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Form 497K Guggenheim Variable Fund

April 30, 2021 6:02 AM EDT
  
 
 
 
 
 
Variable Funds Trust
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Equity
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5.1.2021
Guggenheim Variable Funds Trust
Summary Prospectus 
Series Name
 
Series V
(SMid Cap Value Series)
Before you invest, you may wish to review the Series’ Prospectus, which contains more information about the Series and its risks. You may obtain the Prospectus and other information about the Series, including the Statement of Additional Information (SAI) and most recent reports to shareholders, at no cost by visiting www.guggenheiminvestments.com/variable-insurance-funds, calling 800.820.0888 or e-mailing [email protected].
The Series’ Prospectus and SAI, each dated May 1, 2021, as supplemented from time to time, and the Series’ most recent shareholder reports, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.  
SUMVTMCV
guggenheiminvestments.com
Series V (SMid Cap Value Series)
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
Series V seeks long-term growth of capital.
FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE SERIES
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Series. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. The table below does not take into account any of the fees, expenses or charges associated with variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies offered by participating insurance companies. If such fees, expenses or charges were reflected, the overall expenses would be higher. For more information on these fees, expenses and charges, please refer to your contract or policy prospectus.
ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES  (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
Management Fees
0.75%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.25%
Other Expenses
0.22%
Total Annual Operating Expenses
1.22%
Fee Waiver (and/or expense reimbursement)*
-0.32%
Total Annual Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver (and/or expense reimbursement)
0.90%
*
Security Investors, LLC, also known as Guggenheim Investments (the “Investment Manager”), has contractually agreed through May 1, 2022 to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to limit the ordinary operating expenses (including distribution (12b-1) fees, but exclusive of brokerage costs, dividends on securities sold short, acquired fund fees and expenses, interest, taxes, litigation, indemnification, and extraordinary expenses) (“Operating Expenses”) of the Series to the annual percentage of average daily net assets for the Series to 0.91%. The Investment Manager is entitled to reimbursement by the Series of fees waived or expenses reimbursed during any of the previous 36 months beginning on the date of the expense limitation agreement, provided that the Operating Expenses do not exceed the then-applicable expense cap. The agreement will expire when it reaches its termination or when the Investment Manager ceases to serve as such and it can be terminated by the Series’ Board of Trustees, with certain waived fees and reimbursed expenses subject to the recoupment rights of the Investment Manager.
EXAMPLE
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Series with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. It does not reflect fees, expenses or charges of any variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy, which, if reflected, would increase expenses.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Series for the time periods indicated and reflects expenses whether or not you redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Series' operating expenses remain the same. Although the actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
$92
$356
$640
$1,449
The above Example reflects applicable contractual fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangements for the current duration of the arrangements only.
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
The Series 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 operating expenses or in the example, affect the Series’ performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Series' portfolio turnover rate was 38% of the average value of its portfolio.
1 | SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Series V pursues its objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its assets (net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in a diversified portfolio of equity securities, which include common stocks, rights, options, warrants, convertible debt securities, and American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), that, when purchased, have market capitalizations that are usually within the range of companies in the Russell 2500® Value Index. Although a universal definition of small- and mid-capitalization (i.e., SMid-capitalization) companies does not exist, the Series generally defines SMid-capitalization companies as those whose market capitalization is similar to the market capitalization of companies in the Russell 2500® Value Index, which is an unmanaged index measuring the performance of securities of small-to-mid cap U.S. companies with greater-than-average value orientation. As of March 31, 2021, the Russell 2500® Value Index consisted of securities of companies with market capitalizations that ranged from $50.6 million to $31.6 billion.
In choosing securities, Security Investors, LLC, also known as Guggenheim Investments (the “Investment Manager”), primarily invests in value-oriented companies. Value-oriented companies are companies that appear to be undervalued relative to assets, earnings, growth potential or cash flows. The Investment Manager uses a blend of quantitative and fundamental analysis to identify securities that appear favorably priced and have the potential to appreciate in value. The Investment Manager regularly evaluates the metrics and data underlying the quantitative model and, from time to time, may make adjustments for a variety of reasons, including, without limitation, to account for changing market, financial or economic conditions.
The Series may invest a portion of its assets in derivatives, including options and futures contracts. These instruments are used to hedge the Series' portfolio, to maintain exposure to the equity markets or to increase returns.
The Series may invest in a variety of investment vehicles, including those that seek to track the composition and performance of a specific index, such as exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) and other mutual funds. The Series may use these investments as a way of managing its cash position or to gain exposure to the equity markets or a particular sector of the equity markets. These investments may be more liquid than investing directly in individual issuers. Certain investment vehicles’ securities and other securities in which the Series may invest are restricted securities (consisting of securities originally issued in reliance on Rule 144A and Regulation S securities), which may be illiquid.
The Series typically sells a security when its issuer is no longer considered a value company, shows deteriorating fundamentals or falls short of the Investment Manager’s expectations, among other reasons.
The Series may invest in a limited number of sectors or industries.
