MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc. (“MFSI”), an investment adviser registered with the SEC, has been serving
institutional investors and their consultants since 1986. MFSI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Massachusetts Financial Services Company, d/b/a MFS Investment Management (“MFS”), which is also
an investment adviser registered with the SEC. MFS is also the parent company of other companies that
manage investments. In this Brochure, we refer to MFS and its direct and indirect subsidiaries collectively
as the “MFS Global Group.” MFS and its predecessor organizations have a history of money management
dating from 1924 and the founding of the first U.S. mutual fund. MFS is an indirect, majority-owned
subsidiary of Sun Life Financial Inc. (“SLF”), a diversified financial services company. As of December 31,
2023, MFSI managed $ 128,519,177,590 in discretionary client assets and $0 in non-discretionary client
assets, which includes assets managed for clients of other members of the MFS Global Group. The MFS
Global Group managed $582,844,492,254 as of December 31, 2023. Assets of non-discretionary Model-
Delivery Programs and Institutional Model-Delivery Arrangements (each described below) are not
included in these assets under management.
All discussions of MFSI’s practices in this Brochure are qualified in their entirety with respect to each
account by the applicable investment advisory agreement or offering and organizational materials (such
offering and organizational materials are collectively referred to as the “Offering Documents”) governing
such account. This includes, without limitation, all practices pertaining to an account’s investments,
strategies used in managing the account, investment risks, fees and other costs associated with an
investment in the account.
MFSI primarily provides investment advisory services to institutional clients via separate accounts. MFSI
also provides sub-advisory services to pooled investment vehicles, including investment companies
registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and other
investment pools (“sub-advised accounts”). Additionally, MFSI serves as managing member of certain
funds that are not registered as investment companies under the 1940 Act pursuant to the exemption
contained in Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act (the “MFS Private Funds”) for which it has delegated portfolio
management responsibility to MFS. MFSI also provides non-discretionary portfolio model-delivery
programs to (i) institutional clients and (ii) third-party investment advisers that themselves offer
investment products and/or services to underlying investors (see “Institutional Model-Delivery
Arrangements” below). Finally, MFSI provides portfolio management, research and/or trading services
for non-U.S. accounts for which a member of the MFS Global Group acts as investment adviser or
investment manager. The terms “Institutional Account” or “Institutional Client” are used herein to refer
to all of MFSI’s clients (or such clients’ accounts) other than managed account programs, which are
discussed below. For more information regarding MFSI’s responsibilities as managing member of the MFS
Private Funds, please refer to the Offering Documents governing investments in the applicable MFS
Private Fund. Please understand that some accounts may be comprised of multiple sleeves managed in
separate investment strategies or asset classes, and the term “account” may refer to the overall account
or a sleeve as the context warrants. For information on the types of investment strategies MFSI manages,
please see Item 8, Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss.
In some cases, Institutional Clients access MFSI’s investment advisory services via an outsourced chief
investment officer arrangement (also referred to as a discretionary consulting service) (“OCIO
provider”). Depending on the specific features of the OCIO arrangement, the OCIO provider may be the
decisionmaker as to whether to engage or terminate MFSI as investment adviser to the Institutional Client
and for which investment strategy or investment vehicle. MFSI’s client servicing is typically primarily
provided to or through the OCIO provider rather than directly to the Institutional Client.
Some Institutional Accounts are subject to client-imposed restrictions on investing in certain securities or
derivatives, or types of securities or derivatives. For more information on how imposing such restrictions
might affect the management of your separate account, please see Item 16, Investment Discretion.
On a non-discretionary basis, MFSI reviews and provides asset allocation and portfolio structure guidance
to certain Institutional Clients, including pension plans, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and
foundations. MFSI may also provide similar asset allocation guidance to financial intermediaries for use
with the financial intermediary’s own clients or clients it has in common with MFS. These services are
typically provided to existing Institutional Clients and financial intermediaries without additional charge
and without a contractual agreement. MFSI provides these services on a non-discretionary basis, which
means that the Institutional Client or financial intermediary has the ultimate discretion to accept none,
some, or all of MFSI’s guidance. Additionally, MFSI’s guidance is often based on information provided
from the Institutional Client or financial intermediary, reflects advice given as of a particular point in time,
and, when provided to a financial intermediary, is not intended to meet the needs of any particular client
of a financial intermediary, unless otherwise specified. To the extent MFSI’s asset allocation guidance
could be implemented using investment products or advisory services provided by the MFS Global Group,
and the recipient of the guidance invests in such investment products or advisory services, the MFS Global
Group would earn additional revenues because MFSI and/or the member of the MFS Global Group receive
revenue from their investment products and advisory services. Therefore, MFSI has an incentive to
provide asset allocation guidance that could result in the inclusion of MFS Global Group investment
products or advisory services. The fees charged by the MFS Global Group for these investment products
or advisory services may be higher than fees charged by third parties. The Institutional Client or financial
intermediary has the ultimate discretion whether to use MFS Global Group investment products or
advisory services.
