Mutual Fund Shared Trusts
Problem
Due to the ever increasing costs of doing business in the mutual fund industry and
the increased level of regulatory compliance, it is becoming increasingly difficult
for the small- to mid-sized fund to compete and remain profitable.
Solution
Joining Gemini's Shared Trust can help solve many of these issues by providing the
solution to four key ingredients that contribute to a fund's success. They are:
operational efficiency, economies of scale, regulatory compliance and board oversight,
and fund sales. By creating an association of independent funds, a shared trust
can provide these advantages on a scale that would not otherwise be achievable.
What We Provide
- Operational efficiency through our management of corporate, board and regulatory
governance
- Economies of scale through reduced auditor, fund counsel, trustee, insurance and
registration expenses
- Compliance and proper board oversight
- Enhanced fund sales through our sister companies that arrange selling agreements
with broker/dealers and other institutions, provide eligibility to be listed in
our advisor services program, and get you listed on distribution platforms
Benefit To You
You are free to manage your portfolio and as a result, focus on fund performance
and shareholder returns. Plus, you gain an instant Board of Directors and Fund Council,
along with some potential cost savings.
In addition, we save you a lot of legwork with the arrangements we can provide you
for enhancing fund sales.
In light of the regulatory initiatives that have recently defined the mutual fund
industry, many small- and medium- sized mutual fund families have found themselves
bogged down complying with the new regulations and managing their Board instead
of concentrating their efforts on doing what they do best: managing money and raising
assets.
With Gemini managing all aspects of a fund's corporate, board, and regulatory governance,
the advisor will finally be free to do what it does best. As a result, fund performance
and shareholder returns may improve.
Most small- to medium-sized fund families have a very limited number of portfolios.
At that level, all services provided by auditors, fund counsel, trustees and custodian
banks, blue sky filings, etc. and their related fees, are all negotiated on a one-off
basis.
By combining separate funds in a shared trust, we can negotiate economies of scale
that could not be achieved on an individual basis. These economies of scale may
reduce fund operating expenses, thereby improving the total return to your shareholder.
In today's regulatory environment, a fund board has been assigned much of the responsibility
to ensure that a fund is in compliance with SEC regulations. Many directors/trustees
of small- to mid-sized funds are very uncomfortable with these new responsibilities
and in some cases, members have resigned their board positions. Combine this with
the proposed best practice that each board contains a financial expert and many
boards do not have members that are qualified. As a result, many funds have to spend
an inordinate amount of time on board issues, finding qualified members, and/or
increasing the level of board compensation to attract new qualified members or retain
existing members. This can be a major distraction for an advisor.
By combining several independent funds into a shared trust, Gemini can attract extremely
qualified board members that have the expertise to provide proper board oversight
and pay them a fee commensurate with their qualifications. This will relieve the
advisor of a major responsibility and by allocating board fees over many funds,
reduce fund operating costs.

About Gemini's Shared Trusts
The AdvisorOne Trust, the first Gemini shared trust, has enjoyed great success the
past few years and includes several funds with approximately $1.2 billion in assets
as of March 2008.
Gemini has launched the Northern Lights Fund Trust in response to industry demand
for a turnkey solution in starting a mutual fund. The Northern Lights Fund Trust
has quickly grown to include over 45 mutual funds with assets totaling over $1 billion.
Visit the website
to learn more.