Under adverse or unstable market conditions or abnormal circumstances, the Series could invest some or all of its assets in cash, derivatives, fixed-income instruments, government bonds, money market instruments, repurchase agreements or securities of other investment companies. The Series may be unable to pursue or achieve its investment objective during that time and temporary investments could reduce the benefit from any upswing in the market.
PRINCIPAL RISKS
The value of an investment in the Series will fluctuate and is subject to investment risks, which means investors could lose money. An investment in the Series is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any governmental agency. There is no assurance that the Series will achieve its investment objective. The principal risks of investing in the Series are summarized below.
Convertible Securities Risk—Convertible securities may be subordinate to other securities. The total return for a convertible security depends, in part, upon the performance of the underlying security into which it can be converted. The value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase. Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality.
Counterparty Credit Risk—The Series makes investments in financial instruments and over-the-counter ("OTC")-traded derivatives involving counterparties to gain exposure to a particular group of securities, index, asset class or other reference asset without actually purchasing those securities or investments, to hedge a position or for other investment purposes. Through these investments and related arrangements (e.g., prime brokerage or securities lending arrangements or derivatives transactions), the Series is exposed to credit risks that the counterparty may be unwilling or unable to make timely payments or otherwise to meet its contractual obligations. If the counterparty
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS | 2
becomes bankrupt or defaults on (or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling to perform) its payment or other obligations to the Series, the Series may not receive the full amount that it is entitled to receive or may experience delays in recovering the collateral or other assets held by, or on behalf of, the counterparty. If this occurs, the value of your shares in the Series will decrease.
Depositary Receipt Risk—The Series may hold the securities of non-U.S. companies in the form of depositary receipts. The underlying securities of the depositary receipts in the Series' portfolio are subject to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates that may affect the value of the Series' portfolio. In addition, the value of the securities underlying the depositary receipts may change materially when the U.S. markets are not open for trading. Investments in the underlying foreign securities also involve political and economic risks distinct from those associated with investing in the securities of U.S. issuers.
Derivatives Risk—Derivatives may pose risks in addition to and greater than those associated with investing directly in securities, currencies or other investments, including risks relating to leverage, imperfect correlations with underlying investments or the Series' other portfolio holdings, high price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty credit, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions. Their use is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The use of derivatives may result in leverage, which may cause the Series to be more volatile and riskier than if it had not been leveraged. If the Investment Manager is incorrect about its expectations of market conditions, the use of derivatives could also result in a loss, which in some cases may be unlimited. Some of the derivatives in which the Series invests may be traded (and privately negotiated) in the OTC market. OTC derivatives are subject to heightened counterparty, credit, liquidity and valuation risks.
Equity Securities Risk—Equity securities include common stocks and other equity and equity-related securities (and securities convertible into stocks). The prices of equity securities generally fluctuate in value more than fixed-income investments, may rise or fall rapidly or unpredictably and may reflect real or perceived changes in the issuing company’s financial condition and changes in the overall market or economy. A decline in the value of equity securities held by the Series will adversely affect the value of your investment in the Series. Common stocks generally represent the riskiest investment in a company and dividend payments (if declared) to preferred stockholders generally rank junior to payments due to a company's debtholders. The Series may lose a substantial part, or even all, of its investment in a company’s stock.
Foreign Securities and Currency Risk—Foreign securities carry unique or additional risks when compared to U.S. securities, including currency fluctuations, adverse political and economic developments, unreliable or untimely information, less liquidity and more volatility, limited legal recourse and higher transactional costs.
Investment in Investment Vehicles Risk—Investing in other investment vehicles, including ETFs, closed-end funds and other mutual funds, subjects the Series to those risks affecting the investment vehicle, including the possibility that the value of the underlying securities held by the investment vehicle could decrease or the portfolio becomes illiquid. Moreover, the Series and its shareholders will incur its pro rata share of the underlying vehicles’ expenses, which will reduce the Series' performance. In addition, investments in an ETF are subject to, among other risks, the risk that the ETF's shares may trade at a discount or premium relative to the net asset value ("NAV") of the shares and the listing exchange may halt trading of the ETF's shares.
Liquidity and Valuation Risk—It may be difficult for the Series to purchase and sell particular investments within a reasonable time at a fair price, or the price at which it has been valued by the Investment Manager for purposes of the Series' net asset value, causing the Series to be less liquid and unable to realize what the Investment Manager believes should be the price of the investment. Valuation of portfolio investments may be difficult, such as during periods of market turmoil or reduced liquidity, and for investments that may, for example, trade infrequently or irregularly. In these and other circumstances, an investment may be valued using fair value methodologies, which are inherently subjective, reflect good faith judgments based on available information and may not accurately estimate the price at which the Series could sell the investment at that time. These risks are heightened for fixed-income and other debt instruments because of the current low interest rate environment.
Management Risk—The Series is actively managed, which means that investment decisions are made based on investment views. There is no guarantee that the investment views will produce the desired results or expected returns, causing the Series to fail to meet its investment objective or underperform its benchmark index or funds with
3 | SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
similar investment objectives and strategies. Furthermore, active and frequent trading that can accompany active management, also called “high turnover,” may have a negative impact on performance. Active and frequent trading may result in higher brokerage costs or mark-up charges, which are ultimately passed on to shareholders of the Series.
