MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement (PDS)

Transcription

1 MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) ARSN: APIR code: MLC0667AU ASX mfund code: MLC03 Preparation date 30 September 2017 Issued by The Trustee and Responsible Entity, MLC Investments Limited ABN AFSL

2 Important information This PDS provides information about the MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio (Trust). This PDS contains important information you should consider before making an investment decision in relation to the Trust. The information provided in this PDS is general information only and does not take into account your personal financial situation or needs. We recommend you obtain financial advice for your own personal circumstances before making any investment decision. This PDS is available from product_disclosure_statements or you can request a copy free of charge by calling us or your investor directed portfolio service, master trust or wrap operator (collectively referred to as an IDPS in this PDS). If you are accessing the Trust through the ASX mfund Settlement Service (mfund), you can also access this PDS at mfund.com.au. To invest directly in the Trust, you must have received the PDS (electronically or otherwise) within Australia or New Zealand and meet the eligibility requirements set out in the PDS. The content in this PDS may change from time to time. You should check you have the most up to date version before making an investment decision. All amounts in these documents are Australian dollars unless stated otherwise. MLC Investments Limited, the trustee and the responsible entity of the Trust, is a fully owned subsidiary within the National Australia Bank Limited Group of companies (NAB Group). No company in the NAB Group guarantees the capital value, payment of income or performance of the Trust. An investment in the Trust does not represent a deposit with or liability of the NAB Group and is subject to investment risk, including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and principal invested. References in this document to MLC, we, our or us should be read as references to MLC Investments Limited in its capacity as trustee and responsible entity. References in this document to NSL should be read as references to NAB Asset Management Services Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of the NAB Group, in its capacity as investment manager. Warning for New Zealand investors If you received the offer in New Zealand, to invest in the Trust covered by this PDS, you must invest upfront a minimum subscription amount of NZ$750,000 you want to invest in (net of any currency exchange losses or costs) and have satisfactorily completed the Minimum Subscription Certification set out in the application form which was provided with this PDS. Warning New Zealand law normally requires people who offer financial products to give information to investors before they invest. This requires those offering financial products to have disclosed information that is important for investors to make an informed decision. The usual rules do not apply to this offer because there is an exclusion for offers where the amount invested upfront by the investor (plus any other investments the investor has already made in the financial products) is NZ$750,000 or more. As a result of this exclusion, you may not receive a complete and balanced set of information. You will also have fewer other legal protections for this investment. Investments of this kind are not suitable for retail investors. Ask questions, read all documents carefully, and seek independent financial advice before committing yourself. 2 MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement

3 Contents 1. About MLC and the MLC Inflation Plus portfolios 4 2. At a glance 5 3. Important information about the Trust 6 4. MLC s approach to investing 7 5. Benefits of investing in the Trust 8 6. The Trust s investment strategy 9 7. Key personnel Responsible parties and Trust structure Things to consider before you invest Further details of the Trust Fees and other costs How the Trust operates Information for direct investors 35 MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement 3

4 1. About MLC and the MLC Inflation Plus portfolios Who you go through life with makes all the difference We specialise in creating a diverse range of investment solutions so you can grow your wealth the way you want to. And, we ll continually enhance our products and services to make the most of changing investment opportunities. Investing with us We believe the best way to manage our portfolios is to employ the skills of multiple specialist investment managers. We ve appointed the NAB Group s retail multi-asset management business, NAB Asset Management Services Limited (NSL) to advise on and manage the Trust s investments. Our investment experts have extensive knowledge and experience at designing and managing portfolios using a multi-manager investment approach. While NSL s name has changed through time, it s the same team of investment experts that s been advising on and managing our portfolios for decades. Our portfolios make sophisticated investing straightforward. We use a market-leading investment approach to structure our portfolios with the aim of delivering more reliable returns in many potential market environments. And, as our assessment of world markets changes, we evolve our portfolios to manage new risks and capture new opportunities. We use specialist investment managers in our portfolios. Our investment experts have the experience and resources to find some of the best managers from around the world. Our investment managers may be specialist in-house managers, external managers or a combination of both. Importantly, we stay true to the objectives of our portfolios so you can keep on track to meeting your goals. Keeping up to date The latest information on the Trust is available on our Fund Profile Tool at It s an easy to use, interactive tool that gives you greater insight into how your money is managed, where your money is invested, current specialist investment managers and how your investments are performing. The MLC Inflation Plus portfolios We ve designed the MLC Inflation Plus portfolios to give you more confidence your investment will deliver the return you need to help meet your financial goals. The MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio (Trust) is one of three MLC Inflation Plus portfolios. Each aims to achieve a different return above inflation over a different time frame. This Trust aims to achieve its return above inflation over 7 years and has the highest volatility and return profile of the three portfolios. Inflation, or the rise in living costs, reduces the purchasing power of your money over time. So to grow your longterm wealth, your investment needs to provide returns above inflation. The Trust s focus on achieving aboveinflation returns and managing the risk of significant negative returns means we manage them differently to most traditional diversified funds. We can invest in a broader range of assets and strategies. We also have the flexibility to make large changes to the Trust s asset allocation to manage risk and capture opportunities for returns. As a result, we expect the Trust will provide a smoother pattern of returns for investors than a traditional diversified fund with a similar level of gearing. Our approach to investing is described in section 4. We use a market-leading portfolio design process and our investment experts have extensive investment experience. 4 MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement

