when buying or selling shares.
Shareholder Fees (fee paid directly from your investment) | DEBIX | DEBTX |
Sales and redemption charges | none | none |
Annual Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||
Management fees | 1.17% | 1.17% |
Distribution (12b-1) fees | none | 0.25% |
Other expenses | 0.50% | 0.50% |
Total annual operating expenses | 1.67% | 1.92% |
Expense Reimbursement(2) | (0.25)% | (0.25)% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement | 1.42% | 1.67% |
(1) | ‘‘Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses’’ are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund’s financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund. |
(2) | The Fund’s Advisor, Shelton Capital Management, has contractually agreed to reimburse expenses incurred by the Fund to the extent that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, certain compliance costs, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation or merger and reorganization expenses, for example) exceed 1.42% and 1.67% until May 1, 2019. This agreement may only be terminated with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Fund. Shelton may be reimbursed for any foregone advisory fees or unreimbursed expenses within three fiscal years following a particular reduction or expense, but only to the extent the reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed applicable expense limits, and the effect of the reimbursement is measured after all ordinary operating expenses are calculated. Any such reimbursement is subject to the review and approval of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. |
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Example of Expenses
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. This example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | |
DEBIX | $145 | $502 | $884 | $1,955 |
DEBTX | $170 | $579 | $1,014 | $2,223 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example of Expenses, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 239% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of the value of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in various credit-related instruments. “Credit-related instruments” are debt securities, instruments and obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. governments, non-governmental and corporate entities and issuers, and include (i) debt issued by or on behalf of states, territories, and possessions of the United States, (ii) U.S. and non-U.S. corporate bonds, notes and other debentures, (iii) securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored entities, (iv) sovereign debt, including emerging markets debt (v) zero coupon securities, (vi) collateralized debt and loan obligations, (vii) senior secured floating rate and fixed rate loans or debt, (viii) second lien or other subordinated or unsecured floating rate and fixed rate loans or debt, and (ix) derivatives with similar economic characteristics. The Fund may invest up to 100% of its net assets in any one of the categories of instruments included in the preceding sentence. The Fund may invest its total assets, including borrowings for investment purposes and proceeds from short selling, if any, without restriction in debt securities of any maturity and credit quality, including securities that are rated at the time of investment below investment grade (that is, securities rated below the Baa3/BBB- categories by nationally recognized securities rating organizations or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality by Shelton Capital Management (“Shelton” or the “Advisor”)), commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”
The Fund is managed as a total return fund, employing a “credit long/short” investment strategy. Shelton makes assessments across the fixed income markets that include analyses of asset classes, economic sectors, individual credits, and security selection in order to identify undervalued securities and overlooked market opportunities, as well as to attempt to take advantage of certain arbitrage opportunities. The Fund’s short positions may equal up to 100% of the Fund’s net asset value. The Fund may take short positions in U.S. Treasuries, treasury futures, corporate bonds, credit default and/or interest rate swaps, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), non-U.S. bonds, equities and equity-related instruments, and options. The Fund’s investment strategy involves active and frequent trading.
The Fund may also engage in borrowing for cash management purposes or for investment purposes, in order to increase its holdings of portfolio securities and/or to collateralize short sale positions.
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The Fund may use ETFs and derivatives, such as options, futures contracts, forward currency contracts and swap agreements (including, but not limited to, interest rate swaps, credit default swaps and total return swaps), both for hedging purposes and to seek investment returns consistent with the Fund’s investment objective.
Principal Risks of Investing
Risk is inherent in all investing and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. A summary description of certain principal risks of investing in the Fund is set forth below in alphabetical order. Before you decide whether to invest in the Fund, carefully consider these risk factors associated with investing in the Fund, which may cause investors to lose money. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
Asset Segregation Risk. As a series of an investment company registered with the SEC, the Fund must segregate liquid assets, or engage in other measures to “cover” open positions with respect to certain kinds of derivatives and short sales. The Fund may incur losses on derivatives and other leveraged investments (including the entire amount of the Fund’s investment in such investments) even if they are covered.
Borrowing Risk. Borrowing may exaggerate changes in the net asset value of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio. Borrowing will cost the Fund interest expense and other fees. The costs of borrowing may reduce the Fund’s return. Borrowing may cause the Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations.
Collateralized Debt Obligations Risk. Collateralized debt obligations are subject to credit, interest rate, valuation, prepayment and extension risks. These securities also are subject to risk of default on the underlying asset, particularly during periods of economic downturn.
Credit Risk. If an issuer or guarantor of a debt security held by the Fund or a counterparty to a financial contract with the Fund defaults or is downgraded or is perceived to be less creditworthy, or if the value of the assets underlying a security declines, the value of the Fund’s portfolio will typically decline. Subordinated securities are more likely to suffer a credit loss than non-subordinated securities of the same issuer and will be disproportionately affected by a default, downgrade or perceived decline in creditworthiness.
Currency Risk. The values of investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies increase or decrease as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. Dollar change. Currency conversion costs and currency fluctuations could erase investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and are affected by factors such as general economic conditions, the actions of the U.S. and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation.
Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Advisor, and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. In an extreme case, a shareholder’s ability to exchange or redeem Fund shares may be affected.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives include instruments and contracts that are based on and valued in relation to one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks, indices, or other reference obligations or measures of value. Major types of derivatives include futures, options, swaps and forward contracts. Using derivatives can have a leveraging effect and increase fund volatility. Derivatives transactions can be highly illiquid and difficult to unwind or value, and changes in the value of a derivative held by the Fund may not correlate with the value of the underlying instrument or the Fund’s other investments. Many of the risks applicable to trading the instruments underlying derivatives are also applicable to derivatives trading. However, additional risks are associated with derivatives trading that are possibly greater than the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying instruments. These additional risks include, but are not limited to, illiquidity risk, and counterparty credit risk. For derivatives that are required to be cleared by a regulated clearinghouse, other risks may arise from the Fund’s relationship with a brokerage firm through which it submits derivatives trades for clearing, including in some cases from other clearing customers of the brokerage firm.
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Emerging Market Risk. Many of the risks with respect to foreign investments are more pronounced for investments in issuers in developing or emerging market countries. Emerging market countries tend to have more government exchange controls, more volatile interest and currency exchange rates, less market regulation, and less developed economic, political and legal systems than those of more developed countries. In addition, emerging market countries may experience high levels of inflation and may have less liquid securities markets and less efficient trading and settlement systems.
ETF Risk. Investing in an ETF will provide the Fund with exposure to the securities comprising the index on which the ETF is based and will expose the Fund to risks similar to those of investing directly in those securities. Shares of ETFs typically trade on securities exchanges and may at times trade at a premium or discount to their net asset values. In addition, an ETF may not replicate exactly the performance of the benchmark index it seeks to track for a number of reasons, including transaction costs incurred by the ETF, the temporary unavailability of certain index securities in the secondary market or discrepancies between the ETF and the index with respect to the weighting of securities or the number of securities held. Investing in ETFs, which are investment companies, involves duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. The Fund will pay brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase and sale of shares of ETFs.
Extension Risk. If interest rates rise, repayments of fixed income securities may occur more slowly than anticipated by the market. This may drive the prices of these securities down because their interest rates are lower than the current interest rate and they remain outstanding longer.
Fixed Income Securities Risk. The prices of fixed income securities respond to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to changes in an issuer’s credit rating or market perceptions about the creditworthiness of an issuer. Generally fixed income securities decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall, and longer-term and lower rated securities are more volatile than shorter-term and higher rated securities.
Foreign Investment Risk. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. In addition, changes in exchange rates and interest rates may adversely affect the values of the Fund’s foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. Foreign securities include American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”) and Global Depository Receipts (“GDRs”). Unsponsored ADRs and GDRs are organized independently and without the cooperation of the foreign issuer of the underlying securities, and involve additional risks because U.S. reporting requirements do not apply. In addition, the issuing bank may deduct shareholder distribution, custody, foreign currency exchange, and other fees from the payment of dividends.
Foreign Sovereign Risk. Foreign governments rely on taxes and other revenue sources to pay interest and principal on their debt obligations. The payment of principal and interest on these obligations may be adversely affected by a variety of factors, including economic results within the foreign country, changes in interest and exchange rates, changes in debt ratings, changing political sentiments, legislation, policy changes, a limited tax base or limited revenue sources, natural disasters, or other economic or credit problems.
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High Yield (“Junk”) Bond Risk. High yield bonds are debt securities rated below investment grade (often called “junk bonds”). Junk bonds are speculative, involve greater risks of default, downgrade, or price declines and are more volatile and tend to be less liquid than investment-grade securities. Companies issuing high yield bonds are less financially strong, are more likely to encounter financial difficulties, and are more vulnerable to adverse market events and negative sentiments than companies with higher credit ratings.
Interest Rate Risk. Generally fixed income securities decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall, with longer-term securities being more sensitive than shorter-term securities. For example, the price of a security with a three-year duration would be expected to drop by approximately 3% in response to a 1% increase in interest rates. Generally, the longer the maturity and duration of a bond or fixed rate loan, the more sensitive it is to this risk. Falling interest rates also create the potential for a decline in the Fund’s income. Changes in governmental policy, rising inflation rates, and general economic developments, among other factors, could cause interest rates to increase and could have a substantial and immediate effect on the values of the Fund’s investments. These risks are greater during periods of rising inflation. In addition, a potential rise in interest rates may result in periods of volatility and increased redemptions that might require the Fund to liquidate portfolio securities at disadvantageous prices and times.
Leveraging Risk. Certain Fund transactions, including entering into futures contracts and taking short positions in financial instruments, may give rise to a form of leverage. Leverage can magnify the effects of changes in the value of the Fund’s investments and make the Fund more volatile. Leverage creates a risk of loss of value on a larger pool of assets than the Fund would otherwise have had, potentially resulting in the loss of all assets. The Fund may also have to sell assets at inopportune times to satisfy its obligations in connection with such transactions.
Liquidity Risk. The Fund may not be able to sell some or all of the investments that it holds due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors such as market turmoil, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss. In addition, the reduction in dealer market-making capacity in the fixed income markets that has occurred in recent years has the potential to decrease the liquidity of the Fund’s investments. Illiquid assets may also be difficult to value.
Management and Strategy Risk. The value of your investment depends on the judgment of the Fund’s Advisor about the quality, relative yield, value or market trends affecting a particular security, industry, sector or region, which may prove to be incorrect.
Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic or political conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry.
Municipal Bond Risk. Interest rates on tax-exempt municipal bonds are generally lower than taxable bonds, and the return on investment in the Fund may be lower than an investment in another fund that does not invest in tax-exempt municipal obligations. Changes or proposed changes in federal tax laws could impact the value of the debt securities of municipal issuers that the Fund may purchase. Also, the failure or possible failure of such debt issuances to qualify for tax-exempt treatment may cause the prices of such municipal securities to decline, possibly adversely affecting the value of the Fund’s portfolio, and such a failure could also result in additional taxable income to the Fund and its shareholders. The value of municipal securities can also be adversely affected by changes in the financial condition of one or more individual municipal issuers or credit enhancement providers for municipal issuers, regulatory and political developments, legislative actions, and by uncertainties and public perceptions concerning these and other factors. Financial difficulties impacting certain municipal issuers could result in an increasing number of defaults on obligations by municipal issuers.
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Prepayment or Call Risk. Many issuers have a right to prepay their securities. If interest rates fall, an issuer may exercise this right. If this happens, the Fund will be forced to reinvest prepayment proceeds at a time when yields on securities available in the market are lower than the yield on the prepaid security. The Fund may also lose any premium it paid on the security.
Puerto Rico Debt Risk. As a result of the Fund’s investment in Puerto Rico municipal securities, the Fund will be exposed to political, economic and statutory developments affecting the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Events, including economic and political policy changes, tax base erosion, territory constitutional limits on tax increases, budget deficits and other financial difficulties and changes in the credit ratings assigned to Puerto Rico’s municipal issuers, are likely to affect the value of such investments. Puerto Rico’s operating budget has been structurally unbalanced for the past decades and the government has relied on deficit financing for annual operations. Certain issuers of Puerto Rico municipal securities have failed to make payments on obligations that have come due, and additional missed payments and defaults may occur in the future. As a result of the defaults and challenging economic environment, credit rating firms have downgraded certain securities issued by Puerto Rico and its agencies to below investment grade. In May 2017, Puerto Rico filed for Title III (bankruptcy) under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, which provides Puerto Rico with a path for restructuring its debt following a process based on the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The outcome of this debt restructuring and any potential future restructuring is uncertain. Puerto Rico’s continued financial difficulties, which were compounded by the damage caused by Hurricane Maria in September 2017, could reduce its ability to access financial markets, potentially increasing the likelihood of further restructuring or additional defaults for Puerto Rico municipal securities, which that may affect the Fund’s investments and its performance.
Short Sales Risk. In connection with a short sale of a security or other instrument, the Fund is subject to the risk that instead of declining, the price of the security or other instrument sold short will rise. If the price of the security or other instrument sold short increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the security or other instrument borrowed to make the short sale, the Fund will experience a loss, which is theoretically unlimited since there is a theoretically unlimited potential for the market price of a security or other instrument sold short to increase. Shorting options or futures may have an imperfect correlation to the assets held by the Fund and may not adequately protect against losses in or may result in greater losses for the Fund’s portfolio.
Bar Chart and Performance Table
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows calendar year returns and the average annual total return table indicates risk by illustrating how much returns can differ from one year to the next and how fund performance compares with that of a comparable market index. These figures assume that all distributions are reinvested. The Fund’s performance will fluctuate, and past performance (before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Updated performance information may be obtained on our website www.sheltoncap.com or by calling (800) 955-9988.
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Best Quarter: 4.41% (Q3, 2016)
Worst Quarter: -1.50% (Q3, 2015)
Year to date performance as of 12/31/17: 3.34%
Date of inception: 12/15/2014
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Average Annual Return (for the period ended 12/31/17) Shelton Tactical Credit Fund (Institutional Class – DEBIX) |
1 year |
Period From Inception |
Return Before Taxes | 3.34% | 6.46% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 0.83% | 4.07% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 1.87% | 3.87% |
Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index1 | 1.20% | 1.64% |
It is not possible for individuals to invest directly in an index. Performance figures for an index do not reflect deductions for sales charges, commissions, expenses or taxes.
Fund Management
Shelton Capital Management serves as the investment advisor to the Fund. The portfolio management team is comprised of William Mock, who has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since March 2017, and effective February 4, 2019, additionally includes Alan E. Hart, Guy J. Benstead, Jeffrey A. Rosenkranz, and David S. Falk, each of whom is a portfolio manager.
Other Important Information about Fund Shares
For important information about purchase and sale of Fund shares, tax information, and payments to financial intermediaries please turn to the “Summary of Other Important Information About Fund Shares” section on page 18 of this prospectus.
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SHELTON INTERNATIONAL SELECT EQUITY FUND Ticker Symbols: SISEX and SISLX
Investment Objective
The Fund seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay when you buy and hold shares of the Fund. The table and example do not reflect any transaction fees that may be charged by financial intermediaries or commissions that a shareholder may be required to pay directly to its financial intermediary when buying or selling shares.
Shareholder Fees (fee paid directly from your investment) | SISEX | SISLX |
Sales and redemption charges | none | none |
Annual Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | ||
Management fees | 0.74% | 0.74% |
Distribution (12b-1) fees | none | 0.25% |
Other expenses | 0.61% | 0.61% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expense | 1.35% | 1.60% |
Expense Reimbursement(1) | (0.36)% | (0.36)% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement | 0.99% | 1.24% |
1 | The Fund’s Advisor, Shelton Capital Management, has contractually agreed to reimburse expenses incurred by the Fund to the extent that total annual fund operating expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, certain compliance costs, and extraordinary expenses such as litigation or merger and reorganization expenses, for example) exceed 0.99% and 1.24% until May 1, 2019. This agreement may only be terminated with the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Fund. Shelton may be reimbursed for any foregone advisory fees or unreimbursed expenses within three fiscal years following a particular reduction or expense, but only to the extent the reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed applicable expense limits, and the effect of the reimbursement is measured after all ordinary operating expenses are calculated. Any such reimbursement is subject to the review and approval of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. |
Example of Expenses
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. This example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | |
SISLX | $126 | $470 | $837 | $1,870 |
SISEX | $101 | $392 | $705 | $1,593 |
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Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 24% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund primarily invests, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in a combination of equity securities of foreign (i.e., non-U.S.) companies with a suitable potential for earnings growth. The Fund invests its assets in equity securities of non-U.S. companies located in countries with developed markets, but may also invest in companies domiciled in emerging markets.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a universe of stocks listed within the MSCI ACWI ex USA index, as well as those in other developed, emerging, and frontier markets with a market capitalization of $2.5 billion or higher. The Advisor anticipates that the percentage of the Fund’s investable universe not included in the MSCI ACWI ex USA index will be approximately 20%. The Fund ordinarily invests in no fewer than three different countries outside the U.S. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 40% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of non-U.S. companies. However, the Fund may invest a lesser amount of its assets in securities of non-U.S. companies when market conditions are not deemed favorable, in which case the Fund would invest at least 30% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of non-U.S. companies. The Fund will normally invest in the securities of approximately 30 to 50 issuers.
The Fund’s investments in equity securities may include common and preferred stock, convertible preferred stock, warrants and rights. The Advisor implements its investment strategy by first using a proprietary global “life-cycle” screen to narrow the Fund’s investable universe. The Advisor then uses a fundamental, “bottom-up” research selection and disciplined portfolio construction process which is focused on identifying stocks that the Advisor believes have the ability to generate sustainable returns, regardless of sector or country.
The Advisor’s “life-cycle” screen classifies companies according to one of the following five categories:
● | Innovation: Companies characterized as having high level of capital investment and below the cost of capital returns. |
● | Expansion: Companies characterized by aggressive investment to compound their high and rising returns, achieving a peak in both growth and cash flow returns. |
● | Deceleration: Companies characterized as having very high returns, combined with good, but slowing growth prospects. |
● | Maturity: Companies characterized as earning a small positive spread above the cost of capital. |
● | Distress: Companies characterized as having returns driven down below the cost of capital. |
The Advisor’s investment team actively invests across all five categories of the “life-cycle,” building a diversified portfolio of high-growth, high-return, income-oriented and distressed investments. In managing the portfolio, the investment team seeks to balance the portfolio’s risk and return by maximizing stock specific risk (risk from security selection) while at the same time minimizing systematic factor risks (which includes, but is not limited to, sector selection, country selection, currency management).
The Fund may engage in frequent and active trading of securities as a part of its principal investment strategy. The Advisor will sell or reallocate a Fund’s securities if the Advisor believes the issuer of such securities no longer meets certain growth criteria, if certain political and economic events occur, or if it believes that more attractive opportunities are available. The team strives to preserve capital as part of its investment process.
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Principal Risks of Investing
You could lose money by investing in the Fund, and the Fund could underperform other investments. You should expect the Fund’s share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range. The Fund’s performance could be hurt by:
Economic and Political Risks. These effects may be short-term by causing a change in the global markets that is corrected in a year or less, or they may have long-term impacts which may cause changes in the markets that may last for many years. In any given country, some factors may affect changes in one sector of the economy or one stock, but don’t have an impact on the overall market. The particular sector of the economy or the individual stock may be affected for a short or long-term.
Emerging markets risk. Emerging market securities may present issuer, market, currency, liquidity, volatility, valuation, legal, political, and other risks different from, and potentially greater than, the risks of investing in securities of issuers in more developed market.
