Morningstar® Investment Profile™   Morningstar® Disclosure   Format for Print Pioneer High Yield VCT II Release date as of 2024-03-31. Data on page is subject to change. Snapshot Ratings & Risk Portfolio Nuts & Bolts

Morningstar Report Overall Morningstar Rating™ What is this? As of 2024-03-31 Out of 606 High Yield Bond Funds Morningstar® Style Box™ What is this? As of 2024-02-29 Total Fund Assets ($ Mil) 26.47 View Historical Morningstar Star Ratings and Definitions

Investment Objective & Strategy   The investment seeks to maximize total return through a combination of income and capital appreciation. Normally, the portfolio invests at least 80% of its total assets in below investment grade (high yield) debt securities and preferred stocks. It may invest in high yield securities of any rating, including securities where the issuer is in default or bankruptcy at the time of purchase. The portfolio may invest in investment grade and below investment grade convertible bonds and preferred stocks that are convertible into the equity securities of the issuer.

Morningstar Category: High Yield Bond High-yield bond portfolios concentrate on lower-quality bonds, which are riskier than those of higher-quality companies. These portfolios generally offer higher yields than other types of portfolios, but they are also more vulnerable to economic and credit risk. These portfolios primarily invest in U.S. high-income debt securities where at least 65% or more of bond assets are not rated or are rated by a major agency such as Standard & Poor's or Moody's at the level of BB (considered speculative for taxable bonds) and below.

Investment Risks High-Yield Bond Funds: Funds that invest in lower-rated debt securities (commonly referred to as junk bonds) involve additional risk because of the lower credit quality of the securities in the portfolio. There are risks associated with the possibility of a higher level of volatility and increased risk of default.

Portfolio Profile Asset Allocation % of Net Assets U.S. Stocks 0.0 Non-U.S. Stocks 0.3 Bonds 89.5 Cash 7.4 Other 2.7 Data through 2024-02-29 Morningstar Fixed-Income Sectors % Fund Government 0.62 Corporate 91.34 Securitized 0.49 Municipal 0.00 Cash & Equivalents 7.55 Derivative 0.00 Data through 2024-02-29 Credit Analysis % Bonds AAA 5.51 AA 0.00 A 0.00 BBB 1.90 BB 30.55 B 44.34 Below B 10.83 Not Rated 6.86 Data through 2024-02-29 Holding Status Total Number of Stock Holdings 4 Total Number of Bond Holdings 187 % of Net Assets in Top 10 Holdings 18.93 Turnover % (as of 2023-12-31) 40.00 30 Day SEC Yield % 6.57 Top Holdings Maturity Date Shares Value $000 % of Net Assets Dreyfus Government Cash Mgmt Instl --- 1,640 1,640 6.28 Pioneer ILS Interval --- 71 624 2.39 CCO Holdings, LLC/ CCO Holdings Capital Corp. 4.5% 2033-06-01 744 572 2.19 Seaspan Corporation 5.5% 2029-08-01 410 350 1.34 Olympus Water US Holding Corp. 9.75% 2028-11-15 285 303 1.16 First Quantum Minerals Ltd. 8.625% 2031-06-01 310 296 1.13 Mativ Holdings Inc 6.875% 2026-10-01 304 295 1.13 Ford Motor Credit Company LLC 4.134% 2025-08-04 300 293 1.12 Teva Pharmaceutical Finance Netherlands III B.V. 5.125% 2029-05-09 305 288 1.10 Beazer Homes USA Inc. 6.75% 2025-03-15 287 286 1.09 Data through 2024-02-29

Principal Risks    Lending, Credit and Counterparty, Extension, Prepayment (Call), Foreign Securities, Loss of Money, Not FDIC Insured, High Portfolio Turnover, Interest Rate, Market/Market Volatility, Convertible Securities, Equity Securities, High-Yield Securities, Industry and Sector Investing, Inverse Floaters, Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities, Municipal Obligations, Leases, and AMT-Subject Bonds, Other, Preferred Stocks, Restricted/Illiquid Securities, Underlying Fund/Fund of Funds, Warrants, U.S. Government Obligations, Derivatives, Leverage, Pricing, Socially Conscious, Increase in Expenses, Shareholder Activity, Amortized Cost, Credit Default Swaps, Forwards, Management, Zero-Coupon Bond Show Risk Definitions

