Principal Investment
Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net
assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in corporate bonds. The Fund primarily invests in debt securities with short- and intermediate-term maturities generally similar to those included in the Fund’s benchmark index, the Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Corporate
Index (the Index). The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in debt instruments that,
at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).
The Fund’s duration is managed to help reduce volatility associated with changes in interest rates. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will target duration to be similar to or lower than that of the Index, but will not exceed that of
the Index by more than one year. As of March 31, 2026, the duration of the Index was 2.71 years.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are
purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The
Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments.
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Interest Rate Risk, Credit Risk, Market
Risk,
and Changing Distribution Level Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the
Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment
objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net
asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The significance of any specific risk to an investment in the Fund will vary
over time depending on the composition of the Fund's portfolio, market conditions, and other factors. You should read all of the risk information below carefully, because any one
or more of these risks may result in losses to the Fund.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index
and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its
investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital
gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof
defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies, such as S&P Global Ratings, Moody’s
Investors Service, Inc. (Moody’s Ratings), Fitch Ratings, Inc. (Fitch), Morningstar DBRS (DBRS) and Kroll Bond Rating Agency, LLC (KBRA), assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. A rating downgrade by
such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower-rated or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated
instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated
instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Fixed Income Instruments Risk. The Fund is subject to the general risks and considerations associated with investing in debt securities, including the
risk that issuers will fail to make timely payments of principal or interest or default altogether. Lower-rated securities in which the Fund may invest may be more volatile and may
decline more in price in response to negative issuer developments or general economic news than higher rated securities. In addition, as interest rates rise, the Fund’s investments typically will lose value.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to securities of
foreign companies may involve heightened risks relative to investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Investing in securities of foreign companies subjects the Fund to the risks associated with an issuer’s (and any of its related companies’) country of organization and places of business operations, including risks related to political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other
conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations and actions, war, other conflicts, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics) occurring in the
country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities