Such distributions and distributable earnings, on a tax basis, are determined in conformity with income tax regulations, which may differ from US GAAP. Distributions in excess of tax basis earnings and profits, if any, are reported in the portfolios' financial statements as a return of capital. Short-term gains from underlying funds are treated as ordinary income for tax purposes.
Capital accounts within the financial statements are adjusted for permanent book-tax differences. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or the results of operations. Temporary book-tax differences, if any, will reverse in a subsequent period. Book-tax differences are primarily attributable to wash sale loss deferrals.
Note 3 — Guarantees and indemnifications
Under the Trust's organizational documents, its Officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liabilities arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust, including the portfolios. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust enters into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. The Trust's maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred. The risk of material loss from such claims is considered remote.
Note 4 — Fees and transactions with affiliates
John Hancock Advisers, LLC (the Advisor) serves as investment advisor for the portfolios. John Hancock Funds, LLC (the Distributor), an affiliate of the Advisor, serves as principal underwriter of the portfolios. The Advisor and the Distributor are indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of MFC.
Management fee. The portfolios have an investment management agreement with the Advisor under which the portfolios pay a daily management fee to the Advisor, equivalent on an annual basis, as detailed below. Aggregate net assets include the net assets of the portfolios and the net assets of similar funds of John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust (JHVIT) and net assets of similar funds of the Trust. The Advisor has subadvisory agreements with John Hancock Asset Management, a division of Manulife Asset management (North America) Limited and John Hancock Asset Management, a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC, which are indirect owned subsidiaries of MFC and affiliates of the Advisor. The portfolios are not responsible for payment of the subadvisory fees.
Under the advisory agreement, the portfolios pay a daily management fee to the Advisor as outlined below:
| | |
| First $7.5 billion of aggregate net assets | Excess over $7.5 billion of aggregate net assets |
Affiliated fund assets | 0.050% | 0.040% |
Other assets | 0.500% | 0.490% |
The advisory fee has two components: (a) a fee on assets invested in affiliated funds (Affiliated fund assets) and (b) a fee on assets not invested in affiliated funds (Other assets). Affiliated funds are any funds of the Trust, JHVIT and John Hancock Funds III excluding John Hancock Money Market Trust B, John Hancock 500 Index Trust B, John Hancock Total Bond Market Trust B and John Hancock International Equity Index Trust B.
Expense reimbursements. The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse all class-specific expenses for Class A, Class I, Class R2 and Class R6 shares of the portfolios to the extent they exceed 0.41%, 0.11%, 0.56% and 0.00%, respectively, of average net assets (on an annualized basis) attributable to the classes (the class expense waiver). The class expense waiver expires on April 30, 2016, unless renewed by mutual agreement of the portfolio and the Advisor based upon a determination that this is appropriate under the circumstances at that time.
Effective February 18, 2015, the advisor has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fees and/or reduce expenses by 0.002% of each fund's average net assets. This expense limitation agreement expires on April 30, 2016, unless renewed by mutual agreement of the fund and the advisor based upon a determination that this is appropriate under the circumstances at that time.
The Advisor has contractually agreed to reduce its management fee and/ or make payment to each portfolio in an amount equal to the amount by which "Other expenses" of a portfolio exceed 0.05% of the average annual net assets (on an annualized basis) of the portfolio. "Other expenses" means all of the expenses of a portfolio, excluding certain expenses such as advisory fees, taxes, brokerage commissions, interest expense, litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the portfolio's business, distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees and class specific, underlying fund expenses (acquired fund fees), and short dividend expense. The current expense limitation agreement expires on April 30, 2016, unless renewed by mutual agreement of a portfolio and the Advisor based upon a determination that this is appropriate under the circumstances at that time.
The Advisor voluntarily agreed to waive its advisory fee or reimburse each portfolio so that the aggregate advisory fee retained by the Advisor with respect to both the portfolio and the underlying investments (after payment of any subadvisory fees) does not exceed 0.50% of the portfolio's first $7.5 billion of average annual net assets and 0.49% of the portfolio's average annual net assets in excess of $7.5 billion. This voluntary waiver may be terminated at any time by the Advisor upon notice to the Trust.
For the year ended December 31, 2015, the expense reductions related to these agreements amounted to the following and are reflected as a reduction of total expenses in the Statements of operations:
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| Expense Reimbursement by Class |
Portfolio | Class A | Class B | Class C | Class I | Class R1 | Class R2 | Class R3 | Class R4 | Class R5 | Class R6 | Class 1 | Class 5 | Total |
Lifestyle Aggressive | $197,459 | $5,305 | $48,205 | $351 | $2,109 | $3,071 | $1,807 | $1,964 | $3,091 | $13,707 | $1,075,223 | — | $1,352,292 |
Lifestyle Growth | 722,143 | 23,154 | 197,239 | 1,104 | 5,573 | 4,844 | 5,703 | 5,907 | 9,089 | 24,554 | 2,952,639 | $64,067 | 4,016,016 |
Lifestyle Balanced | 818,468 | 22,735 | 232,034 | 777 | 4,798 | 4,743 | 7,031 | 7,799 | 9,844 | 29,232 | 2,975,425 | 36,917 | 4,149,803 |
Lifestyle Moderate | 235,502 | 5,180 | 61,578 | 179 | 1,230 | 2,728 | 1,447 | 1,860 | 1,790 | 13,256 | 493,152 | 8,018 | 825,920 |
Lifestyle Conservative | 214,919 | 5,566 | 61,011 | 418 | 1,451 | 2,471 | 1,576 | 1,242 | 1,747 | 8,663 | 397,054 | — | 696,118 |