About Alps

ALPS offers innovative investment solutions that help advisors and plan sponsors build better portfolios.  Specifically for the Defined Contribution ("DC") market, ALPS focuses on investments that leverage two of the core competencies: Exchange Traded Fund expertise, and best of breed access to unique investment strategies.

All of ALPS' DC-focused products are delivered in mutual fund structure, and all are managed in an adviser / sub-adviser format.  This allows shareholders to benefit from ALPS’ long history of providing high-quality asset servicing, and allows respective sub-advisers to focus on what they do well – managing money for investors. 

Investment Solutions

NON-CASH DEFAULT INVESTMENT SOLUTION

ETFs in 401k plans?  Yes!  The Ibbotson ETF Allocation Series is a suite of five risk-based asset allocation funds sub-advised by Ibbotson.  Launched in 2007, the portfolios are designed to provide disciplined, diversified access to a variety of asset classes by investing in  Exchange Traded Funds.

The greatest challenge of using ETFs in 401k plans is structural – trying to fit an individual security into a recordkeeping system designed for mutual funds is like fitting a square peg into a round hole.  ALPS and Ibbotson have worked together to overcome this challenge by building mutual funds of ETFs.  This structure allows plan participants to benefit from the style purity and full transparency that ETFs offer in an asset allocation context, and allows plan sponsors to use a mutual fund vehicle that fits well with their existing investment options.

For more information about the Ibbotson ETF Allocation Series visit www.alpsfunds.com.

OUR SINGLE ASSET CLASS SOLUTIONS

Private Equity

Institutional investors have been making allocations to private equity for years, but to get access to the asset class typically meant limited liquidity, long lock-up periods, and access by only a select few investors.  The ALPS/Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund, launched in 2007, provides access to the private equity asset class through a mutual fund structure – meaning daily liquidity, high transparency, and access for plan sponsors of any size.

For more about the ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund visit www.alpsfunds.com.

Large Cap Value (Value Intersection)

With a track record dating back to 1971, the Activa Value Fund was originally launched as the primary investment portfolio for the Amway Global retirement plan.  Today, the fund represents the only mutual fund available on the market to deliver access to Wellington Management’s proprietary Value Intersection investment approach.  The fund combines fundamental research and quantitative analysis to come up with a portfolio of Wellington Management’s best ideas in the large cap value universe.

For more about the Activa Value Fund visit www.alpsfunds.com.

Long-Short

As investors cope with the reality of the dismal market results during the 2000’s, they are increasingly searching for sources of return that are not directly tied to broad equity market results.  As a category, long-short funds are beginning to see increased use to meet this growing demand for non-correlated returns.   The ALPS / GNI Long-Short Fund is managed as a long-biased long-short fund, with an added emphasis on the preservation of capital during unfavorable market conditions.  The fund’s managers at GNI Capital bring with them more than a decade of experience managing long-short separate accounts using an opportunistic, go-anywhere approach.

For more about the ALPS | GNI Long-Short Fund visit www.alpsfunds.com.

Emerging Markets

With 20% of the world’s population in China, the rise of a legitimate consumer base is creating new opportunities for investors.  The combination of a strong domestic economy, healthy fundamentals, and long-term sustainable growth trends are driving the Clough China Fund’s investment themes.  Clough Capital Partners, the fund’s sub-adviser, was founded in 2000 by Charles Clough who previously served as Chief Global Strategist for Merrill Lynch & Co. for more than 13 years.

For more information on the Clough China Fund visit www.alpsfunds.com.

Important Disclosures

All products listed are distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc., and advised by ALPS Advisors, Inc.

An investment in the Funds involves risk, including loss of principal.

Asset allocation cannot assure a profit nor protect against a loss.