Other Information Inception Date: 2001-05-01 Portfolio Manager(s) Kenneth J. Monaghan   (2019-10-01) Kenneth J. Monaghan is Managing Director, Co-Director of High Yield, and Portfolio Manager at Amundi Pioneer. Based in Durham, he is a Portfolio Manager on US high yield and global high yield strategies. Ken is also Co-Director of a team of portfolio managers who specialize in identifying and capitalizing on high yield and bank loan opportunities globally. The team also provides insight and recommendations for a number of multi-sector fixed income strategies managed by the US fixed income team. Prior to joining Amundi Pioneer in 2014, Ken was at Rogge Global Partners where he was Partner and Portfolio Manager responsible for US high yield and was an integral part of Rogge’s global high yield strategy; he also ran Rogge’s New York office. He joined Rogge in 2008 from ING Investment Management where he was Managing Director and Portfolio Manager responsible for US high yield. Ken brought ING’s institutional US high yield strategy to Rogge. He co-founded the strategy in 1996 at a predecessor organization to ING and was co-portfolio manager of the strategy from its inception and the sole senior portfolio manager of the strategy from 2007 through June 2014 when he left Rogge. Prior to becoming a portfolio manager, Ken spent 13 years at Salomon Brothers starting as a high yield analyst eventually heading Salomon’s high yield research effort in New York. He subsequently spent five years in London as head of Salomon’s London credit research team and upon his return to New York in 1991 launched Salomon’s nascent distressed credit effort. He spent his final years at Salomon as a Director of Institutional Sales. He began his career as a credit analyst at Lord, Abbett & Co. Ken is a graduate of Colgate University and holds both a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Finance and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from New York University. Matthew Shulkin   (2017-10-01) Mr. Shulkin, a Senior Vice President, joined Amundi US in 2013 as a member of the U.S. fixed income team and has twenty years of investment experience. Prior to joining Amundi US, Mr. Shulkin spent five years at Mast Capital Management as an analyst focusing on the paper and forest products, packaging and homebuilding sectors. Previously, Mr. Shulkin was a credit analyst at Tisbury Capital and a member of the high yield team at Putnam Investments. Mr. Shulkin has served as a portfolio manager of the portfolio since 2017. Matt earned his B.A. from Cornell University in 1996, and his M.B.A. from The Wharton School in 2003. He is a CFA® charterholder. Andrew Feltus   (2007-04-02) ANDREW D. FELTUS, CFA MANAGING DIRECTOR CO-DIRECTOR OF HIGH YIELD, PORTFOLIO MANAGER Joined Amundi Pioneer: 1994 Investment Experience Since: 1991 Andrew Feltus is a Managing Director, Portfolio Manager, and Co-Director of the Amundi Pioneer High Yield team based in Boston. In addition to his role as a Portfolio Manager on U.S. high yield, global high yield, and multisector portfolios, Andrew co-leads a team of portfolio managers who specialize in identifying and capitalizing on high yield and bank loan opportunities globally. The team also provides insight and recommendations for a number of multisector fixed income strategies managed by the U.S. fixed income team. Andrew has been actively managing fixed income portfolios since 1994. He has extensive experience managing a wide range of debt securities globally, including emerging markets and foreign exchange. His experience includes analyzing and managing derivatives since 1992. Andrew joined Amundi Pioneer as a Fixed Income Analyst and became a Portfolio Manager in 2001. Prior to joining Amundi Pioneer, he worked on the bond desk at Massachusetts Financial Services. He holds a B.A. in quantitative economics and philosophy from Tufts University. He is a CFA® charterholder. Investment Advisor(s) Amundi Asset Management US, Inc. Issuer Amundi US Subadvisor(s) ---

Show Data Definitions © Copyright 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. Morningstar, the Morningstar logo, Morningstar.com, Morningstar Tools are either trademark or service marks of Morningstar, Inc. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or any losses arising from any use of information. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Returns will vary and shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when sold.



