Allocating assets to only one or a small number of the investment options (other than the Target Date ‘Lifecycle’ or Target Risk ‘Lifestyle’ options) should not be considered a balanced investment program. In particular, allocating assets to a small number of options concentrated in particular business or market sectors will subject your account to increased risk and volatility. Examples of business or market sectors where this risk may be particularly high include: a) technology-related businesses, including Internet-related businesses, b) small-cap securities and c) foreign securities. John Hancock does not provide advice regarding appropriate investment allocations.
Target Date Target-date funds, also known as lifecycle funds, shift their asset allocation to become increasingly conservative as the target retirement year approaches. Still, investment in target-date funds may lose value near, at, or after the target retirement date, and there is no guarantee they will provide adequate income at retirement.
Short Sale Selling securities short may be subject to the risk that an advisor does not correctly predict the movement of the security, resulting in a loss if a security must be purchased on the market above its initial borrowing price to return to the lender, in addition to interest paid to the lender for borrowing the security.
Equity Securities The value of equity securities, which include common, preferred, and convertible preferred stocks, will fluctuate based on changes in their issuers’ financial conditions, as well as overall market and economic conditions, and can decline in the event of deteriorating issuer, market, or economic conditions.
Hedging Strategies The advisor’s use of hedging strategies to reduce risk may limit the opportunity for gains compared with unhedged investments, and there is no guarantee that hedges will actually reduce risk.
Inflation-Protected Securities Unlike other fixed-income securities, the values of inflation-protected securities are not significantly impacted by inflation expectations because their interest rates are adjusted for inflation. Generally, the value of inflation-protected securities will fall when real interest rates rise and rise when real interest rates fall.
Restricted/Illiquid Securities Restricted and illiquid securities may fall in price because of an inability to sell the securities when desired. Investing in restricted securities may subject the portfolio to higher costs and liquidity risk.
Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities Investments in mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities may be subject to increased price volatility because of changes in interest rates, issuer information availability, credit quality of the underlying assets, market perception of the issuer, availability of credit enhancement, and prepayment of principal. The value of ABS and MBS may be adversely affected if the underlying borrower fails to pay the loan included in the security.
Management Performance is subject to the risk that the advisor’s asset allocation and investment strategies do not perform as expected, which may cause the portfolio to underperform its benchmark, other investments with similar objectives, or the market in general. The investment is subject to the risk of loss of income and capital invested, and the advisor does not guarantee its value, performance, or any particular rate of return.
Commodity Investments in commodity-related instruments are subject to the risk that the performance of the overall commodities market declines and that weather, disease, political, tax, and other regulatory developments adversely impact the value of commodities, which may result in a loss of principal and interest. Commodity-linked investments face increased price volatility and liquidity, credit, and issuer risks compared with their underlying measures.
Not FDIC Insured The investment is not a deposit or obligation of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank and is not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other U.S. governmental agency.
Underlying Fund/Fund of Funds A portfolio’s risks are closely associated with the risks of the securities and other investments held by the underlying or subsidiary funds, and the ability of the portfolio to meet its investment objective likewise depends on the ability of the underlying funds to meet their objectives. Investment in other funds may subject the portfolio to higher costs than owning the underlying securities directly because of their management fees.
Market/Market Volatility The market value of the portfolio’s securities may fall rapidly or unpredictably because of changing economic, political, or market conditions, which may reduce the value of the portfolio.
High-Yield Securities Investments in below-investment-grade debt securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality, commonly known as "junk bonds" or "high-yield securities," may be subject to increased interest, credit, and liquidity risks.
Other The investment’s performance may be impacted by its concentration in a certain type of security, adherence to a particular investing strategy, or a unique aspect of its structure and costs.
Target Date Portfolio Risk. A Target Date Portfolio is an investment option comprised of ''fund of funds'' which allocate their investments among multiple asset classes which can include U.S. and foreign equity and fixed income securities. The ''target date'' in a target date portfolio is the approximate date an investor plans to start withdrawing money. The Portfolio’s ability to achieve its investment objective will depend largely on the ability of the sub-adviser to select the appropriate mix of underlying funds and on the underlying funds’ ability to meet their investment objectives. The portfolio managers control security selection and asset allocation. There can be no assurance that either a Fund or the underlying funds will achieve their investment objectives. An investor should examine the asset allocation of the fund to ensure it is consistent with their own risk tolerance.
A Fund is subject to the same risks as the underlying funds in which it invests. Because target date funds are managed to specific retirement dates, investors may be taking on greater risk if the actual year of retirement differs dramatically from the original estimated date. Target date funds generally shift to a more conservative investment mix over time. While this may help to manage risk, it does not guarantee earnings growth nor is the fund's principal value guaranteed at any time including at the target date. An investment in a target-date fund is not guaranteed, and you may experience losses, including losses near, at, or after the target date. There is no guarantee that the fund will provide adequate income at and through retirement. Consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the fund carefully before investing.
For a more complete description of these and other risks, please review the fund’s prospectus.
Merger and Replacement Transition Risk for Sub-Account. It is possible that the Fund will be replaced with or merged into another investment option offered under your plan's group annuity contract. In the case of fund mergers and replacements, the affected funds that are being merged or replaced may implement the redemption of your interest by payment in cash or by distributing assets in kind. In either case, the redemption of your interest by the affected fund, as well as the investment of the redemption proceeds by the ''new'' fund, may result in transaction costs to the funds because the affected funds may find it necessary to sell securities and the ''new'' funds will find it necessary to invest the redemption proceeds. Also, the redemption and reinvestment processes, including any transition period that may be involved in completing such mergers and replacements, could be subject to market gains or losses, including those from currency exchange rates. The transaction costs and potential market gains or losses could have an impact on the value of your investment in the affected fund and in the ''new'' fund, and such market gains or losses could also have an impact on the value of any existing investment that you or other investors may have in the ''new'' fund. Although there can be no assurances that all risks can be eliminated, the portfolio manager(s) of the affected funds will use their best efforts to manage and minimize such risks and costs.
