Note 6—Fund Fees and Expenses–(continued)
Each Fund has a distribution and service plan (“Distribution Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, to which payments at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets may be made for the sale and distribution of its Fund shares. No payments pursuant to the Distribution Plan will be made through at least the next twelve (12) months of operations. Additionally, the implementation of any such payments would be approved by the Board prior to implementation.
Vantage Consulting Group, Inc. (“Vantage” or the “Sub-Adviser”) serves as the sub-adviser to the Funds. It performs both the day-to-day management of the Funds and places orders for the purchase and sale of individual securities for the Funds (equity portfolio only in the case of SHUS). Syntax Advisors compensates Vantage for its services to the Funds.
Swan Global Investments, LLC ("Swan") serves as the options sub-adviser to SHUS. It performs both the day-to-day management of the option strategy for SHUS, and places orders for the purchase and sale of options for SHUS. Syntax Advisors compensates Swan for its services to the Funds.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Sub-Adviser reimbursed Syntax Stratified LargeCap ETF and Syntax Stratified SmallCap ETF in the amounts of $123,526 and $26,029, respectively, in connection with trading matters.
An interested Trustee and officers of the Trust are affiliated with the Advisor and receive no compensation from the Trust for serving as officers and/or Trustee.
Note 7—Indemnifications
In the normal course of business, the Funds enter into contracts that contain a variety of representations and warranties which provide general indemnifications. The Funds’ maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Funds that have not yet occurred. However, based on experience and knowledge of management, the Funds expect the risk of loss to be remote.
Note 8—Risks
As with all investments, there are certain risks of investing in each Fund. Fund Shares will change in value, and you could lose money by investing in the Funds.
Market Risk: Overall securities market risks will affect the value of individual instruments in which the Funds invests, and the market price of a security may fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. U.S. securities markets may additionally be impacted by negative external and or direct and indirect economic factors such as global trade policies, economic growth and market conditions, interest rates, war, terrorism, natural and environmental disasters, public health emergencies and political events. The adverse impact of any one or more of these events on the market value of fund investments could be significant and cause losses.
Market Disruption Risk: Geopolitical and other events, including but not limited to war, terrorism, economic uncertainty, trade disputes and public health crises have led, and in the future may lead, to disruptions in the U.S. and world economies and markets, which in turn may increase financial market volatility and have significant adverse direct or indirect effects on the Fund and its investments. Market disruptions could cause the Fund to lose money and encounter operational difficulties. In particular, the global COVID-19 pandemic has had, and is expected to continue to have, a severely adverse impact on the economies of many nations, individual companies and the market in general. The ongoing effects, duration and costs of the COVID-19 pandemic are impossible to predict, and the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to evolve, including the risk of future increased rates of infection due to low vaccination rates and/or the lack of effectiveness of current vaccines against new variants. On February 24, 2022, Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine which has resulted in increased volatility in various financial markets and across various sectors. The U.S. and other countries, along with certain international organizations, have imposed economic sanctions on Russia and certain Russian individuals, banking entities and corporations as a response to the