Morningstar® Investment Profile™   Morningstar® Disclosure   Format for Print Pioneer High Yield VCT II Release date as of 2024-03-31. Data on page is subject to change. Snapshot Ratings & Risk Portfolio Nuts & Bolts

Morningstar Ratings Morningstar Return Morningstar Risk Morningstar Rating Number of Funds 3-Year Below Avg Below Avg 606 5-Year Below Avg Above Avg 575 10-Year Below Avg Above Avg 432 Overall Below Avg Above Avg 606 Morningstar Category: High Yield Bond | Number of Funds in Category: 606 Data through 2024-03-31

Ratings reflect risk-adjusted performance and are derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three, five and ten-year (if applicable) time periods.

Volatility Measurements Standard Deviation 7.03 Mean 1.34 Sharpe Ratio -0.20 Trailing 3-Yr as of 2024-03-31

Modern Portfolio Theory Statistics Best Fit Index Morningstar US HY Bd TR USD R-Squared 94 Beta 0.80 Alpha -1.07 Trailing 3-Yr as of 2024-03-31

Principal Risks    Lending, Credit and Counterparty, Extension, Prepayment (Call), Foreign Securities, Loss of Money, Not FDIC Insured, High Portfolio Turnover, Interest Rate, Market/Market Volatility, Convertible Securities, Equity Securities, High-Yield Securities, Industry and Sector Investing, Inverse Floaters, Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities, Municipal Obligations, Leases, and AMT-Subject Bonds, Other, Preferred Stocks, Restricted/Illiquid Securities, Underlying Fund/Fund of Funds, Warrants, U.S. Government Obligations, Derivatives, Leverage, Pricing, Socially Conscious, Increase in Expenses, Shareholder Activity, Amortized Cost, Credit Default Swaps, Forwards, Management, Zero-Coupon Bond Show Risk Definitions

Investment Risks High-Yield Bond Funds: Funds that invest in lower-rated debt securities (commonly referred to as junk bonds) involve additional risk because of the lower credit quality of the securities in the portfolio. There are risks associated with the possibility of a higher level of volatility and increased risk of default.

Show Data Definitions © Copyright 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. Morningstar, the Morningstar logo, Morningstar.com, Morningstar Tools are either trademark or service marks of Morningstar, Inc. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or any losses arising from any use of information. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Returns will vary and shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when sold.



Morningstar® Investment Profile™   Morningstar® Disclosure   Format for Print Pioneer High Yield VCT II Release date as of 2024-03-31. Data on page is subject to change. Snapshot Ratings & Risk Portfolio Nuts & Bolts

Style Box Details for Bond Holdings Average Eff Duration 2.94 Yrs Average Eff Maturity 4.17 Yrs Average Wtd Coupon 6.63 Average Wtd Price 94.60 As of 2024-02-29 Data as of 2024-02-29

Asset Allocation % of Net Assets U.S. Stocks 0.0 Non-U.S. Stocks 0.3 Bonds 89.5 Cash 7.4 Other 2.7 Data through 2024-02-29

Morningstar Fixed-Income Sectors % Fund Government 0.62 Corporate 91.34 Securitized 0.49 Municipal 0.00 Cash & Equivalents 7.55 Derivative 0.00 Data through 2024-02-29

Credit Analysis % Bonds AAA 5.51 AA 0.00 A 0.00 BBB 1.90 BB 30.55 B 44.34 Below B 10.83 Not Rated 6.86 Data through 2024-02-29