Equity Risk. Equity securities can be volatile and may decline in value because of changes in the actual or perceived financial condition of their issuers or other events affecting their issuers. The Fund’s target index may, at times, become focused in stocks of a particular sector, category or group of companies, which could cause Fund to underperform the overall stock market.
Manager Risk. Shelton Capital Management’s opinion about the intrinsic worth or creditworthiness of a company or security may be incorrect or the market may continue to undervalue the company or security. Shelton Capital Management may not make timely purchases or sales of securities for the Fund.
Market Exposure Risk. Investment prices may increase or decrease, sometimes suddenly and unpredictably, due to general market conditions. The Fund invests in stock markets primarily outside the U.S. As with any investment whose performance is linked to these markets, the value of an investment in the Fund will change. During a declining stock market, investment in this Fund would lose money.
MidCap Stock Risk. The risk that stocks of relatively smaller capitalization within the midcap range of companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies. Relatively smaller capitalization companies may have limited product lines or financial resources, or may be dependent upon a small or inexperienced management group, and their securities may trade less frequently and in lower volume than the securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater the risk.
Non-U.S. currency risk. Non-U.S. currencies may decline relative to the U.S. dollar, which reduces the unhedged value of securities denominated in or otherwise exposed to those currencies. Shelton Capital Management may not be able to determine accurately the extent to which a security or its issuer is exposed to currency risk.
Non-U.S. investment risk. Securities of non-U.S. issuers (including ADRs and other securities that represent interests in a non-U.S. issuer’s securities) may be less liquid, more volatile, and harder to value than U.S. securities. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to political, economic, or market instability, or unfavorable government action in their local jurisdictions or economic sanctions or other restrictions imposed by U.S. or foreign regulators. There may be less information publicly available about non-U.S. issuers and their securities and those issuers may be subject to lower levels of government regulation and oversight. These risks may be higher when investing in emerging market issuers. Certain of these elevated risks may also apply to securities of U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations.
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Portfolio Turnover Risk: The risk that high portfolio turnover is likely to lead to increased Fund expenses that may result in lower investment returns. High portfolio turnover also is likely to result in higher short-term capital gains taxable to shareholders.
SmallCap Stock Risk. The risk that stocks of smaller capitalization companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies. Small capitalization companies may have limited product lines or financial resources, or may be dependent upon a small or inexperienced management group, and their securities may trade less frequently and in lower volume than the securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater the risk.
Valuation Risk: The risk that the Fund has valued certain of its securities at a higher price than it can sell them.
Bar Chart and Performance Table
The following bar chart and table are intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows calendar year returns and the average annual total return table indicates risk by illustrating how much returns can differ from one year to the next and how fund performance compares with that of a comparable market index. These figures assume that all distributions are reinvested. The Fund’s performance will fluctuate, and past performance (before and after taxes) is no guarantee of future results. Updated performance information may be obtained on our website www.sheltoncap.com or by calling (800) 955-9988.
Best Quarter: 9.88% (Q1, 2017)
Worst Quarter: -1.52% (Q4, 2016)
Year to date performance as of 12/31/17: 34.94%
Date of inception: 07/18/20161
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1 | Shelton Capital Management became the investment advisor to the predecessor fund of the Fund on July 18, 2016. The predecessor fund was reorganized into the Fund on July 28, 2017. The investment objective, strategy, risks and policies of the predecessor fund during the period July 18, 2016 to July 28, 2017 were identical to those of the Fund. |
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Average
Annual Return (for the period ended 12/31/17) Shelton International Select Equity Fund (Institutional Class- SISEX) |
1 year | Period
From Inception |
Return Before Taxes | 35.30% | 23.32% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions | 33.79% | 21.98% |
Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | 19.73% | 17.45% |
S&P/Citigroup Value Index | 16.53% | 15.91% |
MSCI ACWI Ex USA (NET) Index1 | 27.19% | 19.82% |
It is not possible for individuals to invest directly in an index. Performance figures for an index do not reflect deductions for sales charges, commissions, expenses or taxes.
1 | The MSCI ACWI Ex USA Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure developed and developing market equity performance, excluding the U.S. MSCI, Inc. publishes two versions of this Index reflecting the reinvestment of dividends using two different methodologies: gross dividends and net dividends. While both versions reflect reinvested dividends, they differ with respect to the manner in which taxes associated with dividend payments are treated. In calculating the gross dividends version, MSCI reinvests as much as possible of a company’s dividend distributions. The reinvested amount is equal to the total dividend amount distributed to persons residing in the country of the dividend-paying company. Gross total return indexes do not, however, include any tax credits. In calculating the net dividends version, MSCI incorporates reinvested dividends applying the withholding tax rate applicable to foreign non-resident institutional investors that do not benefit from double taxation treaties. |
Fund Management
Shelton Capital Management serves as the investment advisor to the Fund. Mr. Andrew Manton has served as member of the portfolio management team since the Fund’s inception, and as the lead portfolio manager since May 2018.
Other Important Information about Fund Shares
For important information about purchase and sale of Fund shares, tax information, and payments to financial intermediaries please turn to the “Summary of Other Important Information About Fund Shares” section on page 18 of this prospectus.
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Summary of Other Important Information About Fund Shares
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Each Fund’s initial and subsequent investment minimums are as follows:
Minimum Initial Investment | Minimum Subsequent Investment | |
Accounts with Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”) | $500 | $100 |
All other accounts | $1,000 | $100 |
You may redeem all or a portion of your shares on any business day that a Fund is open for business by mail, telephone or our website (www.sheltoncap.com).You may receive the redemption by wire, electronic funds transfer or check. The sale price of your shares will be the Fund’s next determined net asset value after the Fund’s transfer agent, or an authorized agent or sub-agent receives all required documents in good order as further described below. If you have questions or need assistance, you may call client services for SCM Trust at (800) 955-9988 during normal business hours (generally 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time).
Tax Information. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund’s distributions of earnings are taxable and will be taxed as ordinary income, capital gains or qualified dividend income taxable to noncorporate shareholders at federal rates applicable to long-term capital gains. If you invest through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, special tax rules will apply.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and other Financial Intermediaries If you purchase a Fund through an employee benefit plan, the Fund, Shelton Capital Management or related entities may make payments to the recordkeeper, broker/ dealer, bank, or other financial institution or organization (each a “financial intermediary”) that provides shareholder recordkeeping or other administrative services to the plan as compensation for those services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your Financial Intermediary to make available a Fund over other mutual funds or investments. You should ask your financial intermediary about differing and divergent interests and how it is compensated for administering your Fund investment.
Investment Objectives and Principal Strategies
Shelton BDC Income Fund – The Fund invests substantially all (and under normal market conditions, at least 80%) of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in common stocks and other equity securities of business development companies (‘‘BDCs’’) that are traded on one or more nationally recognized securities exchanges.
The equity securities in which the Fund may invest consist of:
● | common stocks |
● | securities convertible into common stocks |
● | preferred stocks |
In addition, although the Fund typically invests in equity securities, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in debt securities of BDCs and other issuers of any maturity, duration or credit rating.
BDCs are publicly-held, closed-end investment funds that are regulated by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the ‘‘1940 Act’’). BDCs primarily lend to or invest in private or thinly-traded companies. They also offer managerial assistance to the companies in which they invest. BDCs must adhere to various substantive regulatory requirements under the 1940 Act. For example, the 1940 Act restricts the types of assets in which a BDC may invest (i.e., at least 70% of the BDC’s total assets must be ‘‘qualifying assets,’’ as defined in the 1940 Act). The 1940 Act also regulates how BDCs employ ‘‘leverage’’ (i.e., how BDCs use borrowed funds to make investments). Because the 1940 Act applies unique ‘‘coverage ratio’’ tests to BDCs, BDCs may incur more debt than other regulated closed-end investment companies. Specifically, on one hand, the total assets of a closed-end investment company (other than a BDC) must exceed the fund’s outstanding debt by at least 300%. On the other hand, the total assets of a BDC must exceed the BDC’s outstanding debt by only 200%, thereby allowing a BDC to employ more leverage than other regulated closed-end investment companies. Leverage magnifies the potential for gain and loss on amounts invested and, as a result, increases the risks associated with the securities of leveraged companies.
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The Advisor evaluates equity securities primarily on the BDC’s or other issuer’s ability to sustain its current dividend and secondarily considers the potential for capital appreciation. The Advisor intends to allocate the Fund’s assets among BDCs that, in its view, are paying attractive rates of distribution and appear capable of sustaining that distribution level over time. The Advisor incorporates into its assessment, among other factors, dividend yield, price to book, financial operations, portfolio of investments and management quality. The Advisor will also consider the amount of leverage employed by a BDC or other issuer before deciding to invest in its securities. In selecting securities for investment, the Advisor generally seeks to invest in securities with relatively high distribution rates, and that it believes will continue to pay distributions at those rates for the foreseeable future. Distributions from such securities may consist of income, capital gains and/or return of capital and cannot be guaranteed to continue.
When selecting securities for the Fund, the Advisor may utilize fundamental, technical and other related methodologies to determine the intrinsic value of a security. Examples of fundamental methodologies include consideration of a stock’s financials, economic factors that might impact the stock, and the qualitative and quantitative factors. Technical methodologies generally refer to the consideration of past market data, primarily using price and volume data. The Advisor expects that it will sell a security if, in the judgment of the portfolio manager, the security’s income potential has been compromised, an issuer’s fundamentals have deteriorated or may deteriorate or a more attractive investment opportunity is identified.
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.
Shelton Real Estate Income Fund – The Fund’s principal investment strategies described in this Prospectus are the strategies that the Advisor believes are most likely to be important in achieving the Fund’s investment objective.
The Advisor intends to allocate the Fund’s assets among real estate securities that, in the view of the Advisor, represent attractive investment opportunities. The Advisor evaluates securities based primarily on the relative attractiveness of income and secondarily considers the potential for capital appreciation. The Advisor seeks to allocate the Fund’s assets such that the Fund may benefit from the performance of various sectors of the real estate market. In selecting securities for investment, the Advisor assesses the likely risks and returns of the different alternative investment opportunities and evaluates the potential correlation among the investments under consideration. The Advisor generally seeks to invest in securities for which the expected risk-adjusted yields are determined to be attractive and are likely to have low correlations among each other and with the broader securities markets. When determining an asset allocation, the Advisor may utilize fundamental, technical and other related methodologies to determine the intrinsic value of an underlying security. The Advisor may strategically rebalance its investment strategies according to the current market conditions, but will remain true to its fundamental analysis with respect to real estate asset class diversification across sector risk over time. The Advisor manages investments with a long-term view while being mindful of the historical context of the markets. The Advisor plans to sell a security if, in the judgment of the portfolio managers, the security’s income potential has been compromised, an issuer’s fundamentals have deteriorated or may deteriorate or a more attractive investment opportunity is identified.
Real Estate Securities. The Fund concentrates its investments in real estate securities. For purposes of the Fund’s investment policies, a ‘‘real estate security’’ is a security issued by a real estate company, which the Fund considers to be a company that either:
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● | derives at least 50% of its revenues from the ownership, construction, financing, management or sale of commercial, industrial or residential real estate and land; or |
● | has at least 50% of its assets invested in such real estate. |
The Fund invests substantially all (and under normal market conditions, at least 80%) of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in income producing real estate securities, including securities issued by REITs.
The securities in which the Fund invests consist of:
● | REITs |
● | common stocks |
● | rights or warrants to purchase common stocks |
● | foreign securities |
● | depositary receipts |
● | securities convertible into common stocks where the conversion feature represents, in the Advisor’s view, a significant element of the securities’ value |
● | preferred stocks |
● | corporate debt obligations, including high-yield debt securities (commonly referred to as ‘‘junk’’ bonds) |
● | CMBS |
The Fund may invest in securities across all market capitalization ranges. Although the Advisor anticipates that the Fund will invest a substantial portion of its assets in equity securities, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its net assets in debt securities of any maturity, duration or credit rating.
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.
REITs. The Fund invests in both equity and debt securities, and invests to a substantial degree in securities issued by REITs. REITs are pooled investment vehicles that own interests in real estate, real-estate related loans or similar interests, and their revenue primarily consists of rent derived from owned, income-producing real estate properties and capital gains from the sale of such properties. REITs can be classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest primarily in real property and earn rental income from leasing those properties. They may also realize gains or losses from the sale of such properties. Mortgage REITs invest primarily in mortgages and similar real estate interests and receive interest payments from the owners of the mortgaged properties. Hybrid REITs invest both in real property and in mortgages. A majority of the REITs in which the Fund invests are generally considered by the Advisor to be medium- or small-capitalization companies.
Distributions received by the Fund from REITs may consist of dividends, capital gains and/or return of capital. A REIT organized in the U.S. is generally not taxed on income distributed to shareholders so long as it meets certain tax-related requirements, including the requirement that it distribute substantially all of its taxable income to its shareholders (other than net capital gains for each taxable year). Foreign REITs and REIT-like entities are organized outside of the U.S., but similarly operate and receive similar tax treatment. As REITs generally pay a higher rate of dividends than most operating companies, to the extent application of the Fund’s investment strategy results in the Fund investing in REIT shares, the percentage of the Fund’s dividend income received from REIT shares will likely exceed the percentage of the Fund’s portfolio that is comprised of REIT shares.
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Preferred Stocks. The Fund may invest in preferred stocks. Preferred stock is a security that pays dividends at a specified rate and generally has a preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. This means that an issuer must generally pay dividends on its preferred stock prior to paying dividends on its common stock. In addition, in the event a company is liquidated, preferred shareholders generally must be fully repaid on their investments before common shareholders can receive any money from the company. Preferred shareholders, however, usually have no right to vote for a company’s directors or on other corporate matters. Preferred stock pays a fixed stream of income to investors, and this income stream is a primary source of the long-term investment return on preferred stocks. Preferred stock shares many investment characteristics with debt securities.
Convertible Securities. A convertible security shares features of both equity and debt securities. A convertible security is generally a debt security or preferred stock that may be converted within a specified period of time into common stock of the same or a different issuer. By investing in convertible securities, the Fund seeks the opportunity to participate in the capital appreciation of the underlying security, while at the same time relying on the fixed income aspect of the convertible securities to provide current income and reduced price volatility, which can limit the risk of loss in a down equity market.
Rights and Warrants. Warrants give the Fund the right to buy stock. The warrant specifies the amount of underlying stock, the purchase (or exercise) price and the date the warrant expires. Rights are similar to warrants, but normally have a shorter duration and are distributed directly by the issuer to its shareholders. Rights and warrants have no voting rights, receive no dividends and have no rights with respect to the assets of the issuer.
Non-U.S. securities. The Fund may invest in real estate securities of companies that are organized or located outside of the U.S. and that invest in non-U.S. markets. The Fund considers a company that derives at least 50% of its revenue from investments outside the U.S. or that has at least 50% of its assets invested outside of the U.S. as principally invested in non-U.S. markets. The Fund considers a company to be located outside of the U.S. if it is operated, headquartered or otherwise substantially present in a country other than the U.S.
Depositary Receipts. A depositary receipt is a negotiable certificate that evidences an ownership interest in depositary shares, which, in turn, represent an interest in the shares of a non-U.S. company that has been deposited with a depositary bank. The Fund may invest in ‘‘sponsored’’ and ‘‘unsponsored’’ depositary receipts. Sponsored depositary receipts are those in which the non-U.S. company enters into an agreement directly with the depositary bank to arrange for recordkeeping, forwarding of shareholder communications, payment of dividends and other services. An unsponsored depositary receipt is set up without the cooperation of the non-U.S. company and may be initiated by a broker-dealer wishing to establish a trading market.
Debt Securities. The Fund may invest in debt securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. companies, including U.S. dollar-denominated debt obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. companies and CMBS. Such debt obligations include, among others, bonds, notes, debentures and variable rate demand notes, with the primary difference being their maturities and secured or unsecured status. Such debt securities are issued by businesses to finance their operations. The issuer pays the investor a fixed or variable rate of interest and normally must repay the amount borrowed on or before maturity.
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CMBS. The Fund may invest in convertible mortgage bonds and CMBS. CMBS are bonds that evidence interests in, or are secured by, a single commercial mortgage loan or a pool of commercial mortgage loans.
Shelton Tactical Credit Fund – The Fund’s investment objective is to seek current income and capital appreciation.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of the value of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in various credit-related instruments. The Fund will not change this investment policy unless it gives shareholders at least 60 days’ advance written notice.
The Fund is managed as a total return fund that invests primarily in a portfolio of credit-related instruments, including, but not limited to, U.S. and non-U.S. corporate bonds, notes and other debentures, municipal bonds, U.S. Treasury and Agency securities, sovereign debt, emerging markets debt, zero coupon securities, collateralized debt and loan obligations, senior secured floating rate and fixed rate loans or debt, subordinated or unsecured floating rate and fixed rate loans or debt. The Fund may also invest in derivatives both for hedging purposes and in an attempt to achieve investment returns consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives. These instruments include options, futures contracts, forward currency contracts, swap agreements (including, but not limited to, interest rate swaps, credit default swaps and total return swaps) and similar instruments.
In pursuing the Fund’s investment objective, the Advisor employs a “credit long/short” investment strategy. The Advisor makes assessments across the fixed income markets, including analyses of asset classes, economic sectors, individual credits, and security selection in order to identify undervalued securities and overlooked market opportunities, as well as to attempt to take advantage of certain arbitrage opportunities. The Fund’s short positions may equal up to 100% of the Fund’s net asset value, and it is possible that at certain times, the Fund could be approximately 100% short. The Fund may take short positions in U.S. Treasuries, treasury futures, corporate bonds, credit default and/or interest rate swaps, ETFs, non-U.S. bonds, equities and equity-related instruments, and options. The Advisor seeks to hedge the portfolio’s credit and interest rate risks by holding both long and short positions, as well as by engaging in certain hedging strategies that may include the use of interest rate swaps, credit default swaps, total return swaps, ETFs, futures and options. The Fund’s investment strategy involves active and frequent trading.
The Fund may invest in debt securities of any maturity and credit quality, including high yield bonds. The Fund may also engage in borrowing for cash management purposes or for investment purposes, in order to increase its holdings of portfolio securities and/or to collateralize short sale positions. The Fund may also invest without limit in municipal bonds, including federally tax-exempt municipal bonds.
The Advisor’s decision-making process can be best described as a top-down analysis of fundamental trends affecting the macro-economic environment and projecting the impacts on the resulting interest-rate and business-cycles. The Advisor selects asset classes within the fixed-income universe that the Advisor deems to be attractive, sectors, industries and ultimately specific credits which the Advisor favors for potential long exposures, and ones it does not favor for potential short exposures. The Advisor then analyzes specific securities with a bottom-up approach to determine the best, most opportunistic way to express these credit opinions within the Fund’s total return objective. The Advisor accesses information directly from a variety of sources, including but not limited to, the SEC’s EDGAR system, Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (“MSRB”) filed documents available on its website or Bloomberg L.P., independent third-party research, and published reports by sell side research teams. In addition, the Advisor also utilizes various other public sources of industry and market information, such as Bloomberg L.P., Dow Jones, Thomson Financial, Reuters, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the major credit rating agencies including Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch.
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The Advisor continuously focuses on both the primary new issue and secondary markets to identify both buy and sell opportunities. Transaction decisions are based on ongoing review of factors and data affecting the overall economy and general markets as well as the Fund’s investments in specific asset classes at the time. Investment decisions may be based on, among other things, credit opinions, identification of relative value opportunities, portfolio diversification objectives, observed market activities and valuations, and specific performance of individual securities and their contribution to the overall construction and performance of the portfolio.
