Liquidity Risk — The Portfolio may not be able to sell some or all of its securities at desired prices or may be unable to sell the securities at all, particularly during times of market turmoil. Markets may become illiquid when, for instance, there are few, if any, interested buyers or sellers or when dealers are unwilling or unable to make a market for certain securities. The Portfolio may not be able to sell a restricted or illiquid security at a favorable time or price, thereby decreasing the Portfolio’s overall liquidity. Further, the lack of an established secondary market may make it more difficult to value illiquid securities. If the Portfolio is forced to sell an illiquid security to meet redemption requests or for other cash needs, the Portfolio may be forced to sell at a loss.

Credit Risk — The Portfolio may lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security is unable or unwilling to make scheduled interest or principal payments, which may reduce the Portfolio’s income and market value.

Call or Prepayment Risk — During periods of falling interest rates, a bond issuer may “call” or repay its high-yielding bond before the bond’s maturity date. If forced to invest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, the Portfolio would experience a decline in income. The ability of an issuer of a debt security to repay principal prior to a security’s maturity can cause greater price volatility if interest rates change.

Sovereign Debt Risk — Sovereign debt securities are issued or guaranteed by foreign governmental entities. These investments are subject to the risk that a governmental entity may delay or refuse to pay interest or repay principal on its sovereign debt. There is no legal process for collecting sovereign debts that a government does not pay.

Derivatives Risk — Derivatives instruments (such as futures, options, swaps and structured securities) can be highly volatile and involve risks in addition to the risks of the underlying referenced securities. Using derivatives can increase fund losses and reduce opportunities for gains when market prices, interest rates or the derivative instruments themselves behave in a way not anticipated by the Portfolio. Derivatives may be difficult to sell, unwind or value, and the counterparty may default on its obligations to the Portfolio. Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index and the Portfolio could lose more than the principal amount invested. In addition to investing in derivatives to implement its strategy, the Portfolio may also use derivative instruments for hedging purposes, in an attempt to reduce the risk of loss from falling stock prices or lower foreign currency valuations, increased interest rates or other adverse market developments. There can be no assurance that a hedging technique will work as intended. Portfolio performance may be diminished by the added cost of the derivative instruments.

CDX Tranche Risk —The equity tranche, the riskiest tranche of a CDX, has exposure to the first losses experienced by the basket of issuers of debt instruments to which the CDX provides exposure. The mezzanine and senior CDX tranches are higher in the capital structure but may also be exposed to losses in value. Investment in a CDX is subject to liquidity risk, credit risk and counterparty risk. CDX tranches may experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, decrease of market value due to collateral defaults and exhaustion of subordinate tranches, market anticipation of defaults and investor aversion to CDX securities as a class.

Market Risk — A security’s price may change in response to changes in conditions in securities markets in general. Markets tend to move in cycles with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. They can decline for many reasons, including adverse political or economic developments domestically or abroad, tariffs, or trade wars, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. In the case of debt securities, changes in the overall level of interest rates affect the security’s price. Different types of stocks sometimes shift into and out of favor with investors. For example, at times the market may not favor growth-oriented stocks. Instead, it might favor value stocks or not favor stocks at all. If the Portfolio focuses on a particular investment style, its performance will sometimes be better or worse than the performance of funds focusing on other types of investments. A significant national or international event, natural disaster or widespread health crisis could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect the Portfolio’s performance.

Interest Rate Risk — Prices of fixed-income securities rise and fall in response to changes in the interest rates paid by similar securities. Generally, when interest rates rise, prices of fixed-income securities fall. However, market factors, such as the demand for particular fixed-income securities, may cause the price of certain fixed-income securities to fall while the prices of other securities rise or remain unchanged. Interest rate changes have a greater effect on the price of fixed-income securities with longer maturities. A wide variety of market factors can affect interest rates. Recent and potential future changes in monetary policy made by central banks and/or their governments are likely to affect the level of interest rates. The Portfolio may be subject to heightened interest rate risk due to certain changes in monetary policy. Rising interest rates may expose fixed-income markets to increased volatility and may reduce the liquidity of certain Portfolio investments. These developments also could cause more fluctuation in the Portfolio’s net asset value or make it more difficult for the Portfolio to accurately value its securities. These developments or others could also cause the Portfolio to face increased shareholder redemptions, which could force the Portfolio to liquidate investments at disadvantageous times or prices, therefore adversely affecting the Portfolio as well as the value of your investment.

Issuer Risk — The value of a security may decline for reasons related to the issuer, such as earnings stability, overall financial soundness, management performance and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.

Model Risk — The Portfolio seeks to pursue its investment objective by using proprietary models that incorporate quantitative analysis. Investments selected using these models may perform differently than as forecasted due to the factors incorporated into the models and the weighting of each factor, changes from historical trends, and issues in the construction and implementation of the models (including, but not limited to, software issues and other technological issues). There is no guarantee that BlackRock’s use of these models will result in effective investment decisions for the Portfolio.

Risk of Investing in the United States — A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations, inflation and/or an economic recession in the United States may have a material adverse effect on the U.S. economy and the securities listed on U.S. exchanges. Proposed and adopted policy and legislative changes in the United States are changing many aspects of financial, commercial, public health, environmental, and other regulation and may have a significant effect on U.S. markets generally, as well as on the value of certain securities. Governmental agencies project that the United States will continue to maintain elevated public debt levels for the foreseeable future. Although elevated debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, elevated public debt service costs may constrain future economic growth.

The United States has developed increasingly strained relations with a number of foreign countries. If relations with certain countries deteriorate, it could adversely affect U.S. issuers as well as non-U.S. issuers that rely on the United States for trade. Likewise, war, natural disasters, terrorism, internal political discord, public health emergencies such as pandemics and epidemics, trade disputes with key trading partners and associated tariffs, and similar events can result in a wide range of social and economic disruptions and challenge businesses and their revenues across most sectors. These events have also resulted in and may continue to have adverse impacts on the U.S. economy and the issuers in which the Fund invests.

Market Risk — A security’s price may change in response to changes in conditions in securities markets in general. Markets tend to move in cycles with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. They can decline for many reasons, including adverse political or economic developments domestically or abroad, tariffs, or trade wars, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. In the case of debt securities, changes in the overall level of interest rates affect the security’s price. Different types of stocks sometimes shift into and out of favor with investors. For example, at times the market may not favor growth-oriented stocks. Instead, it might favor value stocks or not favor stocks at all. If the Portfolio focuses on a particular investment style, its performance will sometimes be better or worse than the performance of funds focusing on other types of investments. A significant national or international event, natural disaster or widespread health crisis could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect the Portfolio’s performance.

Issuer Risk — The value of a security may decline for reasons related to the issuer, such as earnings stability, overall financial soundness, management performance and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.

Model Risk — The Portfolio seeks to pursue its investment objective by using proprietary models that incorporate quantitative analysis. Investments selected using these models may perform differently than as forecasted due to the factors incorporated into the models and the weighting of each factor, changes from historical trends, and issues in the construction and implementation of the models (including, but not limited to, software issues and other technological issues). There is no guarantee that BlackRock’s use of these models will result in effective investment decisions for the Portfolio.

Currency Risk — Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. The Portfolio’s net asset value and returns may experience increased volatility as a result of its exposure to foreign currencies through direct holdings of such currencies or holdings of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities.

High Portfolio Turnover Risk — Portfolios with high portfolio turnover rates will incur higher transactions expenses, thereby decreasing overall return. In addition, there is a possibility that a portfolio with a high turnover rate will sell some securities before their market values reach full potential.

Large-Cap Company Risk — Larger more established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. Many larger companies also may not be able to attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.

Convertible Securities Risk — In addition to being subject to the risks of investing in common stock, the value of convertible securities can be adversely affected by fixed income market forces such as interest rate risk, credit risk, call risk and prepayment risk.

