# EDGAR Filing Document

**Accession Number:** 0001454889
**File Stem:** 0001104659-25-070898
**Filing Date:** 2025-7
**Character Count:** 828291
**Document Hash:** 592f20795777def715b0417b48779ee1
**Contains OCR:** False
**Source Format:** 

## Filing Content

## Filing Summary
**0001104659-25-070898.hdr.sgml**: 20250728

**ACCESSION NUMBER**: 0001104659-25-070898

**CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE**: 485BPOS

**PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT**: 36

**FILED AS OF DATE**: 20250728

**DATE AS OF CHANGE**: 20250725

**EFFECTIVENESS DATE**: 20250728

**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** SCHWAB STRATEGIC TRUST
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0001454889

**ORGANIZATION NAME:**
- **EIN:** 000000000
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** DE
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 1231

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** 485BPOS
- **SEC ACT:** 1940 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 811-22311
- **FILM NUMBER:** 251152560

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 211 MAIN STREET
- **CITY:** SAN FRANCISCO
- **STATE:** CA
- **ZIP:** 94105
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** 1-415-667-7000

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 211 MAIN STREET
- **CITY:** SAN FRANCISCO
- **STATE:** CA
- **ZIP:** 94105

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** Schwab Strategic Trust
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 20090127
**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** SCHWAB STRATEGIC TRUST
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0001454889

**ORGANIZATION NAME:**
- **EIN:** 000000000
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** DE
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 1231

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** 485BPOS
- **SEC ACT:** 1933 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 333-160595
- **FILM NUMBER:** 251152559

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 211 MAIN STREET
- **CITY:** SAN FRANCISCO
- **STATE:** CA
- **ZIP:** 94105
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** 1-415-667-7000

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 211 MAIN STREET
- **CITY:** SAN FRANCISCO
- **STATE:** CA
- **ZIP:** 94105

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** Schwab Strategic Trust
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 20090127

## Series and Classes Contracts Data

### Schwab Ariel ESG ETF (Series ID: S000072244)

| Class ID   | Class Name           | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000228159 | Schwab Ariel ESG ETF | SAEF            |

### Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF (Series ID: S000076371)

| Class ID   | Class Name                 | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000236174 | Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF | STCE            |

?xml version='1.0' encoding='ASCII'? out - none - 1.44s

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 28, 2025

File Nos. 333-160595

811-22311

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 *UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933* 

Post-Effective Amendment No. 180

☒

and

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 *UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 Amendment No. 182* 

☒

## SCHWAB STRATEGIC TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

211 Main Street

San Francisco, California 94105

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

(800) 648-5300

(Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code)

Catherine M. MacGregor, Esq.

211 Main Street

San Francisco, California 94105

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 *Copies of communications to:* 

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Douglas P. Dick, Esq. <br> Dechert LLP <br> 1900 K Street, N.W. <br> Washington, DC 20006**  | **Gregory C. Davis, Esq. <br> Ropes & Gray LLP <br> Three Embarcadero Center <br> San Francisco, CA 94111-4006**  |

---

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

☒ Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)

□ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)

□ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

□ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

□ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)

□ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485

If appropriate, check the following box:

□ This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

------

**[**TABLE OF CONTENTS**](#TOCtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)

![[MISSING IMAGE: log-csamctr299c.jpg]](tm2515430d1_logo.jpg)

Prospectus \| July 28, 2025

Schwab<sup>®</sup> ETFs

## Schwab <sup>®</sup> Ariel Opportunities ETF (formerly, Schwab <sup>®</sup> Ariel ESG ETF)
Ticker Symbol SAEF

Investment Adviser Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.

Subadviser Ariel Investments, LLC

Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.

THIS FUND IS DIFFERENT FROM TRADITIONAL ETFs

Traditional ETFs tell the public what assets they hold each day. This fund will not. This may create additional risks for your investment. For example:

• You may have to pay more money to trade the fund's shares. This fund will provide less information to traders, who tend to charge more for trades when they have less information.

• The price you pay to buy fund shares on an exchange may not match the value of the fund's portfolio. The same is true when you sell shares. These price differences may be greater for this fund compared to other ETFs because it provides less information to traders.

• These additional risks may be even greater in bad or uncertain market conditions.