5 2. At a glance The MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio may be suited to you if: you re focused on achieving a return above inflation over a 7 year period you understand the return achieved by the portfolio may be significantly higher or lower than its objective you understand that the Trust s asset allocation will change significantly over time you want to manage investment risk by diversifying across asset classes and strategies, and you understand the risks of investing in a geared portfolio and are comfortable with our investment experts flexibly managing the gearing level up to 40%. MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio (Trust) Responsible entity/trustee Investment manager Custodian Administrator Investment objective Benchmark Estimated number of negative annual returns Minimum suggested time to invest MLC Investments Limited NAB Asset Management Services Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of the NAB Group National Australia Bank Limited (NAB) NAB Aims to deliver a return of 6% pa above inflation, before fees, over 7 year periods by limiting the risk of negative returns over this time frame. This careful risk management approach means there may be times when the Trust doesn t achieve its return objective. In most circumstances the Trust is expected to provide positive returns over 7 year periods, although there will sometimes be negative returns over shorter periods. The measure of inflation is the Consumer Price Index, calculated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics Between 4 and 5 in 20 years. 7 to 10 years Inception date 5 December 2005 Fees and other costs 1, 2, 3 Management Unit pricing frequency costs (including GST net of Reduced Input Tax Credit) Management fee equal to: Class A (all investors other than MLC MasterKey Investment Service): 1.25% pa of the Trust s net asset value. Class B (for the MLC MasterKey Investment Service): 2.42% pa of the Trust s net asset value. Estimated indirect costs 0.21% pa of the Trust s net asset value. This is made up of: Performance related costs of 0.05% pa. Estimated other indirect costs of 0.16% pa. Buy/sell spread of 0.15% / 0.15%. More information on the fees and other costs is located in section 11. Daily 1 Rounded to two decimal places. 2 A reference to the Trust s net asset value in this PDS is a reference to the net asset value referable to Class A units in the Trust or Class B units in the Trust (as relevant). 3 The estimated indirect costs are based on costs incurred for the 12 months to 30 June 2017 and include estimates where information was unavailable at the date this PDS was issued. MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement 5

6 3. Important information about the Trust This PDS includes all the information we believe you should know before investing in the Trust. There are some key points that you should carefully consider before you invest in the Trust. These key points are summarised below and reference is made to where you can find further details. Valuation of assets Periodic reporting Investment strategy Investment manager Fund structure Valuation, location and custody of assets Liquidity Leverage Derivatives Short selling Withdrawals Summary The Trustee implements a policy that requires the use of independent fund administrators and valuation service providers by specialist investment managers of the underlying funds of the Trust. The valuation of the Trust s assets is provided by the Trust s custodian, NAB. The assets are valued using the latest available market values from independent data providers and administrators. The Trust provides investors with monthly performance and annual reports. The key aspects of the Trust s investment strategy are flexible asset allocation, wide diversification and a strong focus on risk management. NSL is the investment manager of the Trust. The Trust s key investment decision-makers are Dr Susan Gosling and Dr Ben McCaw. The Trust is a registered managed investment scheme. The key service providers are identified in section 2 and explained in more detail in section 8. All of the key service providers are located in Australia. The diagram in section 8 shows the flow of money invested in the Trust. The Trust s unit price is generally calculated by us on a daily basis. NAB is the custodian of the Trust. We reasonably expect to be able to realise at least 80% of the Trust s assets, within 10 Business Days. Leverage is also referred to as gearing in this PDS. The Trust, its specialist investment managers and the funds those managers invest in may use gearing. The Trust, its specialist investment managers and the funds those managers invest in may use derivatives. The Trust, its specialist investment managers and the funds those managers invest in may use short selling. The Trust processes withdrawals daily and generally seeks to make payments within 10 Business Days. Further information Valuation, page 33. Keeping you informed, page 38. The Trust s investment strategy, pages 9 to 14. Changes to the Trust, page 32. Investment manager, page 13. Key personnel, page 15. The Trust s investment strategy, pages 9 to 14. Investment manager, page 13. Responsible parties and Trust structure, pages 16 to 17. Things to consider before you invest, pages 18 to 24. Additional explanation of fees and costs, pages 28 to 29. Key aspects of the investment strategy, page 9. Asset allocation ranges, page 10. Selecting specialist investment managers, page 13. The custodian and administrator, page 16. Valuation, page 33. Liquidity, page 25. Gearing, pages 22 to 23. Derivatives, page 22. Short selling, page 24. Applications and withdrawals, page 31. Changes to the Trust, page MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement

7 4. MLC s approach to investing MLC designs investment solutions with the aim of delivering more reliable returns to investors. For over 30 years our investment experts have been designing portfolios using a multi-manager approach, to help investors achieve their goals. The four key aspects of this marketleading investment approach are: 1. Portfolio design MLC s multi-asset Trusts focus on what affects investor outcomes the most asset allocation. Each asset class has its own risk and return characteristics. We allocate money between asset classes based on the following beliefs: Risk can t be avoided, but can be managed Key to the investment approach is its unique Investment Futures Framework (Framework). The Framework guides our forward-looking approach to managing risk. In an unpredictable and constantly changing world, the Framework helps continually identify the very wide range of potential market scenarios both good and bad that could occur. The Framework also helps our investment experts analyse how these scenarios could affect the risks and returns of the asset classes in the Trusts. The insights from this analysis are used to work out the combination of asset classes that they believe will best achieve a Trust s objective. This helps us prepare the Trusts for future market ups and downs. Risks and returns vary through time The Framework shows how the potential risks and returns of each asset class could change over the next three to seven years. With this information we can adjust our Trusts asset allocations to reduce the risk or improve the return potential of the Trusts. Diversification matters Asset classes perform differently in different market conditions. Investing in many asset classes helps us smooth out the Trusts overall returns, as we can offset the ups and downs of each asset class. 2. Managing the portfolio Our Trusts have different investment objectives. That s why our investment experts select a different mix of assets and investment managers for each. The investment managers may be specialist in-house managers, external managers or a combination of both. Our investment experts research hundreds of investment managers from around the world and select from the best for our Trusts. They are then combined in the Trusts so they complement each other. This multi-manager approach helps to reduce risk and deliver more consistent returns. You can find out about our current investment managers at 3. Ongoing review To make sure our Trusts are working hard for investors, we continuously review and actively manage them. We may adjust the asset allocation, investment strategies and managers. This may be because our assessment of the future market environment has altered or because we have found new ways to balance risk and return in our Trusts. 4. Portfolio implementation We deliver better returns by avoiding unnecessary costs. We do this by carefully managing cash flows, tax and changes in our Trusts. MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement 7

8 5. Benefits of investing in the Trust More confidence that you ll achieve your financial goals We ve designed the Trust to give investors more confidence that they ll receive a return above inflation over a seven year timeframe, regardless of ups and downs in investment markets. Most traditional diversified funds aim to match or outperform a market benchmark. However, even an abovebenchmark return won t always be the return investors need, especially when markets are weak. Instead, the Trust s focus is maintaining and growing your real wealth. We aim to achieve a return above inflation by carefully managing risk, particularly by avoiding the big losses that can set back an investment. We focus strongly on managing the Trust s risk of negative returns over seven years, mainly through: flexible asset allocation as our views on the market evolve, we can change the mix of assets so the Trust is better positioned to achieve its objective, and diversification we invest in a wide range of assets and strategies. This gives us more potential sources of returns. Although our investment experts carefully manage the Trust, we can t remove all risk that at times, the Trust may not achieve its objective. For information about how we manage the Trust, please refer to Key aspects of the investment strategy on page 9. A smoother path to your financial goals Traditional diversified funds usually have tight asset allocation ranges. This prevents the manager making large adjustments to the mix of assets to manage changing market risk. It also means the fund s returns tend to reflect market movements. In contrast, in managing the Trust our investment experts can move flexibly between asset classes to manage risk. This means we expect the Trust to perform better in weak markets than a traditional diversified fund. As there s a trade-off between risk and return, this may also mean the Trust lags in strong markets. We anticipate the outcome for investors will be a pattern of returns that s smoother and less influenced by market movements than a traditional diversified fund with a similar level of gearing. A proven investment strategy Since 2005, we have successfully used this flexible, outcome-focussed approach to manage this Trust. Now, we also use this approach to manage the other two MLC Inflation Plus portfolios. A market-leading approach to portfolio design The approach we use to design and manage the portfolio recognises we live in a complex, changing world. Key to our approach is a unique Investment Futures Framework, which guides our forward-looking approach to managing risk. Our investment experts constantly explore the many ways events could unfold in markets worldwide and the potential impact on our Trusts. Through this careful analysis, our experts discover changing risks and opportunities. They can then adjust the portfolio to manage the risks and capture the potential returns. This means our Trusts are better positioned to deliver more reliable medium to long-term returns to investors. 8 MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement

9 6. The Trust s investment strategy The Trust aims to deliver a return of 6% pa above inflation, before fees, over 7 year periods by limiting the risk of negative returns over this time frame. This careful risk management approach means there may be times when the portfolio doesn t achieve its return objective. In most circumstances the portfolio is expected to provide positive returns over 7 year periods, although there will sometimes be negative returns over shorter periods. Key aspects of the investment strategy The key aspects of the Trust s investment strategy are: 1. Flexible asset allocation We actively manage the asset allocation in accordance with our investment experts changing assessment of potential risks and opportunities in investment markets. We adjust the asset allocation when our investment experts identify new or better ways to manage risk or meet the investment objective. To adjust exposure to assets, the Trust may also use techniques such as gearing, short selling and derivatives. Each of these techniques, and their role in the Trust s investment strategy, is explained on pages 21 to Diversification The Trust invests across a wide range of assets and strategies. These may include both mainstream assets (eg shares and government bonds) and alternative investments (eg hedge funds) that may not be widely used in other investment funds. This diversification reduces the Trust s dependence on a single type of asset for returns. The Trust s asset allocation ranges are set out later in this section, and more information about each of these assets and investments is on pages 18 to 21. The assets and strategies the Trust invests in may be located in any country and held in any currency. To manage them, our investment experts use carefully selected specialist investment managers from around the world. More information about how our investment managers are selected is on page Strong focus on risk management The Trust has the flexibility not to invest in an asset class if that would cause too much risk of a negative return over 7 years. This means the Trust may have low exposure to growth assets in some market conditions. However, the Trust s 7 year investment time frame means it will usually have a significant investment in growth assets. There s more information about how we manage risk on pages 10 to 12. We expect that by managing the Trust in this way, movements in the Trust s value (both up and down) should be less significant. How does the investment strategy deliver returns? The investment strategy produces returns from the assets the Trust invests in and the investment techniques it uses (such as gearing, currency management, covered short selling and derivatives). These investment techniques are explained on pages 21 to 24. The Trust s returns are in the form of: income from the assets, such as dividends from shares and interest from fixed income securities (any expenses are deducted from the income) changes in the value of the assets in the Trust, such as a change in the price of a share listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. Any liabilities are deducted from the assets, and gains and losses from using investment techniques. What underpins the strategy s ability to deliver returns? Our investment experts use its unique Investment Futures Framework to assess the very wide range of possible future economic and market conditions, or scenarios, that could occur, and how the Trust s assets would perform in each of these environments. With this detailed analysis, our investment experts gain an understanding of how risks and return opportunities change over time both for individual asset classes and the Trust as a whole, and therefore how the Trust should be positioned. If necessary, they then adjust the Trust s asset allocation. This comprehensive, rigorous Framework is the basis of the Trust s ability to produce returns while managing risk. Our investment experts use the insights from the Framework to determine the asset allocation they believe will help achieve the Trust s investment objective, while controlling risk. MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement 9

10 6. The Trust s investment strategy Asset allocation ranges Minimum Maximum Cash 0% 100% Australian fixed income 0% 60% Global fixed income 0% 60% Australian shares 0% 70% Global shares 0% 70% Listed property securities 0% 50% Alternatives 0% 50% Gearing* 0% 40% Total fixed income and cash 0% 120% Total shares and listed property securities 0% 120% Total assets* 100% 140% The Trust will be managed within these ranges. The most up to date information on the asset allocation and investment managers is available at on our Fund Profile Tool. * This means for every $1,000 you invest, the Trust may borrow up to $400 (and up to $1,400 is invested in assets). However, if asset values fall dramatically (such as in unusually adverse market conditions), the Trust s gearing level may rise above 40%. More information on the risks of gearing is on pages 22 to 23. The Trust s risk management strategy Managing risk means limiting the probability and extent of negative returns. Risk management is central to our investment experts investment decision-making. The key aspects of the Trust s risk management strategy are: an explicit focus on managing risk, not simply delivering returns. We aim to achieve the investment objective by controlling risk. a unique Investment Futures Framework. The Framework helps our investment experts identify how risk and return potential change over time, providing forward-looking risk control. In particular, focusing on understanding the adverse investment environments that could occur and how those risks can be mitigated. the Trust s flexible asset allocation. This means our investment experts can change the Trust s asset mix so it remains appropriately positioned to both manage potential risks and capture potential returns as market conditions evolve. diversification across a very wide range of assets, strategies and managers. This gives us many ways to manage risk, as well as providing many sources of returns. 10 MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement

11 Risks of the investment strategy All investments carry risk and below are some significant risks that you should be aware of when considering an investment in the Trust. Please note that this list does not cover every risk of investing in the Trust. Risk factors that can affect returns Markets Investment management skill Specialist investment managers skill Derivatives Gearing Short selling Company specific issues Why it s a risk Markets are uncertain and experience periods in which expectations are disappointed, resulting in negative returns. Changes in market sentiment and economic and legislative changes in Australia and overseas jurisdictions can impact returns from the asset classes in the Trust. Our investment experts could overestimate or underestimate risk or make incorrect decisions about the asset allocation of the Trust. If the Trust held incorrect positions for a long time, this could affect the Trust s ability to achieve its objective and may result in negative returns. A particular specialist investment manager may be affected by an event such as the deterioration in their skill at selecting securities or changes to investment personnel. Derivatives, their risks and their role in the Trust s investment strategy are explained on page 22. Gearing, its risks and its role in the Trust s investment strategy are explained on pages 22 to 23. Short selling, its risks and its role in the Trust s investment strategy are explained on page 24. The value of an investment, such as shares in a company, are affected by events within and outside of the company. These events include changes to management; climate change; environment, social and government issues; legal action against the company; competitive pressures; profit and loss announcements; and the expectations of investors regarding the company. How we manage the risk Our investment experts use the Investment Futures Framework (which is outlined on page 10) to comprehensively and systematically assess potential future market outcomes and how they could affect the risk and return of assets in the Trust. The Trust s investments are designed to provide an appropriate balance between return potential and risk exposure. The Trust is also diversified across many asset classes, reducing the impact of poor returns from a single asset class or market. The Trust s investment strategy relies on a comprehensive analysis of the sources and extent of risk and how these change through time. Our approach builds a detailed understanding of possible future outcomes within a rigorous and disciplined Investment Futures Framework which provides information as to how the Trust s strategy would perform in a wide range of market scenarios. Our investment experts constantly review these scenarios and their implications and can flexibly alter the mix of assets to better capture returns and manage risks. Our investment experts reduce the impact of this risk by doing extensive research on the specialist investment managers, diversifying across a large number of skilled specialist investment managers and carefully monitoring them. Please refer to page 22. Please refer to pages 22 to 23. Please refer to page 24. Our investment experts select specialist investment managers who are skilled at researching and valuing companies and will assess the effect of these factors on a company s value. Extensive diversification also limits the impact of company specific issues on the Trust. MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement 11

12 6. The Trust s investment strategy Risk factors that can affect returns Credit Interest rate changes Liquidity Changes in the value of the Australian dollar Counterparties Agency Why it s a risk Investments involving lending to other parties are subject to the risk that the borrower is not able to meet their loan obligations. The value of different asset classes, especially fixed income securities, can fluctuate with changes in interest rates. For example, when interest rates rise, existing fixed income securities tend to fall in value. Fixed income securities with longer maturities tend to fall further than those with shorter maturities. Normally, fixed income securities with a longer period until they mature are expected to be rewarded with a higher interest rate (or yield) than those with a shorter period until maturity. Investments, such as those in private, unlisted or small specialised markets, mortgages, or alternative investments, are often difficult to buy or sell quickly. Therefore, they may have to be sold at a discount to their market value in some environments. These types of investments are expected to receive a higher return than similar assets on listed markets due to the higher risk associated with their illiquidity. The Trust typically includes assets located in other countries. This means your investment value will change if the exchange rate between the Australian dollar and the foreign currency moves. Investments in Australian assets may also be exposed to changes in the exchange rate if their earnings are derived outside Australia, eg Australian companies that export or import goods and services. All investments, borrowings and transactions (including buying and selling securities) involve a counterparty that is on the other side of the transaction, eg when buying a security, the counterparty is the seller. There is a risk that a counterparty may not be able to meet its obligations. An agency exists where one party contracts with another to perform duties on its behalf. There is a risk that either of the contracting parties do not perform their duties. A specialist investment manager is an example of an agent of the Trustee. How we manage the risk The Trust s fixed income securities are well diversified, reducing the exposure to any one borrower. Our specialist investment managers are skilled in assessing the creditworthiness of borrowers. Our investment experts and the selected fixed income specialist investment managers conduct indepth research to form a view on interest rates. Based on this view, they will either reduce or increase the exposure of the fixed income securities to interest rate changes in an attempt to improve returns. We manage illiquid assets within tight limits. Illiquid assets are also generally pooled across MLC funds. This means illiquid assets are not frequently required to be purchased or sold, because transactions may be offset between MLC funds. There are diversification benefits to including foreign currency exposure in a portfolio. The Trust s foreign currency exposure will vary depending on the potential costs and potential benefits. Currency hedging can be used to manage the impact of exchange rate movements. The role of currency management in the Trust s investment strategy is explained on page 22. We diversify counterparties across many institutions and any concentrated counterparty risk is limited to highly rated institutions. Our investment experts monitor and assess specialist investment managers regularly to ensure they are performing their duties and managing their assets as expected. 12 MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement

13 Investment manager We ve appointed NAB Asset Management Services Limited (NSL) to advise on and manage the Trust s investments. NSL is the NAB Group s multi-asset investment management business. The Trustee has appointed NSL as investment manager under a principal investment advisory agreement. NSL, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the NAB Group and operates under its own Australian Financial Services Licence. We can terminate the principal investment advisory agreement at any time by giving three months (or such lesser period agreed between the relevant parties) notice. The agreement may also be terminated in a range of specific circumstances such as if a party commits a material breach. Selecting specialist investment managers No one manager will be the best performer in a single asset class at all times and across all market and economic environments. So we use many specialist investment managers in the Trust. They may be in-house managers, external managers or a combination of both. Our investment experts research hundreds of managers from around the world and select from the best for the Trust. To manage a particular asset class, our investment experts may choose single or multiple specialist managers. Single specialist managers are generally used for alternative investments, while multiple specialist managers are generally used in mainstream asset classes such as shares and fixed income. Within mainstream asset classes, specialist investment managers often have different, but complementary, investment approaches. By combining them, We aim to generate less volatile returns. Before appointing specialist investment managers, our investment experts consider in the due diligence process whether they have the following key qualities: a logical and defensible investment philosophy which represents the manager s core investment beliefs a rigorous investment approach to execute its investment philosophy a firm with high quality, experienced staff and a supportive culture a stable ownership structure a disciplined, rigorous research process robust, careful portfolio construction, and timely and cost-effective implementation methods. Our investment experts constantly review current specialist investment managers to ensure they are investing as expected, and assesses potential managers. Specialist investment managers are appointed on an arm s length basis and their agreements with us include no unusual or materially onerous terms. Specialist investment managers may be appointed or terminated at any time. There are no formal policies regulating the geographic location of the specialist investment managers or where they can invest. Some of the specialist investment managers have a global investment strategy, while others will focus on a particular country or region. You can find up to date information about the Trust s specialist investment managers at com.au on the Fund Profile Tool. Managers of substantial allocations As at the date of this PDS, all specialist investment managers have less than a 35% allocation of the assets of the Trust. There are three specialist investment managers that have allocations of more than 10% of the assets of the Trust. They are: International Value Advisers, LLC (IVA) Antares Fixed Income, and Ruffer LLP (Ruffer). IVA We appointed IVA in May 2012 as one of the managers in the Trust s defensive global shares strategy (Walter Scott & Partners Limited is the other manager). The defensive global shares strategy has been an important part of the Trust since Its role is: to increase the diversity of investments, strategies and managers in the Trust to improve the Trust s ability to preserve investors capital in adverse markets, and to deliver more resilient returns from global shares in difficult economic conditions. MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement 13

14 6. The Trust s investment strategy IVA s strategy aims to deliver returns similar to global share markets over three to five years. However, the strategy also has a strong focus on preserving investors capital, which means its pattern of returns will be different to share markets. While the strategy may not perform as strongly as global shares markets in highly speculative markets, the quality of its investments means it should be more resilient in adverse economic conditions. IVA isn t limited to investing in global shares, but can also invest in cash, bonds and gold. IVA was appointed because of its experienced investment team and its proven ability to carry out this strategy, which complements both the approach of Walter Scott & Partners Limited and our other global shares strategies. Antares Fixed Income We appointed this in-house specialist investment manager in December 2005 to manage an enhanced cash mandate. The enhanced cash strategy has flexibility to target a higher level of excess return above the Bloomberg AusBond Bank Bill Index than a standard cash strategy. However, the mandate s investment guidelines for credit and duration exposures ensure capital preservation remains its overriding focus. The enhanced cash strategy is able to invest in bank deposits, bank issued or endorsed securities, corporate fixed income securities, government guaranteed fixed income securities and residential mortgage backed securities. We use the Antares Fixed Income team to manage this strategy because its experienced team has successfully managed cash and fixed income strategies for us for more than two decades. Antares Fixed Income also manages small allocations to Australian inflation-linked bonds and Australian non-government bonds in the Trust. Ruffer We appointed Ruffer in 2009 as a manager of the multi-asset class real return (MARR) strategy for the Trust. The MARR strategy is an important part of the Trust. Its role is: to increase the diversity of assets, strategies and managers in the Trust to improve the Trust s ability to preserve investors capital in difficult markets, and to help deliver a smoother path of returns for investors. Ruffer has the flexibility to invest across many types of assets without being constrained by a market benchmark. As a result, the managers build portfolios that are well diversified and can cope with a range of risks. This can provide a more reliable path of returns and better preserve investors capital in difficult markets. Ruffer focuses on prudently growing wealth over a full market cycle, while limiting the risk of a negative return in any 12 month period. They do this by carefully balancing risk and return opportunities. As at the date of this PDS all other specialist investment managers have a 10% allocation or below of the assets of the Trust. Specialist investment managers and how they are accessed may change at any time, without notice to you. For the details of the current specialist investment managers and information about why they have been selected (where allocations exceed 10%) please visit mlcit/product_disclosure_ statements/latest_news 14 MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement

15 7. Key personnel As at the date of this PDS the key individuals involved in the investment decisions for the Trust are Dr Susan Gosling and Dr Ben McCaw. Please visit com.au for details of the current key individuals. Susan and Ben spend most of their time managing the Trust s investment strategy. They are responsible for determining the asset allocation and which strategies to include in the portfolio. There have been no adverse regulatory findings against NSL or any staff involved in investment decisions. Dr Susan Gosling BSc, MA, PhD, GDip (EnvironMgt) Head of Investments, MLC Susan joined NSL in October 2002 and has more than 25 years investment management experience. She is the architect of the market-leading scenarios-based approach to asset allocation, which is the foundation for the Investment Futures Framework. Susan moved into funds management after starting her career as an economist in London. She first applied scenarios analysis for portfolio management in the late 1980s, as General Manager Risk Management and Head of Asset Allocation with Commonwealth Funds Management. Susan has held a number of senior positions in the funds management industry, including General Manager of MLC Implemented Consulting, CIO of both Advance Asset Management and United Funds Management, and founder and director of United Funds Management. She has been a director of the Australian Investment Managers Association and was founding director of a boutique private equity fund focused on consistency of economic and environmental sustainability. Dr Ben McCaw, MAppFin, PhD, BSc(Hons) Portfolio Manager, MLC Ben joined NSL in 2008 as a Senior Analyst for the MLC Capital Markets Research team. As Portfolio Manager in this team, he plays a significant role in developing the scenarios analysis model and enhancing the modelling process. Before joining NSL, Ben worked as a sell side Equity Analyst at Emerging Growth Capital, Australia. Prior to that, he worked in Singapore as a Technology Investment Advisor at Asia-Pacific BioVentures. MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement 15

16 8. Responsible parties and Trust structure Responsible entity and issuer MLC Investments Limited is the responsible entity and the issuer of units in the Trust. We are responsible for ensuring that the Trust is operated in accordance with its constitution and the Corporations Act The Trust is registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). ASIC takes no responsibility for this PDS or the operation of the Trust by us. As responsible entity of the Trust, we outsource a number of tasks associated with the operation of the Trust. These arrangements are documented in agreements which describe the terms on which services will be provided. We regularly monitor the provision of services by all relevant parties to ensure compliance with these agreements. The custodian and administrator NAB is the custodian of the Trust. The custodian s role is to perform custodial services such as to hold the assets of the Trust, source and provide valuations of the Trust s assets and deliver reporting to us. The custodian does not issue interests in the Trust, or guarantee the performance of the Trust. We have appointed NAB under a master custody agreement. We may terminate the agreement at any time by providing not less than 120 days written notice. NAB is also the administrator of the Trust and provides services such as transaction processing and monthly statement reporting. The agreement may also be terminated in a range of specific circumstances such as if a party commits a material breach. The custodian has no supervisory role in relation to the operation of the Trust and is not responsible for protecting your interests. The custodian has no liability or responsibility to you for any act done or omission made in accordance with the terms of the master custody agreement. The custodian makes no statement in this PDS and has not authorised or caused the issue of it. The auditor As at the date of this PDS, Ernst & Young is the auditor of the Trust. Fees paid to the NAB Group companies We use the services of NAB Group companies where it makes good business sense to do so and will benefit our unitholders. Amounts paid for these services are always negotiated on an arm s length basis. Appointments of these companies are made in accordance with the requirements of the Group Conflicts of Interest Policy. The responsible entity, investment manager, custodian and administrator are NAB Group companies. Similarly, we may invest the Trust s assets in vehicles operated by NAB Group companies or transact with NAB Group companies. Such investments are made in accordance with the Group Conflicts of Interest Policy and the commercial terms of such investments are always negotiated on an arm s length basis. Investing in our other funds The Trust may access specialist investment managers via other funds operated by MLC and via other managers pooled investments and may also hold direct assets. 16 MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement

17 Trust structure The following diagram illustrates the flow of investment money through the Trust. Investor NAB (custodian & administrator) MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Investment manager Specialist investment manager Specialist investment manager Specialist investment manager of alternatives Cashflow Underlying funds Underlying funds Underlying funds MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement 17

18 9. Things to consider before you invest Before you do any investing, there are some things you need to consider, including the level of risk you are prepared to accept. Factors that will affect your decision include: your investment goals the savings you ll need to reach your goals your age and how many years you have to invest where other parts of your wealth are invested the return you may expect from your investments, and how comfortable you are with investment risk. Investment risk Even the simplest investment comes with a level of risk. Different investments have different levels of risk, depending on the assets that make up the investment. The value of an investment with a higher level of risk will tend to rise and fall more often and by greater amounts; that is, it is more volatile. While the idea of investment risk can be confronting, it s a normal part of investing. Without it you may not get the returns you need to reach your financial goals. This is known as the risk/return trade-off. Many factors influence an investment s value. These include, but aren t limited to: market sentiment changes in inflation growth and contraction in Australian and overseas economies legislative changes changes in interest rates defaults on loans company specific issues liquidity (the ability to buy or sell investments when you want to) changes in the value of the Australian dollar, and a counterparty not meeting its obligations eg when buying securities, the seller may not deliver on the contract by failing to provide the securities. When considering your investment it s important to understand that: its value, and the returns, will vary over time investments that potentially have higher returns usually have higher levels of short-term risk returns aren t guaranteed and you may lose some of your money previous returns shouldn t be used to predict future returns laws of overseas jurisdictions can impact returns on international investments, and laws affecting your investment may change in future. Diversify to reduce volatility and other risks Diversification - investing in a range of investments - is a sound way to reduce short-term volatility of a portfolio s returns. That s because different types of investments perform well in different times and circumstances. When some are providing good returns, others may not be. Portfolios can be diversified across different asset classes, industries and countries as well as across investment managers with different approaches. The more you diversify, the less impact any one investment can have on your overall returns. One of the most effective ways of reducing volatility is to diversify across a range of asset classes. Asset classes Asset classes are groups of similar types of investments. Each class has its risks and benefits, and goes through its own market cycle. A market cycle can take a couple of years or many years as prices rise, peak, fall and stabilise. Through investing for the long term, at least through a whole market cycle, you can improve your chance of benefiting from a period of strong returns and growth to offset periods of weakness. The illustration on the next page shows indicative returns and volatility for the main asset classes over a whole market cycle. But each market cycle is different, so unfortunately it isn t possible to accurately predict asset class returns or their volatility. Depending on the conditions at the time, actual returns could be significantly different from those shown. 18 MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement

19 Indicative returns and volatility over a market cycle Here are the main asset class risks and benefits. Cash Indicative returns Higher Lower Alternatives Cash Cash is generally a low risk investment. Things to consider: Cash is often included in a portfolio to meet liquidity needs and to stabilise returns. The return is typically all income and is referred to as interest or yield. Cash is usually the least volatile type of investment. It also tends to have the lowest return over a market cycle. The market value tends not to change. However, when you invest in cash, you re effectively lending money to businesses or governments that could default on the loans, resulting in a loss on your investment. Many cash funds invest in fixed income securities that have a very short term until maturity. Fixed income Indicative volatility Alternatives Shares Alternatives Listed property securities Alternatives Alternatives Alternatives Higher Fixed income (including term deposits) When investing in fixed income you re effectively lending money to businesses or governments. Bonds are a common form of fixed income security. Things to consider: Fixed income securities are usually included in a portfolio for their relatively stable return characteristics. Returns typically comprise interest and changes in the market value of the security. Interest rates and values tend to move in opposite directions. Therefore when interest rates rise, market values can fall and when interest rates fall, market values can rise. While income from fixed income securities usually stabilises returns, falls in their market value may result in a loss on your investment. Market values may fall due to concern about defaults on loans or an increase in interest rates. When interest rates are low, the risk of rates rising and market values falling, is greatest. There are different types of fixed income securities and these will have different returns and volatility. Investing in fixed income securities outside of Australia may expose your portfolio to movements in exchange rates. Listed property securities Property securities are listed on share markets in Australia and around the world. Listed property securities are also referred to as Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Things to consider: Listed property securities are usually included in a portfolio for their income and growth characteristics. Returns typically comprise income (such as distributions from REITs) and changes in REIT values. Returns are driven by many factors including the economic environment in various countries. The global REIT market is far more diversified than the Australian REIT market. Listed property securities returns can be volatile. Investing outside Australia may expose your portfolio to movements in exchange rates. MLC Wholesale Inflation Plus Assertive Portfolio Product Disclosure Statement 19