Issuer Risk — The value of a security may decline for reasons related to the issuer, such as earnings stability, overall financial soundness, management performance and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.

Growth Strategy Risk — Growth stocks may be more volatile than other stocks because they are generally more sensitive to investor perceptions of the issuing company’s growth of earnings potential. Also, since growth companies usually invest a high portion of earnings in their business, growth stocks may lack the dividends of value stocks that can cushion stock prices in a falling market.

Small and Medium Capitalization Company Risk — Small and medium capitalization company stock prices tend to be more volatile, and the stock tends to be less liquid than those of larger, better established companies. Small and medium capitalization companies are also sometimes more subject to failure.

Market Risk — A security’s price may change in response to changes in conditions in securities markets in general. Markets tend to move in cycles with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. They can decline for many reasons, including adverse political or economic developments domestically or abroad, tariffs or trade wars, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. Different types of stocks sometimes shift into and out of favor with investors. For example, at times the market may not favor growth-oriented stocks. Instead, it might favor value stocks or not favor stocks at all. If the Portfolio focuses on a particular investment style, its performance will sometimes be better or worse than the performance of funds focusing on other types of investments. A significant national or international event, natural disaster or widespread health crisis could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect the Portfolio’s performance.

Foreign Investments Risk — Foreign investments involve risks not normally encountered with domestic securities. These include political, regulatory and economic instability in some countries, the imposition of economic sanctions, changes in currency rates and market inefficiencies. The laws of some foreign countries may limit the Portfolio’s ability to invest in securities of certain issuers organized under the laws of those countries. Trade tensions and economic sanctions on individuals and companies can contribute to market volatility. This may adversely impact the Portfolio’s performance.

Swap Risk — Swaps are subject to tracking risk because they may not be perfect substitutes for the instruments they are intended to hedge or replace. Over the counter swaps are subject to counterparty default. Leverage inherent in derivatives will tend to magnify the Portfolio’s losses.

Preferred Stock Risk — The prices of preferred stock typically respond to interest rate changes, decreasing in value if interest rates rise and increasing in value if interest rates fall. Preferred stocks are also subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that an issuer of preferred stock will fail to make its dividend payments. Preferred stock prices tend to move upwards more slowly than common stock prices.

Small Capitalization Company Risk — Small capitalization company stock prices tend to be more volatile, and the stock tends to be less liquid, than those of larger, better established companies. Small capitalization companies are also sometimes more subject to failure.

Passive Investment Risk — A passive investment strategy attempts to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities and differs from an actively managed fund which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. A component of the Portfolio is managed with a passive investment strategy that seeks to track the index and its performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets in response to changes in the market such as taking advantage of market opportunities or to lessen the impact of a market decline. As the Portfolio attempts to track the performance of the index, the structure and composition of the index will have an impact on the performance, volatility and risk of the Portfolio. The performance of the Portfolio may be lower than the index as a result of transaction costs related to index rebalances and cash flows.

Exchange-Traded Funds Risk — ETF shares may trade at a discount or premium to their NAV. Because the value of ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, the sub-adviser may not be able to liquidate the Portfolio’s holdings at the most optimal time, adversely affecting performance. ETFs in which a Portfolio invests will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices they track, if any, because the total return generated by the securities will be reduced by transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities. In addition, the ETFs in which the Portfolio invests will incur expenses not incurred by their applicable indices. Each ETF is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the fund.

Futures Risk — The Portfolio’s use of futures involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include: (i) leverage risk; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) risk that changes in the value of the futures contract may not correlate perfectly with the underlying index.

Investments in futures involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in futures can have a disproportionately large impact on the Portfolio. This risk could cause the Portfolio to lose more than the principal amount invested. Additionally, changes in the value of futures contracts may not track or correlate perfectly with the underlying index because of temporary, or even long-term, supply and demand imbalances and because futures do not pay dividends unlike the stocks upon which they are based.

Issuer Risk — The value of a security may decline for reasons related to the issuer, such as earnings stability, overall financial soundness, management performance and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.

Derivatives Risk — Derivatives can be highly volatile and involve risks in addition to the risks of the underlying referenced securities. Using derivatives can increase fund losses and reduce opportunities for gains when market prices, interest rates or the derivative instruments themselves behave in a way not anticipated by the Portfolio. Derivatives may be difficult to sell, unwind or value, and the counterparty may default on its obligations to the Portfolio. Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index and the Portfolio could lose more than the principal amount invested. In addition to investing in derivatives to implement its strategy, the Portfolio may also use derivative instruments for hedging purposes, in an attempt to reduce the risk of loss from falling stock prices or lower foreign currency valuations, increased interest rates or other adverse market developments. There can be no assurance that a hedging technique will work as intended. Portfolio performance may be diminished by the added cost of the derivative instruments.

Currency Risk — Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. The Portfolio’s net asset value and returns may experience increased volatility as a result of its exposure to foreign currencies through direct holdings of such currencies or holdings of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities.

Preferred Stock Risk — The prices of preferred stock typically respond to interest rate changes, decreasing in value if interest rates rise and increasing in value if interest rates fall. Preferred stocks are also subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that an issuer of preferred stock will fail to make its dividend payments. Preferred stock prices tend to move upwards more slowly than common stock prices.

Management Risk — The Portfolio is subject to management risk because it is an actively-managed investment fund. AllianceBernstein will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions, but there is no guarantee that its techniques will produce the intended results. Some of these techniques may incorporate, or rely upon, quantitative models, but there is no guarantee that these models will generate accurate forecasts, reduce risk or otherwise perform as expected.

Tracking Risk — The passive component of the Portfolio’s return may not match the return of the Index for a number of reasons, including: the Portfolio incurs operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities; the Portfolio may not be fully invested at times; the performance of the Portfolio and the Index may vary due to asset valuation differences and differences between the Portfolio’s portfolio and the Index resulting from legal restrictions, cost or liquidity constraints and; if used, representative sampling may cause the Portfolio’s tracking error to be higher than would be the case if the Portfolio purchased all of the securities in the Index.

Warrant and Rights Risk — If the underlying stock price does not rise above the exercise price before the warrant expires, a warrant generally expires without value and the Portfolio loses any amount paid for the warrant. Warrants may trade in the same markets as their underlying stock; however, the price of a warrant may not move with the price of the underlying stock. Failing to exercise subscription rights to purchase common stock would dilute the Portfolio’s interest in the issuing company. The market for such rights is not well developed, and the Portfolio may not always realize full value on the sale of rights.

Options Risk — Risks specific to investments in call options include limited gains and lack of liquidity. By selling a call option, the Portfolio may forego the opportunity to participate in price increases for the underlying equities above the exercise price, while still bearing the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying equities or index. As the buyer of a call option, the Portfolio risks losing the entire premium invested in the option if the underlying equity or index does not rise above the option strike price. As the buyer of a put option, the Portfolio risks losing the entire premium invested in the option if the underlying equity or index does not fall below the option strike price. By selling a put option, the Portfolio bears the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying equities or index. Losses on the sale of a put option are unlimited.

There may not be a liquid market for options. Lack of liquidity may prevent the Portfolio from closing out an option position, written or purchased, at an opportune time or price. Because the Portfolio will generally hold the equities underlying a call option or exposure to the index underlying the option, the Portfolio may be less likely to sell the stocks it is holding to take advantage of new investment opportunities.

Sector Risk — A certain sector may not perform as well as companies in other sectors or the market as a whole. When the Portfolio concentrates its investments in a sector, it is more susceptible to any adverse economic, business or other developments generally affecting companies in that sector.