• The ETF will publish on its website each day a "Proxy Portfolio" designed to help trading in shares of the ETF. While the Proxy Portfolio includes some of the ETF's holdings, it is not the ETF's actual portfolio.

The differences between this fund and other ETFs may also have advantages. By keeping certain information about the fund secret, this fund may face less risk that other traders can predict or copy its investment strategy. This may improve the fund's performance. If other traders are able to copy or predict the fund's investment strategy, however, this may hurt the fund's performance.

For additional information regarding the unique attributes and risks of the fund, see *Proxy Portfolio Risk*, *Premium/Discount Risk*, *Trading Halt Risk*, *Authorized Participant Concentration Risk*, *Tracking Error Risk* and *Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV* in the *Principal Risks* and *Proxy Portfolio and Proxy Overlap* sections of the prospectus and/or the Statement of Additional Information.

As with all exchange-traded funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved these securities or passed on whether the information in this prospectus is adequate and accurate. Anyone who indicates otherwise is committing a federal crime.

------**

[**TABLE OF CONTENTS**](#TOCtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)

## Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Fund Summary** |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF](#idedgggSAOETFSAESGtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)  | [1](#idedgggSAOETFSAESGtm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |
| **[About the Fund](#iddhacAFtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)**  | [5](#iddhacAFtm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |
| **[Fund Details](#idegejaFDtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)**  | [6](#idegejaFDtm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Investment Objective and More About Principal Risks](#idbhibgIOMAPRtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)  | [6](#idbhibgIOMAPRtm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Proxy Portfolio and Proxy Overlap](#idegicPPPOtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)  | [8](#idegicPPPOtm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Board Responsibilities Under the Order](#idciafBRUOtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)  | [8](#idciafBRUOtm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [More About Ariel's Investment Approach](#iddfajMAAIAtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)  | [9](#iddfajMAAIAtm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Portfolio Holdings](#idbcciPHtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)  | [9](#idbcciPHtm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Financial Highlights](#idbdhfjFHtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)  | [10](#idbdhfjFHtm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |
| **[Fund Management](#idfchdFMtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)**  | [11](#idfchdFMtm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |
| **[Investing in the Fund](#iddgdbhIFtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)**  | [12](#iddgdbhIFtm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Share Trading Prices](#idchhdSTPtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)  | [12](#idchhdSTPtm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Determination of Net Asset Value](#ideaefDNAVtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)  | [12](#ideaefDNAVtm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units](#idicacPRCUtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)  | [13](#idicacPRCUtm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Additional Policies](#idfggcAPtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)  | [14](#idfggcAPtm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Distributions and Taxes](#idijhhDTtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)  | [15](#idijhhDTtm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Additional Information](#idcfbaAItm2515430d1_arielesgetf)  | [16](#idcfbaAItm2515430d1_arielesgetf) |

---

------

[**TABLE OF CONTENTS**](#TOCtm2515430d1_arielesgetf)

Schwab<sup>®</sup> Ariel Opportunities ETF (formerly, Schwab Ariel ESG ETF)

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Ticker Symbol:**  | **SAEF** |

---

#### Investment Objective
The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

#### Fund Fees and Expenses
 **This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.** 

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment) <br>

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
|  **Annual Fund Operating Expenses** (expenses that you pay each year as a % <br> of the value of your investment)  | **Annual Fund Operating Expenses** (expenses that you pay each year as a % <br> of the value of your investment)  |
| Management fees | 0.59  |
| Other expenses |  |
| **Total annual fund operating expenses** | **0.59**  |

---

#### Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund's operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Expenses on a $10,000 Investment**  | **Expenses on a $10,000 Investment**  | | |
| **1 Year**  | **3 Years**  | **5 Years**  | **10 Years**  |
| $60 | $189 | $329 | $738 |

---

#### 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 may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the 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 15% of the average value of its portfolio.

#### Principal Investment Strategies
**The fund invests primarily in exchange-traded equity securities of U.S.** small- and mid-capitalization companies which are companies with capitalizations within the range of the Russell 2500™ Index, as measured at the time of purchase; however, the fund may invest in exchange-traded securities of companies outside the stated range.