Top 25 Holdings Total Number of Stock Holdings 4 Total Number of Bond Holdings 187 % of Net Assets in Top 10 Holdings 18.93 Turnover % (as of 2023-12-31) 40.00 30 Day SEC Yield % 6.57 Top 25 Holdings Maturity Date Shares Value $000 % of Net Assets Dreyfus Government Cash Mgmt Instl --- 1,640 1,640 6.28 Pioneer ILS Interval --- 71 624 2.39 CCO Holdings, LLC/ CCO Holdings Capital Corp. 4.5% 2033-06-01 744 572 2.19 Seaspan Corporation 5.5% 2029-08-01 410 350 1.34 Olympus Water US Holding Corp. 9.75% 2028-11-15 285 303 1.16 First Quantum Minerals Ltd. 8.625% 2031-06-01 310 296 1.13 Mativ Holdings Inc 6.875% 2026-10-01 304 295 1.13 Ford Motor Credit Company LLC 4.134% 2025-08-04 300 293 1.12 Teva Pharmaceutical Finance Netherlands III B.V. 5.125% 2029-05-09 305 288 1.10 Beazer Homes USA Inc. 6.75% 2025-03-15 287 286 1.09 Clearwater Paper Corporation 4.75% 2028-08-15 299 277 1.06 Sotheby's Inc 7.375% 2027-10-15 280 269 1.03 CQP Holdco LP & Bip-V Chinook Holdco LLC 7.5% 2033-12-15 250 255 0.98 LCM Investments Holdings II LLC 4.875% 2029-05-01 270 242 0.93 Adapthealth Llc 5.125% 2030-03-01 286 239 0.92 Constellium SE 3.75% 2029-04-15 250 223 0.85 Provident Funding Associates LP / PFG Finance Corp 6.375% 2025-06-15 237 222 0.85 Cornerstone Building Brands Inc 8.75% 2028-08-01 210 216 0.82 Allied Universal Holdco LLC / Allied Universal Finance Corporation 9.75% 2027-07-15 215 214 0.82 Vistra Operations Co LLC 7.75% 2031-10-15 205 212 0.81 Parkland Corporation 4.625% 2030-05-01 230 210 0.80 Banijay Entertainment S.A.S. 8.125% 2029-05-01 200 207 0.79 GW B-Credit Security Corporation 9.5% 2027-11-01 206 207 0.79 Midas Opco Holdings LLC 5.625% 2029-08-15 231 206 0.79 Csg Elevate Ii Inc Bridge Term Loan 2024-10-15 205 205 0.78 Data through 2024-02-29

Show Data Definitions © Copyright 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. Morningstar, the Morningstar logo, Morningstar.com, Morningstar Tools are either trademark or service marks of Morningstar, Inc. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or any losses arising from any use of information. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Returns will vary and shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when sold.



Morningstar® Investment Profile™   Morningstar® Disclosure   Format for Print Pioneer High Yield VCT II Release date as of 2024-03-31. Data on page is subject to change. Snapshot Ratings & Risk Portfolio Nuts & Bolts

Fees and Expenses Taken from prospectus dated 2023-05-01   Maximum Fees Administrative --- Management 0.65% 12b-1 --- Actual Fees 12b-1 0.25% Management 0.65% Expense Ratio 1.15% (taken from annual report dated 2023-12-31) Total Annual Operating Expense 1.42%