Market Risk — A security’s price may change in response to changes in conditions in securities markets in general. Markets tend to move in cycles with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. They can decline for many reasons, including adverse political or economic developments domestically or abroad, tariffs or trade wars, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. Different types of stocks sometimes shift into and out of favor with investors. For example, at times the market may not favor growth-oriented stocks. Instead, it might favor value stocks or not favor stocks at all. If the Portfolio focuses on a particular investment style, its performance will sometimes be better or worse than the performance of funds focusing on other types of investments. A significant national or international event, natural disaster or widespread health crisis could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect the Portfolio’s performance.

Passive Investment Risk — A passive investment strategy attempts to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities and differs from an actively managed fund which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. The Portfolio is managed with a passive investment strategy that seeks to track the index and its performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets in response to changes in the market such as taking advantage of market opportunities or to lessen the impact of a market decline. As the Portfolio attempts to track the performance of the index, the structure and composition of the index will have an impact on the performance, volatility and risk of the Portfolio. The performance of the Portfolio may be lower than the index as a result of transaction costs related to index rebalances and cash flows.

Futures Risk — The Portfolio’s use of futures involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include: (i) leverage risk; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) risk that changes in the value of the futures contract may not correlate perfectly with the underlying index.

Investments in futures involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in futures can have a disproportionately large impact on the Portfolio. This risk could cause the Portfolio to lose more than the principal amount invested. Additionally, changes in the value of futures contracts may not track or correlate perfectly with the underlying index because of temporary, or even long-term, supply and demand imbalances and because futures do not pay dividends unlike the stocks upon which they are based.

Market Risk — A security’s price may change in response to changes in conditions in securities markets in general. Markets tend to move in cycles with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. They can decline for many reasons, including adverse political or economic developments domestically or abroad, tariffs or trade wars, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. In the case of debt securities, changes in the overall level of interest rates affect the security’s price. A significant national or international event, natural disaster or widespread health crisis could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect the Portfolio’s performance.

Interest Rate Risk — Prices of fixed-income securities rise and fall in response to changes in the interest rates paid by similar securities. Generally, when interest rates rise, prices of fixed-income securities fall. However, market factors, such as the demand for particular fixed-income securities, may cause the price of certain fixed-income securities to fall while the prices of other securities rise or remain unchanged. Interest rate changes have a greater effect on the price of fixed-income securities with longer maturities. A wide variety of market factors can affect interest rates. Recent and potential future changes in monetary policy made by central banks and/or their governments are likely to affect the level of interest rates. The Portfolio may be subject to heightened interest rate risk due to certain changes in monetary policy. Rising interest rates may expose fixed-income markets to increased volatility and may reduce the liquidity of certain Portfolio investments. These developments also could cause more fluctuation in the Portfolio’s net asset value or make it more difficult for the Portfolio to accurately value its securities. These developments or others could also cause the Portfolio to face increased shareholder redemptions, which could force the Portfolio to liquidate investments at disadvantageous times or prices, therefore adversely affecting the Portfolio as well as the value of your investment.

Issuer Risk — The value of a security may decline for reasons related to the issuer, such as earnings stability, overall financial soundness, management performance and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.

Foreign Investments Risk — Foreign investments involve risks not normally encountered with domestic securities. These include political, regulatory and economic instability in some countries, the imposition of economic sanctions, changes in currency rates and market inefficiencies. The laws of some foreign countries may limit the Portfolio’s ability to invest in securities of certain issuers organized under the laws of those countries. Trade tensions and economic sanctions on individuals and companies can contribute to market volatility. This may adversely impact the Portfolio’s performance.

Swap Risk — Swaps are subject to tracking risk because they may not be perfect substitutes for the instruments they are intended to hedge or replace. Over the counter swaps are subject to counterparty default. Leverage inherent in derivatives will tend to magnify the Portfolio’s losses.

Convertible Securities Risk — In addition to being subject to the risks of investing in common stock, the value of convertible securities can be adversely affected by fixed income market forces such as interest rate risk, credit risk, call risk and prepayment risk.

Lower-Rated Debt Securities Risk — Bonds rated below investment grade, which is defined as BB or lower (also called “junk bonds”), are subject to greater levels of interest rate, credit and liquidity risks. They are considered primarily speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments.

Issuer Risk – The value of a security may decline for reasons related to the issuer, such as earnings stability, overall financial soundness, management performance and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.

Risk of Investing in the United States — A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations, inflation and/or an economic recession in the United States may have a material adverse effect on the U.S. economy and the securities listed on U.S. exchanges. Proposed and adopted policy and legislative changes in the United States are changing many aspects of financial, commercial, public health, environmental, and other regulation and may have a significant effect on U.S. markets generally, as well as on the value of certain securities. Governmental agencies project that the United States will continue to maintain elevated public debt levels for the foreseeable future. Although elevated debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, elevated public debt service costs may constrain future economic growth.

The United States has developed increasingly strained relations with a number of foreign countries. If relations with certain countries deteriorate, it could adversely affect U.S. issuers as well as non-U.S. issuers that rely on the United States for trade. Likewise, war, natural disasters, terrorism, internal political discord, public health emergencies such as pandemics and epidemics, trade disputes with key trading partners and associated tariffs, and similar events can result in a wide range of social and economic disruptions and challenge businesses and their revenues across most sectors. These events have also resulted in and may continue to have adverse impacts on the U.S. economy and the issuers in which the Fund invests.

Value Strategy Risk – Value stocks may be appropriately priced by the market, and any perceived undervaluation may not be corrected by subsequent market movements. Share prices may even decrease in value.

Market Risk — A security’s price may change in response to changes in conditions in securities markets in general. Markets tend to move in cycles with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. They can decline for many reasons, including adverse political or economic developments domestically or abroad, tariffs or trade wars, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. In the case of debt securities, changes in the overall level of interest rates affect the security’s price. Different types of stocks sometimes shift into and out of favor with investors. A significant national or international event, natural disaster or widespread health crisis could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect the Portfolio’s performance.

Passive Investment Risk — A passive investment strategy attempts to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities and differs from an actively managed fund which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index. The Portfolio is managed with a passive investment strategy that seeks to track the index and its performance could be lower than actively managed funds that may shift their portfolio assets in response to changes in the market such as taking advantage of market opportunities or to lessen the impact of a market decline. As the Portfolio attempts to track the performance of the index, the structure and composition of the index will have an impact on the performance, volatility and risk of the Portfolio. The performance of the Portfolio may be lower than the index as a result of transaction costs related to index rebalances and cash flows.

Futures Risk — The Portfolio’s use of futures involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include: (i) leverage risk; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) risk that changes in the value of the futures contract may not correlate perfectly with the underlying index.

Investments in futures involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in futures can have a disproportionately large impact on the Portfolio. This risk could cause the Portfolio to lose more than the principal amount invested. Additionally, changes in the value of futures contracts may not track or correlate perfectly with the underlying index because of temporary, or even long-term, supply and demand imbalances and because futures do not pay dividends unlike the stocks upon which they are based.

Market Risk — A security’s price may change in response to changes in conditions in securities markets in general. Markets tend to move in cycles with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. They can decline for many reasons, including adverse political or economic developments domestically or abroad, tariffs or trade wars, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. In the case of debt securities, changes in the overall level of interest rates affect the security’s price. Different types of stocks sometimes shift into and out of favor with investors. For example, at times the market may not favor growth-oriented stocks. Instead, it might favor value stocks or not favor stocks at all. If the Portfolio focuses on a particular investment style, its performance will sometimes be better or worse than the performance of funds focusing on other types of investments. A significant national or international event, natural disaster or widespread health crisis could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect the Portfolio’s performance.

Model Risk — The Portfolio seeks to pursue its investment objective by using proprietary models that incorporate quantitative analysis. Investments selected using these models may perform differently than as forecasted due to the factors incorporated into the models and the weighting of each factor, changes from historical trends, and issues in the construction and implementation of the models (including, but not limited to, software issues and other technological issues). There is no guarantee that BlackRock’s use of these models will result in effective investment decisions for the Portfolio.