In selecting securities, the fund's subadviser seeks to invest in companies that it believes exhibit attributes that will result in capital appreciation including: high barriers to entry, enduring competitive advantage, predictable fundamentals that allow for the potential for double-digit earnings growth (at time of initial purchase), skilled management teams, and solid financials. In addition, the fund's subadviser generally seeks to invest in companies that are trading at a low valuation relative to potential earnings and/or a low valuation relative to intrinsic value.

In addition, during unusual economic or market conditions or for liquidity purposes, the fund may take temporary defensive positions, whether managed by the investment adviser or subadviser, that are inconsistent with the fund's principal investment strategy. When the fund engages in such activities, it may not achieve its investment objective.

The fund also may lend portfolio securities to earn additional income. Any income realized through securities lending may help fund performance.

The fund is an actively managed, non-transparent exchange-traded fund (ETF) that does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. In lieu of publishing its portfolio contents (Actual Portfolio) daily, the fund publishes a proxy portfolio (Proxy Portfolio) each day on its website. The fund's Proxy Portfolio is designed to closely track the daily performance of the fund but is not the fund's Actual Portfolio. The fund will also publish certain related information about the Proxy Portfolio and the Actual Portfolio on its website daily. There is no minimum overlap required between the Actual Portfolio and the Proxy Portfolio.

#### Principal Risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money. The fund's principal risks include:

**Proxy Portfolio Risk.** Unlike traditional ETFs that disclose their portfolio holdings on a daily basis, the fund does not disclose its holdings daily, rather it discloses a Proxy Portfolio. The goal of the Proxy Portfolio, during all market conditions, is to track closely the daily performance of the Actual Portfolio and minimize intra-day misalignment between the performance of the Proxy Portfolio and the performance of the Actual Portfolio. The Proxy Portfolio is designed to reflect the economic exposures and the risk characteristics of the Actual Portfolio on any given trading day.

The Proxy Portfolio is intended to provide authorized participants and other market participants with enough information to support an effective arbitrage mechanism that keeps the market price of the fund at or close to the underlying net asset value (NAV) per share of the fund. The Proxy Portfolio methodology is novel and not yet proven as an effective arbitrage mechanism. The effectiveness of

Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF \| Fund Summary1

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the Proxy Portfolio as an arbitrage mechanism is contingent upon, among other things, the fund's factor model analysis creating a Proxy Portfolio that performs in a manner substantially identical to the performance of the Actual Portfolio and the willingness of authorized participants and other market participants to trade based on a Proxy Portfolio. There is no guarantee that this arbitrage mechanism will operate as intended. Further, while the Proxy Portfolio may include some of the fund's holdings, it is not the fund's Actual Portfolio. ETFs trading on the basis of a published Proxy Portfolio may exhibit wider premiums and discounts, bid/ask spreads, and tracking error than other ETFs using the same investment strategies that publish their portfolios on a daily basis, especially during periods of market disruption or volatility. Therefore, shares of the fund may cost investors more to trade than shares of a traditional ETF.

• Each day the fund calculates the overlap between the holdings of the prior Business Day's Proxy Portfolio compared to the Actual Portfolio (Proxy Overlap) and the difference, in percentage terms, between the Proxy Portfolio per share NAV and that of the Actual Portfolio (Tracking Error). If the Tracking Error becomes large, there is a risk that the performance of the Proxy Portfolio may deviate from the performance of the Actual Portfolio.

• The fund's Board of Trustees (the Board) monitors its Tracking Error, bid/ask spread and premiums/discounts. If deviations become too large, the Board will consider the continuing viability of the fund, whether shareholders are being harmed, and what, if any, corrective measures would be appropriate. See the Statement of Additional Information for further discussion of the Board's monitoring responsibilities.

• Although the fund seeks to benefit from keeping its portfolio information secret, market participants may attempt to use the Proxy Portfolio to identify a fund's trading strategy, which if successful, could result in such market participants engaging in certain predatory trading practices that may have the potential to harm the fund and its shareholders. The Proxy Portfolio and any related disclosures have been designed to minimize the risk of predatory trading practices, but they may not be successful in doing so.

**Premium/Discount Risk.** Publication of the Proxy Portfolio is not the same level of transparency as the publication of the Actual Portfolio by a fully transparent ETF. Although the Proxy Portfolio is intended to provide authorized participants and other market participants with enough information to allow for an effective arbitrage mechanism that is intended to keep the market price of the fund at or close to the underlying NAV per share of the fund, there is a risk (which may increase during periods of market disruption or volatility) that market prices will vary significantly from NAV per share of the fund. This means the price paid to buy shares on an exchange may not match the value of the fund's portfolio. The same is true when shares are sold.