When the Advisor believes that current market, economic, political or other conditions are unsuitable and would impair the pursuit of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash or cash equivalents, including but not limited to, obligations of the U.S. Government, money market fund shares, commercial paper, certificates of deposit and/or bankers acceptances, as well as other interest bearing or discount obligations or debt instruments that carry an investment grade rating by a national rating agency. When the Fund takes a temporary defensive position, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Shelton International Select Equity Fund – The Fund primarily invests, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in a combination of equity securities of foreign (i.e., non-U.S.) companies with a suitable potential for earnings growth. The Fund invests its assets in equity securities of non-U.S. companies located in countries with developed markets, but may also invest in companies domiciled in emerging markets.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a universe of stocks listed within the MSCI ACWI ex USA index, as well as those in other developed, emerging, and frontier markets with a market capitalization of $2.5 billion or higher. The Advisor anticipates that the percentage of the Fund’s investable universe not included in the MSCI ACWI ex USA index will be approximately 20%. The Fund ordinarily invests in no fewer than three different countries outside the U.S. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 40% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of non-U.S. companies. However, the Fund may invest a lesser amount of its assets in securities of non-U.S. companies when market conditions are not deemed favorable, in which case the Fund would invest at least 30% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities of non-U.S. companies. The Fund will normally invest in the securities of approximately 30 to 50 issuers.
The Fund’s investments in equity securities may include common and preferred stock, convertible preferred stock, warrants and rights. The Advisor implements its investment strategy by first using a proprietary global “life-cycle” screen to narrow the Fund’s investable universe. The Advisor then uses a fundamental, “bottom-up” research selection and disciplined portfolio construction process which is focused on identifying stocks that the Advisor believes have the ability to generate sustainable returns, regardless of sector or country.
The Advisor’s “life-cycle” screen classifies companies according to one of the following five categories:
● | Innovation: Companies characterized as having high level of capital investment and below the cost of capital returns. |
● | Expansion: Companies characterized by aggressive investment to compound their high and rising returns, achieving a peak in both growth and cash flow returns. |
● | Deceleration: Companies characterized as having very high returns, combined with good, but slowing growth prospects. |
● | Maturity: Companies characterized as earning a small positive spread above the cost of capital. |
● | Distress: Companies characterized as having returns driven down below the cost of capital. |
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The Advisor’s investment team actively invests across all five categories of the “life-cycle,” building a diversified portfolio of high-growth, high-return, income-oriented and distressed investments. In managing the portfolio, the investment team seeks to balance the portfolio’s risk and return by maximizing stock specific risk (risk from security selection) while at the same time minimizing systematic factor risks (which includes, but is not limited to, sector selection, country selection, currency management).
The Fund may engage in frequent and active trading of securities as a part of its principal investment strategy. The Advisor will sell or reallocate a Fund’s securities if the Advisor believes the issuer of such securities no longer meets certain growth criteria, if certain political and economic events occur, or if it believes that more attractive opportunities are available. The team strives to preserve capital as part of its investment process.
Investment Risks – Shelton BDC Fund, Shelton Real Estate Income Fund, and Shelton International Select Equity Fund
Investors should recognize that investing in securities presents certain risks that cannot be avoided. There is no assurance that the investment objectives of any Fund will be achieved. The following table summarizes some of the risks involved in investing in each of the Funds other than the Tactical Credit Fund and highlights certain differences and similarities among the Funds in their exposure to various types of risks. The table below is not a complete list of every risk involved in investing in the Funds and a Fund may have exposure to a risk factor even if it is not marked below. Investing in securities creates indirect exposure to the various business risks to which their issuers are subject, which may include sector, industry, or region-specific risks. Investments in equity securities may create indirect exposure to interest rate, credit, and currency risk. Securities of non-U.S. issuers are exposed to currency risk, even if they are denominated in U.S. dollars. Debt and equity investments in commodity-related issuers create exposure to commodity risks, which may include unpredictable changes in value, supply and demand, and government regulation. There is more information about these and other risks in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI).
Note that the Shelton BDC Income Fund and Shelton Real Estate Income Fund are subject to certain particular additional risks related to their investment strategies that are discussed in each Fund’s summary and not repeated below.
Investment risks in respect of the Shelton Tactical Credit Fund are described immediately following those for the other Funds.
Risk | RENIX | DEBIX | SISEX |
Bankruptcy Risk | x | x | x |
Concentration Risk | x | ||
Convertible Securities Risk | x | ||
Credit Risk | x | ||
Derivatives Risk | x | x | x |
Economic and Political Risks | x | x | x |
Emerging Markets Risk | x | ||
Equity Investing Risk | x | x | x |
High-Yield (‘‘Junk’’) Bond Risk | x | x | |
Income Risk | x | ||
Interest Rate Risk | x | ||
Liquidity Risk | x | x | x |
Manager Risk | x | x | x |
Market Exposure Risk | x | x | x |
MidCap Stock Risk | x | x | |
Non-U.S. Currency Risk | x | x | |
Non-U.S. Investment Risk | x | x | |
Prepayment and Extension Risk | x | ||
Regulatory Risk | x | x | x |
SmallCap Stock Risk | x | x |
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Bankruptcy Risk. The risk that an issuer seeks protection under bankruptcy laws. In such a circumstance, the principal value of the bond would be expected to decline. If a bond held by the Fund is issued by a municipality that experiences significant financial difficulty that can potentially lead to bankruptcy or default, the Fund would be expected to lose value.
Concentration Risk. If holdings of a fund are concentrated into a few companies or economic sectors, the fund may be more volatile than a more diversified fund and in the event that the holdings perform poorly, the fund may under-perform other investments that are more diversified.
Convertible Securities Risk. Investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than investments in an issuer’s common stock because convertible securities rank senior to common stock in an issuer’s capital structure. The extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large part upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed-income security. Convertible securities are subordinate in rank to any senior debt obligations of an issuer, and, therefore, entail more risk than the issuer’s debt obligations. Convertible securities generally offer lower interest than non-convertible debt securities of similar credit quality due to the potential for capital appreciation and are often lower-rated securities.
Credit Risk. The value of a debt security may decline if the market believes it is less likely that the issuer will make all payments of interest and principal as required. This could occur because of actual or perceived deterioration in the issuer’s or a guarantor’s financial condition, or in the case of asset-backed securities, the likelihood that the loans backing a security will be repaid in full. A Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a debt security becomes bankrupt or subject to a special resolution regime, or is otherwise unable or unwilling to make timely interest and/or principal payments, or honor its obligations. Securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk, which may be reflected by their ratings; however, such ratings may overestimate or underestimate the likelihood of default and may not accurately reflect the true credit risk of a security. The credit risk associated with corporate debt securities may change as the result of an event such as a large dividend payment, leveraged buyout, debt restructuring, merger, or recapitalization; such events are unpredictable and may benefit shareholders or new creditors at the expense of existing debt holders. Credit risk is likely to increase during periods of economic uncertainty or downturns. Credit risk associated with non-U.S. dollar denominated securities may increase if the value of an issuer’s home currency declines relative to the U.S. dollar. If a debt security owned by a Fund ceases to be rated or is downgraded below a permitted threshold, the Fund may (but is not required to) sell the security.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments, including futures contracts, the values of which are based on the value of one or more underlying assets, such as stocks, bonds, currencies, interest rates, and market indexes. Derivatives involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying assets and other more traditional investments. The market value of derivatives may be more volatile than that of other investments and can be affected by changes in interest rate or other market developments. The use of derivatives may accelerate the velocity of possible losses. Each type of derivative instrument may have its own special risks, including the risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the possibility that a derivative may not correlate perfectly or as expected with its underlying asset, rate, or index. Derivatives create leverage because the upfront payment required to enter into a derivative is often much smaller than the potential for loss (which may in theory be unlimited). A derivative may be subject to liquidity risk, especially during times of financial market distress; certain types of derivatives may be terminated or modified only with the consent of their counterparties. The use of derivatives may cause a Fund’s investment returns to be impacted by the performance of securities the Fund does not own. Derivatives are specialized instruments that may require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those associated with stocks and bonds. Although the use of derivatives is intended to enhance a Fund’s performance, it may instead reduce returns and increase volatility, or have a different effect than anticipated, especially in unusual or extreme market conditions. Suitable derivatives transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that a particular derivative position will be available or used by a Fund or that, if used, such strategies will be successful. Regulations may require a Fund to segregate certain of its assets or buy or sell a security at a disadvantageous time or price to maintain offsetting positions or asset coverage in connection with certain derivatives transactions. Use of derivatives may increase the amount and change the timing of taxes payable by shareholders.
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Economic and Political Risks. These risks may be short-term by causing a change in the market that is corrected in a year or less, or they may have long-term impacts which may cause changes in the market that last for many years. Some factors may affect one sector of the economy or a single stock, but may not have a significant impact on the overall market.
Emerging Markets Risk. Non-U.S. Investment Risk (described below) may be particularly high to the extent a Fund invests in emerging market securities. Emerging market securities may present issuer, market, currency, liquidity, legal, political, and other risks different from, and potentially greater than, the risks of investing in securities and instruments tied to U.S. or developed non-U.S. issuers. Emerging markets may have less established legal and accounting systems than those in more developed markets. Governments in emerging markets may be less stable and more likely to take extra-legal action with respect to companies, industries, assets, or foreign ownership than those in more developed markets. The economies of emerging markets may be dependent on relatively few industries and thus affected more severely by local or global changes. Emerging market securities may also be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to value than securities economically tied to U.S. or developed non-U.S. issuers
Equity Investing Risk. Equity securities represent an ownership interest in an issuer rather than a right to receive a specified future payment. This makes equity securities more sensitive than debt securities to changes in an issuer’s earnings and overall financial condition; as a result, equity securities are generally more volatile than debt securities. Equity securities may lose value as a result of changes relating to the issuers of those securities, such as management performance, financial leverage, or changes in the actual or anticipated earnings of a company, or as a result of actual or perceived market conditions that are not specific to an issuer. Even when the securities markets are generally performing strongly, there can be no assurance that equity securities held by a Fund will increase in value. Because the rights of all of a company’s creditors are senior to those of holders of equity securities, shareholders are least likely to receive any value if an issuer files for bankruptcy.
High-Yield (‘‘Junk’’) Bond Risk. A Fund’s high yield bonds may include distressed bonds, which may present a high risk of default or be in default at the time they are purchased. Distressed securities are speculative and involve even greater risks than other high-yield bonds, including the risk that interest payments may not be made on a current basis, or that principal will not be repaid in full. A Fund could incur significant expenses to the extent it is required to negotiate new terms with the issuer of a distressed bond or seek recovery upon a default in respect of a distressed bond. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding related to a defaulted security, a Fund could lose its entire investment or could be required to accept cash or securities with a value substantially less than its original investment. The below investment-grade securities in which a Fund invests are not typically listed on any exchange and the secondary market (if any) for such securities may be less liquid than other securities, which may cause transactions in below investment-grade securities to be more costly. A lack of publicly available information, irregular trading activity, and wide bid-ask spreads, among other factors, may make these securities more difficult to sell at an advantageous time or price than other types of investments. These factors may affect the value a Fund may realize in selling below investment-grade securities, which could result in losses to a Fund.
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Income Risk. The income you earn from a Fund may decline due to declining interest rates. This is because, in a falling interest rate environment, a Fund generally will have to invest the proceeds from sales of Fund shares, as well as the proceeds from maturing portfolio securities (or portfolio securities that have been called, see “Call Risk” above), into lower-yielding securities.
Interest Rate Risk. Debt securities that pay interest based on a fixed rate are subject to the risk that they will decline in value if interest rates rise. Interest rate changes may occur suddenly and unexpectedly, and may be caused by a wide variety of factors including central bank monetary policy, inflation rates, and general economic conditions. A Fund may lose money as a result of such movements. The longer the remaining maturity of a debt security, the more its value is likely to be affected by changes in interest rates. Debt securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, usually making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. The values of equity and other non-debt securities may also decline due to fluctuations in interest rates. A Fund may choose not to or be unable to hedge itself fully against changes in interest rates. If a Fund uses derivatives to hedge against changes in interest rates, those hedges may not work as intended and may decrease in value if interest rates move differently than anticipated. Interest rates are currently at or near historic lows in many developed countries, including the United States, which increases the risk that interest rates will rise. In the United States, the Federal Reserve Board has already begun, and may continue, to raise interest rates. Non-fixed rate instruments (i.e., variable and floating rate securities) generally are less sensitive to interest rate changes but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much or as quickly as interest rates in general. Conversely, non-fixed-rate instruments will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline. If a Fund holds variable or floating rate securities, a decrease in market interest rates may adversely affect the income received from such securities.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk that a Fund may not be able to buy or sell an investment at an advantageous time or price, which could force a Fund to hold a security that is declining in value or forego other investment opportunities. An illiquid instrument is harder to value because there may be little or no market data available based on purchases or sales of the instrument. Liquidity risk may result from the lack of an active market or a reduced number and capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed income securities. A Fund may also experience liquidity risk to the extent it invests in private placement securities, securities of issuers with smaller market capitalizations, or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk. The liquidity of an issuer’s securities may decrease if its credit rating falls, it experiences sudden unexpected cash outflows, or some other event causes counterparties to avoid trading with or lending to the issuer. Liquidity risk is greater for below investment grade securities and restricted securities, especially in difficult market conditions. Over the past three decades, bond markets have grown more quickly than dealer capacity to engage in fixed income trading. In addition, recent regulatory changes applicable to financial intermediaries that make markets in debt securities have restricted or made it less desirable for those financial intermediaries to hold large inventories of less liquid debt securities. Because market makers provide stability to a market through their intermediary services, a reduction in dealer inventory may lead to decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets. Additional legislative or regulatory actions to address perceived liquidity or other issues in the debt securities markets could alter or impair a Fund’s ability to pursue its investment objectives or use certain investment strategies and techniques. Liquidity risk may intensify during periods of economic uncertainty. Debt securities with longer durations may face heightened liquidity risk. Unusually high redemption requests or other unusual market conditions may make it difficult for a Fund to honor redemption requests within the permitted period. Meeting such requests could require a Fund to sell securities at reduced prices or under unfavorable conditions. Other market participants may be attempting to liquidate holdings at the same time as a Fund, which could increase supply in the market and contribute to liquidity risk.
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Manager Risk. The Investment Manager’s (Shelton Capital Management) opinion about the intrinsic worth or creditworthiness of a company, security, or other investment may be incorrect or the market may continue to undervalue the company, security, or other investment; The Investment Manger may not make timely purchases or sales of securities for a Fund; and a Fund’s investment objective may not be achieved. The Funds are subject to various operational risks, including risks associated with the calculation of net asset value. In particular, errors or systems failures and other technological issues may adversely impact a Fund’s calculation of its net asset value, and such net asset value calculation issues could result in inaccurately calculated net asset values, delays in net asset value calculation and/or the inability to calculate net asset value for some period. The Funds may be unable to recover any losses associated with such failures.
Market Exposure Risk. The market price of a security or other investment may increase or decrease, sometimes suddenly and unpredictably. Investments may decline in value because of factors affecting markets generally, such as real or perceived challenges to the economy, national or international political events, natural disasters, changes in interest or currency rates, adverse changes to credit markets, or general adverse investment sentiment. The prices of investments may reflect factors affecting one or more industries, such as the price of specific commodities or consumer trends, or factors affecting particular issuers. During a general downturn in the markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value simultaneously. Market disruptions may prevent a Fund from implementing investment decisions in a timely manner. Fluctuations in the value of the Fund’s investments will cause that Fund’s share price to fluctuate. An investment in a Fund, therefore, may be more suitable for long-term investors who can bear the risk of short- and long-term fluctuations in a Fund’s share price. In the case of a Fund designed to track passively the performance of the associated index, the Fund does not intend to take steps to reduce its market exposure in any market.
MidCap Stock Risk. The risk that stocks of relatively smaller capitalization within the midcap range of companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies. Relatively smaller capitalization companies may have limited product lines or financial resources, or may be dependent upon a small or inexperienced management group, and their securities may trade less frequently and in lower volume than the securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater the risk.
Non-U.S. Currency Risk. Non-U.S. currencies may decline relative to the U.S. dollar and affect a Fund’s investments in non-U.S. currencies, in securities that are denominated in non-U.S. currencies, in securities of issuers that are exposed to non-U.S. currencies, or in derivatives that provide exposure to non-U.S. currencies. When a given currency depreciates against the U.S. dollar, the value of securities denominated in that currency typically declines. A U.S. dollar-denominated depositary receipt is exposed to currency risk if the security underlying it is denominated in a non-U.S. currency. Currency depreciation may affect the value of U.S. securities if their issuers have exposure to non-U.S. currencies and non-U.S. issuers may similarly be exposed to currencies other than those in which their securities are denominated and the country in which they are domiciled. Shelton Capital Management may not be able to accurately estimate an issuer’s non-U.S. currency exposure.
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Non-U.S. Investment Risk. Non-U.S. securities (including ADRs and other securities that represent interests in non-U.S. issuer’s securities) involve some special risks such as exposure to potentially adverse foreign political and economic developments; market instability; nationalization and exchange controls; potentially lower liquidity and higher volatility; possible problems arising from accounting, disclosure, settlement, and regulatory practices that differ from U.S. standards; foreign taxes that could reduce returns; higher transaction costs and foreign brokerage and custodian fees; inability to vote proxies, exercise shareholder or bondholder rights, pursue legal remedies, and obtain judgments with respect to foreign investments in foreign courts; possible insolvency of a sub-custodian or securities depository; and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates that decrease the investment’s value (although favorable changes can increase its value). Non-U.S. stock markets may decline due to conditions unique to an individual country or within a region, including unfavorable economic conditions relative to the United States or political and social instability or unrest. Non-U.S. investments may become subject to economic sanctions or other government restrictions by domestic or foreign regulators, which could negatively impact the value or liquidity of those investments. There may be increased risk of delayed settlement of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates of portfolio securities. Governments in certain foreign countries participate to a significant degree, through ownership or regulation, in their respective economies. Action by such a government could have a significant effect on the market price of securities issued in its country. These risks may be higher when investing in emerging market issuers. Certain of these risks also apply to securities of U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations. Global economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibilities that conditions in one country or region may adversely affect issuers in a different country or region
Prepayment and Extension Risk. The risk that declining interest rates may cause borrowers to prepay mortgages and debt obligations underlying the securities owned by a Fund. The proceeds received by a Fund from prepayments will likely be reinvested at interest rates lower than the original investment, thus resulting in a reduction of income to a Fund. Likewise, rising interest rates could reduce prepayments and extend the life of securities with lower interest rates, which may increase the sensitivity of a Fund’s value to rising interest rates.
Regulatory Risk. New laws and regulations promulgated by governments and regulatory authorities may affect the value of securities issued by specific companies, in specific industries or sectors, or in all securities issued in the affected country. In times of political or economic stress or market turmoil, governments and regulators may intervene directly in markets and take actions that may adversely affect certain industries, securities, or specific companies. Government and/or regulatory intervention may reduce the value of debt and equity securities issued by affected companies and may also severely limit a Fund’s ability to trade those securities.
SmallCap Stock Risk. The risk that stocks of smaller capitalization companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies. Small capitalization companies may have limited product lines or financial resources, or may be dependent upon a small or inexperienced management group, and their securities may trade less frequently and in lower volume than the securities of larger companies, which could lead to higher transaction costs. Generally, the smaller the company size, the greater the risk.