Managed Account Programs
MFSI provides investment advisory services for use in “Managed Account Programs” in different
investment programs and platforms. In MFSI’s Form CRS, Managed Account Programs are referred to as
“Wrap Accounts.” Managed Account Programs are organized by investment advisers, broker-dealers,
platform providers or other financial intermediaries and their affiliates (collectively “sponsors”). MFSI
acts only as an investment adviser (or sub-adviser) for Managed Account Programs and does not act as
the sponsor of any Managed Account Program.
Managed Account Programs are organized in different program and platform structures. One common
Managed Account Program structure consists of a sponsor maintaining an investment program for the
benefit of its clients, through which investors or “participants” are able to access various investment
services and products, including separately managed accounts, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds
(“ETFs”) and other securities. Another common structure consists of a sponsor establishing an investment
platform through which other third-party financial intermediaries access investment services and
products for the accounts of their clients. Managed Account Programs may utilize various service
providers, such as overlay investment advisory, administrative, trading and custodial services. The
structure of the Managed Account Program, including services offered and fees and expenses incurred by
the account will vary depending on the sponsor that establishes it and how the participant accesses the
provided services.
Fee Structure of Managed Account Programs
Managed Account Programs have different fee structures that vary depending on the sponsor that
establishes the program. For example, some are organized as “wrap fee programs,” in which participants
pay a single, bundled fee that covers all the services provided by the sponsor and other service providers.
In bundled fee programs, fees for MFSI’s investment advice are either included in the bundled fee or
charged separately and are paid to MFSI by the participant or sponsor. In other Managed Account
Programs, the fees paid by the participant are unbundled, meaning participants may pay separate fees
and expenses for the various services received through the program, including those provided by MFSI.
Contractual Arrangements in Managed Account Programs
Managed Account Programs can be structured in “single-contract” or “dual-contract” variants. In a single-
contract Managed Account Program, a participant enters into a single agreement with the sponsor (and
not MFSI). MFSI and the sponsor enter into a separate agreement that allows the sponsor to offer to its
program participants MFSI’s investment advisory services through the Managed Account Program. In a
dual-contract Managed Account Program, a client enters into two agreements: one with the sponsor and
(after selecting MFSI from among the investment advisers presented by the sponsor) a second agreement
with MFSI. In a dual-contract Managed Account Program, the client pays MFSI, or causes MFSI to be paid,
for its advisory services. In some dual-contract Managed Account Programs, participants may enter into
additional agreements with third-party service providers, such as a custodian or executing broker.
Types of Managed Account Programs
MFSI provides its investment advice in different ways depending on the Managed Account Program. For
“Separately Managed Account Programs” or “SMA Programs” (which can be single-contract or dual-
contract arrangements), MFSI has the discretionary authority to make all investment decisions for a
participant’s investment account. For “Model-Delivery Programs” (which are only single-contract
arrangements), MFSI generally provides non-discretionary recommendations of specific securities and
weightings in the form of a model portfolio that it updates from time to time, and the sponsor is
responsible for making the ultimate investment decisions for each participant’s investment account.
However, in “Discretionary Model-Delivery Programs” where MFSI provides a model portfolio that the
sponsor has agreed to accept in full, subject to a participant’s investment restrictions, the contract
between the sponsor and MFSI could cause investment discretion to be deemed shared between MFSI
and the sponsor. MFSI only has authority to place orders for the execution of transactions for SMA
Programs. For more information about MFSI’s trading practices, please see “Managed Account Program
Brokerage Arrangements, Order Execution and Allocation” in Item 12, Brokerage Practices. Discussions in
this Brochure relating to SMA Programs include Discretionary Model-Delivery Programs, unless otherwise
specified.
Each sponsor is responsible for making the determination that an MFSI investment strategy is appropriate
for inclusion in the sponsor’s Managed Account Program and in making that determination, may consider
various factors, such as MFSI’s style of investment management, performance and portfolio turnover.