Large-Cap Company Risk — Larger more established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. Many larger companies also may not be able to attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.

Market Risk — A security’s price may change in response to changes in conditions in securities markets in general. Markets tend to move in cycles with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. They can decline for many reasons, including adverse political or economic developments domestically or abroad, tariffs or trade wars, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. In the case of debt securities, changes in the overall level of interest rates affect the security’s price. Different types of stocks sometimes shift into and out of favor with investors. For example, at times the market may not favor growth-oriented stocks. Instead, it might favor value stocks or not favor stocks at all. If the Portfolio focuses on a particular investment style, its performance will sometimes be better or worse than the performance of funds focusing on other types of investments. A significant national or international event, natural disaster or widespread health crisis could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect the Portfolio’s performance.

Model Risk — The Portfolio seeks to pursue its investment objective by using proprietary models that incorporate quantitative analysis. Investments selected using these models may perform differently than as forecasted due to the factors incorporated into the models and the weighting of each factor, changes from historical trends, and issues in the construction and implementation of the models (including, but not limited to, software issues and other technological issues). There is no guarantee that BlackRock’s use of these models will result in effective investment decisions for the Portfolio.

Medium Capitalization Company Risk — Medium capitalization company stock prices tend to be more volatile, and the stock tends to be less liquid, than those of larger, better established companies. Medium capitalization companies are also sometimes more subject to failure.

Small Capitalization Company Risk — Small capitalization company stock prices tend to be more volatile, and the stock tends to be less liquid, than those of larger, better established companies. Small capitalization companies are also sometimes more subject to failure.

Market Risk — A security’s price may change in response to changes in conditions in securities markets in general. Markets tend to move in cycles with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. They can decline for many reasons, including adverse political or economic developments domestically or abroad, tariffs or trade wars, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. A significant national or international event, natural disaster or widespread health crisis could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect the Portfolio’s performance.

Medium Capitalization Company Risk — Medium capitalization company stock prices tend to be more volatile, and the stock tends to be less liquid, than those of larger, better established companies. Medium capitalization companies are also sometimes more subject to failure.

Tracking Risk — The Portfolio’s return may not match the return of the Index for a number of reasons, including: the Portfolio incurs operating expenses not applicable to the Index, and incurs costs in buying and selling securities; the Portfolio may not be fully invested at times; the performance of the Portfolio and the Index may vary due to asset valuation differences and differences between the Portfolio’s portfolio and the Index resulting from legal restrictions, cost or liquidity constraints and; if used, representative sampling may cause the Portfolio’s tracking error to be higher than would be the case if the Portfolio purchased all of the securities in the Index.

Issuer Risk — The value of a security may decline for reasons related to the issuer, such as earnings stability, overall financial soundness, management performance and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.

Derivatives Risk — Derivatives can be highly volatile and involve risks in addition to the risks of the underlying referenced securities. Using derivatives can increase fund losses and reduce opportunities for gains when market prices, interest rates or the derivative instruments themselves behave in a way not anticipated by the Portfolio. Derivatives may be difficult to sell, unwind or value, and the counterparty may default on its obligations to the Portfolio. Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index and the Portfolio could lose more than the principal amount invested. In addition to investing in derivatives to implement its strategy, the Portfolio may also use derivative instruments for hedging purposes, in an attempt to reduce the risk of loss from falling stock prices or lower foreign currency valuations, increased interest rates or other adverse market developments. There can be no assurance that a hedging technique will work as intended. Portfolio performance may be diminished by the added cost of the derivative instruments.

Risk of Investing in the United States — A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations, inflation and/or an economic recession in the United States may have a material adverse effect on the U.S. economy and the securities listed on U.S. exchanges. Proposed and adopted policy and legislative changes in the United States are changing many aspects of financial, commercial, public health, environmental, and other regulation and may have a significant effect on U.S. markets generally, as well as on the value of certain securities. Governmental agencies project that the United States will continue to maintain elevated public debt levels for the foreseeable future. Although elevated debt levels do not necessarily indicate or cause economic problems, elevated public debt service costs may constrain future economic growth.

The United States has developed increasingly strained relations with a number of foreign countries. If relations with certain countries deteriorate, it could adversely affect U.S. issuers as well as non-U.S. issuers that rely on the United States for trade. Likewise, war, natural disasters, terrorism, internal political discord, public health emergencies such as pandemics and epidemics, trade disputes with key trading partners and associated tariffs, and similar events can result in a wide range of social and economic disruptions and challenge businesses and their revenues across most sectors. These events have also resulted in and may continue to have adverse impacts on the U.S. economy and the issuers in which the Fund invests.

Large-Cap Company Risk — Larger more established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. Many larger companies also may not be able to attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.

Sector Risk — A certain sector may not perform as well as companies in other sectors or the market as a whole. When the Portfolio concentrates its investments in a sector, it is more susceptible to any adverse economic, business or other developments generally affecting companies in that sector.

Liquidity Risk — The Portfolio may not be able to sell some or all of its securities at desired prices or may be unable to sell the securities at all, particularly during times of market turmoil. Markets may become illiquid when, for instance, there are few, if any, interested buyers or sellers or when dealers are unwilling or unable to make a market for certain securities. The Portfolio may not be able to sell a restricted or illiquid security at a favorable time or price, thereby decreasing the Portfolio’s overall liquidity. Further, the lack of an established secondary market may make it more difficult to value illiquid securities. If the Portfolio is forced to sell an illiquid security to meet redemption requests or for other cash needs, the Portfolio may be forced to sell at a loss.

Credit Risk — The Portfolio may lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security is unable or unwilling to make scheduled interest or principal payments, which may reduce the Portfolio’s income and market value.

Call or Prepayment Risk — During periods of falling interest rates, a bond issuer may “call” or repay its high-yielding bond before the bond’s maturity date. If forced to invest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, the Portfolio would experience a decline in income. The ability of an issuer of a debt security to repay principal prior to a security’s maturity can cause greater price volatility if interest rates change.

Derivatives Risk — Derivatives instruments (such as futures, options, swaps and structured securities) can be highly volatile and involve risks in addition to the risks of the underlying referenced securities. Using derivatives can increase fund losses and reduce opportunities for gains when market prices, interest rates or the derivative instruments themselves behave in a way not anticipated by the Portfolio. Derivatives may be difficult to sell, unwind or value, and the counterparty may default on its obligations to the Portfolio. Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index and the Portfolio could lose more than the principal amount invested. In addition to investing in derivatives to implement its strategy, the Portfolio may also use derivative instruments for hedging purposes, in an attempt to reduce the risk of loss from falling stock prices or lower foreign currency valuations, increased interest rates or other adverse market developments. There can be no assurance that a hedging technique will work as intended. Portfolio performance may be diminished by the added cost of the derivative instruments.

CDX Tranche Risk —The equity tranche, the riskiest tranche of a CDX, has exposure to the first losses experienced by the basket of issuers of debt instruments to which the CDX provides exposure. The mezzanine and senior CDX tranches are higher in the capital structure but may also be exposed to losses in value. Investment in a CDX is subject to liquidity risk, credit risk and counterparty risk. CDX tranches may experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, decrease of market value due to collateral defaults and exhaustion of subordinate tranches, market anticipation of defaults and investor aversion to CDX securities as a class.

Exchange-Traded Funds Risk — ETF shares may trade at a discount or premium to their NAV. Because the value of ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, the adviser may not be able to liquidate the Portfolio’s holdings at the most optimal time, adversely affecting performance. ETFs in which the Portfolio invests will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices they track, if any, because the total return generated by the securities will be reduced by transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities. In addition, the ETFs in which the Portfolio invests will incur expenses not incurred by their applicable indices. Each ETF is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the fund. A passively managed ETF will typically not sell or remove a holding despite its current or projected underperformance unless it is removed from the index.