Investment Risks – Shelton Tactical Credit Fund
Asset Segregation Risk. As a series of an investment company registered with the SEC, the Fund must segregate liquid assets or engage in other measures to “cover” open positions with respect to certain kinds of derivatives and short sales. In the case of futures contracts that do not cash settle, for example, the Fund must set aside liquid assets equal to the full notional value of the contracts (less any amounts the Fund has posted as margin) while the positions are open. With respect to futures contracts that do cash settle, however, the Fund is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market net obligations under the contracts (less any amounts the Fund has posted as margin), if any, rather than their full notional value. The Fund reserves the right to modify its asset segregation policies in the future to comply with any changes in the positions from time to time articulated by the SEC or its staff regarding asset segregation. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations under cash-settled instruments, the Fund will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund were required to segregate assets equal to the full notional amount of the instruments. The Fund may incur losses on derivatives and other leveraged investments (including the entire amount of the Fund’s investment in such investments) even if they are covered.
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Borrowing Risk. Borrowing may exaggerate changes in the net asset value of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio. Borrowing will cost the Fund interest expense and other fees. The costs of borrowing may reduce the Fund’s return. Borrowing may cause the Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations.
Collateralized Debt Obligations Risk. Collateralized debt obligations are subject to credit, interest rate, valuation, prepayment and extension risks. These securities also are subject to risk of default on the underlying asset, particularly during periods of economic downturn.
Credit Risk. If an obligor (such as the issuer itself or a party offering credit enhancement) for a security held by the Fund fails to pay amounts due when required by the terms of the security, otherwise defaults, is perceived to be less creditworthy, becomes insolvent or files for bankruptcy, a security’s credit rating is downgraded or the credit quality or value of any underlying assets declines, the value of the Fund’s investment could decline. If the Fund enters into financial contracts (such as certain derivatives, repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, and when-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions), the Fund will be subject to the credit risk presented by the counterparties. The number of municipal insurers is relatively small, and, as a result, changes in the financial condition of an individual municipal insurer may affect the overall municipal market. In addition, the Fund may incur expenses in an effort to protect the Fund’s interests or to enforce its rights. Credit risk is broadly gauged by the credit ratings of the securities in which the Fund invests.
The Fund may invest in securities which are subordinated in right of payment to more senior securities of the issuer, or which represent interests in pools of such subordinated securities. The Fund is more likely to suffer a credit loss on subordinated securities of an issuer than on non-subordinated securities of the same issuer. If there is a default, bankruptcy or liquidation of the issuer, most subordinated securities are paid only if sufficient assets remain after payment of the issuer’s non-subordinated securities. In addition, any recovery of interest or principal may take more time. As a result, even a perceived decline in creditworthiness of the issuer is likely to have a greater impact on subordinated securities.
Currency Risk. The values of investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies increase or decrease as the rates of exchange between those currencies and the U.S. Dollar change. Currency conversion costs and currency fluctuations could erase investment gains or add to investment losses. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and are affected by factors such as general economic conditions, the actions of the United States and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation.
Cybersecurity Risk. Cybersecurity incidents may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or cause the Fund, the Advisor, and/or other service providers (including custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality. In an extreme case, a shareholder’s ability to exchange or redeem Fund shares may be affected.
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Derivatives Risk. Derivatives include instruments and contracts that are based on and valued in relation to, one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks, indices or other reference obligations or measures of value. Major types of derivatives include futures, options, swaps and forward contracts. Depending on how the Fund uses derivatives and the relationship between the market value of the derivative and the underlying instrument, the use of derivatives could increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to the risks of the underlying instrument. Using derivatives can have a leveraging effect and increase fund volatility. A small investment in derivatives could have a potentially large impact on the Fund’s performance. Derivatives transactions can be highly illiquid and difficult to unwind or value, and changes in the value of a derivative held by the Fund may not correlate with the value of the underlying instrument or the Fund’s other investments. Many of the risks applicable to trading the instruments underlying derivatives are also applicable to derivatives trading. However, additional risks are associated with derivatives trading that are possibly greater than the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying instruments. These additional risks include, but are not limited to, illiquidity risk, operational leverage risk and counterparty credit risk. For derivatives that are required to be cleared by a regulated clearinghouse, other risks may arise from the Fund’s relationship with a brokerage firm through which it submits derivatives trades for clearing, including in some cases from other clearing customers of the brokerage firm. The Fund would also be exposed to counterparty risk with respect to the clearinghouse. Financial reform laws have changed many aspects of financial regulation applicable to derivatives. Once implemented, new regulations, including margin, clearing, and trade execution requirements, may make derivatives more costly, may limit their availability, may present different risks or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of these instruments. The extent and impact of these regulations are not yet fully known and may not be known for some time. Certain risks relating to various types of derivatives in which the Fund may invest are described below.
Cleared Derivatives Transactions. Transactions in certain derivatives, including some classes of swaps, that are traded on exchanges or other organized regulated trading facilities must be settled (“cleared”) by a regulated clearinghouse. For cleared derivatives transactions, the Fund will be subject to risks that may arise from its relationship with a brokerage firm through which it submits derivatives trades for clearing, including counterparty risk. A brokerage firm typically imposes margin requirements with respect to open derivatives positions, and it is generally able to require termination of those positions in specified circumstances. These margin requirements and termination provisions may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to trade derivatives. The Fund may not be able to recover the full amount of its margin from a brokerage firm if the firm were to go into bankruptcy. The Fund would also be exposed to the credit risk of the clearinghouse. In addition, it is possible that the Fund would not be able to enter into a swap transaction that is required to be cleared if no clearinghouse will accept the swap for clearing.
Over-the-Counter, Non-Cleared Derivatives Transactions. The Fund may enter into derivatives that are not traded on an exchange or other organized facility or contract market. Many of these instruments are also not required to be cleared or are not cleared on a voluntary basis. The risk of nonperformance by the obligor on such an instrument may be greater than the risk associated with an instrument traded on an exchange or other organized trading facility and centrally cleared. In addition, the Fund may not be able to dispose of, or enter into a closing transaction with respect to, such an instrument as easily as in the case of an instrument traded on an exchange or other organized trading facility. Significant disparities may exist between “bid” and “asked” prices for derivative instruments that are not traded on an exchange or other organized facility. Derivatives not traded on exchanges or other organized facilities may be subject to less regulation than exchange-traded and on-facility instruments, and many of the protections afforded to participants on an exchange or other organized facility may not be available with respect to these instruments. In situations where the Fund is required to post margin or other collateral with a counterparty, the counterparty may fail to segregate the collateral or may commingle the collateral with the counterparty’s own assets. As a result, in the event of the counterparty’s bankruptcy or insolvency, the Fund’s collateral may be subject to the conflicting claims of the counterparty’s creditors and the Fund may be exposed to the risk of being treated as a general unsecured creditor of the counterparty, rather than as the owner of the collateral.
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Bilateral derivatives trading has become subject to increased regulation under recent financial reform laws, and further proposed measures – such as margin requirements for non-cleared transactions – may offer market participants additional protections once implemented. Nonetheless, the Fund will not be fully protected from risks that are present in an over-the-counter, non-cleared trading environment.
On-Facility Trading of Swaps. Swaps that are required to be cleared must be traded on a regulated swap execution facility or contract market that makes them available for trading. Other swaps may be traded through such a facility or contact market on a voluntarily basis. The transition from entering into swaps bilaterally to trading them on a facility or contract market may not result in swaps being easier to trade or value and may present certain execution risks if the facilities and contract markets do not operate properly. On-facility trading of swaps is also expected to lead to greater standardization of contract terms. It is possible that the Fund may not be able to enter into swaps that fully meet its investment or hedging needs, or that the costs of entering into customized swaps, including any applicable margin requirements, will be significant.
Forward Contracts. The Fund may enter into forward contracts that are not traded on exchanges and may not be regulated. There are no limitations on daily price moves of forward contracts. Banks and other dealers with which the Fund maintains accounts may require that the Fund deposit margin with respect to such trading. The Fund's counterparties are not required to continue making markets in such contracts. There have been periods during which certain counterparties have refused to continue to quote prices for forward contracts or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread (the difference between the price at which the counterparty is prepared to buy and that at which it is prepared to sell). Arrangements to trade forward contracts may be made with only one or a few counterparties, and liquidity problems therefore might be greater than if such arrangements were made with numerous counterparties. The imposition of credit controls by governmental authorities might limit such forward trading to less than the amount that the Advisor would otherwise recommend, to the possible detriment of the Fund.
Swap Transactions. The Fund may enter into swap transactions. A swap contract is a commitment between two parties to make or receive payments based on agreed upon terms, and whose value and payments are derived by changes in the value of an underlying financial instrument. Swap transactions can take many different forms and are known by a variety of names. Depending on their structure, swap transactions may increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to long-term or short-term interest rates, foreign currency values, corporate borrowing rates, or other factors such as security prices, values of baskets of securities, or inflation rates. Interest rate swaps are contracts involving the exchange between two contracting parties of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest (e.g., an exchange of floating rate payments for fixed rate payments). Credit default swaps are contracts whereby one party makes periodic payments to a counterparty in exchange for the right to receive from the counterparty a payment equal to the par (or other agreed-upon) value of an underlying debt obligation in the event of default by the issuer of the debt security. Total return swaps are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments based on the change in market value of the underlying assets, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or security indexes during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate of the total return from other underlying assets. Depending on how they are used, swap transactions may increase or decrease the overall volatility of the Fund’s portfolio. The most significant factor in the performance of a swap transaction is the change in the specific interest rate, currency, individual equity values or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from the Fund.
Call Options. The seller (writer) of a call option which is covered (e.g., for which the writer holds the underlying security) assumes the risk of a decline in the market price of the underlying security below the purchase price of the underlying security less the premium received, and gives up the opportunity for gain on the underlying security above the exercise price of the option. The seller of an uncovered call option assumes the risk of a theoretically unlimited increase in the market price of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option. The buyer of a call option assumes the risk of losing its entire investment in the call option. However, if the buyer of the call sells short the underlying security, the loss on the call will be offset in whole or in part by gain on the short sale of the underlying security.
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Put Options. The seller (writer) of a put option which is covered (e.g., the writer holds or has a short position in the underlying security) assumes the risk of an increase in the market price of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option plus the premium received, and gives up the opportunity for gain on the underlying security above the exercise price of the option. The seller of an uncovered put option assumes the risk of an increase in the market price of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option plus the premium received. The buyer of a put option assumes the risk of losing its entire investment in the put option.
Hedging Transactions. The Fund may employ hedging techniques that involve a variety of derivative transactions, including futures contracts, swaps, exchange-listed and over-the-counter put and call options on securities or on financial indices, and various interest rate and foreign-exchange transactions (collectively, “Hedging Instruments”). Hedging techniques involve risks different than those of underlying investments. In particular, the variable degree of correlation between price movements of Hedging Instruments and price movements in the position being hedged means that losses on the hedge may be greater than gains in the value of the Fund’s positions, or that there may be losses on both parts of a transaction. In addition, certain Hedging Instruments and markets may not be liquid in all circumstances. As a result, in volatile markets, the Fund may not be able to close out a transaction in certain of these instruments without incurring losses. The Advisor may use Hedging Instruments to minimize the risk of total loss to the Fund by offsetting an investment in one security with a comparable investment in a contrasting security. However, such use may limit any potential gain that might result from an increase in the value of the hedged position. Whether the Fund hedges successfully will depend on the Advisor’s ability to predict pertinent market movements. In addition, it is not possible to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies, because the value of those securities is likely to fluctuate as a result of independent factors not related to currency fluctuations. The daily variation margin requirements in futures contracts might create greater financial risk than would options transactions, where the exposure is limited to the cost of the initial premium and transaction costs paid by the Fund.
Futures Contracts. The Fund may invest in futures that trade on either an exchange or over-the-counter. A futures contract obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to take delivery of) the specified security, commodity or currency underlying the contract on the expiration date of the contract at an agreed upon price. An index futures contract obligates the seller to deliver (and the purchaser to take) an amount of cash equal to a specific dollar amount multiplied by the difference between the value of a specific index at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the price at which the agreement is made. No physical delivery of the underlying securities in the index is made. Generally, these futures contracts are closed out prior to the expiration date of the contracts. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in correlation with the value of the underlying instrument. Risks of futures contracts may arise from an imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the instruments and the price of the underlying securities. The Fund’s use of futures contracts (and related options) exposes the Fund to leverage risk because of the small margin requirements relative to the value of the futures contract. A relatively small market movement will have a proportionately larger impact on the funds that the Fund has deposited or will have to deposit with a broker to maintain its futures position. Leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains. While futures contracts are generally liquid instruments, under certain market conditions they may become illiquid. Futures exchanges may impose daily or intraday price change limits and/or limit the volume of trading. Additionally, government regulation may further reduce liquidity through similar trading restrictions. As a result, the Fund may be unable to close out its futures contracts at a time that is advantageous. The price of futures can be highly volatile; using them could lower total return, and the potential loss from futures can exceed the Fund’s initial investment in such contracts.
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Foreign Futures Transactions. Foreign futures transactions involve the execution and clearing of trades on a foreign exchange. This is the case even if the foreign exchange is formally “linked” to a domestic exchange, whereby a trade executed on one exchange liquidates or establishes a position on the other exchange. No domestic organization regulates the activities of a foreign exchange, including the execution, delivery, and clearing of transactions on such an exchange, and no domestic regulator has the power to compel enforcement of the rules of the foreign exchange or the laws of the foreign country. Moreover, such laws or regulations will vary depending on the foreign country in which the transaction occurs. For these reasons, the Fund may not be afforded certain of the protections that apply to domestic transactions, provided that with respect to transactions on a foreign exchange that is formally linked to a domestic exchange, certain domestic disclosure and anti-fraud provisions may apply. In addition, the price of any foreign futures or option contract may be affected by any fluctuation in the foreign exchange rate between the time the order is placed and the foreign futures contract is liquidated or the foreign option contract is liquidated or exercised.
Liquidity of Futures Contracts. In connection with the Fund’s use of futures, the Advisor will determine and pursue all steps that are necessary and advisable to ensure compliance with the Commodity Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Under certain market conditions, the Fund may find it difficult or impossible to liquidate a position. Futures positions may be illiquid because certain commodity exchanges limit fluctuations in certain futures contract prices during a single day (each a "daily limit”). Under such daily limits, during a single trading day no trades may be executed at prices beyond the daily limits. Once the price of a particular futures contract has increased or decreased by an amount equal to the daily limit, positions in that contract can neither be entered into nor liquidated unless traders are willing to effect trades at or within the limit. Futures prices have occasionally moved beyond the daily limits for several consecutive days with little or no trading. Over-the-counter instruments generally are not as liquid as instruments traded on recognized exchanges. These constraints could prevent the Fund from promptly liquidating unfavorable positions, thereby subjecting the Fund to substantial losses. In addition, the CFTC and various exchanges limit the number of positions that the Fund may indirectly hold or control in particular commodities.
Illiquidity. Derivatives, especially when traded in large amounts, may not always be liquid. In such cases, in volatile markets the Fund may not be able to close out a position without incurring a loss. Daily limits on price fluctuations and speculative position limits on exchanges on which the Fund may conduct its transactions in derivatives may prevent profitable liquidation of positions, subjecting the Fund to potentially greater losses.
Counterparty Credit Risk. Many purchases, sales, financing arrangements, and derivative transactions in which the Fund may engage involve instruments that are not traded on an exchange. Rather, these instruments are traded between counterparties based on contractual relationships. As a result, the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not perform its obligations under the related contract. Although the Fund expects to enter into transactions only with counterparties believed by the Advisor to be creditworthy, there can be no assurance that a counterparty will not default and that the Fund will not sustain a loss on a transaction as a result.
In situations where the Fund is required to post margin or other collateral with a counterparty, the counterparty may fail to segregate the collateral or may commingle the collateral with the counterparty's own assets. As a result, in the event of the counterparty's bankruptcy or insolvency, the Fund's collateral may be subject to the conflicting claims of the counterparty's creditors and the Fund may be exposed to the risk of being treated as a general unsecured creditor of the counterparty, rather than as the owner of the collateral.
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The Fund is subject to the risk that issuers of the instruments in which it invests and trades may default on their obligations, and that certain events may occur that have an immediate and significant adverse effect on the value of those instruments. There can be no assurance that an issuer will not default, or that an event that has an immediate and significant adverse effect on the value of an instrument will not occur, and that the Fund will not sustain a loss on a transaction as a result.
Emerging Market Risk. Many of the risks with respect to foreign investments are more pronounced for investments in issuers in developing or emerging market countries. Emerging market countries tend to have more government exchange controls, more volatile interest and currency exchange rates, less market regulation, and less developed economic, political and legal systems than those of more developed countries. In addition, emerging market countries may experience high levels of inflation and may have less liquid securities markets and less efficient trading and settlement systems. Their economies also depend heavily upon international trade and may be adversely affected by protective trade barriers and the economic conditions of their trading partners. Emerging market countries may have fixed or managed currencies that are not free-floating against the U.S. Dollar and may not be traded internationally. Some countries with emerging securities markets have experienced high rates of inflation for many years. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had and may continue to have negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain countries. Emerging securities markets typically have substantially less volume than U.S. markets, securities in these markets are less liquid, and their prices often are more volatile than those of comparable U.S. companies. Delays may occur in settling securities transactions in emerging market countries, which could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to make or liquidate investments in those markets in a timely fashion. In addition, it may not be possible for the Fund to find satisfactory custodial services in an emerging market country, which could increase the Fund’s costs and cause delays in the transportation and custody of its investments.
The Fund may invest in commercial paper issued by micro-finance institutions. These institutions make loans, which are typically very small, that provide the means for people who are not served by traditional banking systems to expand their business or finance their families’ basic needs by providing access to affordable credit. Investments in the commercial paper issued by these institutions carry many of the same risks associated with investing in emerging market countries, but also are subject to risks associated with the activities of the micro-credit borrowers. For instance, micro-finance loans may be used to fund crop growing and livestock and, as a result, micro-finance loans may be subject to climate and other risks associated with those activities. Micro-credit borrowers generally have low incomes and little or no previous credit history. As a result, micro-finance institutions typically face a significant risk of default on their loans, which may adversely affect their financial condition.
ETF Risk. Investing in an ETF will provide the Fund with exposure to the securities comprising the index on which the ETF is based and will expose the Fund to risks similar to those of investing directly in those securities. Shares of ETFs typically trade on securities exchanges and may at times trade at a premium or discount to their net asset values. In addition, an ETF may not replicate exactly the performance of the benchmark index it seeks to track for a number of reasons, including transaction costs incurred by the ETF, the temporary unavailability of certain index securities in the secondary market or discrepancies between the ETF and the index with respect to the weighting of securities or the number of securities held. Investing in ETFs, which are investment companies, involves duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. The Fund will pay brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase and sale of shares of ETFs.
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Extension Risk. When interest rates rise, repayments of fixed income securities, particularly asset- and mortgage-backed securities, may occur more slowly than anticipated, extending the effective duration of these fixed income securities at below market interest rates and causing their market prices to decline. This may cause the Fund’s share price to be more volatile.
Fixed Income Securities Risk. The prices of fixed income securities respond to economic developments, particularly interest rate changes, as well as to changes in an issuer’s credit rating or market perceptions about the creditworthiness of an issuer. Prices of fixed income securities tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Generally fixed income securities decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall, with lower rated securities more volatile than higher rated securities. The longer the effective maturity and duration of the Fund’s portfolio, the more the Fund’s share price is likely to react to changes in interest rates. Duration is a weighted measure of the length of time required to receive the present value of future payments, both interest and principal, from a fixed income security. Some fixed income securities give the issuer the option to call, or redeem, the securities before their maturity dates. If an issuer calls its security during a time of declining interest rates, the Fund might have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield, and therefore might not benefit from any increase in value of the security as a result of declining interest rates. During periods of market illiquidity or rising interest rates, prices of callable issues are subject to increased price fluctuation. In addition, the Fund may be subject to extension risk, which occurs during a rising interest rate environment because certain obligations may be paid off by an issuer more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of those securities held by the Fund to fall.