Market Risk—The value of, or income generated by, the investments held by the Series may fluctuate rapidly and unpredictably and the Series may incur losses as a result of factors affecting individual companies or issuers or particular industries. In addition, developments related to economic, political, social, public health, market or other conditions may cause volatility in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or debt markets, which could adversely impact the Series and its investments. Under such conditions, the Series may experience significant redemption activity by shareholders and could be forced to sell portfolio securities or other assets at unfavorable prices in an effort to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The Series’ investments may perform poorly or underperform the general securities markets or other types of securities. Governmental authorities and regulators have enacted and continue to enact significant fiscal and monetary policy changes designed to support financial markets, which present heightened risks to markets and Series investments and are resulting in low interest rates and in some cases, negative yields, and such risks could be even further heightened if these actions are discontinued, disrupted, or reversed or are ineffective in achieving their desired outcomes. It is unknown how long current circumstances will persist, whether they will reoccur in the future and whether efforts to support the economy and financial markets will be successful.
Mid-Capitalization Securities Risk—The Series is subject to the risk that mid-capitalization securities may underperform other segments of the equity market or the equity market as a whole. Securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more speculative, volatile and less liquid than securities of large companies. Mid-capitalization companies tend to have inexperienced management as well as limited product and market diversification and financial resources, and may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than large capitalization companies.
Quantitative Investing Risk—There is no guarantee that a quantitative model or algorithm used by the Investment Manager, and the investments selected based on the model or algorithm, will produce the desired results. The Series may be adversely affected by imperfections, errors or limitations in the construction and implementation of the model or algorithm and the Investment Manager's ability to properly analyze or timely adjust the metrics or update the data underlying the model or features of the algorithm. Other quantitative methods and techniques used by the Investment Manager, and the investments selected based on these methods and techniques, are also subject to these types of risks.
Real Estate Investments Risk—The Series may invest in securities of real estate companies and companies related to the real estate industry, which are subject to the same risks as direct investments in real estate. These risks include, among others: changes in national, state or local real estate conditions; obsolescence of properties; changes in the availability, cost and terms of mortgage funds; changes in the real estate values and interest rates; and the generation of sufficient income. Real estate companies tend to have micro-, small- or mid-capitalization, making their securities more volatile and less liquid than those of companies with larger-capitalizations. Real estate companies may use leverage (and some may be highly leveraged), which increases investment risk and the risks normally associated with debt financing and could adversely affect a real estate company’s operations and market value in periods of rising interest rates. These risks are especially applicable in conditions of declining real estate values, such as those experienced during 2007 through 2009.
Regulatory and Legal Risk—U.S. and non-U.S. governmental agencies and other regulators regularly implement additional regulations and legislators pass new laws that affect the investments held by the Series, the strategies used by the Series or the level of regulation applying to the Series (such as regulations related to investments in derivatives and other transactions). These regulations and laws impact the investment strategies, performance, costs and operations of the Series.
REIT Risk—In addition to the risks pertaining to real estate investments more generally, real estate investment trusts ("REITs") are subject to additional risks. The value of a REIT can depend on the structure of and cash flow generated by the REIT. REITs whose investments are concentrated in a limited number or type of properties, investments or narrow geographic area are subject to the risks affecting those properties or areas to a greater extent than a REIT with less concentrated investments. REITs are also subject to certain provisions under federal tax law. In addition, REITs may have expenses, including advisory and administration expenses, and the Series and its shareholders will incur its pro rata share of the underlying expenses.
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS | 4
Restricted Securities Risk—Restricted securities generally cannot be sold to the public and may involve a high degree of business, financial and liquidity risk, which may result in substantial losses to the Series.
Sector Emphasis Risk—If the Series invests a significant amount of its assets in any one sector, the Series' performance will depend to a greater extent on the overall condition of the sector and there is increased risk that the Series will lose value if conditions adversely affect that sector. The prices of securities of issuers in a particular sector may be more susceptible to fluctuations as a result of changes in economic, public health or business conditions, government regulations, availability of basic resources or supplies, or other events that affect that industry or sector more than securities of issuers in other sectors. To the extent the Series is heavily invested in a particular sector, the Series' share price may be more volatile than the value of shares of a mutual fund that invests in a broader range of sectors.
Small-Capitalization Securities Risk—The Series is subject to the risk that small-capitalization securities may underperform other segments of the equity market or the equity market as a whole. Securities of small-capitalization companies may be more speculative, volatile and less liquid than securities of larger companies. Small-capitalization companies tend to have inexperienced management as well as limited product and market diversification and financial resources, and may be more vulnerable to adverse developments than mid- or large- capitalization companies.
Value Stocks Risk—Value stocks are subject to the risk that the intrinsic value of the stock may never be realized by the market or that the price goes down.
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
The following chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Series by showing the Series' calendar year performance from year to year and average annual returns for the one, five, and ten year periods compared to those of a broad measure of market performance. As with all mutual funds, past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Series will perform in the future.
The performance figures in the following chart and table do not reflect fees, expenses or charges associated with variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies that offer the Series as an underlying investment option, and, if such fees, expenses or charges were reflected, the performance figures would be lower.
  