Waiver Data Type Date % ExpenseRatio Contractual 2024-05-01 0.23

Management Inception Date: 2001-05-01

Mngr Name Kenneth J. Monaghan Mngr Start Date 2019-10-01 Biography Kenneth J. Monaghan is Managing Director, Co-Director of High Yield, and Portfolio Manager at Amundi Pioneer. Based in Durham, he is a Portfolio Manager on US high yield and global high yield strategies. Ken is also Co-Director of a team of portfolio managers who specialize in identifying and capitalizing on high yield and bank loan opportunities globally. The team also provides insight and recommendations for a number of multi-sector fixed income strategies managed by the US fixed income team. Prior to joining Amundi Pioneer in 2014, Ken was at Rogge Global Partners where he was Partner and Portfolio Manager responsible for US high yield and was an integral part of Rogge’s global high yield strategy; he also ran Rogge’s New York office. He joined Rogge in 2008 from ING Investment Management where he was Managing Director and Portfolio Manager responsible for US high yield. Ken brought ING’s institutional US high yield strategy to Rogge. He co-founded the strategy in 1996 at a predecessor organization to ING and was co-portfolio manager of the strategy from its inception and the sole senior portfolio manager of the strategy from 2007 through June 2014 when he left Rogge. Prior to becoming a portfolio manager, Ken spent 13 years at Salomon Brothers starting as a high yield analyst eventually heading Salomon’s high yield research effort in New York. He subsequently spent five years in London as head of Salomon’s London credit research team and upon his return to New York in 1991 launched Salomon’s nascent distressed credit effort. He spent his final years at Salomon as a Director of Institutional Sales. He began his career as a credit analyst at Lord, Abbett & Co. Ken is a graduate of Colgate University and holds both a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Finance and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from New York University. Mngr Name Matthew Shulkin Mngr Start Date 2017-10-01 Biography Mr. Shulkin, a Senior Vice President, joined Amundi US in 2013 as a member of the U.S. fixed income team and has twenty years of investment experience. Prior to joining Amundi US, Mr. Shulkin spent five years at Mast Capital Management as an analyst focusing on the paper and forest products, packaging and homebuilding sectors. Previously, Mr. Shulkin was a credit analyst at Tisbury Capital and a member of the high yield team at Putnam Investments. Mr. Shulkin has served as a portfolio manager of the portfolio since 2017. Matt earned his B.A. from Cornell University in 1996, and his M.B.A. from The Wharton School in 2003. He is a CFA® charterholder. Mngr Name Andrew Feltus Mngr Start Date 2007-04-02 Biography ANDREW D. FELTUS, CFA MANAGING DIRECTOR CO-DIRECTOR OF HIGH YIELD, PORTFOLIO MANAGER Joined Amundi Pioneer: 1994 Investment Experience Since: 1991 Andrew Feltus is a Managing Director, Portfolio Manager, and Co-Director of the Amundi Pioneer High Yield team based in Boston. In addition to his role as a Portfolio Manager on U.S. high yield, global high yield, and multisector portfolios, Andrew co-leads a team of portfolio managers who specialize in identifying and capitalizing on high yield and bank loan opportunities globally. The team also provides insight and recommendations for a number of multisector fixed income strategies managed by the U.S. fixed income team. Andrew has been actively managing fixed income portfolios since 1994. He has extensive experience managing a wide range of debt securities globally, including emerging markets and foreign exchange. His experience includes analyzing and managing derivatives since 1992. Andrew joined Amundi Pioneer as a Fixed Income Analyst and became a Portfolio Manager in 2001. Prior to joining Amundi Pioneer, he worked on the bond desk at Massachusetts Financial Services. He holds a B.A. in quantitative economics and philosophy from Tufts University. He is a CFA® charterholder. Investment Advisor(s) Amundi Asset Management US, Inc. Web Site www.pioneerinvestments.com Issuer Amundi US Subadvisor(s) ---

Show Data Definitions © Copyright 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. Morningstar, the Morningstar logo, Morningstar.com, Morningstar Tools are either trademark or service marks of Morningstar, Inc. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or any losses arising from any use of information. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Returns will vary and shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when sold.



Morningstar Investment Profilessm: Disclosure Statement

Morningstar Rating, Risk and Return

The Morningstar RatingTM for funds, or "star rating", is calculated for managed products (including mutual funds, variable annuity and variable life subaccounts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and separate accounts) with at least a three-year history. Exchange-traded funds and open-ended mutual funds are considered a single population for comparative purposes. It is calculated based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a managed product's monthly excess performance, placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The Morningstar Rating does not include any adjustment for sales loads. The top 10% of products in each product category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars, and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. The Overall Morningstar Rating for a managed product is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. The weights are: 100% three-year rating for 36-59 months of total returns, 60% five-year rating/40% three-year rating for 60-119 months of total returns, and 50% 10-year rating/30% five-year rating/20% three-year rating for 120 or more months of total returns. While the 10-year overall star rating formula seems to give the most weight to the 10-year period, the most recent three-year period actually has the greatest impact because it is included in all three rating periods.

For private funds, the Morningstar Rating presented is hypothetical, because Morningstar does not independently analyze private funds. Rather, the rating is assigned as a means to compare these funds with the universe of mutual funds that Morningstar rates. The evaluation of this investment does not affect the retail mutual fund data published by Morningstar.

Overall ratings represent a weighted average of specific time period (3-, 5- and 10-year) ratings.