Additionally, sponsors or a third-party fiduciary, together with a participant, are responsible for reviewing
the participant’s investment objectives and financial circumstances to determine that investing in a
particular Managed Account Program and (other than with respect to dual-contract clients) an MFSI
investment strategy is appropriate for that participant. MFSI is responsible for ensuring that the securities
it selects or recommends are appropriate for the particular investment strategy it offers.
In bundled fee programs, “reverse churning” occurs when there is very little trading activity in a
participant’s account(s). As such, there may be times when the participant could benefit, sometimes
significantly, by not participating in a bundled fee program, but instead by paying any trading commissions
separately. Certain investment strategies offered by MFSI in Managed Account Programs have historically
had a low portfolio turnover (ranging from approximately 16% to 51% annually over the last three years).
For specific information concerning the portfolio turnover of an investment strategy, please consult with
your financial advisor.
Participants should consult the sponsor’s Wrap Fee Program Brochure and/or other documentation
provided by the sponsor for additional information about the services provided through their program by
the sponsor or third-parties and related fees and expenses associated with the program. Participants
should also consult with their own financial, legal, and tax advisors when selecting an investment strategy
and Managed Account Program. In providing services in Managed Account Programs, MFSI generally
relies on information or directions communicated by a participant’s financial advisor acting with apparent
authority on behalf of its client. For information concerning how MFSI is compensated for providing
investment advisory services through Managed Account Programs, please see: Item 5, Fees and
Compensation; for information regarding the differences between how MFSI manages Managed Account
Program accounts and other accounts, Item 8, Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies and Risk of Loss;
and for information on Managed Account Program trading practices, Item 12, Brokerage Practices.
SMA Programs
As noted above, MFSI has the discretionary authority to make investment decisions for a participant’s
investment account in an SMA Program, in accordance with the selected investment strategy and subject
to any investment restrictions. Trades are generally executed by the sponsor or its affiliates (except with
respect to Discretionary Model Delivery Programs where trades are always executed by the sponsor or its
affiliates) and participants in such programs should satisfy themselves that the sponsor or its affiliates is
able to seek best execution of transactions within their account. MFSI offers investment advisory services
to SMA Programs in both single-contract and dual-contract arrangements. Discretionary Model-Delivery
Programs are only available in single-contract arrangements.
MFSI reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject for any reason any participant referred to it. A
participant may terminate its selection of MFSI as investment adviser in their SMA Program account at
any time, upon notice either to the sponsor of a single-contract SMA Program or, in the case of a dual-
contract SMA Program, directly to MFSI in accordance with the terms of the investment advisory
agreement between the client and MFSI.
Some participants in SMA Programs elect to impose restrictions upon MFSI’s ability to implement
investments (for a discussion of restrictions in Discretionary Model-Delivery Programs see the next
paragraph). For example, a restriction from investing in companies from a country or region can limit the
investments available for a strategy that typically includes companies from that country or region. In
other cases, the restriction may not have any impact, such as when the strategy does not include
companies from that country or region. When the restriction does limit the investments available, a
participant’s account performance will differ from participant accounts that have not imposed such
restrictions within the same investment strategy. Such restrictions must be communicated to and
accepted by MFSI as reasonable. Reasonable restrictions can include certain securities or certain types of
securities, as well as reasonable sector-based restrictions, such as those related to ESG category
restrictions. Participants typically select sector-based restrictions from among the sponsor’s pre-
established restricted sector categories. Sponsors typically do not provide MFSI with a list of the securities
included in their restricted sector categories. Therefore, in order to apply such restrictions where the
sponsor does not provide a list of restricted securities, MFSI utilizes a third-party vendor to provide
information regarding securities that are included in a comparable restricted category. MFSI uses its sole
discretion to select the vendor category that most closely approximates the sponsor’s restricted category
based on the information MFSI receives from the third-party vendor. Although MFSI believes the
information provided by the vendor is reliable, MFSI does not independently verify the information or
guarantee its accuracy. The securities MFSI applies as restricted for a given category could differ from
those that the sponsor may have considered to be within that category (i.e., MFSI’s list of restricted
securities for a category may be more or less restrictive).