Options Risk — Risks specific to investments in call options include limited gains and lack of liquidity. As the buyer of a call option, the Portfolio risks losing the entire premium invested in the option if the underlying equity or index does not rise above the option strike price. As a seller of a call option, the Portfolio receives a premium, but if the underlying security or index rises above the option strike price, the Portfolio’s upside performance is limited. As the buyer of a put option, the Portfolio risks losing the entire premium invested in the option if the underlying equity or index does not fall below the option strike price. As a seller of a put option, the Portfolio receives a premium, but if the underlying security or index falls below the option strike price, the Portfolio’s performance will be negatively affected. Losses on the sale of a put option are unlimited. There may not be a liquid market for options. Lack of liquidity may prevent the Portfolio from closing out an option position, written or purchased, at an opportune time or price. Because the Portfolio will generally hold the equities underlying a call option or exposure to the index underlying the option, the Portfolio may be less likely to sell the stocks it is holding to take advantage of new investment opportunities.

Fund of Funds Risk — The Portfolio’s principal investment strategy involves investing in ETFs. Generally, investors may be able to invest directly in ETFs and may not need to invest through a fund. The cost of investing in the Portfolio will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Investors of the Portfolio will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in which the Portfolio invests in addition to the Portfolio’s direct fees and expenses. The Portfolio will incur brokerage costs when it purchases shares of investment companies.

Conflicts of Interest Risk — Although the Portfolio follows a strategy intended to enhance the risk adjusted return of the Portfolio, which the Adviser believes is consistent with the interests of shareholders, aspects of the risk management strategy of the Portfolio attempting to limit the downside exposure and reduce the volatility of the Portfolio may be deemed to present a conflict of interest for the Adviser and ALIC (with its affiliates, “AuguStar Life”). Shares of the Portfolio are offered only to the separate accounts of AuguStar Life, which use Portfolio shares as an underlying investment for variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. AuguStar Life has financial obligations to holders of variable contracts arising from guarantee obligations under the variable contracts and certain optional benefit riders. Limiting downside exposure and reducing volatility of the Portfolio have the effect of mitigating the financial risks to which AuguStar Life is subjected by providing these guaranteed benefits. If the strategy is successful in limiting downside exposure and reducing volatility, AuguStar Life expects to benefit from a reduction of the risks arising from its guarantee obligations, to reduce its costs to purchase hedge investments to manage the risks of its guarantee obligations, and to reduce its regulatory capital requirements associated with its guarantee obligations. As a result, AuguStar Life’s interest in managing risks within the Portfolio may at times conflict with the interests of contract owners having guaranteed benefits, who may be prevented from achieving higher returns due to the Portfolio’s use of risk management techniques.

Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk — Mortgage-backed securities tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than other types of securities. Investments in mortgage-backed securities are subject to both extension risk, where borrowers extend the duration of their mortgages in times of rising interest rates, and prepayment risk, where borrowers pay off their mortgages sooner than expected in times of declining interest rates. These risks may reduce the Portfolio’s returns. In addition, investments in mortgage-backed securities, including those comprised of subprime mortgages, may be subject to a higher degree of credit risk, valuation risk, and liquidity risk than various other types of fixed-income securities.

Liquidity Risk — The Portfolio may not be able to sell some or all of its securities at desired prices or may be unable to sell the securities at all, particularly during times of market turmoil. Markets may become illiquid when, for instance, there are few, if any, interested buyers or sellers or when dealers are unwilling or unable to make a market for certain securities. The Portfolio may not be able to sell a restricted or illiquid security at a favorable time or price, thereby decreasing the Portfolio’s overall liquidity. Further, the lack of an established secondary market may make it more difficult to value illiquid securities. If the Portfolio is forced to sell an illiquid security to meet redemption requests or for other cash needs, the Portfolio may be forced to sell at a loss.

Credit Risk — The Portfolio may lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security is unable or unwilling to make scheduled interest or principal payments, which may reduce the Portfolio’s income and market value.

Call or Prepayment Risk — During periods of falling interest rates, a bond issuer may “call” or repay its high-yielding bond before the bond’s maturity date. If forced to invest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, the Portfolio would experience a decline in income. The ability of an issuer of a debt security to repay principal prior to a security’s maturity can cause greater price volatility if interest rates change.

Derivatives Risk — Derivatives instruments (such as futures, options, swaps and structured securities) can be highly volatile and involve risks in addition to the risks of the underlying referenced securities. Using derivatives can increase fund losses and reduce opportunities for gains when market prices, interest rates or the derivative instruments themselves behave in a way not anticipated by the Portfolio. Derivatives may be difficult to sell, unwind or value, and the counterparty may default on its obligations to the Portfolio. Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index and the Portfolio could lose more than the principal amount invested. In addition to investing in derivatives to implement its strategy, the Portfolio may also use derivative instruments for hedging purposes, in an attempt to reduce the risk of loss from falling stock prices or lower foreign currency valuations, increased interest rates or other adverse market developments. There can be no assurance that a hedging technique will work as intended. Portfolio performance may be diminished by the added cost of the derivative instruments.

Currency Risk — Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. The Portfolio’s net asset value and returns may experience increased volatility as a result of its exposure to foreign currencies through direct holdings of such currencies or holdings of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities.

Lower-Rated Debt Securities Risk — Bonds rated below investment grade, which is defined as BB or lower (also called “junk bonds”), are subject to greater levels of interest rate, credit and liquidity risks. They are considered primarily speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments.

Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk — Mortgage-backed securities tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than other types of securities. Investments in mortgage-backed securities are subject to both extension risk, where borrowers extend the duration of their mortgages in times of rising interest rates, and prepayment risk, where borrowers pay off their mortgages sooner than expected in times of declining interest rates. These risks may reduce the Portfolio’s returns. In addition, investments in mortgage-backed securities, including those comprised of subprime mortgages, may be subject to a higher degree of credit risk, valuation risk, and liquidity risk than various other types of fixed-income securities.

Liquidity Risk — The Portfolio may not be able to sell some or all of its securities at desired prices or may be unable to sell the securities at all, particularly during times of market turmoil. Markets may become illiquid when, for instance, there are few, if any, interested buyers or sellers or when dealers are unwilling or unable to make a market for certain securities. The Portfolio may not be able to sell a restricted or illiquid security at a favorable time or price, thereby decreasing the Portfolio’s overall liquidity. Further, the lack of an established secondary market may make it more difficult to value illiquid securities. If the Portfolio is forced to sell an illiquid security to meet redemption requests or for other cash needs, the Portfolio may be forced to sell at a loss.

Credit Risk — The Portfolio may lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security is unable or unwilling to make scheduled interest or principal payments, which may reduce the Portfolio’s income and market value.

Call or Prepayment Risk — During periods of falling interest rates, a bond issuer may “call” or repay its high-yielding bond before the bond’s maturity date. If forced to invest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, the Portfolio would experience a decline in income. The ability of an issuer of a debt security to repay principal prior to a security’s maturity can cause greater price volatility if interest rates change.

Derivatives Risk — Derivatives instruments (such as futures, options, swaps and structured securities) can be highly volatile and involve risks in addition to the risks of the underlying referenced securities. Using derivatives can increase fund losses and reduce opportunities for gains when market prices, interest rates or the derivative instruments themselves behave in a way not anticipated by the Portfolio. Derivatives may be difficult to sell, unwind or value, and the counterparty may default on its obligations to the Portfolio. Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index and the Portfolio could lose more than the principal amount invested. In addition to investing in derivatives to implement its strategy, the Portfolio may also use derivative instruments for hedging purposes, in an attempt to reduce the risk of loss from falling stock prices or lower foreign currency valuations, increased interest rates or other adverse market developments. There can be no assurance that a hedging technique will work as intended. Portfolio performance may be diminished by the added cost of the derivative instruments.

