To achieve the U.S. Vector Equity Portfolio’s investment objective, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (the “Advisor”) implements an integrated investment approach that combines research, portfolio design, portfolio management, and trading functions. As further described below, the Portfolio’s design emphasizes long-term drivers of expected returns identified by the Advisor’s research, while balancing risk through broad diversification across companies and sectors. The Advisor’s portfolio management and trading processes further balance those long-term drivers of expected returns with shorter-term drivers of expected returns and trading costs.

The U.S. Vector Equity Portfolio is designed to purchase a broad and diverse group of equity securities of U.S. operating companies. The Portfolio invests in companies of all sizes, with increased exposure to smaller capitalization, lower relative price and higher profitability companies as compared to their representation in the U.S.

Universe. The Advisor generally defines the U.S. Universe as a market capitalization weighted set (e.g., the larger the company, the greater the proportion of the U.S. Universe it represents) of U.S. operating companies listed on a securities exchange in the United States that is deemed appropriate by the Advisor. The Portfolio’s increased exposure to smaller capitalization, lower relative price and higher profitability companies may be achieved by decreasing the allocation of the Portfolio’s assets to larger capitalization, higher relative price, or lower profitability companies relative to their weight in the U.S. Universe or by avoiding purchases in that segment of the market. An equity issuer is considered to have a high relative price (i.e., a growth stock) primarily because it has a high price in relation to its book value. An equity issuer is considered to have a low relative price (i.e., a value stock) primarily because it has a low price in relation to its book value. In assessing relative price, the Advisor may consider additional factors such as price to cash flow or price to earnings ratios. An equity issuer is considered to have high profitability because it has high earnings or profits from operations in relation to its book value or assets. The criteria the Advisor uses for assessing relative price and profitability are subject to change from time to time.

As a non-fundamental policy, under normal circumstances, the U.S. Vector Equity Portfolio will invest at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of U.S. companies. The percentage allocation of the assets of the Portfolio to securities of the largest U.S. high relative price companies will generally be reduced from between 5% and 50% of their percentage weight in the U.S. Universe. For example, as of December 31, 2023, securities of the largest U.S. high relative price companies comprised 49% of the U.S. Universe and the Advisor allocated approximately 7% of the Portfolio to securities of the largest U.S. high relative price companies. The percentage by which the Portfolio’s allocation to securities of the largest U.S. high relative price companies is reduced will change due to market movements and other factors.

The Advisor may also increase or reduce the U.S. Vector Equity Portfolio’s exposure to an eligible company, or exclude a company, based on shorter-term considerations, such as a company’s price momentum, short-run reversals, and investment characteristics. In assessing a company’s investment characteristics, the Advisor considers ratios such as recent changes in assets divided by total assets. The criteria the Advisor uses for assessing a company’s investment characteristics are subject to change from time to time. In addition, the Advisor seeks to reduce trading costs using a flexible trading approach that looks for opportunities to participate in the available market liquidity, while managing turnover and explicit transaction costs.

The U.S. Vector Equity Portfolio also may purchase or sell futures contracts and options on futures contracts for U.S. equity securities and indices to increase or decrease equity market exposure based on actual or expected cash inflows to or outflows from the Portfolio.

The U.S. Vector Equity Portfolio may lend its portfolio securities to generate additional income.