Sponsors may also impose investment restrictions which can affect MFSI’s freedom of action in participant
accounts. For example, a restriction on including securities issued by the sponsor or its affiliates, including
securities of pooled investment vehicles managed by the sponsor or its affiliates, can limit the investments
available for a strategy that typically includes such securities. When a sponsor-imposed restriction does
limit the investments available, a participant’s account performance will differ from participant accounts
in an SMA Program organized by a different sponsor.
For Discretionary Model-Delivery Programs, participant-imposed restrictions are managed by the
sponsor. MFSI does not take into account any participant’s restrictions in designing or updating an
investment model, nor is MFSI expected to implement any such restrictions or assist the sponsor in
determining how to implement such restrictions.
Model-Delivery Programs
As noted above, in Model-Delivery Programs, MFSI is retained by a sponsor to provide non-discretionary
recommendations of specific securities and weightings in the form of a model portfolio that MFSI updates
from time to time. The model portfolio provided by MFSI may be used by the sponsor for its own clients’
accounts or may be provided by the sponsor to third-party financial intermediaries for use in such
intermediaries’ clients’ accounts, depending on the structure of the Managed Account Program. MFSI’s
recommendations are not tailored to any individual program participant, and the sponsor or third-party
financial intermediary has the ultimate discretion to accept or reject MFSI’s recommendations for each
individual participant’s investment account. The sponsor (or a third party retained by the sponsor to
perform services for the program, such as an overlay manager) is generally responsible for making and
implementing the ultimate investment decisions.
MFSI does not know the identity or other relevant information necessary to perform a suitability analysis
of the program participants for whose accounts the sponsor or third-party financial intermediary uses
MFSI’s model portfolios. Additionally, as discussed above, MFSI does not have any contractual
arrangement with program participants or any third-party financial intermediaries that access MFSI’s
model portfolios for use in their clients’ accounts. Such program participants and third-party
intermediaries are not considered advisory clients of MFSI. If this Brochure is delivered to such parties
with whom MFSI does not have an advisory relationship, or where it is not legally required to be delivered,
it is provided for informational purposes only.
Participant or third-party financial intermediary-imposed restrictions are managed by the sponsor and
MFSI does not take into account any such restrictions in designing or updating a model, nor is MFSI
expected to implement any such restrictions or assist the sponsor in determining how to implement such
restrictions. MFSI does not take into account certain sponsor-imposed restrictions in designing or
updating a model, such as restrictions on securities issued by the sponsor or its affiliates. MFSI does
implement legal restrictions imposed by certain jurisdictions that prohibit MFSI from providing investment
advice to participants within such jurisdiction concerning securities of issuers within such jurisdiction.
Nonetheless, as with SMA Programs, to the extent that a restriction applies to the securities
recommended by MFSI to be included in accounts following an MFSI model portfolio, a participant’s,
sponsor’s, third-party financial intermediary’s or jurisdiction’s decision to impose restrictions would affect
the performance of a participant’s account as compared to accounts within the same investment strategy
not subject to such investment restrictions.
Lead Style Manager Services
MFSI serves as the lead style manager for an investment strategy in the Merrill Lynch, Pierce Fenner &
Smith Incorporated (“Merrill Lynch”) CDP Investment Advisory program. As lead style manager, MFSI is
responsible for identifying, when needed, appropriate style managers from a Merrill Lynch approved list
of possible managers. MFSI proposes such a manager to Merrill Lynch and Merrill Lynch must approve
any proposed style managers. While MFSI is responsible for identifying an appropriate style manager any
time a new manager is needed, MFSI does not monitor on an ongoing basis whether a style manager is
appropriate, and the existing style manager will be maintained until such time as it is no longer on Merrill
Lynch’s approved list.
Institutional Model-Delivery Arrangements
In addition to providing Model-Delivery Programs in Managed Account Programs, MFSI also provides non-
discretionary model portfolio delivery services to Institutional Clients that invest for their own account or
the accounts of others (all such arrangements “Institutional Model-Delivery Arrangements”), which, for
example, could include investment companies registered under the 1940 Act and separate account clients
subject to ERISA. In such cases, MFSI’s recommendations are not tailored to any particular underlying
investor but may take into account any specific investment restrictions or guidelines imposed by the
Institutional Client. The Institutional Client has the ultimate discretion to accept or reject MFSI’s
recommendations. The Institutional Client is generally responsible for making and implementing the
ultimate investment decisions. For more information about the differences between Institutional Model-
Delivery Arrangements and other accounts managed by MFSI, please see “Differences Between
Institutional Model-Delivery Arrangements and Other Accounts” in Item 12, Brokerage Practices.