Risk of Increase in Expenses for Sub-Account. Your actual costs of investing in the fund may be higher than the expenses shown in "Annual fund operating expenses" for a variety of reasons. For example, expense ratios may be higher than those shown if a fee limitation is changed or terminated or if average net assets decrease. Net assets are more likely to decrease and fund expense ratios are more likely to increase when markets are volatile.
Small Cap Concentrating assets in small-capitalization stocks may subject the portfolio to the risk that those stocks underperform other capitalizations or the market as a whole. Smaller, less-seasoned companies may be subject to increased liquidity risk compared with mid- and large-cap companies and may experience greater price volatility than do those securities because of limited product lines, management experience, market share, or financial resources, among other factors.
Conflict of Interest A conflict of interest may arise if the advisor makes an investment in certain underlying funds based on the fact that those funds are also managed by the advisor or an affiliate or because certain underlying funds may pay higher fees to the advisor do than others. In addition, an advisor’s participation in the primary or secondary market for loans may be deemed a conflict of interest and limit the ability of the investment to acquire those assets.
ETF Investments in exchange-traded funds generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities they are designed to track, although they may be subject to greater liquidity risk and higher costs than owning the underlying securities directly because of their management fees. Shares of ETFs are subject to market trading risk, potentially trading at a premium or discount to net asset value.
Credit and Counterparty The issuer or guarantor of a fixed-income security, counterparty to an OTC derivatives contract, or other borrower may not be able to make timely principal, interest, or settlement payments on an obligation. In this event, the issuer of a fixed-income security may have its credit rating downgraded or defaulted, which may reduce the potential for income and value of the portfolio.
Preferred Stocks Investments in preferred stocks may be subject to the risks of deferred distribution payments, involuntary redemptions, subordination to debt instruments, a lack of liquidity compared with common stocks, limited voting rights, and sensitivity to interest-rate changes.
IPO Investing in initial public offerings may increase volatility and have a magnified impact on performance. IPO shares may be sold shortly after purchase, which can increase portfolio turnover and expenses, including commissions and transaction costs. Additionally, IPO shares are subject to increased market, liquidity, and issuer risks.
Derivatives Investments in derivatives may be subject to the risk that the advisor does not correctly predict the movement of the underlying security, interest rate, market index, or other financial asset, or that the value of the derivative does not correlate perfectly with either the overall market or the underlying asset from which the derivative's value is derived. Because derivatives usually involve a small investment relative to the magnitude of liquidity and other risks assumed, the resulting gain or loss from the transaction will be disproportionately magnified. These investments may result in a loss if the counterparty to the transaction does not perform as promised.
Foreign Securities Investments in foreign securities may be subject to increased volatility as the value of these securities can change more rapidly and extremely than can the value of U.S. securities. Foreign securities are subject to increased issuer risk because foreign issuers may not experience the same degree of regulation as U.S. issuers do and are held to different reporting, accounting, and auditing standards. In addition, foreign securities are subject to increased costs because there are generally higher commission rates on transactions, transfer taxes, higher custodial costs, and the potential for foreign tax charges on dividend and interest payments. Many foreign markets are relatively small, and securities issued in less-developed countries face the risks of nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, and adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations, including suspension of the ability to transfer currency from a country. Economic, political, social, or diplomatic developments can also negatively impact performance.
Industry and Sector Investing Concentrating assets in a particular industry, sector of the economy, or markets may increase volatility because the investment will be more susceptible to the impact of market, economic, regulatory, and other factors affecting that industry or sector compared with a more broadly diversified asset allocation.
Convertible Securities Investments in convertible securities may be subject to increased interest-rate risks, rising in value as interest rates decline and falling in value when interest rates rise, in addition to their market value depending on the performance of the common stock of the issuer. Convertible securities, which are typically unrated or rated lower than other debt obligations, are secondary to debt obligations in order of priority during a liquidation in the event the issuer defaults.
Fixed-Income Securities The value of fixed-income or debt securities may be susceptible to general movements in the bond market and are subject to interest-rate and credit risk.
Nondiversification A nondiversified investment, as defined under the Investment Act of 1940, may have an increased potential for loss because its portfolio includes a relatively small number of investments. Movements in the prices of the individual assets may have a magnified effect on a nondiversified portfolio. Any sale of the investment’s large positions could adversely affect stock prices if those positions represent a significant part of a company’s outstanding stock.
Large Cap Concentrating assets in large-capitalization stocks may subject the portfolio to the risk that those stocks underperform other capitalizations or the market as a whole. Large-cap companies may be unable to respond as quickly as small- and mid-cap companies can to new competitive pressures and may lack the growth potential of those securities. Historically, large-cap companies do not recover as quickly as smaller companies do from market declines.
Mid-Cap Concentrating assets in mid-capitalization stocks may subject the portfolio to the risk that those stocks underperform other capitalizations or the market as a whole. Mid-cap companies may be subject to increased liquidity risk compared with large-cap companies and may experience greater price volatility than do those securities because of more-limited product lines or financial resources, among other factors.
Loss of Money Because the investment’s market value may fluctuate up and down, an investor may lose money, including part of the principal, when he or she buys or sells the investment.
ETN Investments in exchange-traded notes may be subject to the risk that their value is reduced because of poor performance of the underlying index or a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, potentially resulting in default. The value of these securities may also be impacted by time to maturity, level of supply and demand, and volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying markets, among other factors. The portfolio bears its proportionate share of fees and expenses associated with investment in ETNs, and its decision to sell these holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market.