The Morningstar Return rates a fund's performance relative to other managed products in its Morningstar Category. It is an assessment of a product's excess return over a risk-free rate (the return of the 90-day Treasury Bill) in comparison with the products in its Morningstar category. In each Morningstar category, the top 10% of products earn a High Morningstar Return (High), the next 22.5% Above Average (+Avg), the middle 35% Average (Avg), the next 22.5% Below Average (-Avg), and the bottom 10% Low (Low). Morningstar Return is measured for up to three time periods (three, five, and 10 years). These separate measures are then weighted and averaged to produce an overall measure for the product. Products with less than three years of performance history are not rated.

Morningstar Risk evaluates a fund's downside volatility relative to that of other products in its Morningstar Category. It is an assessment of the variations in monthly returns, with an emphasis on downside variations, in comparison with the products in its Morningstar category. In each Morningstar category, the 10% of products with the lowest measured risk are described as Low Risk (Low), the next 22.5% Below Average (-Avg), the middle 35% Average (Avg), the next 22.5% Above Average (+Avg), and the top 10% High (High). Morningstar Risk is measured for up to three time periods (three, five, and 10 years). These separate measures are then weighted and averaged to produce an overall measure for the product. Products with less than three years of performance history are not rated.

Pioneer High Yield VCT II

Morningstar Ratings (Relative to Category)    Morningstar Return Morningstar Risk Morningstar Rating # of Funds 3-year Below Avg Below Avg 606 5-year Below Avg Above Avg 575 10-year Below Avg Above Avg 432 Overall Below Avg Above Avg 606 Morningstar Category : High Yield Bond | Number of Funds in Category: 606 Data through 2024-03-31

Risk Measures

R-squared reflects the percentage of an investment option's movements that are explained by movements in its benchmark index, showing the degree of correlation between the investment option and the benchmark.

Beta is a measure of an investment option's sensitivity to market movements. A portfolio with a beta greater than 1 is more volatile than the market, and a portfolio with a beta less than 1 is less volatile than the market. Alpha measures the difference between an investment option's actual returns and its expected performance, given its level of risk (as measured by beta).

The Sharpe ratio uses standard deviation and excess return to determine reward per unit of risk.

Standard deviation is a statistical measure of the volatility of the investment option's returns.

Mean represents the annualized three-year geometric return.

Morningstar Style BoxTM

The Morningstar Style Box reveals a fund's investment strategy as of the date noted on this report.

For equity funds, the vertical axis shows the market capitalization of the long stocks owned, and the horizontal axis shows the investment style (value, blend, or growth). A darkened cell in the style box matrix indicates the weighted average style of the portfolio.

For portfolios holding fixed-income investments, a Fixed Income Style Box is calculated. The vertical axis shows the credit quality based on credit ratings and the horizontal axis shows interest-rate sensitivity as measured by effective duration. There are three credit categories - "High", "Medium", and "Low"; and there are three interest rate sensitivity categories - "Limited", "Moderate", and "Extensive"; resulting in nine possible combinations. As in the Equity Style Box, the combination of credit and interest rate sensitivity for a portfolio is represented by a darkened square in the matrix. Morningstar uses credit rating information from credit rating agencies (CRAs) that have been designated Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations (NRSROs) by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the United States. For a list of all NRSROs, please visit https://www.sec.gov/ocr/ocr-current-nrsros.html. Additionally, Morningstar will use credit ratings from CRAs which have been recognized by foreign regulatory institutions that are deemed the equivalent of the NRSRO designation. To determine the rating applicable to a holding and the subsequent holding weighted value of a portfolio two methods may be employed. First is a common methodology approach where if a case exists such that two CRAs have rated a holding, the lower rating of the two should be applied; if three or more CRAs have rated a holding, the median rating should be applied; and in cases where there are more than two ratings and a median rating cannot be determined, the lower of the two middle ratings should be applied. Alternatively, if there is more than one rating available an average can be calculated from all and applied. Please Note: Morningstar, Inc. is not an NRSRO nor does it issue a credit rating on the fund. Credit ratings for any security held in a portfolio can change over time.