Foreign Investment Risk. Investments in foreign securities are affected by risk factors generally not thought to be present in the United States. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than the prices of securities of U.S. issuers because of economic and social conditions abroad, political developments, and changes in the regulatory environments of foreign countries. Special risks associated with investments in foreign markets include less liquidity, less developed or less efficient trading markets, lack of comprehensive company information, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, greater risks associated with counterparties and settlement, and difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations. In addition, changes in exchange rates and interest rates, and imposition of foreign taxes, may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s foreign investments. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. The Fund’s investments in depository receipts (including ADRs) are subject to these risks, even if denominated in U.S. Dollars, because changes in currency and exchange rates affect the values of the issuers of depository receipts. In addition, the underlying issuers of certain depository receipts, particularly unsponsored or unregistered depository receipts, are under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications to the holders of such receipts, or to pass through to them any voting rights with respect to the deposited securities.
Foreign Sovereign Risk. Foreign governments rely on taxes and other revenue sources to pay interest and principal on their debt obligations. The payment of principal and interest on these obligations may be adversely affected by a variety of factors, including economic results within the foreign country, changes in interest and exchange rates, changes in debt ratings, changing political sentiments, legislation, policy changes, a limited tax base or limited revenue sources, natural disasters, or other economic or credit problems. It is possible that a foreign sovereign may default on its debt obligations.
High Yield Bond Risk. High yield bonds (often called “junk bonds”) are speculative, involve greater risks of default or downgrade and are more volatile and tend to be less liquid than investment-grade securities. High yield bonds involve a greater risk of price declines than investment-grade securities due to actual or perceived changes in an issuer’s creditworthiness. Companies issuing high yield fixed-income securities are less financially strong, are more likely to encounter financial difficulties, and are more vulnerable to adverse market events and negative sentiments than companies with higher credit ratings. These factors could affect such companies’ abilities to make interest and principal payments and ultimately could cause such companies to stop making interest and/or principal payments. In such cases, payments on the securities may never resume, which would result in the securities owned by the Fund becoming worthless. The market prices of junk bonds are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher rated investments, but more sensitive to adverse economic or political changes or individual developments specific to the issuer.
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Interest Rate Risks. Prices of fixed income securities tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Generally fixed income securities decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall, with longer-term securities being more sensitive than shorter-term securities. For example, the approximate percentage change in the price of a security with a three-year duration would be expected to drop by approximately 3% in response to a 1% increase in interest rates. Duration is a weighted measure of the length of time required to receive the present value of future payments, both interest and principal, from a fixed income security. Generally, the longer the maturity and duration of a bond or fixed rate loan, the more sensitive it is to this risk. Falling interest rates also create the potential for a decline in the Fund’s income. Changes in governmental policy, rising inflation rates, and general economic developments, among other factors, could cause interest rates to increase and could have a substantial and immediate effect on the values of the Fund’s investments. These risks are greater during periods of rising inflation. In addition, a potential rise in interest rates may result in periods of volatility and increased redemptions that might require the Fund to liquidate portfolio securities at disadvantageous prices and times.
Leveraging risk. The use of leverage, such as entering into futures contracts, options, and short sales, may magnify the Fund’s gains or losses. Because many derivatives have a leverage component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying instrument can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment
Liquidity Risk. Due to a lack of demand in the marketplace or other factors, such as market turmoil, the Fund may not be able to sell some of the investments that it holds, or if the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs, it may only be able to sell those investments at a loss. Liquidity risk arises, for example, from small average trading volumes, trading restrictions, or temporary suspensions of trading. In addition, when the market for certain investments is illiquid, the Fund may be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. Moreover, the reduction in dealer market-making capacity in the fixed income markets that has occurred in recent years has the potential to decrease the liquidity of the Fund’s investments. Liquidity risk may be more pronounced for the Fund’s investments in developing countries.
Management and Strategy Risk. The value of your investment depends on the judgment of the Advisor about the quality, relative yield, value or market trends affecting a particular security, industry, sector or region, which may prove to be incorrect. Investment strategies employed by the Advisor in selecting investments for the Fund may not result in an increase in the value of your investment or in overall performance equal to other investments.
Market Risk. The market price of a security or instrument may decline, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic or political conditions throughout the world, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. The market value of a security or instrument also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. For example, the financial crisis that began in 2008 caused a significant decline in the value and liquidity of many securities; in particular, the values of some sovereign debt and of securities of issuers that invest in sovereign debt and related investments fell, credit became more scarce worldwide and there was significant uncertainty in the markets. Such environments could make identifying investment risks and opportunities especially difficult for the Advisor. In response to the crisis, the United States and other governments have taken steps to support financial markets. The withdrawal of this support or failure of efforts in response to the crisis could negatively affect financial markets generally as well as the value and liquidity of certain securities. In addition, policy and legislative changes in the United States and in other countries are changing many aspects of financial regulation. The impact of these changes on the markets, and the practical implications for market participants, may not be fully known for some time.
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Municipal Bond Risk. As the Fund may purchase the debt securities of municipal issuers, changes or proposed changes in federal tax laws could impact the value of those securities. Of particular concern would be large changes in marginal income tax rates or the elimination of the tax preference for tax-exempt municipal interest income versus currently taxable interest income. Also, the failure or possible failure of such debt issuances to qualify for tax-exempt treatment may cause the prices of such municipal securities to decline, possibly adversely affecting the value of the Fund’s portfolio, and such a failure could also result in additional taxable income to the Fund and/or shareholders. In addition, the municipal market is a highly fragmented market that is very technically driven. There can be regional variations in economic conditions or supply-demand fundamentals. Any investment interest or other expenses incurred for the purchase of tax-exempt municipal bonds cannot be deducted for federal income tax purposes. Tax-exempt municipal bonds issued by municipalities must be held by beneficial owners for their interest to be treated as tax-exempt.
Public information in the municipal market is also less available than in other markets, increasing the difficulty of evaluating and valuing securities. As opposed to the majority of municipal bonds outstanding, a portion of the municipal bonds held by the Fund may be secured by payments to be made by private companies and changes in market conditions affecting such bonds, including the downgrade of a private company obligated to make such payments, could have a negative impact on the value of Fund holdings, the municipal market generally, or the Fund’s performance.
Generally, municipal bonds are issued as general obligations of a state or local government that are secured by the issuer’s taxing power, or as revenue bonds that are secured by user fees and other revenues pledged to pay debt service on such bonds. The major portion of municipal bonds are issued to fund public projects, including airports, economic development, education, electric power, healthcare, housing, transportation, water and sewer, and pollution control and issuers often depend on revenues from these facilities to make principal and interest payments.
Prepayment or Call Risk. Many fixed income securities give the issuer the option to repay or call the security prior to its maturity date. Issuers often exercise this right when interest rates fall. Accordingly, if the Fund holds a fixed income security subject to prepayment or call risk, it may not benefit fully from the increase in value that other fixed income securities generally experience when interest rates fall. Upon prepayment of the security, the Fund would also be forced to reinvest the proceeds at then current yields, which would be lower than the yield of the security that was paid off. In addition, if the Fund purchases a fixed income security at a premium (at a price that exceeds its stated par or principal value), the Fund may lose the amount of the premium paid in the event of prepayment.
Puerto Rico Debt Risk. As a result of the Fund’s investment in Puerto Rico municipal securities, the Fund will be exposed to political, economic and statutory developments affecting the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Events, including economic and political policy changes, tax base erosion, territory constitutional limits on tax increases, budget deficits and other financial difficulties and changes in the credit ratings assigned to Puerto Rico's municipal issuers, are likely to affect the value of such investments Puerto Rico's operating budget has been structurally unbalanced for the past decades and the government has relied on deficit financing for annual operations. Certain issuers of Puerto Rico municipal securities have failed to make payments on obligations that have come due, and additional missed payments and defaults may occur in the future. As a result of the defaults and challenging economic environment, credit rating firms have downgraded certain securities issued by Puerto Rico and its agencies to below investment grade. In May 2017, Puerto Rico filed for Title III (bankruptcy) under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, which provides Puerto Rico with a path for restructuring its debt following a process based on the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The outcome of this debt restructuring and any potential future restructuring is uncertain. Puerto Rico's continued financial difficulties, which were compounded by the damage caused by Hurricane Maria in September 2017, could reduce its ability to access financial markets, potentially increasing the likelihood of further restructuring or additional defaults for Puerto Rico municipal securities, which may affect the Fund's investments and its performance.
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Short Sales Risk. In connection with a short sale of a security or other instrument, the Fund is subject to the risk that instead of declining, the price of the security or other instrument sold short will rise. If the price of the security or other instrument sold short increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the security or other instrument borrowed to make the short sale, the Fund will experience a loss, which is theoretically unlimited since there is a theoretically unlimited potential for the market price of a security or other instrument sold short to increase. Shorting options or futures may have an imperfect correlation to the assets held by the Fund and may not adequately protect against losses in or may result in greater losses for the Fund’s portfolio. By investing the proceeds received from selling securities short, the Fund is employing leverage, which creates special risks. Furthermore, until the Fund replaces a security borrowed, or sold short, it must pay to the lender amounts equal to any dividends that accrue during the period of the short sale. In addition, the Fund will incur certain transaction fees associated with short selling.
Additional Risks
Portfolio Turnover. The Funds generally intend to purchase securities for long-term investments rather than short-term gains. However, a security may be held for a shorter than expected period of time if, among other things, Shelton needs to raise cash in the Fund or feels that it is appropriate to do so. Portfolio holdings may also be sold sooner than anticipated due to unexpected changes in the markets. Buying and selling securities may involve incurring some expense to a Fund, such as commissions paid to brokers and other transaction costs. By selling a security, a Fund may realize taxable capital gains that it will subsequently distribute to shareholders. Generally speaking, the higher a Fund’s annual portfolio turnover, the greater its brokerage costs and the greater likelihood that it will realize taxable capital gains. Increased brokerage costs may affect a Fund’s performance. Also, unless you are a tax-exempt investor, or you purchase shares through a tax-deferred account, the distributions of capital gains may affect your after- tax return. For some Funds, annual portfolio turnover of 100% or more is considered high.
Temporary Defensive Positions. In certain market conditions, some or all of a of a Fund’s securities may be sold and the proceeds retained as cash, or temporarily invested in U.S. government securities or money market instruments, if the Fund’s investment manager believes it is in the best interest of shareholders to do so. As of the date of this Prospectus, this has never happened; but if it were to occur, the investment goals of the relevant Funds might not be achieved.
Valuation Risk. Some or all of the securities held by a Fund may be valued using “fair value” techniques, rather than market quotations, under the circumstances described in this Prospectus under “How Fund Shares are Priced.” Security values may differ depending on the methodology used to determine their values, and may differ from the last quoted sales or closing prices. No assurance can be given that the use of these fair value procedures will always best represent the price at which a Fund could sell the affected portfolio security or result in a more accurate net asset value per share of a Fund.
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Fund Organization and Management
SCM Trust. SCM Trust, a Massachusetts business trust (the “Trust”), is a family of five no-load mutual funds, each of which is described in this combined prospectus. A Board of Trustees, consisting of four individuals, has primary responsibility for the oversight of the management of each Fund for the benefit of its shareholders, not day-to-day management. The Board authorizes the Trust to enter into service agreements with Shelton Capital Management and other service providers to provide necessary or desirable services on behalf of the Trust and the Funds. Shareholders are not parties to or third-party beneficiaries of such service agreements. Neither this prospectus nor the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), any documents filed as exhibits to the Trust’s registration statement, nor any other communications, disclosure documents or regulatory filings from or on behalf of the Trust or a Fund creates a contract between or among any shareholder of a Fund, on the one hand, and the Trust, a Fund, a service provider to the Trust or a Fund, and/or the Trustees or officers of the Trust, on the other hand. The Board of Trustees (or the Trust and its officers, service providers or other delegates acting under authority of the Board) may amend or use a new prospectus or SAI with respect to a Fund or the Trust, and/or amend, file and/or issue any other communications, disclosure documents, or regulatory filings, and may amend or enter into any contracts to which the Trust or a Fund is a party, and interpret or amend the investment objective(s), policies, restrictions, and contractual provisions applicable to any Fund, without shareholder input or approval, except in circumstances in which shareholder approval is specifically required by law (such as changes to fundamental investment restrictions) or where a shareholder approval requirement is specifically disclosed in the Trust’s then-current prospectus or SAI.
Shelton Capital Management. The investment advisor for the Funds is Shelton Capital Management, 1050 17th Street, Suite 1710, Denver, CO 80265. Shelton manages over $2 billion of assets as of March 26, 2018. Shelton has been managing mutual funds since 1985. Shelton is responsible for managing the Funds and handling the administrative requirements of the Funds. As compensation for managing the portfolios, Shelton receives a management fee from each Fund. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, the fees, net of reimbursements, were 0.90% for the Shelton BDC Income Fund; 0.80% for the Shelton Real Estate Income Fund; 1.17% for the Shelton Tactical Credit Fund; and 0.74% for the Shelton International Select Equity Fund.
Mr. Andrew Manton has served as a member of the portfolio management team for the International Select Equity Fund since the Fund’s inception, and as the lead portfolio manager since May 2018. Mr. Manton joined the Advisor in July 2016 after serving as a Senior Portfolio Manager at WHV. Prior to his affiliation with WHV, Mr. Manton was a Senior Research Analyst and a member of the Large Cap Global Equities team at Victory Capital Management, and an analyst in both the fundamental Active Equities and Quantitative Strategies groups at Deutsche Asset Management. He has a BS in Finance from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MBA with a concentration in Quantitative Finance and Accounting from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.
Mr. Hart is a portfolio manager of the Tactical Credit Fund. Mr. Hart joined Shelton Capital Management on January 25, 2019. Prior to joining Shelton Capital Management, he was Founder, Managing Partner and CIO of Cedar Ridge Partners, LLC since 2004. He has 36 years of experience investing in the credit markets, as well as structuring high yield, distressed debt, and special situations as an investment banker at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co. and The First Boston Corporation. He holds an M.B.A. (Finance) from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business and received a B.S. (Business) from the California State University, Chico.
Mr. Rosenkranz is a portfolio manager of the Tactical Credit Fund. Mr. Rosenkranz joined Shelton Capital Management on January 25, 2019. He has 21 years of experience investing in the credit markets, with an emphasis in high yield, distressed debt, and special situations. Prior to joining Shelton Capital Management, he was a Partner, Co-CIO and member of the portfolio management team at Cedar Ridge Partners, LLC since 2013, and prior to that a Partner and the Director of Research for Cooperstown Capital Management from 2009 to 2013, and a Founding Principal and Co-Head of Research for Durham Asset Management from 2003 to 2009. He began his career at Ernst & Young LLP and The Delaware Bay Company. He holds an M.B.A. (Finance and Accounting) from the Stern School of Business at New York University and received a B.A. (Economics and Spanish) from Duke University. He is also Certified Public Accountant.
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Mr. Falk is a portfolio manager of the Tactical Credit Fund and also of the Green California Tax-Free Income Fund. Mr. Falk joined Shelton Capital Management on January 25, 2019. He has over 36 years of fixed income experience, with an emphasis on municipal bonds and structured finance. Prior to joining Shelton Capital Management, he was a member of the portfolio management team at Cedar Ridge Partners, LLC since 2009, and prior to that served as an investment banker, research analyst and trader specializing in municipal bonds at firms including Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. and Lazard Frères & Co. He holds a Master of Regional Planning degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received a B.A. (Economics and Urban Studies) from Northwestern University.
Mr. Benstead is a portfolio manager of the Tactical Credit Fund. Mr. Benstead joined Shelton Capital Management on January 25, 2019. He has over 34 years of fixed income experience in the credit and interest rate risk markets at firms including Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. and Drexel Burnham Lambert. He holds an M.B.A. (Finance) from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business and received a B.A. (International Relations) from the University of California, Davis.
Mr. William Mock has served as a member of the portfolio management team for the Shelton Tactical Credit Fund, the BDC Income Fund and the Real Estate Income Fund since March 29, 2017 (April 20, 2018 in the case of the Real Estate Income Fund). Mr. Mock has served as the lead portfolio manager for other funds managed by the Advisor: the U.S. Government Securities Fund, Short-Term U.S. Government Bond Fund, California Tax-Free Income Fund and United States Treasury Trust since 2010. Mr. Mock is a member the team managing the Shelton Tactical Credit Fund. Mr. Mock also served as portfolio manager of the Shelton Greater China Fund from 2012 to 2017. He served as a portfolio manager for Shelton from 2001 to 2003, managing the Short- Term U.S. Government Bond Fund, U.S. Government Securities Fund, California Tax-Free Income Fund and United States Treasury Trust. He left the firm in 2003 to work for TKI Capital Management, a convertible arbitrage hedge fund, where he served as head Trader until 2006. In 2007, Mr. Mock rejoined an affiliate of Shelton, ETSpreads, and continues as a partner in this affiliate. Prior to 2001, Mr. Mock gained investment and trading experience at Société Générale and Citibank, N.A. Mr. Mock earned a BS in engineering from Kansas State University and is an honors graduate of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business MBA Program, with an emphasis in finance.
The statement of additional information (“SAI”) provides additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities of the Funds.
Other. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the investment advisory agreements for each Fund is available in the Fund’s semi-annual report for the period year ended June 30, 2017. The SAI provides additional information about the Board of Trustees, portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities of the Funds.
How to Buy Shares
You may buy shares directly from the Funds’ distributor, or through third-party distributors, brokerage firms and retirement plans. If you invest through a third-party distributor, many of the policies, options and fees charged for the transaction may be different. You should contact them directly for information regarding how to invest or redeem through third-party distributors.
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The following information is specific to buying directly from the Funds’ distributor.
Opening an Account. You can open an account online or by downloading an application from our website at www.sheltoncap.com and mailing the completed form to us. For questions, call us at (800) 955-9988.
You will find all the necessary application materials included in the packet accompanying this Prospectus. You may also open an account online by accessing our website at www.sheltoncap.com. Additional paperwork may be required for entity investors, including corporations, associations, and trusts, and for certain fiduciaries. The minimum initial investments and subsequent investments for each Fund are as follows:
Minimum Initial Investment | Minimum Subsequent Investment | |
Investor Class Shares | ||
Accounts with Automatic Investment Plan | $500 | $500 |
All other accounts | $1,000 | $1,000 |
Institutional Class Shares | ||
Accounts with Automatic Investment Plan | $500,000 | $1,500 |
All other accounts | $500,000 | $2,500 |
The Funds’ distributor may change the minimum investment amounts at any time or waive them at its discretion. To protect against fraud, it is the policy of the Funds not to accept unknown third-party checks for the purposes of opening new accounts or purchasing additional shares. If you have any questions concerning the application materials, wire transfers, our yields and net asset values, or our investment policies and objectives, please call us toll-free at (800) 955-9988.
Distribution (12b-1) Fees
Investor Class shares of the Funds pay RFS Partners the principal underwriter, a distribution (12b-1) fee. Because distribution (12b-1) fees are paid out of fund assets on an ongoing basis, 12b-1 fees will, over time, increase the cost of your investment in a fund and may cost you more than other types of sales charges.