Currency Risk — Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. The Portfolio’s net asset value and returns may experience increased volatility as a result of its exposure to foreign currencies through direct holdings of such currencies or holdings of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities.

Lower-Rated Debt Securities Risk — Bonds rated below investment grade, which is defined as BB or lower (also called “junk bonds”), are subject to greater levels of interest rate, credit and liquidity risks. They are considered primarily speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments.

Fund-of-Funds Structure Risk — Because the Portfolio invests directly in the underlying funds, all risks associated with the eligible underlying funds apply to the Portfolio. To the extent the Portfolio invests more of its assets in one underlying fund than another, the Portfolio will have greater exposure to the risks of that underlying fund. Because the Portfolio invests in underlying funds, you will bear your proportionate share of expenses of the Portfolio and indirectly of the underlying funds, resulting in an additional layer of expenses. The Adviser may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in the selection of and allocation among the underlying funds because the Adviser serves as investment adviser to certain of the underlying funds, and because the fees paid to the Adviser (or its affiliates) by certain underlying funds may be higher than fees paid by other underlying funds.

Market Risk — A security’s price may change in response to changes in conditions in securities markets in general. Markets tend to move in cycles with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. They can decline for many reasons, including adverse political or economic developments domestically or abroad, tariffs or trade wars, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. In the case of debt securities, changes in the overall level of interest rates affect the security's price. Different types of stocks sometimes shift into and out of favor with investors. For example, at times the market may not favor growth-oriented stocks. Instead, it might favor value stocks or not favor stocks at all. If the Portfolio focuses on a particular investment style, its performance will sometimes be better or worse than the performance of funds focusing on other types of investments. A significant national or international event, natural disaster or widespread health crisis could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect the Portfolio’s performance.

Credit Risk — The Portfolio may lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security is unable or unwilling to make scheduled interest or principal payments, which may reduce the Portfolio’s income and market value.

Call or Prepayment Risk — During periods of falling interest rates, a bond issuer may “call” or repay its high-yielding bond before the bond’s maturity date. If forced to invest the unanticipated proceeds at lower interest rates, the Portfolio would experience a decline in income. The ability of an issuer of a debt security to repay principal prior to a security’s maturity can cause greater price volatility if interest rates change.

Asset Allocation Risk — With an asset allocation strategy, the amount of assets allocated to various asset classes may change over time. There is a possibility that the manager’s evaluations and assumptions regarding market sectors may result in allocation to an underperforming asset class.

Growth Strategy Risk — Growth stocks may be more volatile than other stocks because they are generally more sensitive to investor perceptions of the issuing company’s growth of earnings potential. Also, since growth companies usually invest a high portion of earnings in their business, growth stocks may lack the dividends of value stocks that can cushion stock prices in a falling market.

Value Strategy Risk — Due to their relatively low valuations, value stocks are typically less volatile than growth stocks and more likely to pay higher dividends. Value stocks may continue to be inexpensive for long periods of time, never realize their potential value, or even go down in value.

Fund-of-Funds Structure Risk — Because the Portfolio invests directly in the underlying funds, all risks associated with the eligible underlying funds apply to the Portfolio. To the extent the Portfolio invests more of its assets in one underlying fund than another, the Portfolio will have greater exposure to the risks of that underlying fund. Because the Portfolio invests in underlying funds, you will bear your proportionate share of expenses of the Portfolio and indirectly of the underlying funds, resulting in an additional layer of expenses. The Adviser may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in the selection of and allocation among the underlying funds because the Adviser serves as investment adviser to certain of the underlying funds, and because the fees paid to the Adviser (or its affiliates) by certain underlying funds may be higher than fees paid by other underlying funds.

Market Risk — A security’s price may change in response to changes in conditions in securities markets in general. Markets tend to move in cycles with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. They can decline for many reasons, including adverse political or economic developments domestically or abroad, tariffs or trade wars, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. In the case of debt securities, changes in the overall level of interest rates affect the security’s price. Different types of stocks sometimes shift into and out of favor with investors. For example, at times the market may not favor growth-oriented stocks. Instead, it might favor value stocks or not favor stocks at all. If the Portfolio focuses on a particular investment style, its performance will sometimes be better or worse than the performance of funds focusing on other types of investments. A significant national or international event, natural disaster or widespread health crisis could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect the Portfolio’s performance.

Credit Risk — The Portfolio may lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security is unable or unwilling to make scheduled interest or principal payments, which may reduce the Portfolio’s income and market value.

Foreign Investments Risk — Foreign investments involve risks not normally encountered with domestic securities. These include political, regulatory and economic instability in some countries, the imposition of economic sanctions, changes in currency rates and market inefficiencies. The laws of some foreign countries may limit the Portfolio’s ability to invest in securities of certain issuers organized under the laws of those countries. Trade tensions and economic sanctions on individuals and companies can contribute to market volatility. This may adversely impact the Portfolio’s performance.

Currency Risk — Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. The Portfolio’s net asset value and returns may experience increased volatility as a result of its exposure to foreign currencies through direct holdings of such currencies or holdings of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities.

Growth Strategy Risk — Growth stocks may be more volatile than other stocks because they are generally more sensitive to investor perceptions of the issuing company’s growth of earnings potential. Also, since growth companies usually invest a high portion of earnings in their business, growth stocks may lack the dividends of value stocks that can cushion stock prices in a falling market.

Value Strategy Risk — Due to their relatively low valuations, value stocks are typically less volatile than growth stocks and more likely to pay higher dividends. Value stocks may continue to be inexpensive for long periods of time, never realize their potential value, or even go down in value.

Fund-of-Funds Structure Risk — Because the Portfolio invests directly in the underlying funds, all risks associated with the eligible underlying funds apply to the Portfolio. To the extent the Portfolio invests more of its assets in one underlying fund than another, the Portfolio will have greater exposure to the risks of that underlying fund. Because the Portfolio invests in underlying funds, you will bear your proportionate share of expenses of the Portfolio and indirectly of the underlying funds, resulting in an additional layer of expenses. The Adviser may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in the selection of and allocation among the underlying funds because the Adviser serves as investment adviser to certain of the underlying funds, and because the fees paid to the Adviser (or its affiliates) by certain underlying funds may be higher than fees paid by other underlying funds.

Market Risk — A security’s price may change in response to changes in conditions in securities markets in general. Markets tend to move in cycles with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. They can decline for many reasons, including adverse political or economic developments domestically or abroad, tariffs, or trade wars, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. A significant national or international event, natural disaster or widespread health crisis could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect the Portfolio’s performance.

Interest Rate Risk — Prices of fixed-income securities rise and fall in response to changes in the interest rates paid by similar securities. Generally, when interest rates rise, prices of fixed-income securities fall. However, market factors, such as the demand for fixed-income securities, may cause the price of certain fixed-income securities to fall while the prices of other securities rise or remain unchanged. Interest rate changes have a greater effect on the price of fixed-income securities with longer maturities. A wide variety of market factors can affect interest rates. Recent and potential future changes in monetary policy made by central banks and/or their governments are likely to affect the level of interest rates. The Portfolio may be subject to heightened interest rate risk due to certain changes in monetary policy. Rising interest rates may expose fixed-income markets to increased volatility and may reduce the liquidity of certain Portfolio investments. These developments also could cause more fluctuation in the Portfolio’s net asset value or make it more difficult for the Portfolio to accurately value its securities. These developments or others could also cause the Portfolio to face increased shareholder redemptions, which could force the Portfolio to liquidate investments at disadvantageous times or prices, therefore adversely affecting the Portfolio as well as the value of your investment. The amount of assets deemed illiquid remaining within the Portfolio may also increase, making it more difficult to meet shareholder redemptions and further adversely affecting the value of the Portfolio.

