Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or
“turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating
Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 16.90% of the average value of its
portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is a “fund-of-funds” that invests primarily in affiliated mutual funds representing a variety of asset classes. The Fund aims to provide diversification across major asset classes—U.S. stocks, international stocks and bonds—by investing primarily in mutual funds offered by Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust and unaffiliated exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) (each, an “Underlying Fund” or collectively, “Underlying Funds”).
Each Underlying Fund invests directly in equity or fixed-income securities (including
mortgage-backed securities), as appropriate to its investment objective and strategies. Certain Underlying Funds are actively managed, and other Underlying Funds are “index” funds, which means they seek to match the investment returns of specified stock or bond indices before the deduction of the Underlying Funds’ expenses. Some Underlying Funds use futures, swaps and options, which are derivatives, either to hedge against investment risks, to obtain exposure to certain securities or groups of securities, or otherwise to increase returns.
Although the Fund seeks to provide diversification across major asset classes, the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in a small number of issuers (i.e., Underlying Funds). However, the Fund may invest directly in securities and derivatives in
addition to investing in Underlying Funds. Further, the Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests generally are diversified.
The Fund pursues its objective for a high level of total return through investments in both equity and fixed-income securities by investing approximately equal amounts of its assets in Underlying Funds that invest in equity securities, such as common stocks of U.S. and international companies (including smaller companies), that the investment adviser believes offer opportunities for capital growth, and bonds (including mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities) in order to generate investment income.
Under normal circumstances, the Balanced Fund normally invests at least 25% of its net assets in underlying funds that invest in senior fixed-income securities. Consistent with this investment strategy, as of February 29, 2024, the Fund allocated
approximately 32% of its net assets in U.S. stocks, approximately 12% in international stocks and approximately 56% in bonds. In addition to considering financial information, the subadviser of one or more Underlying Funds may evaluate issuers based on
environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors. The investment adviser generally sells shares of Underlying Funds in order to meet target allocations or shareholder redemption activity. The Fund is designed for investors who have a lower tolerance for risk than more aggressive investors and who are seeking both capital growth and income. The Fund is also designed for investors who are willing to accept moderate short-term price fluctuations in exchange for potential longer-term returns.
The Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve its investment objective.
As with any fund, the value of the Fund’s investments—and therefore, the value of Fund shares—may fluctuate. These changes may occur because of:
Management risk – the Fund is subject to the risk that the methods and analyses
employed by its investment adviser, or by the investment advisers or subadvisers to the Underlying Funds, will not produce the desired results. This could cause the Fund to lose value or its performance to lag those of relevant benchmarks or other funds with similar objectives.
Fund-of-funds risk – there are certain risks
associated with a structure whereby the Fund invests primarily in other mutual funds. These risks include that: (1) the Fund will indirectly pay a proportional share of the fees
and expenses of the Underlying Funds in which it invests; (2) the Fund’s investment performance is directly tied to the performance of the Underlying Funds in which it
invests. If one or more Underlying Funds fail to meet their investment objectives, the Fund’s performance will be negatively affected; (3) the Fund is subject to different levels and combinations of risk based on its actual allocation among the various asset classes and Underlying Funds. The potential impact of the risks related to an asset class depends on the size of the Fund’s investment allocation to it; (4) Nationwide Fund Advisors' (the “Adviser”) evaluations and allocation among asset classes and Underlying Funds may be incorrect; (5) the Adviser may add or delete Underlying Funds, or alter the Fund’s asset allocation, at its discretion. Changes to the Fund’s Underlying Funds or allocation (or the lack thereof) could affect both the level of risk and the potential for gain or loss; and (6) in selecting the Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests, the Adviser is subject to a conflict of interest because the Adviser is also the investment adviser to most, if not all, of the Underlying Funds. Although the Fund may invest a portion of its assets in unaffiliated Underlying Funds, there is no assurance that it will do so. To the extent that it is