These fees are computed as an annual percentage of the average daily net assets of each class of shares of a Fund, as follows:
Distribution Fee | |
Investor Class Shares | 0.25% |
How to Buy Shares – Initial Purchase
Make your check payable to the name of the Fund in which you are investing and mail it with the application to the transfer agent of the Funds, Gemini Fund Services, LLC, at the address indicated below. Please note the minimum initial investments previously listed.
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SCM Trust
C/O Gemini Fund Services, LLC
17605 Wright Street
Omaha, NE 68130
You may also forward your check (and application, for new accounts) to the Funds’ offices, which will in turn forward your check (and application, for new accounts) on your behalf to the Funds’ agent for processing. You will receive the share price next determined after your check has been received by the agent. Please note that this means that the shares will be purchased at the next calculated price after receipt by the agent, which is typically the next business day following receipt at the Funds’ offices. The Funds’ office is located at the following address:
SCM Trust
1050 17th Street, Suite 1710
Denver, CO 80265-2077
You also may buy shares of a Fund through selected securities brokers. Your broker is responsible for the transmission of your order to Gemini Fund Services, LLC, the Fund’s transfer agent, and may charge you a fee. You will generally receive the share price next determined after your order is placed with your broker, in accordance with your broker’s agreed upon procedures with the Funds. Your broker can advise you of specific details.
Purchasing by Exchange
You may purchase shares in a Fund by exchanging shares from an account in one of our other Funds, including other mutual funds managed by Shelton Capital Management which are not described in this Prospectus. Please see our website, call the number above, or consult your financial adviser or broker for more information. Such exchanges must meet the minimum amounts required for initial or subsequent investments. When opening an account by exchanging shares, your new account must be established with the same registration and an exchange authorization must be in effect. If you have an existing account with us and an exchange authorization in effect, call (800) 955-9988 during normal business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time) to exchange shares. You may also exchange shares by accessing our website at www.sheltoncap.com. You must complete the online access agreement in order to access your account online. Each exchange actually represents the sale of shares of one Fund and the purchase of shares in another, which may produce a capital gain or loss for tax purposes. All transactions are processed at the share price next calculated after receiving the instructions in good order (as described below), generally at the normally scheduled close of trading on the NYSE, typically 4 p.m. Eastern Time.
Wiring Instructions and Use of Checks
For wiring money to your account, you can obtain specific wire instructions by calling (800) 955-9988. In order to make your order effective, we must have your order in good form as described below. Please note a Fund and Shelton reserve the right to reject any purchase. Your purchase will be processed at the net asset value next calculated after your order has been received by the Fund’s agent. You will begin to earn dividends as of the first business day following the day of your purchase. All your purchases must be made in U.S. dollars, and checks must be drawn on banks located in the United States. We reserve the right to limit the number of investment checks processed at one time. If a check does not clear, we will cancel your purchase. You will be liable for any losses and fees incurred in connection with a check that does not clear for any reason, including insufficient funds. When you purchase by check, redemption proceeds will not be sent until we are satisfied that the investment has been collected (confirmation of clearance may take up to 15 days). Payments by check or other negotiable bank deposit will normally be effective within 2 business days for checks drawn on a member of the Federal Reserve System and longer for most other checks. You can wire federal funds from your bank or broker, which may charge you a fee. The Funds do not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be their agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such delivery services does not constitute receipt by the Funds’ transfer agent or the Funds.
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Purchasing Additional Shares
Make your check payable to the Fund in which you are investing, write your account number on the check, and mail your check with the deposit slip from your most recent statement to the address printed on your account statement. There is a $100 minimum for subsequent investments. After setting up your online account, you may obtain a history of transactions for your account(s) by accessing our website at www.sheltoncap.com.
Automatic Investment Plan
Using the Funds’ Automatic Investment Plan, or AIP, you may arrange to make additional purchases automatically by electronic funds transfer (“EFT”) from your checking or savings account. Your bank must be a member of the Automated Clearing House. You can terminate the program with ten days written notice. There is no fee to participate in this program, however, a service fee of $25.00 will be deducted from your account for any AIP purchase that does not clear due to insufficient funds, or if prior to notifying the Funds in writing or by telephone to terminate the plan, you close your bank account or take other action in any manner that prevents withdrawal of the funds from the designated checking or savings account. Investors may enroll on our website or by calling the Funds and obtaining a paper form. The share prices of the Funds are subject to fluctuations. Before undertaking any plan for systematic investment, you should keep in mind that such a program does not assure a profit or protect against a loss. We reserve the right to suspend the offering of shares of any of the Funds for a period of time and to reject any specific purchase order in whole or in part. The Funds do not send individual transaction confirmations to individuals participating in an automatic investment plan. You will receive a quarterly statement of all transactions occurring during the most recent calendar quarter.
How Fund Shares are Priced
The share price (net asset value per share or NAV) for a Fund is normally calculated as of the scheduled close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), generally 4 p.m. ET, each day that the NYSE is open for business. The NAV is calculated by dividing Fund net assets (i.e. total assets minus total liabilities) by the number of shares outstanding. For purposes of determining the NAV, security transactions are normally recorded one business day after the trade date. If the NYSE is unexpectedly closed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances on a day it would normally be open for business, or if the NYSE has an unscheduled early closing, the Funds reserve the right to accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate their share price as of the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE for that day. If a Fund’s authorized agent receives your request in good order (as described below) before the time as of which a Fund prices its shares (generally the normally scheduled close of trading on the NYSE, at 4 p.m. ET), your transactions will be priced at that day’s NAV. If your request is received after such time, it will be priced at the next business day’s NAV. A Fund cannot accept orders that request a particular day or price for your transaction or any other special conditions. The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time until which orders are accepted may be changed in case of an emergency or if the NYSE closes at a time other than 4 p.m. ET. Some securities may be listed on foreign exchanges that are open on days (such as U.S. holidays) when the Funds do not calculate their NAVs. This could cause the value of a Fund’s portfolio investments to be affected by trading on days when you cannot buy or sell shares. For purposes of calculating the NAV, portfolio holdings for which market quotations are readily available are valued at market value. Listed securities, for example, are generally valued using the official quoted close price or the last sale on the exchange that is determined to be the primary market for the security. Other portfolio holdings, such as debt securities, certain preferred stocks, and derivatives traded over the counter, are valued using prices received from independent pricing services which utilize dealer quotes, recent transaction data, pricing models, and other inputs to arrive at market-based valuations. Pricing models may consider quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, cash flows (including prepayment speeds), and credit risk. Exchange-traded derivatives are generally valued at the settlement price determined by the relevant exchange and centrally cleared derivatives are generally valued at the price determined by the relevant clearing house. Short-term securities with less than 60 days to maturity may be valued at amortized cost if amortized cost approximates current value. Mutual funds are valued at their respective net asset values. Security values are not discounted based on the size of the Fund’s position and may differ from the value a Fund receives upon the sale of the securities. If market quotations are not readily available or if normal valuation procedures produce valuations that are deemed unreliable or inappropriate under the circumstances existing at the time, the investment will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of the Funds’ Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees has appointed Shelton Capital Management to make fair value determinations in accordance with the Funds’ Valuation Policies (“Valuation Policies”), subject to Board oversight. Shelton Capital Management has established a Pricing Committee. The Pricing Committee is responsible for implementing the Valuation Policies, including determining the fair value of securities and other investments when necessary. The Pricing Committee considers relevant indications of value that are reasonably available to it in determining the fair value assigned to a particular security, such as the value of similar financial instruments, trading volumes, contractual restrictions on disposition, related corporate actions, and changes in economic conditions. As trading in securities on most foreign exchanges is normally completed before the close of the NYSE, the value of non-U.S. securities can change by the time the Fund calculates its NAV. Valuing securities through a fair value determination involves greater reliance on judgment than valuation of securities based on readily available market quotations. In some instances, lack of information and uncertainty as to the significance of information may lead to a conclusion that a prior valuation is the best indication of a security’s value. When fair value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a Fund to calculate its NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.
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How to Sell Shares
You may redeem all or a portion of your shares on any business day that the Funds are open for business. Your shares will be redeemed at the net asset value next calculated (after the close of the NYSE which is 4 PM Eastern Time) after the Fund’s agent has received your redemption request in good order (as described below). Remember that a Fund may hold redemption proceeds until we are satisfied that we have collected the purchase price for any shares purchased by check. To avoid possible delays, which could be up to 15 days, you should consider making your investment by wire, following the instructions as described in the section titled “Wire Instructions” in this Prospectus.
By Mail
If you have not elected telephone redemption or transfer privileges, you must send a letter of instruction. Additionally, if the check is to be made payable to a third-party or sent to an address other than the address of record, you must obtain a “medallion signature guarantee” on the letter of instruction. The letter of instruction must specify (i) the name of the Fund, (ii) the number of shares to be sold and/or the dollar amount, (iii) your name(s), and (iv) your account number(s). The letter of instruction is to be mailed to the Funds’ offices. If you have additional questions, please contact us at (800) 955-9988. The
Funds’ Transfer Agent requires that each individual’s signature(s) appearing on a redemption request be guaranteed by an eligible signature guarantor such as a commercial bank, broker-dealer, credit union, securities exchange or association, clearing agency or savings association. This policy is designed to protect shareholders who do not elect telephone privileges on their accounts.
By Exchange
You must meet the minimum investment requirement of the Fund into which you are exchanging. You can only exchange between accounts with identical account registrations. Same day exchanges are accepted until market close, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
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By Wire
You must have applied for the wire feature on your account. We will notify you when this feature is active, and you may then make wire redemptions by calling us before 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (1:00 p.m., Pacific Time). This means your money will be wired to your bank the next business day.
By Electronic Funds Transfer
You must have applied for the EFT withdrawal feature on your account. Typically, money sent by EFT will be sent to your bank within three business days after the sales of your securities. There is no fee for this service.
Online
You can sell shares in a regular account by accessing our website at www.sheltoncap.com. You may not buy or sell shares in a retirement account using our online feature. If you have recently added banking information or changed your address online, there is a 15-day delay from the date of the change to when the redemption will be sent out.
By Telephone
You must have telephone privileges set up in advance of any transaction on your account. Provide the name of the Fund from which you are redeeming shares, the exact name in which your account is registered, your account number, the required identification information and the number of shares or dollar amount that you wish to redeem. Unless you submit an account enrollment form that indicates that you have declined telephone and/or online exchange privileges, you agree, by signing your account enrollment form, to authorize and direct the Funds to accept and act upon telephone, online and fax instructions for exchanges involving your account or any other account with the same registration. The Funds employ reasonable procedures in an effort to confirm the authenticity of your instructions. These procedures will require a redeeming shareholder to give a special authorization number or password. Provided these procedures are followed, you further agree that neither the Funds nor the Funds’ agent will be responsible for any loss, damage, cost or expense arising out of any instructions received for an account. You should realize that by electing the telephone privileges and online access options, you may be giving up a measure of security that you might otherwise have if you were to exchange your shares in writing. For reasons involving the security of your account, telephone transactions may be recorded.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan
If you own shares of a Fund with a value of $10,000 or more, you may establish a Systematic Withdrawal Plan. You may receive monthly or quarterly payments in amounts of not less than $100 per payment. Details of this plan may be obtained by calling the Funds at (800) 955-9988.
Other Redemption Policies
Payment of Redemption Proceeds: The Trust is committed to pay in cash all requests for redemption by any shareholder of record, limited in amount, however, during any 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the value of the applicable Fund's net assets at the beginning of such period. Such commitment is irrevocable without the prior approval of the SEC.
Redemption-in-Kind: In the case of requests for redemption in excess of such amounts, the Trustees reserve the right to make payments in whole or in part in securities or other assets of the Fund from which the shareholder is redeeming. Such payments-in -kind might be made, for example, in case of stressed market conditions, or if the payment of such a redemption in cash would be detrimental to the existing shareholders of that Fund or the Trust. In such circumstances, the securities distributed would be valued at the price used to compute such Fund's net asset value. Should a Fund do so, a shareholder would likely incur transaction fees in converting the securities to cash. However, a Fund could be practically limited in its ability to redeem shares in-kind due to logistical or other issues.
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Redemption Methods Available: Generally, a Fund expects to pay redemption proceeds in cash. To do so, a Fund typically expects to satisfy redemption requests either by using available cash (or cash equivalents) or by selling portfolio securities. These methods may be used during both normal and stressed market conditions.
Retirement Plan Redemptions: Retirement Plan shareholders should complete a Rollover Distribution Election Form in order to sell shares of the Funds so that the sale is treated properly for tax purposes. Once your shares are redeemed, we will normally mail you the proceeds on the next business day, but within no later than 7 business days. When the markets are closed (or when trading is restricted) for any reason other than its customary weekend or holiday closing, or under any emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC to merit such action, we may suspend redemption or postpone payment dates.
Low Balance Accounts: If you want to keep your account(s) open, please be sure that the value of your account does not fall below $1,000 due to redemptions. Shelton may elect to close an account that falls below the minimum and mail you the proceeds to the address of record. We will give you 30 days written notice that your account(s) will be closed unless you make an investment to increase your account balance(s) to the $1,000. If you close your account, any accrued dividends will be paid as part of your redemption proceeds. The share prices of the Funds will fluctuate, and you may receive more or less than your original investment when you redeem your shares.
Other Important Policies Related to Buying and Selling Shares
Good Order. Good order means that the request includes:
● | Fund name and account number; |
● | Amount of the transaction in dollars or shares; (if redemption is requested by internet or mail, the amount of the transaction may be stated in percentage terms); |
● | Signatures of all owners exactly as registered on the account (for written requests); |
● | Medallion Signature Guarantee, if required (see Medallion Signature Guarantees); and |
● | Any supporting legal documentation that may be required. |
● | Clear and actionable instructions to the Fund as applicable |
Note: for corporate/institutional accounts only, the required signature(s) must be either (1) Medallion-guaranteed and clearly indicate the capacity of the signer to act for the corporation or institution or (2) that of an authorized signatory as indicated by the account records.
Medallion Signature Guarantees. You will need to have your signature Medallion guaranteed in certain situations, including but not limited to:
● | Sending redemption proceeds to any person, address, or bank account not on record; and |
● | Transferring redemption proceeds to a SCM Trust account with a different registration (name/ownership) from yours; and |
● | Changes to account ownership, signature authority or registration. |
A Medallion Signature Guarantee may be obtained from a domestic bank or trust company, broker, dealer, clearing agency, savings association, or other financial institution which participates in a Medallion program recognized by the Securities Transfer Association. Signature guarantees from financial institutions which do not participate in a Medallion program will not be accepted. A notary public cannot provide Medallion Signature Guarantees.
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Keep in mind the following important policies:
● | A Fund may take up to 7 business days to pay redemption proceeds. |
● | If your shares were recently purchased by check, the Fund will not release your redemption proceeds until payment of the check can be verified which may take up to 15 days. |
● | Exchange purchases must meet the minimum investment amounts of the Fund you are purchasing. |
● | You must obtain and read the Prospectus for the Fund you are buying prior to making the exchange. |
● | If you have not selected the convenient exchange privileges on your original account application, you must provide a medallion signature guaranteed letter of instruction to the Fund, directing any changes in your account. |
● | The Funds may refuse any purchase or exchange purchase transaction for any reason. |
● | Each signature on a request for redemption or account registration change must be medallion signature guaranteed separately. |
● | All share activity is subject to federal and state rules and regulations. These are in place to prevent, among other things, money laundering and other illegal movements of money. |
THE FUNDS AND SHELTON RESERVE CERTAIN RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING:
● | To automatically redeem your shares if your account balance falls below the minimum balance due to the sale of shares. |
● | To modify or terminate the exchange privilege on 60 days written notice. |
● | To refuse any purchase or exchange purchase order. |
● | To change or waive a Fund’s minimum investment amount. |
● | To suspend the right to redeem shares, and delay sending proceeds, during times when trading on the principal markets for the Funds are restricted or halted, or otherwise as permitted by the SEC. |
● | To withdraw or suspend any part of the offering made by this Prospectus. |
● | To automatically redeem your shares if you fail to provide all required enrollment information and documentation. |
Other Policies
Tax-Saving Retirement Plans
We can set up your new account in a Fund under one of several tax-sheltered plans. The following plans let you save for your retirement and shelter your investment earnings from current income taxes: IRAs/Roth IRAs: You can also make investments in the name of your spouse if your spouse has no earned income. SIMPLE, SEP, 401(k)/Profit-Sharing and Money-Purchase Plans (Keogh): Open to corporations, self-employed people and partnerships, to benefit themselves and their employees. 403(b) Plans. Open to eligible employees of certain states and non-profit organizations. Each IRA is subject to an annual custodial fee of $10.00 per social security number. The annual custodial fee will be waived for IRAs with a balance greater than $10,000. The Funds reserve the right to change, modify or eliminate this waiver at any time. We can provide you with complete information on any of these plans, including information that discusses benefits, provisions and fees.
Cash Distributions
Unless you otherwise indicate on the account application, we will reinvest all dividends and capital gains distributions back into your account. You may indicate on the application that you wish to receive either income dividends or capital gains distributions in cash. EFT is available to those investors who would like their dividends electronically transferred to their bank accounts. For those investors who do not request this feature, dividend checks will be mailed via regular mail. If you elect to receive distributions by mail and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver your checks or if the checks remain uncashed for six months or more, we will void the checks and reinvest your money in your account at the then current net asset value and reinvest your subsequent distributions.
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Statements and Reports
Shareholders of the Funds will receive statements at least quarterly and after every transaction (other than AIP transactions) that affects their share balance and/or account registration. Shareholders receiving paper statements may be required to pay an account fee of $25. A statement with tax information will be mailed to you by January 31 of each year, a copy of which will be filed with the IRS if it reflects any taxable distributions. Twice a year you will receive our financial statements, at least one of which will be audited. The account statements you receive will show the total number of shares you own and a current market value. You may rely on these statements in lieu of share certificates which are not necessary and are not issued. You should keep your statements to assist in record keeping and tax calculations. We pay for regular reporting services, but not for special services. Special services would include a request for a historical transcript of an account. You may be required to pay a separate fee for these special services. As an alternative to requesting special services, you can establish an online account. Once the online account is established, you may also obtain a transaction history for your account(s) by accessing our website atwww.sheltoncap.com.
Consolidated Mailings & Householding
Consolidated statements offer convenience to investors by summarizing account information and reducing unnecessary mail. We send these statements to all shareholders unless shareholders specifically request otherwise. These statements include a summary of all funds held by each shareholder as identified by the first line of registration, social security number and zip code. Householding refers to the practice of mailing one Prospectus, Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report to each home for all household investors. If you would like extra copies of these reports, please download a copy from www.sheltoncap.com or call the Funds at (800) 955-9988. If you would like to elect out of household-based mailings or to receive a complimentary copy of the current SAI, annual or semi-annual report, please call Shelton or write to the Secretary of the Funds at 1050 17th Street, Suite 1710, Denver, CO 80265.
Electronic Delivery of Documents
You may sign up for electronic statements online or by calling shareholder services at (800) 955-9988. If you sign up over the telephone, a temporary password will be issued to you and you must reset the password to secure your account and access.
Financial Intermediaries
You may purchase or sell Fund shares through a financial intermediary, which may charge you a fee for this service and may require different minimum initial and subsequent investments than the Funds. Financial intermediaries may also impose other charges or restrictions different from those applicable to shareholders who invest in the Funds directly. In addition, a broker may charge a commission to its customers on transactions in Fund shares, provided
the broker acts solely on an agency basis for its customer and does not receive any distribution-related payment in connection with the transaction. Shareholders who are customers of financial intermediaries or participants in programs serviced by them should contact the financial intermediaries for additional information. A financial intermediary may be the shareholder of record of your shares. The Funds, Shelton Capital Management, Gemini Fund Services, and each of their respective directors, trustees, officers, employees, and agents are not responsible for the failure of any financial intermediary to carry out its obligations to its customers.