Government Securities Risk — Not all obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Some obligations are backed only by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality, and, in some cases, there may be some risk of default by the issuer. Any guarantee by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities of a security the Portfolio holds does not apply to the market value of the security or to shares of the Portfolio. A security backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the U.S. government is guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity.

Swap Risk — Swaps are subject to tracking risk because they may not be perfect substitutes for the instruments they are intended to hedge or replace. Over the counter swaps are subject to counterparty default. Leverage inherent in derivatives will tend to magnify the Portfolio's losses.

Exchange-Traded Funds Risk — ETF shares may trade at a discount or premium to their NAV. Because the value of ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, the Adviser may not be able to liquidate the Portfolio's holdings at the most optimal time, adversely affecting performance. ETFs in which the Portfolio invests will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices they track, if any, because the total return generated by the securities will be reduced by transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities. In addition, the ETFs in which the Portfolio invests will incur expenses not incurred by their applicable indices. Each ETF is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the fund. A passively managed ETF will typically not sell or remove a holding despite its current or projected underperformance unless it is removed from the index.

Emerging Markets Risk — Securities issued or traded in emerging markets generally entail greater risks than securities issued or traded in developed markets. Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments and may present the risk of nationalization of business, expropriation, confiscatory taxation or, in certain instances, reversion to closed market, centrally planned economies. Differences in regulatory, accounting, auditing and financial reporting and recordkeeping standards could impede the ability to evaluate local companies or impact the Portfolio’s performance. The typically small size of the markets of securities of issuers located in emerging markets and the possibility of a low or nonexistent volume of trading in those securities may also result in a lack of liquidity and in price volatility of those securities.

Fund of Funds Risk — The Portfolio’s principal investment strategy involves investing in ETFs. Generally, investors may be able to invest directly in ETFs and may not need to invest through a fund. The cost of investing in the Portfolio will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Investors of the Portfolio will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in which the Portfolio invests in addition to the Portfolio’s direct fees and expenses. The Portfolio will incur brokerage costs when it purchases shares of investment companies.

Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk — Mortgage-backed securities tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than other types of securities. Investments in mortgage-backed securities are subject to both extension risk, where borrowers extend the duration of their mortgages in times of rising interest rates, and prepayment risk, where borrowers pay off their mortgages sooner than expected in times of declining interest rates. These risks may reduce the Portfolio’s returns. In addition, investments in mortgage-backed securities, including those comprised of subprime mortgages, may be subject to a higher degree of credit risk, valuation risk, and liquidity risk than various other types of fixed-income securities.

Hedging Risk — Futures contracts may not provide an effective hedge of the underlying securities or indexes because changes in the prices of futures contracts may not track those of the securities or indexes that they are intended to hedge. In addition, the managed risk strategy may not effectively protect the Portfolio from market declines and may limit the Portfolio’s participation in market gains. The use of the managed risk strategy could cause the Portfolio to underperform as compared to the underlying ETFs and other mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

Market Risk — A security’s price may change in response to changes in conditions in securities markets in general. Markets tend to move in cycles with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. They can decline for many reasons, including adverse political or economic developments domestically or abroad, tariffs, or trade wars, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. A significant national or international event, natural disaster or widespread health crisis could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect the Portfolio’s performance.

Interest Rate Risk — Prices of fixed-income securities rise and fall in response to changes in the interest rates paid by similar securities. Generally, when interest rates rise, prices of fixed-income securities fall. However, market factors, such as the demand for particular fixed-income securities, may cause the price of certain fixed-income securities to fall while the prices of other securities rise or remain unchanged. Interest rate changes have a greater effect on the price of fixed-income securities with longer maturities. A wide variety of market factors can affect interest rates. Recent and potential future changes in monetary policy made by central banks and/or their governments are likely to affect the level of interest rates. The Portfolio may be subject to heightened interest rate risk due to certain changes in monetary policy. Rising interest rates may expose fixed-income markets to increased volatility and may reduce the liquidity of certain Portfolio investments. These developments also could cause more fluctuation in the Portfolio’s net asset value or make it more difficult for the Portfolio to accurately value its securities. These developments or others could also cause the Portfolio to face increased shareholder redemptions, which could force the Portfolio to liquidate investments at disadvantageous times or prices, therefore adversely affecting the Portfolio as well as the value of your investment. The amount of assets deemed illiquid remaining within the Portfolio may also increase, making it more difficult to meet shareholder redemptions and further adversely affecting the value of the Portfolio.

Government Securities Risk — Not all obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Some obligations are backed only by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality, and, in some cases, there may be some risk of default by the issuer. Any guarantee by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities of a security the Portfolio holds does not apply to the market value of the security or to shares of the Portfolio. A security backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the U.S. government is guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. The risks associated with an investment in Credit Risk Transfer securities (“CRTs”) differ from the risks associated with an investment in mortgage-backed securities issued by Government Sponsored Enterprises (“GSEs”) because, in CRTs, some or all of the credit risk associated with the underlying mortgage loans is transferred to the end-investor.

Currency Risk — Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. The Portfolio’s net asset value and returns may experience increased volatility as a result of its exposure to foreign currencies through direct holdings of such currencies or holdings of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities.

Futures Risk — The Portfolio’s use of futures involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. These risks include: (i) leverage risk; (ii) risk of mispricing or improper valuation; and (iii) risk that changes in the value of the futures contract may not correlate perfectly with the underlying index. Investments in futures involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in futures can have a disproportionately large impact on the Portfolio. This risk could cause the Portfolio to lose more than the principal amount invested. Additionally, changes in the value of futures contracts may not track or correlate perfectly with the underlying index because of temporary, or even long-term, supply and demand imbalances and because futures do not pay dividends unlike the stocks upon which they are based.

Lower-Rated Debt Securities Risk — Bonds rated below investment grade, which is defined as BB or lower (also called “junk bonds”), are subject to greater levels of interest rate, credit and liquidity risks. They are considered primarily speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments.

Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk — Mortgage-backed securities tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than other types of securities. Investments in mortgage-backed securities are subject to both extension risk, where borrowers extend the duration of their mortgages in times of rising interest rates, and prepayment risk, where borrowers pay off their mortgages sooner than expected in times of declining interest rates. These risks may reduce the Portfolio’s returns. In addition, investments in mortgage-backed securities, including those comprised of subprime mortgages, may be subject to a higher degree of credit risk, valuation risk, and liquidity risk than various other types of fixed-income securities.

Liquidity Risk — The Portfolio may not be able to sell some or all of its securities at desired prices or may be unable to sell the securities at all, particularly during times of market turmoil. Markets may become illiquid when, for instance, there are few, if any, interested buyers or sellers or when dealers are unwilling or unable to make a market for certain securities. The Portfolio may not be able to sell a restricted or illiquid security at a favorable time or price, thereby decreasing the Portfolio’s overall liquidity. Further, the lack of an established secondary market may make it more difficult to value illiquid securities. If the Portfolio is forced to sell an illiquid security to meet redemption requests or for other cash needs, the Portfolio may be forced to sell at a loss.

Credit Risk — The Portfolio (directly and indirectly through underlying funds) may lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security is unable or unwilling to make scheduled interest or principal payments, which may reduce the Portfolio’s income and market value.

Foreign Investments Risk — Foreign investments involve risks not normally encountered with domestic securities. These include political, regulatory and economic instability in some countries, the imposition of economic sanctions, changes in currency rates and market inefficiencies. The laws of some foreign countries may limit the Portfolio’s ability to invest in securities of certain issuers organized under the laws of those countries. Trade tensions and economic sanctions on individuals and companies can contribute to market volatility. This may adversely impact the Portfolio’s performance.