**Trading Halt Risk.** If securities representing 10% or more of the fund's Actual Portfolio do not have readily available market quotations, the fund will promptly request that the listing exchange halt trading in the fund's shares which means that investors would not be able to trade their shares. Trading halts may have a greater impact on the fund compared to other ETFs due to the fund's

non-transparent structure. If the trading of a security held in the fund's Actual Portfolio is halted, or otherwise does not have readily available market quotations, and the investment adviser believes that the lack of any such readily available market quotations may affect the reliability of the Proxy Portfolio as an arbitrage vehicle, or otherwise determines it is in the best interest of the fund, the investment adviser will promptly disclose on the fund's website the identity and weighting of such security for so long as such security's trading is halted or otherwise does not have readily available market quotations and remains in the Actual Portfolio.

**Authorized Participant Concentration Risk.** Only an authorized participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the fund. The fund may have a limited number of institutions that act as authorized participants, none of which are obligated to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the fund and no other authorized participant is able to step forward to process creation and/or redemption orders, fund shares may trade at a discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting. This risk may be more pronounced during periods of market volatility or market disruptions. The fact that the fund is offering a novel and unique structure may affect the number of entities willing to act as authorized participants.

**Tracking Error Risk.** Although the Proxy Portfolio is designed to reflect the economic exposure and risk characteristics of the fund's Actual Portfolio on any given trading day, there is a risk that the performance of the Proxy Portfolio will diverge from the performance of the Actual Portfolio, potentially materially.

**Equity Risk.** The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time.

**Market Capitalization Risk.** Securities issued by companies of different market capitalizations tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. During a period when securities of a particular market capitalization fall behind other types of investments, the fund's performance could be impacted.

**Small-Cap Company Risk.** Securities issued by small-cap companies may be riskier than those issued by larger companies, and their prices may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns.

**Mid-Cap Company Risk.** Mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies and the value of securities issued by these companies may move sharply.

**Management Risk.** As with all actively managed funds, the fund is subject to the risk that its investment adviser and/or subadviser will select investments or allocate assets in a manner that could cause the fund to underperform or otherwise not meet its investment

2Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF \| Fund Summary

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objective. The fund's investment adviser and/or subadviser applies its own investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the fund, but there can be no guarantee that they will produce the desired results.

**Value Investing Risk.** Value investing attempts to identify undervalued companies with characteristics for improved valuations. Securities that exhibit value characteristics tend to perform differently and shift in and out of favor with investors depending on changes in market and economic conditions. As a result, the fund's performance may at times fall behind the performance of other funds that invest more broadly or in securities that exhibit different characteristics.

**Market Risk.** Financial markets rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. Markets may be impacted by economic, political, regulatory and other conditions, including economic sanctions, tariffs and other government actions. In addition, the occurrence of global events, such as war, terrorism, environmental disasters, natural disasters and epidemics, may also negatively affect the financial markets. As with any investment whose performance is tied to these markets, the value of an investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that an investor could lose money over short or long periods.

**Liquidity Risk.** The fund may be unable to sell certain securities, such as illiquid securities, readily at a favorable time or price, or the fund may have to sell them at a loss.

**Securities Lending Risk.** Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in, or delay in recovery of, the loaned securities if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent.

**Market Trading Risk.** Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.

**Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.** Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the fund will approximate the fund's NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. In addition, due to the fund's novel and unique structure, shares of the fund may trade at a larger premium or discount to the NAV of shares of traditional ETFs that disclose their portfolio holdings daily. As a result, an investor may pay more than NAV when buying shares of the fund in the secondary market, and an investor may receive less than NAV when selling those shares in the secondary market. The market price of fund shares may deviate, sometimes significantly, from NAV during periods of market disruptions or volatility.

For more information on the risks of investing in the fund, please see the "Fund Details" section in the prospectus.