An investor should consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus, which contains this and other information visit alpsfunds.com. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.

a. Ibbotson ETF Allocation Series: Principal Investment Risks. Like all investments in securities, you risk losing money by investing in the Portfolio. The main risks of investing in the Portfolio are: Management Risk: The Sub-adviser’s skill in choosing appropriate investments will play a large part in determining whether the Portfolio is able to achieve its investment objective. If the Sub-adviser’s projections about the prospects for individual Underlying ETFs are incorrect, such errors in judgment by the Sub-adviser may result in significant losses in the Portfolio’s investment in such security, which can also result in possible losses overall for the Portfolio. The Adviser is newly formed and has never managed a mutual fund. ETF Risks: When the Portfolio invests in Underlying ETFs, it will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses payable directly by the Underlying ETF. Therefore, the Portfolio will incur higher expenses, many of which may be duplicative. In addition, Underlying ETFs are also subject to the following risks: (i) the market price of an Underlying ETF’s shares may trade above or below its net asset value; (ii) an active trading market for an Underlying ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; (iii) the Underlying ETF may employ an investment strategy that utilizes high leverage ratios; (iv) trading of an Underlying ETF’s shares may be halted if the listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are delisted from the exchange, or the activation of market wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally; or (v) the Underlying ETF may fail to achieve close correlation with the index that it tracks due to a variety of factors, such as rounding of prices and changes to the index and/or regulatory policies, resulting in the deviating of the Underlying ETF’s returns from that of the index. Some Underlying ETFs may be thinly traded, and the costs associated with respect to purchasing and selling the Underlying ETFs (including the bid-ask spread) will be borne by the Portfolio.

b. ALPS | Red Rocks Listed Private Equity Fund: Listed Private Equity Companies are subject to various risks depending on their underlying investments, which could include, but are not limited to, additional liquidity risk, industry risk, non-U.S. security risk, currency risk, credit risk, managed portfolio risk and derivatives risk (derivatives risk is the risk that the value of the Listed Private Equity Companies’ derivative investments will fall because of pricing difficulties or lack of correlation with the underlying investment). There are inherent risks in investing in private equity companies, which encompass financial institutions or vehicles whose principal business is to invest in and lend capital to privately–held companies. Generally, little public information exists for private and thinly traded companies, and there is a risk that investors may not be able to make a fully informed investment decision. Listed Private Equity Companies may have relatively concentrated investment portfolios, consisting of a relatively small number of holdings. A consequence of this limited number of investments is that the aggregate returns realized may be adversely impacted by the poor performance of a small number of investments, or even a single investment, particularly if a company experiences the need to write down the value of an investment.

c. Activa Value Fund: Mutual funds, annuities, and other investments are not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or by any other government agency or government sponsored agency of the federal government or any state, not deposits, obligations, or guaranteed by any bank or its affiliates and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested. There is no guarantee that the fund will continue to hold any one particular security or stay invested in any one particular company. The composition of the fund's top holdings is subject to change. Subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested. Derivatives generally are more sensitive to changes in economic or market conditions than other types of investments; this could result in losses that significantly exceed the fund’s original investment.

On August 28, 2009 the Activa Value Fund (the “Predecessor Fund”) was reorganized into the Activa Value Fund, a series of Financial Investors Trust (the “Fund”). The Fund commenced operations on 8/28/09.

d. ALPS | GNI Long-Short Fund: The Fund enters into a short sale by selling a security it has borrowed. If the market price of a security increases after the Fund borrows the security, the Fund will suffer a potentially unlimited loss when it replaces the borrowed security at the higher price. Short sales also involve transaction and other costs that will reduce potential Fund gains and increase potential Fund losses. Please refer to the prospectus for complete information regarding all risks associated with the fund.

The fund is less than a year old and has limited operating history. This fund is not suitable for all investors.

e. Clough China Fund: Investing in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan involves risk and considerations not present when investing in more established securities markets. The Clough China Fund may be more susceptible to the economic, market, political, and local risks of these regions than a fund that is more geographically diversified.

On January 19, 2010, the Old Mutual China Fund (the "Predecessor Fund") was reorganized into the Clough China Fund, a series of the Financial Investors Trust (the "Fund").

INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL USE ONLY