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Shelton Capital Management, out of its own resources, and without additional cost to the Funds or their shareholders, may provide additional cash payments or non-cash compensation to financial intermediaries who sell shares of the Funds. Such payments and compensation are in addition to service fees paid by the Funds. These additional cash payments are generally made to intermediaries that provide shareholder servicing, marketing support and/or access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the intermediary. Cash compensation may also be paid to financial intermediaries for the inclusion of the Funds on the sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, in other sales programs or as an expense reimbursement in cases where the intermediary provides shareholder services to Fund shareholders.
Risks of Frequent Trading in Fund Shares
The Funds are intended for long-term investment purposes and not for market timing or excessive short-term trading. Frequent trading of significant portions of a Fund’s shares may adversely affect Fund performance and therefore, the interests of long-term investors. Volatility in portfolio cash balances resulting from excessive purchases or sales or exchanges of Fund shares, especially involving large dollar amounts, may disrupt efficient portfolio management and make it difficult to implement long-term investment strategies. In particular, frequent trading of Fund shares may:
● | Cause a Fund to keep more assets in money market instruments or other very liquid holdings than it would otherwise like, causing the Fund to miss out on gains in a rising market, or |
● | Force a Fund to sell some of its investments sooner than it would otherwise like in order to honor redemptions, and |
● | Increase brokerage commissions and other portfolio transaction expenses if securities are constantly being bought and sold by the Fund as assets and move in and out. |
To the extent any fund significantly invests in illiquid or restricted securities, such as high-yield bonds or small-cap equity securities, because these securities are often infrequently traded, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities.
Procedures to Limit Short-Term Trading in Fund Shares
The Funds have adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage short-term trading. Although market-timing can take place in many forms, the Funds generally define a market-timing account as an account that habitually redeems or exchanges Fund shares in an effort to profit from short-term movements in the price of securities held by the Funds. The Funds seek to eliminate such purchases and have taken steps that it believes to be reasonable to discourage such activity. The Funds’ frequent trading policies and procedures seek to identify frequent trading by monitoring purchase and redemption activities in each Fund over certain periodic intervals and above certain dollar thresholds. The policies include communicating with relevant shareholders or financial intermediaries, and placing restrictions on share transactions, when deemed appropriate by the Fund. The Fund reserves the right to reject any purchase order. While the Funds make efforts to identify and restrict frequent trading that could impact the management of a Fund, the Funds receive purchase and sales orders through financial intermediaries and cannot always know or detect frequent trading that may be facilitated by the use of intermediaries or by the use of combined or omnibus accounts by those intermediaries. If a shareholder, in the opinion of a Fund, continues to attempt to use the Fund for market-timing strategies after being notified by the Fund or its agent, the account(s) of that shareholder may be closed to new purchases and exchange privileges may be suspended. Additionally, if any transaction is deemed to have the potential to adversely impact a Fund, the Fund has certain rights listed and detailed later in this prospectus.
The application of the Funds’ excessive trading policies involves judgments that are inherently subjective and involve some selectivity in their application. The Funds, however, seek to make judgments that are consistent with the interests of the Funds’ shareholders. No matter how the Funds define excessive trading, other purchases and sales of Fund shares may have adverse effects on the management of a Fund’s portfolio and its performance. Additionally, due to the complexity and subjectivity involved in identifying excessive trading and the volume of Fund shareholder transactions, there can be no guarantee that the Funds will be able to identify violations of the excessive trading policy or to reduce or eliminate all detrimental effects of excessive trading.
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The restrictions above may not apply to shares held in omnibus accounts for which the Funds do not receive sufficient transactional detail to enforce such restrictions.
Identity Verification Procedures Notice
The USA PATRIOT Act requires financial institutions, including mutual funds, to adopt certain policies and programs to prevent money-laundering activities, including procedures to verify the identity of customers opening new accounts. When completing the account application, you will be required to supply the Funds with your taxpayer identification number and other information the Fund considers appropriate to assist the Funds in verifying your identity. Until such verification is made, the Funds may temporarily limit additional share purchases. In addition, the Funds may limit additional share purchases or close an account if it is unable to verify a customer’s identity. As required by law, the Funds may employ various procedures to ensure that the information supplied by you is correct. These procedures may incorporate comparing the information provided to fraud databases or requesting additional information or documentation from you. Your information will be handled by us as discussed in our privacy statement below.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
The Funds provide a complete list of their holdings four times in each fiscal year, as of the end of each quarter. The Funds file the lists with the SEC on Form N-CSR (second and fourth quarters) and Form N-Q (first and third quarters). Shareholders may view the Funds’ Forms N-CSR and N-Q on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Forms N-CSR and N-Q may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information regarding the operations of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 202-551-8090 (direct) or 800- SEC-0330 (general SEC number). Shareholders may contact the Funds at (800) 955-9988 for a copy of the Form N-Q filing.
Shareholders will receive portfolio holdings information via annual and semi-annual reports, which will be mailed to shareholders and posted on the Funds’ website. Portfolio holdings will be made available by Gemini Financial Services, the Trust’s service provider, ten business day after month-end by releasing the information to ratings agencies. A more complete description of the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio securities is available in the Funds’ SAI.
Dividends and Taxes
Dividends. Any investment in the Funds typically involves several tax considerations. The information below is meant as a general summary for U.S. citizens and residents. Because your situation may be different, it is important that you consult your tax advisor about the tax implications of your investment in any of the Funds. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your share of the dividends your Fund earns. All SCM Trust Funds distribute substantially all of their dividends quarterly with the exception of Shelton International Select Equity which distributes annually. Shareholders of record on the second to last business day of the quarter will receive the dividends. Shareholders of record on the second to last business day of the month will receive the dividends. Capital gains are generally paid on the last day of November, to shareholders of record on the second to last business day of November of
each year. At the beginning of each year, shareholders are provided with information detailing the tax status of any dividend the Funds have paid during the previous year. After every distribution, the value of a Fund share drops by the amount of the distribution. If you purchase shares of one of the Funds before the record date of a distribution and elect to have distributions paid to you in cash, you will pay the full price for the shares and then receive some portion of that price back in the form of a taxable distribution. This is sometimes referred to as buying a dividend.
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Taxes. This discussion only addresses the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in a Fund for U.S. persons and does not address any foreign tax consequences or, except where specifically noted, any state or local tax consequences. For purposes of this discussion, U.S. persons are:
(i) | U.S. citizens or residents; |
(ii) | U.S. corporations; |
(iii) | an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
(iv) | a trust, if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all of its substantial decisions, or certain electing trusts that were in existence on August 20, 1996, and were treated as domestic trusts on August 19, 1996. |
This discussion does not address issues of significance to U.S. persons in special situations such as (i) certain types of tax-exempt organizations, (ii) shareholders holding shares through tax-advantaged accounts (such as 401(k) plan accounts or individual retirement accounts), (iii) shareholders holding investments through foreign institutions (financial and non-financial) or through foreign accounts, (iv) financial institutions, (v) broker-dealers, (vi) entities not organized under the laws of the United States or a political subdivision thereof, (vii) shareholders holding shares as part of a hedge, straddle or conversion transaction, and (viii) shareholders who are subject to the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax. If a partnership (including for this purpose any entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is a beneficial owner of shares, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. For further information regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in a Fund, investors should see the SAI under “TAXES-Taxation of the Funds.”
Non-U.S. persons that are considering the purchase of shares should consult with their own tax advisers regarding the U.S. federal, foreign, state and local tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of shares in a Fund.
Each Fund intends to meet all requirements under Subchapter M of the Code necessary to qualify for treatment as a “regulated investment company” (RIC) and thus does not expect to pay any U.S. federal income tax on income and capital gains distributed to shareholders. The Funds also intend to meet certain distribution requirements such that the Fund is not subject to U.S. federal income tax in general. This discussion assumes that the Funds will qualify under Subchapter M of the Code as RICs and will satisfy such distribution requirements. There can be no guarantee that this assumption will be correct.
Investors should consult with their tax advisers regarding the U.S. federal, foreign, state and local tax consequences of an investment in the Fund.
Taxation of Fund Distributions
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, shareholders of a Fund are generally subject to taxation based on the underlying character of the income and gain recognized by the Fund and distributed to the shareholders. Distributions of net capital gains that are properly designated by a Fund as capital gain dividends (“capital gain dividends”) will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains. Generally, distributions of earnings derived from ordinary income and short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Certain distributions from a Fund may be “qualified dividend income;’ which will be taxed to individuals and other non-corporate shareholders at favorable rates so long as certain holding period and other requirements are met. Corporate shareholders may be able to take a dividends-received deduction for a portion of the dividends they receive from a Fund, to the extent such dividends are received by the Fund from a domestic corporation and to the extent a portion of interest paid or accrued on certain high yield discount obligations owned by the Fund are treated as dividends.
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A Fund may realize long-term capital gains when it sells or redeems a security that it has owned for more than one year, or from transactions in so-called “section 1256 contracts,” which may generate both short-term and long-term capital gains distributions. A Fund may realize short-term capital gains from the sale of investments that the Fund owned for one year or less or from transactions in section 1256 contracts. A Fund may realize ordinary income from foreign currency gains, from interest on indebtedness owned by the Fund, and from other sources. The term “Section 1256 contract” refers to regulated future contracts, foreign currency contracts, non-equity options, debt options, dealer equity options, and certain other options.
Distributions of a Fund’s earnings are taxable whether a shareholder receives them in cash or reinvests them in additional shares. A dividend or distribution made shortly after a shareholder purchases shares of a Fund will be taxable even though such distribution is in effect a return of capital. An investor can avoid this result by investing after a Fund has paid a dividend.
Sale or Redemption of Fund Shares
A shareholder who sells or redeems shares of a Fund generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the amount received in the redemption (net of any applicable redemption fees) and the shareholder’s aggregate adjusted basis in the shares surrendered.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of shares of a Fund is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for one year or less. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to significant limitations. For more information, see the SAI under “TAXES-Sale or Redemption of Shares.”
In certain circumstances, a loss realized upon a redemption of shares of a Fund may not be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales.” Persons redeeming shares should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether the wash sale rules apply and when such a loss might be deductible.
Taxation of Certain Investments
A Fund’s investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes, which would reduce a Fund’s yield on those securities. Shareholders generally will not be entitled to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by a Fund, although it is possible that Fund may be able to elect to pass through foreign tax credits or deductions to its shareholders. The Funds make no assurances regarding their ability or willingness to so elect. In addition, a Fund’s investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the Fund’s recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the Fund’s distributions. For more information, see the SAI under “TAXES-Special Tax Considerations.”
The Funds may, at times, buy debt obligations at a discount from their stated redemption price at maturity. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, any original issue discount inherent in such investments will be included in a Fund’s ordinary income as such income accrues. Even though payment of that amount may not be received until a later time and will be subject to the risk of nonpayment, it will be distributed to shareholders as taxable dividends. The Funds may also buy debt obligations in the secondary market that are treated as having market discount. Generally, gain recognized on the disposition of such an investment is taxed as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent of the accrued market discount, but a Fund may elect instead to currently include the amount of market discount as ordinary income even though the Fund does not receive payment of such amount at that time. A Fund’s investments in certain mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and derivatives may also cause the Fund to recognize taxable income in excess of the cash generated by such obligations. Thus, the Fund could be required at times to liquidate other investments in order to satisfy its distribution requirements, potentially increasing the amount of capital gain dividends made to shareholders.
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Surtax on Net Investment Income
A 3.8% surtax applies to net investment income of an individual taxpayer, and on the undistributed net investment income of a trust or estate, to the extent that the taxpayer’s income exceeds certain amounts. Net investment income generally includes distributions paid by a Fund (except exempt-interest dividends) and capital gains from the sale or exchange of Fund shares. For information regarding the surtax on net investment income, see the SAI under “TAXES-Surtax on Net Investment Income.”
Backup Withholding
The Funds are required in certain circumstances to apply backup withholding on taxable dividends, redemption proceeds and certain other payments that are paid to any shareholder who does not furnish to a Fund certain information and certifications or who is otherwise subject to backup withholding. For more information regarding backup withholding, see the SAI under “TAXES-Backup Withholding.”
Tax Legislation
Congress has enacted far-reaching changes to the U.S. income tax laws. These changes may directly or indirectly affect investments in the Funds. See the SAI under “TAXES-Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.”
Notice of Privacy Policy
FACTS | WHAT DO THE FUNDS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? |
WHY? | Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do. |
WHAT? | The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include: ● Social Security number and account transactions ● Account balances and transaction history ● Wire transfer instructions |
HOW? | All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons the Funds choose to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. |
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REASONS WE CAN SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION | DO THE FUNDS SHARE: |
CAN YOU LIMIT THIS SHARING? |
For our everyday business purposes – such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus |
Yes | No |
For our marketing purposes – to offer our products and services to you |
No | We do not share. |
For joint marketing with other financial companies | No | We do not share. |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your transactions and experiences |
Yes | No |
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness |
No | We do not share. |
For non-affiliates to market to you | No | We do not share. |
WHO WE ARE | |
Who is providing this notice? | SCM Trust |
WHAT WE DO | |
How do the Funds protect my personal information? | To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings. |
How do the Funds collect my personal information? | We collect your personal information, for example, when you
● open an account ● provide account information or give us your contact information ● make a wire transfer or deposit money |
Why can’t I limit all sharing? | Federal law gives you the right to limit only
● sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes-information about your creditworthiness ● affiliates from using your information to market to you ● sharing for non-affiliates to market to you
State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. |
DEFINITIONS | |
Affiliates | Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. |
Non-affiliates | Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies. ● The Funds do not share with non-affiliates so they can market to you. |
Joint marketing | A formal agreement between non-affiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you. ● The Funds do not jointly market. |
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OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION | |
California
Residents |
If your account has a California home address, your personal information will not be disclosed to nonaffiliated third parties except as permitted by applicable California law, and we will limit sharing such personal information with our affiliates to comply with California privacy laws that apply to us. |
Use of E-Mail Addresses:
If you have requested information regarding SCM Trust products and services and supplied your e-mail address to us, we may occasionally send you follow-up communications or information on additional products or services. Additionally, registered clients can subscribe to the following e-mail services:
● | Prospectus and Shareholder Reports – Receive prospectuses and shareholder reports online instead of by U. S. Mail. |
● | Paperless Statements – Receive an e-mail with a link to our Web site informing you that our client statements are available online to view, print or download. |
● | Tax Forms – Receive an e-mail with a link to our Web site informing you that our client tax forms are available online to view, print or download. |
We also include instructions and links for unsubscribing from Shelton e-mails. We do not sell email addresses to anyone, although we may disclose e-mail addresses to third parties that perform administrative or marketing services for us. We may track receipt of e- mails to gauge the effectiveness of our communications.
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s performance for the past five fiscal years. Certain information reflects financial results of a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by Tait, Weller & Baker LLP, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, are included in the Annual Report, available upon request.