#### Performance
The bar chart below shows how the fund's investment results have varied from year to year, and the following table shows how the fund's average annual total returns for various periods compared to that

of one or more indices. The S&P 500<sup>®</sup> Index serves as the fund's regulatory index and provides a broad measure of market performance. The Russell 2500<sup>TM</sup> Index is the fund's additional index and is more representative of the fund's investment universe than the regulatory index. This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. All figures assume distributions were reinvested. Keep in mind that future performance (both before and after taxes) may differ from past performance. For current performance information, please see

**www.schwabassetmanagement.com/prospectus**.

#### Annual Total Returns (%) as of 12/31
![[MISSING IMAGE: hh4mulpce321nbldemo0fghrjhtu.jpg]](tm2515430d1_arielesgetf.jpg)

**Best Quarter:** 14.82% Q4 2023

**Worst Quarter:** (15.89%) Q2 2022

**Year-to-date performance (before taxes) as of 6/30/25:** (4.12%)

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Average Annual Total Returns as of 12/31/24**  | **Average Annual Total Returns as of 12/31/24**  | **Average Annual Total Returns as of 12/31/24**  |
|  | **1 Year**  | **Since <br> Inception <br> (11/16/21)**  |
| Before taxes | 16.03% | 3.00% |
| After taxes on distributions | 15.89% | 2.86% |
| After taxes on distributions and sale of shares  | 9.57% | 2.28% |
|  **Comparative Indices** (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)  |  |  |
| S&P 500<sup>®</sup> Index | 25.02% | 9.24% |
| Russell 2500™ Index | 12.00% | 0.85% |

---

The after-tax figures reflect the highest individual federal income tax rates in effect during the period and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns depend on your individual tax situation. In addition, after-tax returns are not relevant if you hold your fund shares through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan, an individual retirement account (IRA) or other tax-advantaged account.

#### Investment Adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dba Schwab Asset Management<sup>®</sup>

#### Subadviser
Ariel Investments, LLC (Ariel)

#### Portfolio Managers
**John W. Rogers, Jr.,** Chairman, Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer, of Ariel, is responsible for the day-to-day co-management of the fund. He has managed the fund since 2021.

Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF \| Fund Summary3

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**Kenneth E. Kuhrt, CPA,** Executive Vice President, of Ariel, is responsible for the day-to-day co-management of the fund. He has managed the fund since 2021.

#### Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in large blocks of shares (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket of securities and/or an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only Authorized Participants purchase or redeem Creation Units.

Individual shares may only be purchased and sold in the secondary market (i.e., on a national securities exchange) through a broker or dealer at market prices. Because fund shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, fund shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the fund (ask) (the "bid-ask spread"). Recent information regarding the fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at www.schwabassetmanagement.com.

#### Tax Information
Dividends and capital gains distributions received from the fund will generally be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-advantaged account (in which case you may be taxed later, upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).

#### Payments to Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the adviser and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

4Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF \| Fund Summary

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## About the Fund
The fund described in this prospectus is advised by Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dba Schwab Asset Management (the investment adviser). The fund is an "exchange-traded fund" (ETF). ETFs are funds that trade like other publicly-traded securities. The fund is an actively managed, non-transparent ETF that does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. In lieu of publishing its full portfolio contents (Actual Portfolio) daily, the fund publishes a proxy portfolio (Proxy Portfolio). There is no minimum overlap required between the Actual Portfolio and the Proxy Portfolio. For more information see the Proxy Portfolio and Proxy Overlap section below. A description of the policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the fund's portfolio securities is available in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI).

Unlike shares of a mutual fund, shares of the fund are listed on a national securities exchange and trade at market prices that change throughout the day. The market price for the fund's shares may be different from its net asset value per share (NAV). The fund has its own CUSIP number and trades on the NYSE Arca, Inc. under the following ticker:

Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF SAEF

The fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in large blocks of shares (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket of securities and/or an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutional investors who have entered into an authorized participant agreement (Authorized Participants) purchase or redeem Creation Units.

#### A Note to Retail Investors
Shares can be purchased directly from the fund only in exchange for a basket of securities and/or an amount of cash that is expected to be worth a minimum of a million dollars or more. Most individual investors, therefore, will not be able to purchase shares directly from the fund. Instead, these investors will purchase shares in the secondary market through a brokerage account or with the assistance of a broker. Thus, some of the information contained in this prospectus – such as information about purchasing and redeeming shares from the fund and references to transaction fees imposed on purchases and redemptions – is not relevant to most individual investors. Shares purchased or sold through a brokerage account or with the assistance of a broker may be subject to brokerage commissions and charges.