Highest Quarter Return
Lowest Quarter Return
Q4 2020
23.86%
Q1 2020
-30.99%
5 | SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS
(For the periods ended December 31, 2020) 
 
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Series V
4.30%
10.64%
8.46%
Russell 2500® Value Index (reflects no deduction for
fees, expenses or taxes)
4.88%
9.43%
9.33%
MANAGEMENT OF THE SERIES
Security Investors, LLC, also known as Guggenheim Investments, serves as the investment manager of the Series. Guggenheim Investments utilizes a team-based approach that follows a disciplined investment process. The portfolio managers for the Series are: 
Name*
Experience with the Series
Primary Title with Investment Manager
James P. Schier
Since 1997
Senior Managing Director and Portfolio Manager
David G. Toussaint
Since 2017
Managing Director and Portfolio Manager
Gregg Strohkorb
Since 2015
Director and Portfolio Manager
Farhan Sharaff
Since 2015
Assistant Chief Investment Officer, Equities, Senior
Managing Director and Portfolio Manager
Burak Hurmeydan
Since 2018
Director and Portfolio Manager
*
Each portfolio manager is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Series.
PURCHASE AND SALE OF SERIES SHARES
Shares of the Series are purchased primarily by insurance companies for their separate accounts to fund variable life insurance policies and variable annuity contracts. Investors do not deal directly with the Series to purchase and redeem shares. Please refer to the prospectus for the applicable variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy for information on the allocation of premiums and transfers of accumulated value.
TAX INFORMATION
Shares of the Series are owned by the insurance companies offering the variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies for which the Series is an investment option. Please see the applicable prospectus for the variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy for information regarding the federal income tax treatment of the annuity contract or insurance policy.
PAYMENTS TO INSURANCE COMPANIES AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
If you purchase Series shares through an insurance company, broker/dealer, financial representative or other financial intermediary, the Series and its related companies may pay the financial intermediary for the sale of Series shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend a variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy and the Series over another investment. Ask your financial intermediary or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS | 6

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