Morningstar uses the credit rating information to calculate a weighted-average credit quality value for the portfolio. This value is based only upon those holdings which are considered to be classified as "fixed income", such a government, corporate, or securitized issues. Other types of holdings such as equities and many, though not all, types of derivatives are excluded. The weighted-average credit quality value is represented by a rating symbol which corresponds to the long-term rating symbol schemas employed by most CRAs. Note that this value is not explicitly published but instead serves as an input in the Style Box calculation. This symbol is then used to map to a Style Box credit quality category of "low," "medium," or "high". Funds with a "low" credit quality category are those whose weighted-average credit quality is determined to be equivalent to the commonly used High Yield classification, meaning a rating below "BBB", portfolios assigned to the "high" credit category have either a "AAA" or "AA+" average credit quality value, while "medium" are those with an average rating of "AA-" inclusive to "BBB-". It is expected and intended that the majority of portfolios will be assigned a credit category of "medium".

For assignment to an interest-rate sensitivity category, Morningstar uses the average effective duration of the portfolio. From this value there are three distinct methodologies employed to determine assignment to category. Portfolio which are assigned to Morningstar municipal-bond categories employ static breakpoints between categories. These breakpoints are: "Limited" equal to 4.5 years or less, "Moderate" equal to 4.5 years to less than 7 years; and "Extensive" equal to more than 7 years. For portfolios assigned to Morningstar categories other than U.S. Taxable, including all domiciled outside the United States, static duration breakpoints are also used: "Limited" equals less than or equal to 3.5 years, "Moderate" equals greater than 3.5 years but less than or equal to 6 years, and "Extensive" is assigned to portfolios with effective durations of more than 6 years.

Note: Interest-rate sensitivity for non-U.S. domiciled portfolios (excluding those in Morningstar convertible categories) may be assigned using average modified duration when average effective duration is not available.

For portfolios Morningstar classifies as U.S. Taxable Fixed-Income, interest-rate sensitivity category assignment is based on the effective duration of the Morningstar Core Bond Index (MCBI). The classification assignment is dynamically determined relative to the benchmark index value. A "Limited" category will be assigned to portfolios whose average effective duration is between 25% to 75% of MCBI average effective duration, where the average effective duration is between 75% to 125% of the MCBI the portfolio will be classified as "Moderate", and those portfolios with an average effective duration value 125% or greater of the average effective duration of the MCBI will be classified as "Extensive".

Investment Risk

Foreign Securities Investment Options:/Emerging Market Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest in foreign securities involve special additional risks. These risks include, but are not limited to, currency risk, political risk, and risk associated with varying accounting standards. Investing in emerging markets may accentuate these risks.

Sector Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest exclusively in one sector or industry involve additional risks. The lack of industry diversification subjects the investor to increased industry-specific risks.

Non-Diversified Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest more of their assets in a single issuer involve additional risks, including share price fluctuations, because of the increased concentration of investments.

Small Cap Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest in stocks of small companies involve additional risks. Smaller companies typically have a higher risk of failure, and are not as well established as larger blue-chip companies. Historically, smaller-company stocks have experienced a greater degree of market volatility than the overall market average.

Mid Cap Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest in companies with market capitalizations below $10 billion involve additional risks. The securities of these companies may be more volatile and less liquid than the securities of larger companies.

High-Yield Bond Investment Options: The investor should note that investment options that invest in lower-rated debt securities (commonly referred to as junk bonds) involve additional risks because of the lower credit quality of the securities in the portfolio. The investor should be aware of the possible higher level of volatility, and increased risk of default.

Yield

The yield of an investment option refers to the income generated by an investment in that investment option over an identified period of time. The SEC 30-day yield refers to the income generated by an investment over an identified 30-day period. The SEC 30-day yield is calculated by dividing: (I) the net investment income per share of the investment option earned over a 30-day period; by (II) the maximum offering price per share of the investment option on the last day of the period. This number is then annualized using semi-annual compounding. This means that the amount of income generated during the 30-day period is assumed to be generated each month over a 12-month period and is reinvested every six months. The yield does not necessarily reflect income actually earned by investing in the investment option because of certain adjustments required by the SEC and, therefore, may not correlate to the dividends or other distributions paid to shareholders.