The fund's performance will fluctuate over time and, as with all investments, future performance may differ from past performance.

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## Fund Details
There can be no assurance that the fund will achieve its objective. Except as explicitly described otherwise, the investment objective, strategies and policies of the fund may be changed without shareholder approval.

The principal investment strategies and the main risks associated with investing in the fund are summarized in the fund summary at the front of this prospectus. This section takes a more detailed look at some of the types of securities, the associated risks, and the various investment strategies that may be used in the day-to-day portfolio management of the fund, as described below. In addition to the particular types of securities and strategies that are described in this prospectus, the fund may use strategies that are not described herein in support of its overall investment goal. These additional strategies and the risks associated with them are described in the "Investment Objective, Strategies, Risks and Limitations" section in the SAI.

The fund operates in reliance on an exemptive order from the SEC (the Order), which incorporates by reference the conditions and restrictions of a previous order to permit the operation of non-transparent active ETFs, and limits the types of investments the fund may hold. Under the terms of the Order, the fund may invest only in exchange-traded funds, exchange-traded notes, exchange-traded common stocks (excluding "penny stocks"), common stocks listed on a foreign exchange that trade on such exchange contemporaneously with the fund's shares, exchange-traded preferred stocks, exchange-traded American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), exchange-traded real estate investment trusts, exchange-traded commodity pools, exchange-traded metals trusts, exchange-traded currency trusts and exchange-traded futures that trade contemporaneously with fund shares, as well as cash and cash equivalents (which are short-term U.S. Treasury securities, government money market funds, and repurchase agreements).

Investment Objective and More About Principal Risks

#### Investment Objective
The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. The fund's investment objective is not fundamental and therefore may be changed by the fund's Board without shareholder approval.

#### More Information About Principal Investment Risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money.

**Equity Risk.** The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in response. Governmental action, including the imposition of trade embargoes or tariffs, may also impact individual companies or markets as a whole. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time.

**Market Capitalization Risk.** Securities issued by companies of different market capitalizations tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. In addition, there may be less trading volume in securities issued by mid- and small-cap companies than those issued by larger companies and, as a result, trading volatility may have a greater impact on the value of securities of mid- and small-cap companies. Securities issued by large-cap companies, on the other hand, may not be able to attain the high growth rates of some mid- and small-cap companies. During a period when securities of a particular market capitalization fall behind other types of investments, the fund's performance could be impacted.

**Small-Cap Company Risk.** Small-cap companies may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies and their securities may be riskier than those issued by larger companies. The value of securities issued by small-cap companies may be based in substantial part on future expectations rather than current achievements and their prices may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns. In addition, small-cap companies may have limited financial resources, management experience, product lines and markets, and their securities may trade less frequently and in more limited volumes than the securities of larger companies. Further, small-cap companies may have less publicly available information and such information may be inaccurate or incomplete.

**Mid-Cap Company Risk.** Mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies and their securities may be riskier than those issued by large-cap companies. The value of securities issued by mid-cap companies may be based in substantial part on future expectations rather than current achievements and their prices may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns.

**Value Investing Risk.** Value investing attempts to identify undervalued companies with characteristics for improved valuations. This style of investing is subject to the risk that a company's perceived valuation may not be fully realized by the market for an extended period of time or that a stock judged by the subadviser to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced. For example, a value stock may decrease in

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price or may not increase in price as anticipated by the subadviser if other investors fail to recognize the company's value or the factors that the subadviser believes will cause the stock price to increase do not occur. Securities that exhibit value characteristics tend to perform differently and shift in and out of favor with investors depending on changes in market and economic conditions. As a result, the fund's performance may at times fall behind the performance of other funds that invest more broadly or in securities that exhibit different characteristics.

**Market Risk.** Financial markets rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. Markets may be impacted by economic, political, regulatory and other conditions, including economic sanctions, tariffs and other government actions. In addition, the occurrence of global events, such as war, terrorism, environmental disasters, natural disasters and epidemics, may also negatively affect the financial markets. These events could reduce consumer demand or economic output; result in market closures, changes in interest rates, inflation/deflation, travel restrictions or quarantines; and significantly adversely impact the economy. Governmental and quasi-governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world have in the past often responded to serious economic disruptions with a variety of significant fiscal and monetary policy changes which could have an unexpected impact on financial markets and the fund's investments. As with any investment whose performance is tied to these markets, the value of an investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that an investor could lose money over short or long periods.