Exchange-Traded Funds Risk — ETF shares may trade at a discount or premium to their NAV. Because the value of ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, the sub-adviser may not be able to liquidate the Portfolio's holdings at the most optimal time, adversely affecting performance. ETFs in which the Portfolio invests will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices they track, if any, because the total return generated by the securities will be reduced by transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities. In addition, the ETFs in which the Portfolio invests will incur expenses not incurred by their applicable indices. Each ETF is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the fund.

Emerging Markets Risk — Securities issued or traded in emerging markets generally entail greater risks than securities issued or traded in developed markets. Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments and may present the risk of nationalization of business, expropriation, confiscatory taxation or, in certain instances, reversion to closed market, centrally planned economies. Differences in regulatory, accounting, auditing and financial reporting and recordkeeping standards could impede the ability to evaluate local companies or impact the Portfolio’s performance. The typically small size of the markets of securities of issuers located in emerging markets and the possibility of a low or nonexistent volume of trading in those securities may also result in a lack of liquidity and in price volatility of those securities.

Fund of Funds Risk — The Portfolio’s principal investment strategy involves investing in ETFs. Investors may be able to invest directly in the ETFs and may not need to invest through the Portfolio. The cost of investing in the Portfolio will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Investors of the Portfolio will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in which the Portfolio invests in addition to the Portfolio’s direct fees and expenses. The Portfolio will incur brokerage costs when it purchases shares of investment companies.

Hedging Risk — Futures contracts may not provide an effective hedge of the underlying securities or indexes because changes in the prices of futures contracts may not track those of the securities or indexes that they are intended to hedge. In addition, the managed risk strategy may not effectively protect the Portfolio from market declines and may limit the Portfolio’s participation in market gains. The use of the managed risk strategy could cause the Portfolio to underperform as compared to the underlying funds and other mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

Market Risk — A security’s price may change in response to changes in conditions in securities markets in general. Markets tend to move in cycles with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. They can decline for many reasons, including adverse political or economic developments domestically or abroad, tariffs, or trade wars, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. A significant national or international event, natural disaster or widespread health crisis could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect the Portfolio’s performance.

Sector Risk — A certain sector may not perform as well as companies in other sectors or the market as a whole. When the Portfolio concentrates its investments in a sector, it is more susceptible to any adverse economic, business or other developments generally affecting companies in that sector.

Large-Capitalization Investing Risk - Larger more established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. Many larger companies also may not be able to attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion. Although large capitalization companies are less sensitive to changing economic conditions and tend to be more established, such companies may fall out of favor with investors.

Market Risk — A security’s price may change in response to changes in conditions in securities markets in general. Markets tend to move in cycles with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. They can decline for many reasons, including adverse political or economic developments domestically or abroad, tariffs or trade wars, changes in investor psychology, or heavy institutional selling. In the case of debt securities, changes in the overall level of interest rates affect the security's price. A significant national or international event, natural disaster or widespread health crisis could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect the Portfolio’s performance.

Interest Rate Risk — Prices of fixed-income securities rise and fall in response to changes in the interest rates paid by similar securities. Generally, when interest rates rise, prices of fixed-income securities fall. However, market factors, such as the demand for particular fixed-income securities, may cause the price of certain fixed-income securities to fall while the prices of other securities rise or remain unchanged. Interest rate changes have a greater effect on the price of fixed-income securities with longer maturities. A wide variety of market factors can affect interest rates. Recent and potential future changes in monetary policy made by central banks and/or their governments are likely to affect the level of interest rates. The Portfolio may be subject to heightened interest rate risk due to certain changes in monetary policy. Rising interest rates may expose fixed-income markets to increased volatility and may reduce the liquidity of certain Portfolio investments. These developments also could cause more fluctuation in the Portfolio’s net asset value or make it more difficult for the Portfolio to accurately value its securities. These developments or others could also cause the Portfolio to face increased shareholder redemptions, which could force the Portfolio to liquidate investments at disadvantageous times or prices, therefore adversely affecting the Portfolio as well as the value of your investment. The amount of assets deemed illiquid remaining within the Portfolio may also increase, making it more difficult to meet shareholder redemptions and further adversely affecting the value of the Portfolio.

Issuer Risk — The value of a security may decline for reasons related to the issuer, such as earnings stability, overall financial soundness, management performance and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services.

Government Securities Risk — Not all obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Some obligations are backed only by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality, and, in some cases, there may be some risk of default by the issuer. Any guarantee by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities of a security the Portfolio holds does not apply to the market value of the security or to shares of the Portfolio. A security backed by the U.S. Treasury or the full faith and credit of the U.S. government is guaranteed only as to the timely payment of interest and principal when held to maturity. The risks associated with an investment in Credit Risk Transfer securities (“CRTs”) differ from the risks associated with an investment in mortgage-backed securities issued by Government Sponsored Enterprises (“GSEs”) because, in CRTs, some or all of the credit risk associated with the underlying mortgage loans is transferred to the end-investor.

Derivatives Risk — Derivatives instruments (such as futures, options, swaps and structured securities) can be highly volatile and involve risks in addition to the risks of the underlying referenced securities. Using derivatives can increase fund losses and reduce opportunities for gains when market prices, interest rates or the derivative instruments themselves behave in a way not anticipated by the Portfolio. Derivatives may be difficult to sell, unwind or value, and the counterparty may default on its obligations to the Portfolio. Changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index and the Portfolio could lose more than the principal amount invested. In addition to investing in derivatives to implement its strategy, the Portfolio may also use derivative instruments for hedging purposes, in an attempt to reduce the risk of loss from falling stock prices or lower foreign currency valuations, increased interest rates or other adverse market developments. There can be no assurance that a hedging technique will work as intended. Portfolio performance may be diminished by the added cost of the derivative instruments.

CDX Tranche Risk —The equity tranche, the riskiest tranche of a CDX, has exposure to the first losses experienced by the basket of issuers of debt instruments to which the CDX provides exposure. The mezzanine and senior CDX tranches are higher in the capital structure but may also be exposed to losses in value. Investment in a CDX is subject to liquidity risk, credit risk and counterparty risk. CDX tranches may experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, decrease of market value due to collateral defaults and exhaustion of subordinate tranches, market anticipation of defaults and investor aversion to CDX securities as a class.

Emerging Markets Risk — Securities issued or traded in emerging markets generally entail greater risks than securities issued or traded in developed markets. Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments and may present the risk of nationalization of business, expropriation, confiscatory taxation or, in certain instances, reversion to closed market, centrally planned economies. Differences in regulatory, accounting, auditing and financial reporting and recordkeeping standards could impede the ability to evaluate local companies or impact the Portfolio’s performance. The typically small size of the markets of securities of issuers located in emerging markets and the possibility of a low or nonexistent volume of trading in those securities may also result in a lack of liquidity and in price volatility of those securities.

Leverage Risk — Leverage risk is created when an investment (such as a derivative transaction) exposes the Portfolio to a level of risk that exceeds the amount invested. Changes in the value of such an investment magnify the Portfolio’s risk of loss and potential for gain.

Asset-Backed Securities Risk – The value of asset-backed securities (ABS) may be affected by certain factors, such as interest rate risk, credit risk, prepayment risk and the availability of information concerning the pool of underlying assets and its structure. Under certain market conditions, ABS may be less liquid and may be difficult to value. Movements in interest rates (both increases and decreases) may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain types of ABS. ABS can also be subject to the risk of default on the underlying assets.

Large-Cap Company Risk — Larger more established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. Many larger companies also may not be able to attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.

Small Capitalization Company Risk — Small capitalization company stock prices tend to be more volatile, and the stock tends to be less liquid, than those of larger, better established companies. Small capitalization companies are also sometimes more subject to failure.

Value Strategy Risk — Because the portfolio managers are assessing intrinsic value of companies, their assessment of value may be incorrect and the securities may be appropriately priced by the market. In such cases the expected return for such securities may be lower than expected.