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Financial Highlights For a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Year or Period
|
Shelton BDC Income Fund (c) | Investor Shares | Formerly AR Capital BDC Income Fund | ||||||||||||||
Year Ended December 31, 2017 | Year Ended December 31, 2016 (b)(c) | Year Ended March 31, 2016 (i) | For the Period of May 2, 2014 to March 31, 2015 (d)(i) | |||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 9.21 | $ | 8.51 | $ | 9.66 | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||
INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS | ||||||||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) (a) | 0.54 | 0.44 | 0.70 | 0.77 | ||||||||||||
Net gain (loss) on securities (both realized and unrealized) | (0.19 | ) | 0.71 | (1.17 | ) | (0.62 | ) | |||||||||
Total from investment operations | 0.35 | 1.15 | (0.47 | ) | 0.15 | |||||||||||
LESS DISTRIBUTIONS | ||||||||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income | (0.55 | ) | (0.45 | ) | (0.68 | ) | (0.49 | ) | ||||||||
Distributions from capital gains | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
Total distributions | (0.55 | ) | (0.45 | ) | (0.68 | ) | (0.49 | ) | ||||||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 9.01 | $ | 9.21 | $ | 8.51 | $ | 9.66 | ||||||||
Total return | 3.73 | % | 13.74 | % | (4.83 | )%(e) | 1.56 | %(e) | ||||||||
RATIOS / SUPPLEMENTAL DATA | ||||||||||||||||
Net assets, end of year (000s) | $ | 13,486 | $ | 13,614 | $ | 12,853 | $ | 11,658 | ||||||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets: (j) | ||||||||||||||||
Before expense reimbursements | 2.04 | % | 2.82 | % | 2.66 | % | 7.61 | %(f) | ||||||||
After expense reimbursements | 1.50 | % | 1.50 | % | 1.45 | % | 1.50 | %(f) | ||||||||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (h) | 7.89 | % | 8.94 | %(f) | ||||||||||||
Before expense reimbursements | 5.21 | % | 5.16 | % | ||||||||||||
After expense reimbursements | 5.73 | % | 6.48 | % | ||||||||||||
Portfolio turnover | 118 | % | 38 | % | 166 | % | 33 | %(g) |
(a) | Calculated based upon average shares outstanding. |
(b) | For the nine months ended December 31, 2016. |
(c) | Following the acquisition on November 4, 2016, Advisor Class and Class A were renamed Institutional Shares and Investor Shares. |
(d) | The inception date of Shelton BDC Income Fund is April 22, 2014; the commencement of operations and start of performance for Institutional Shares and Investor Shares is May 2, 2014. The inception date of Shelton Real Estate Income Fund is June 4, 2013; the commencement of operations and start of performance is June 7, 2013. |
(e) | Total returns shown exclude the effect of applicable sales loads/redemption fees. If the Adviser did not reimburse/waive a portion of the Fund’s expenses, total return would have been lower. Returns are not annualized |
(f) | Annualized |
(g) | Not annualized |
(h) | Recognition of net investment income by the Fund is affected by the timing in which the Fund invests. The ratio does not include the net income of the investment companies in which the Fund invests. |
(i) | Audited by other independent registered public accounting firm. |
(j) | Does not include expenses of investment companies in which the Fund invests. |
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Shelton Real Estate Income Fund | Institutional Shares (c) |
Formerly AR Capital Real Estate Income Fund |
||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended December 31, 2017 |
Year Ended December 31, 2016 (b) |
Year Ended March 31, 2016 (h) |
Year Ended March 31, 2015 (h) |
For the Period of June 7, 2013 to March 31, 2014 (d)(h) |
||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 8.82 | $ | 10.65 | $ | 11.40 | $ | 10.22 | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||||
INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS | ||||||||||||||||||||
Net investment income
(loss) (a) |
0.28 | 0.23 | 0.26 | 0.27 | 0.25 | |||||||||||||||
Net gain (loss) on securities (both realized and unrealized) | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.02 | (i) | 1.58 | 0.23 | (i) | |||||||||||||
Total from investment operations | 0.35 | 0.30 | 0.28 | 1.85 | 0.48 | |||||||||||||||
LESS DISTRIBUTIONS | ||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income | (0.53 | ) | (0.38 | ) | (0.48 | ) | (0.60 | ) | (0.18 | ) | ||||||||||
Distributions from return of capital | — | (0.18 | ) | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||
Distributions from capital gains | — | (1.57 | ) | (0.55 | ) | (0.07 | ) | (0.08 | ) | |||||||||||
Total distributions | (0.53 | ) | (2.13 | ) | (1.03 | ) | (0.67 | ) | (0.26 | ) | ||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 8.64 | $ | 8.82 | $ | 10.65 | $ | 11.40 | $ | 10.22 | ||||||||||
Total return | 3.98 | % | 3.15 | %(g) | 2.90 | %(e) | 18.71 | %(e) | 5.01 | %(e) | ||||||||||
RATIOS / SUPPLEMENTAL DATA | ||||||||||||||||||||
Net assets, end of year (000s) | $ | 131 | $ | 908 | $ | 703 | $ | 15,295 | $ | 17,533 | ||||||||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets: | ||||||||||||||||||||
Before expense reimbursements | 2.10 | % | 2.49 | %(f) | 2.01 | % | 2.21 | % | 3.97 | %(f) | ||||||||||
After expense reimbursements | 1.17 | % | 1.14 | %(f) | 1.15 | % | 1.15 | % | 1.15 | %(f) | ||||||||||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets | 2.40 | % | 2.54 | % | 3.09 | %(f) | ||||||||||||||
Before expense reimbursements | 2.20 | % | 1.61 | %(f) | ||||||||||||||||
After expense reimbursements | 3.13 | % | 2.96 | %(f) | ||||||||||||||||
Portfolio turnover | 41 | % | 137 | %(g) | 99 | % | 104 | % | 86 | %(g) | ||||||||||
(a) | Calculated based upon average shares outstanding. |
(b) | For the nine months ended December 31, 2016. |
(c) | Following the acquisition on November 4, 2016, Advisor Class and Class A were renamed Institutional Shares and Investor Shares. |
(d) | The inception date of Shelton BDC Income Fund is April 22, 2014; the commencement of operations and start of performance for Institutional Shares and Investor Shares is May 2, 2014. The inception date of Shelton Real Estate Income Fund is June 4, 2013; the commencement of operations and start of performance is June 7, 2013. |
(e) | Total returns shown exclude the effect of applicable sales loads/redemption fees. If the Adviser did not reimburse/waive a portion of the Fund’s expenses, total return would have been lower. Returns are not annualized |
(f) | Annualized |
(g) | Not annualized |
(h) | Audited by other independent registered public accounting firm. |
(i) | Net realized and unrealized gain on investments per share does not correlate within the Financial Highlights for the periods ended March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2014 due to the timing of the shareholder subscriptions and redemptions. |
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Shelton Real Estate Income Fund |
Investor Shares (c) |
Formerly AR Capital Real Estate Income Fund |
||||||||||||||||||
Year Ended December 31, 2017 |
Year Ended December 31, 2016 (b) |
Year Ended March 31, 2016 (h) |
Year Ended March 31, 2015 (h) |
For the Period of June 7, 2013 to March 31, 2014 (d)(h) |
||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 8.85 | $ | 10.66 | $ | 11.40 | $ | 10.21 | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||||
INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS | ||||||||||||||||||||
Net investment income
(loss) (a) |
0.31 | 0.21 | 0.30 | 0.26 | 0.28 | |||||||||||||||
Net gain (loss) on securities (both realized and unrealized) | 0.01 | 0.07 | (0.03 | ) | 1.57 | 0.18 | (i) | |||||||||||||
Total from investment operations | 0.32 | 0.28 | 0.27 | 1.83 | 0.46 | |||||||||||||||
LESS DISTRIBUTIONS | ||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income | (0.29 | ) | (0.35 | ) | (0.46 | ) | (0.57 | ) | (0.17 | ) | ||||||||||
Distributions from return of capital | — | (0.17 | ) | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||
Distributions from capital gains | — | (1.57 | ) | (0.55 | ) | (0.07 | ) | (0.08 | ) | |||||||||||
Total distributions | (0.29 | ) | (2.09 | ) | (1.01 | ) | (0.64 | ) | (0.25 | ) | ||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 8.88 | $ | 8.85 | $ | 10.66 | $ | 11.40 | $ | 10.21 | ||||||||||
Total return | 3.72 | % | 3.02 | %(g) | 2.79 | %(e) | 18.47 | %(e) | 4.83 | %(e) | ||||||||||
RATIOS / SUPPLEMENTAL DATA | ||||||||||||||||||||
Net assets, end of year (000s) | $ | 9,916 | $ | 14,898 | $ | 11,396 | $ | 20,677 | $ | 14,362 | ||||||||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets: | ||||||||||||||||||||
Before expense reimbursements | 2.35 | % | 2.72 | %(f) | 2.22 | % | 2.46 | % | 4.22 | %(f) | ||||||||||
After expense reimbursements | 1.42 | % | 1.39 | %(f) | 1.36 | % | 1.40 | % | 1.40 | %(f) | ||||||||||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets | 2.75 | % | 2.41 | % | 3.47 | %(f) | ||||||||||||||
Before expense reimbursements | 2.53 | % | 1.41 | %(f) | ||||||||||||||||
After expense reimbursements | 3.46 | % | 2.74 | %(f) | ||||||||||||||||
Portfolio turnover | 41 | % | 137 | %(g) | 99 | % | 104 | % | 86 | %(g) | ||||||||||
(a) | Calculated based upon average shares outstanding. |
(b) | For the nine months ended December 31, 2016. |
(c) | Following the acquisition on November 4, 2016, Advisor Class and Class A were renamed Institutional Shares and Investor Shares. |
(d) | The inception date of Shelton BDC Income Fund is April 22, 2014; the commencement of operations and start of performance for Institutional Shares and Investor Shares is May 2, 2014. The inception date of Shelton Real Estate Income Fund is June 4, 2013; the commencement of operations and start of performance is June 7, 2013. |
(e) | Total returns shown exclude the effect of applicable sales loads/redemption fees. If the Adviser did not reimburse/waive a portion of the Fund’s expenses, total return would have been lower. Returns are not annualized |
(f) | Annualized |
(g) | Not annualized |
(h) | Audited by other independent registered public accounting firm. |
(i) | Net realized and unrealized gain on investments per share does not correlate within the Financial Highlights for the periods ended March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2014 due to the timing of the shareholder subscriptions and redemptions. |
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Shelton Tactical Credit Fund
Investor Shares (c) | For the Period Ended December 31, 2017 (d) |
Year Ended April 30, 2017 |
Year Ended April 30, 2016 (b) |
For the Period December 16, 2014* to April 30, 2015 (b) |
||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 10.59 | $ | 10.47 | $ | 10.38 | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||
INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS | ||||||||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) (a) | 0.38 | 0.63 | 0.55 | 0.11 | ||||||||||||
Net gain (loss) on securities (both realized and unrealized) | (0.22 | ) | 0.26 | (0.08 | ) | 0.35 | ||||||||||
Total from investment operations | 0.16 | 0.89 | 0.47 | 0.46 | ||||||||||||
LESS DISTRIBUTIONS | ||||||||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income | (0.44 | ) | (0.77 | ) | (0.35 | ) | (0.08 | ) | ||||||||
Distributions from capital gains | — | — | (0.03 | ) | — | |||||||||||
Total distributions | (0.44 | ) | (0.77 | ) | (0.38 | ) | (0.08 | ) | ||||||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 10.31 | $ | 10.59 | $ | 10.47 | $ | 10.38 | ||||||||
Total return | 1.58 | % | 8.84 | % | 4.66 | % | 4.57 | % | ||||||||
RATIOS / SUPPLEMENTAL DATA | ||||||||||||||||
Net assets, end of year (000s) | $ | 8,447 | $ | 16,112 | $ | 11,392 | $ | 126 | ||||||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets: | ||||||||||||||||
Before expense reimbursements | 1.91 | % | 2.61 | % | 2.91 | % | 6.60 | % | ||||||||
After expense reimbursements | 1.67 | % | 1.65 | % | 1.86 | % | 1.68 | % | ||||||||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets | ||||||||||||||||
Before expense reimbursements | 5.10 | % | 4.99 | % | ||||||||||||
After expense reimbursements | 5.34 | % | 5.96 | % | 5.29 | % | 2.97 | % | ||||||||
Portfolio turnover | 239 | % | 246 | % | 695 | % | 532 | % | ||||||||
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Shelton Tactical Credit Fund
Institutional Shares (c) | For the Period Ended December 31, 2017 (d) |
Year Ended April 30, 2017 |
Year Ended April 30, 2016 (b) |
For the Period December 16, 2014* to April 30, 2015 (b) |
||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 10.62 | $ | 10.46 | $ | 10.38 | $ | 10.00 | ||||||||
INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS | ||||||||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) (a) | 0.39 | 0.67 | 0.56 | 0.12 | ||||||||||||
Net gain (loss) on securities (both realized and unrealized) | (0.20 | ) | 0.27 | (0.08 | ) | 0.34 | ||||||||||
Total from investment operations | 0.19 | 0.94 | 0.48 | 0.46 | ||||||||||||
LESS DISTRIBUTIONS | ||||||||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income | (0.45 | ) | (0.78 | ) | (0.37 | ) | (0.08 | ) | ||||||||
Distributions from capital gains | — | — | (0.03 | ) | — | |||||||||||
Total distributions | (0.45 | ) | (0.78 | ) | (0.40 | ) | (0.08 | ) | ||||||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 10.36 | $ | 10.62 | $ | 10.46 | $ | 10.38 | ||||||||
Total return | 1.79 | % | 9.35 | % | 4.78 | % | 4.60 | % | ||||||||
RATIOS / SUPPLEMENTAL DATA | ||||||||||||||||
Net assets, end of year (000s) | $ | 17,256 | $ | 19,609 | $ | 16,139 | $ | 4,448 | ||||||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets: | ||||||||||||||||
Before expense reimbursements | 1.67 | % | 2.34 | % | 2.66 | % | 6.35 | % | ||||||||
After expense reimbursements | 1.42 | % | 1.39 | % | 1.61 | % | 1.42 | % | ||||||||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets | ||||||||||||||||
Before expense reimbursements | 5.27 | % | 5.42 | % | ||||||||||||
After expense reimbursements | 5.51 | % | 6.37 | % | 5.54 | % | 3.22 | % | ||||||||
Portfolio turnover | 239 | % | 246 | % | 695 | % | 532 | % | ||||||||
* | Commencement of operations. |
(a) | Calculated based upon average shares outstanding. |
(b) | Audited by other independent registered public accounting firm. |
(c) | As of March 17, 2017, Class A Shares and Class I Shares were renamed to Investor Shares and Institutional Shares, respectively. |
(d) | For the eight month period ended December 31, 2017. |
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Shelton International Select Equity Fund
Investor Shares (d) | For the Period Ended December 31, 2017 (e) |
Year Ended April 30, 2017 |
Year Ended April 30, 2016 (c) |
Year Ended April 30, 2015 (c) |
Year Ended April 30, 2014 (c) |
Year Ended April 30, 2013 (c) |
||||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of period | $ | 18.02 | $ | 15.88 | $ | 21.16 | $ | 23.48 | $ | 20.54 | $ | 19.30 | ||||||||||||
INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) (a) | 0.08 | 0.17 | 0.19 | 0.17 | 0.14 | 0.05 | ||||||||||||||||||
Net gain (loss) on securities (both realized and unrealized) | 3.60 | 2.13 | (4.97 | ) | (2.34 | ) | 2.92 | 1.22 | ||||||||||||||||
Total from investment operations | 3.68 | 2.30 | (4.78 | ) | (2.17 | ) | 3.06 | 1.27 | ||||||||||||||||
LESS DISTRIBUTIONS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income | (0.39 | ) | (0.16 | ) | (0.50 | ) | (0.15 | ) | (0.09 | ) | (0.03 | ) | ||||||||||||
Distributions from return of capital | (0.01 | ) | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
Distributions from capital gains | — | — | — | — | (0.03 | ) | — | |||||||||||||||||
Total distributions | (0.40 | ) | (0.16 | ) | (0.50 | ) | (0.15 | ) | (0.12 | ) | (0.03 | ) | ||||||||||||
Redemption Fees | — | — | — | — | (b) | — | (b) | — | (b) | |||||||||||||||
Net asset value, end of period | $ | 21.30 | $ | 18.02 | $ | 15.88 | $ | 21.16 | $ | 23.48 | $ | 20.54 | ||||||||||||
Total return | 20.53 | % | 14.55 | %(f) | (22.51 | )%(f) | (9.18 | )%(f) | 14.90 | %(f) | 6.61 | %(f) | ||||||||||||
RATIOS / SUPPLEMENTAL DATA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net assets, end of year (000s) | $ | 3,785 | $ | 4,488 | $ | 8,488 | $ | 31,583 | $ | 46,435 | $ | 53,447 | ||||||||||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Before expense reimbursements | 1.59 | % | 2.02 | %(g) | 1.53 | %(g) | 1.45 | %(g) | 1.45 | %(g) | 1.46 | %(g) | ||||||||||||
After expense reimbursements | 1.24 | % | 1.24 | % | 1.48 | % | 1.45 | % | 1.49 | % | 1.50 | % | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Before expense reimbursements | 0.23 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
After expense reimbursements | 0.58 | % | 1.06 | % | 1.11 | % | 0.75 | % | 0.67 | % | 0.27 | % | ||||||||||||
Portfolio turnover | 24 | % | 41 | % | 40 | % | 8 | % | 6 | % | 5 | % | ||||||||||||
(a) | Calculated based upon average shares outstanding. |
(b) | Amount is less than $0.005 per share. |
(c) | Audited by other independent registered public accounting firm. |
(d) | As of July 28, 2017, Class A Shares and Class I Shares were renamed to Investor Shares and Institutional Shares, respectively. |
(e) | For the eight month period ended December 31, 2017. |
(f) | Total investment return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions, if any. For Investor Shares (Formerly Class A Shares), total investment return does not reflect the impact of the maximum front-end sales load of 5.75%. If reflected, the return would be lower. |
(g) | During the period, certain fees were waived and/or reimbursed; or recouped, if any. If such fee waivers and/or reimbursements or recoupments had not occurred, the ratios would have been as indicated. |
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Shelton International Select Equity Fund
Institutional Shares (d) | For the Period Ended December 31, 2017 (e) |
Year Ended April 30, 2017 |
Year Ended April 30, 2016 (c) |
Year Ended April 30, 2015 (c) |
Year Ended April 30, 2014 (c) |
Year Ended April 30, 2013 (c) |
||||||||||||||||||
Net asset value, beginning of year | $ | 18.03 | $ | 15.90 | $ | 21.20 | $ | 23.53 | $ | 20.59 | $ | 19.35 | ||||||||||||
INCOME FROM INVESTMENT OPERATIONS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net investment income (loss) (a) | 0.10 | 0.22 | 0.25 | 0.24 | 0.20 | 0.11 | ||||||||||||||||||
Net gain (loss) on securities (both realized and unrealized) | 3.61 | 2.13 | (5.01 | ) | (2.36 | ) | 2.92 | 1.22 | ||||||||||||||||
Total from investment operations | 3.71 | 2.35 | (4.76 | ) | (2.12 | ) | 3.12 | 1.33 | ||||||||||||||||
LESS DISTRIBUTIONS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dividends from net investment income | (0.39 | ) | (0.22 | ) | (0.54 | ) | (0.21 | ) | (0.15 | ) | (0.09 | ) | ||||||||||||
Distributions from return of capital | (0.01 | ) | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
Distributions from capital gains | — | — | — | — | (0.03 | ) | — | |||||||||||||||||
Total distributions | (0.40 | ) | (0.22 | ) | (0.54 | ) | (0.21 | ) | (0.18 | ) | (0.09 | ) | ||||||||||||
Redemption Fees | — | — | — | — | (b) | — | (b) | — | (b) | |||||||||||||||
Net asset value, end of year | $ | 21.34 | $ | 18.03 | $ | 15.90 | $ | 21.20 | $ | 23.53 | $ | 20.59 | ||||||||||||
Total return | 20.74 | % | 14.89 | %(f) | (22.36 | )%(f) | (8.94 | )%(f) | 15.18 | %(f) | 6.88 | %(f) | ||||||||||||
RATIOS / SUPPLEMENTAL DATA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net assets, end of year (000s) | $ | 42,824 | $ | 38,737 | $ | 44,133 | $ | 369,610 | $ | 347,791 | $ | 320,190 | ||||||||||||
Ratio of expenses to average net assets: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Before expense reimbursements | 1.32 | % | 1.76 | %(g) | 1.28 | %(g) | 1.20 | %(g) | 1.20 | %(g) | 1.21 | %(g) | ||||||||||||
After expense reimbursements | 0.99 | % | 0.99 | % | 1.23 | % | 1.20 | % | 1.24 | % | 1.25 | % | ||||||||||||
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Before expense reimbursements | 0.41 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||
After expense reimbursements | 0.74 | % | 1.32 | % | 1.36 | % | 1.11 | % | 0.92 | % | 0.58 | % | ||||||||||||
Portfolio turnover | 24 | % | 41 | % | 40 | % | 8 | % | 6 | % | 5 | % | ||||||||||||
(a) | Calculated based upon average shares outstanding. |
(b) | Amount is less than $0.005 per share. |
(c) | Audited by other independent registered public accounting firm. |
(d) | As of July 28, 2017, Class A Shares and Class I Shares were renamed to Investor Shares and Institutional Shares, respectively. See Note 5. |
(e) | For the eight month period ended December 31, 2017. |
(f) | Total investment return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares on the first day and a sale of shares on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions, if any. For Investor Shares (Formerly Class A Shares), total investment return does not reflect the impact of the maximum front-end sales load of 5.75%. If reflected, the return would be lower. |
(g) | During the period, certain fees were waived and/or reimbursed; or recouped, if any. If such fee waivers and/or reimbursements or recoupments had not occurred, the ratios would have been as indicated. |
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Learn More
This Prospectus contains important information on the Funds and should be read and kept for future reference. You can also get more information from the following sources:
Annual and Semi-Annual Reports
These are automatically mailed to all shareholders without charge. In the Annual Report, you will find a discussion of market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each fund’s performance during its most recent fiscal year. The Annual Report is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus, making it a legal part of the Prospectus.
Statement of Additional Information
This includes more details about the Funds, including a detailed discussion of the risks associated with the various investments. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus, making it a legal part of the Prospectus. You may obtain a copy of these documents free of charge by calling the Funds at (800) 955-9988, by accessing the Funds’ website at www.sheltoncap.com, or by emailing the Funds at info@sheltoncap.com, or by contacting the SEC at the address noted below or via e-mail at publicinfo@sec.gov. The SEC may charge you a duplication fee. You can also review these documents in person at the SEC’s Public Reference Room, or by visiting the SEC’s Internet Site at www.sec.gov.
Securities and Exchange Commission
Public Reference Section
Washington, DC 20549-01520
1-202-551-8090
www.sec.gov
73
SCM Trust
1875 Lawrence Street, Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202-1077
(800) 955-9988
Statement of Additional Information – March 1, 2019
Ticker Symbols | |
Shelton BDC Income Fund– Institutional Shares | LOAIX |
Shelton BDC Income Fund– Investor Shares | LOANX |
Shelton Real Estate Income – Institutional Shares | RENIX |
Shelton Real Estate Income – Investor Shares | RENTX |
Shelton Tactical Credit Fund – Institutional Shares | DEBIX |
Shelton Tactical Credit Fund– Investor Shares | DEBTX |
Shelton International Select Equity Fund– Institutional Shares | SISEX |
Shelton International Select Equity Fund– Investor Shares | SISLX |
This SAI is not the Funds’ Prospectus, but provides additional information which should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus dated May 1, 2018 (as may be amended), which is incorporated