The Fund, under normal circumstances, invests at least 80% of its assets (net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds, which include all types of debt securities, such as: debt or debt-related securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. or foreign governments, their agencies or instrumentalities; obligations of international or supranational entities; debt securities issued by U.S. or foreign corporate entities; zero coupon bonds; municipal bonds; mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities; and loan participation interests. The Fund will generally seek to maintain a weighted average duration within 2.5 years (plus or minus) of the duration of the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates. The longer a security’s duration, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates. As of December 31, 2023, the weighted average duration of the Fund and Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index were 6.6 years and 6.1 years, respectively.

The Fund, under normal circumstances, will invest at least 65% percent of its total assets in investment grade debt securities, as rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”) when purchased, or if unrated, determined by MacKay Shields LLC, the Fund’s Subadvisor, to be of comparable quality. The Fund may also invest up to 30% of its total assets in securities rated below investment grade by a NRSRO (such securities rated lower than BBB- and Baa3) or, if unrated, determined by the Subadvisor to be of comparable quality. Securities that are rated below investment grade by NRSROs are commonly referred to as “high-yield securities” or "junk bonds." If NRSROs assign different ratings for the same security, the Fund will use the higher rating for purposes of determining the credit quality. The Fund may invest in mortgage dollar rolls, to-be-announced ("TBA") securities transactions, variable rate notes and floating rate notes.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in securities denominated in foreign currencies. To the extent possible, the Fund will attempt to protect these investments against risks stemming from differences in foreign exchange rates.

The Fund may also invest in derivatives such as futures, options and swap agreements to try to enhance returns or reduce the risk of loss by hedging certain of its holdings. Commercial paper must be, when purchased, rated in the highest rating category by a NRSRO or if unrated, determined by the Subadvisor to be of comparable quality. The Fund's principal investments may have fixed or floating rates of interest.

Investment Process: In pursuing the Fund’s investment strategy, the Subadvisor conducts a continuous review of expected returns, yields and other information derived from a database which it maintains in managing fixed income portfolios.

Fundamental economic cycle analysis, credit quality and interest rate trends are the principal factors considered by the Subadvisor in managing the Fund and determining whether to increase or decrease the emphasis placed upon a particular type of security or industry sector within the Fund's investment portfolio. The Subadvisor’s investment process includes a risk analysis that gives consideration to a variety of security-specific risks, including but not limited to, environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) risks that may have a material impact on the performance of a security. In addition to proprietary research, the Subadvisor may use screening tools and, to the extent available, third-party data to identify ESG risk factors that may not have been captured through its own research. The Subadvisor’s consideration of ESG risk is weighed against other criteria and no sectors or industries are explicitly excluded from the Fund. Maturity duration shifts adjustments are based on a set of investment decisions that take into account a broad range of economic, fundamental and technical indicators.

The Subadvisor may sell a security if it no longer believes that the security will contribute to meeting the investment objective of the Fund. In considering whether to sell a security, the Subadvisor may evaluate, among other things, the condition of the economy, meaningful changes in the issuer's financial condition, and changes in the condition and outlook in the issuer's industry.