Risks
An investment in the Fund involves certain risks, including, among others, the following:
Market Risk
As with any mutual fund, investment return and principal value will fluctuate, depending on general market conditions and other factors. Market risk includes political, regulatory, economic, social and health risks (including the risks presented by the spread of infectious diseases such as the COVID-19 pandemic) which can lead to increased market volatility and negative impacts on local and global financial markets, and the duration and severity of the impact of these risks on markets cannot be reasonably estimated.
Interest Rate Risk
Debt securities are subject to interest rate risk because the prices of debt securities tend to move in the opposite direction of interest rates. When interest rates rise, debt security prices fall. When interest rates fall, debt security prices rise. Changing interest rates may have sudden and unpredictable effects in the markets and on the Fund›s investments. In general, debt securities with longer maturities are more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Credit Risk
The risk that the issuer of a debt security will fail to pay interest or principal in a timely manner or that negative perceptions of the issuer's ability to make such payments will cause the price of that security to fall.
Non-U.S. Securities Risk
The Fund may invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers, which securities may be denominated in U.S. dollars or foreign currencies. Investments in non-U.S. securities may involve additional risks including exchange rate fluctuation, political or economic instability, the imposition of exchange controls, expropriation, limited disclosure and illiquid markets.
Call Risk
Certain debt securities may be called (redeemed) at the option of the issuer at a specified price before reaching their stated maturity date. Call risk is the risk, especially during periods of falling interest rates, that an issuer will call or repay a higher-yielding bond debt security before its maturity date, forcing the Fund to reinvest in bonds with lower interest rates than the original obligations.
Liquidity Risk
Securities purchased by the Fund that are liquid at the time of purchase may subsequently become illiquid due to, among other things, events relating to the issuer of the securities (e.g., changes to the market's perception of the credit quality of the issuer), market events, economic conditions, investor perceptions or lack of market participants. The Fund may be unable to sell illiquid securities on short notice or only at a price below current value.
Municipal Securities Risk
Municipal securities risks include the ability of the issuer to repay the obligation, the relative lack of information about certain issuers, and the possibility of future tax and legislative changes which could affect the market for and value of municipal securities.
Derivatives Risk
Derivatives are instruments, such as futures and forward contracts, whose value is derived from that of other assets, rates or indices. The use of derivatives may carry more risk than other types of investments. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks including counterparty, liquidity, interest rate, market, credit and management risks, and the risk of improper valuation. Changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index, and in some cases the Fund could lose more than the principal amount invested. The use of some derivatives requires the Fund to segregate liquid assets to cover the Fund›s obligations under the derivative agreements or as required by regulations.
Nebraska State-Specific Risk
Because the Fund invests primarily in Nebraska municipal securities, the Fund is more vulnerable to unfavorable economic, political or regulatory developments in Nebraska than are funds that invest in municipal securities of many states. These developments may include economic or political policy changes, tax base erosion, state limits on tax increases, budget deficits and other financial difficulties, as well as changes in the credit ratings assigned to the state›s municipal issuers. Neither the State of Nebraska nor its agencies may issue general obligation bonds secured by the full faith and credit of the State. In addition, the economy of the State is heavily agricultural and changes in the agricultural sector may adversely affect taxes and other municipal revenues. The State and its issuers may also be adversely affected by the COVID 19 pandemic, including negative financial impact on the State›s municipal issuers.
Tax Exempt Risk
The Fund seeks income that is exempt from federal and Nebraska personal income taxes, but income from the Fund may be subject to federal alternative minimum tax and capital gains taxes. There is no guarantee that the Fund’s income will remain exempt from federal or state income taxes. Income from municipal bonds held by the Fund could be declared taxable because of unfavorable changes in tax laws, adverse interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service or state tax authorities, or noncompliant conduct of a bond issuer.
Non-diversified Risk
The Fund is considered non-diversified, which means that it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of particular issuers as compared with other mutual funds. As such, the fund’s performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few securities.
Failure to Meet Investment Objective
There can be no assurance that the Fund will meet its investment objective.
An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.