At times the segment of the markets represented by the fund's portfolio may underperform other market segments. A significant percentage of the fund's portfolio may be composed of securities in a single industry or sector of the economy. If the fund is focused in an industry or sector, it may present more risks than if it were broadly diversified over numerous industries and sectors of the economy.

**Liquidity Risk.** Liquidity risk exists when particular investments may be difficult to purchase, sell or value, especially during stressed market conditions. The market for certain investments may become illiquid due to specific adverse changes in the conditions of a particular issuer or under adverse market or economic conditions independent of the issuer. In such cases, the fund, due to limitations on investments in illiquid securities and the difficulty in readily purchasing and selling such securities at favorable times or prices, may decline in value, experience lower returns and/or be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain issuer or sector. Further, transactions in illiquid securities may entail transaction costs that are higher than those for transactions in liquid securities. The fund will not purchase any securities that are illiquid investments at the time of purchase.

**Securities Lending Risk.** The fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and other financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is fully collateralized. When the fund lends portfolio securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the fund will also receive a fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in, or delay in recovery of, the loaned securities if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral. The fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the loan.

**Market Trading Risk.** Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares. Trading of shares of the fund on a national securities exchange may be halted if exchange officials deem such action appropriate, if the fund is delisted, or if the activation of marketwide "circuit breakers" halts stock trading generally. If the fund's shares are delisted, the fund may seek to list its shares on another market, become a fully-transparent ETF, merge with another ETF, or redeem its shares at NAV.

**Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.** As with all ETFs, fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although the arbitrage mechanism is intended to keep the market price of fund shares close to the fund's NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, an investor may pay more than NAV when buying shares of the fund in the secondary market, and an investor may receive less than NAV when selling those shares in the secondary market. The investment adviser cannot predict whether shares will trade above (premium), below (discount) or at NAV. The fund may have a limited number of financial institutions that may act as "Authorized Participants" or market makers. Only Authorized Participants who have entered into agreements with the fund's distributor may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the fund (as discussed in the "Creation and Redemption" section below). If those Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation and/or redemption orders (including in situations where Authorized Participants have limited or diminished access to capital required to post collateral), and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create and redeem in either of these cases, fund shares may trade at a significant discount or premium to NAV like closed-end fund shares (and may even face delisting). Similar effects may result if market makers exit the business or are unable to continue making markets in the fund's shares. Risks associated with having a limited number of Authorized Participants may be heightened for ETFs that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other instruments that have lower trading volumes. More generally, market makers are not obligated to make a market in the fund's shares, and Authorized Participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. Further, while the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it more likely that shares normally will trade close to the value of the fund's holdings, disruptions to creations and redemptions, including disruptions at market makers, Authorized Participants or market participants, or during periods of significant market volatility, may result in market prices that differ significantly from the value of the fund's holdings. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account for a large percentage of trading volume on the fund's primary listing exchange and may, therefore, have a material effect on the market price of the fund's shares.

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The market price of fund shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a "bid/ask" spread charged by the exchange specialist, other market makers or other market participants that trade the fund shares. The bid/ask spread on ETF shares varies over time based on the fund shares' trading volume, liquidity of the fund's portfolio securities, borrowing costs or other factors. As a result, the bid/ask spread on ETF shares is generally larger when the shares have little trading volume or market liquidity and generally lower when the shares have high trading volume or market liquidity. In addition, in times of severe market disruption, the bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, fund shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that investors most want to sell shares. There are various methods by which investors can purchase and sell shares of the fund and various types of orders that may be placed. Investors should consult their financial intermediary before purchasing or selling shares of the fund.

Proxy Portfolio and Proxy Overlap

Unlike traditional ETFs, this fund does not disclose its portfolio holdings (Actual Portfolio) daily. The fund instead posts a Proxy Portfolio on its website each day, including the following information for each portfolio holding in the Proxy Portfolio: (1) ticker symbol; (2) CUSIP or other identifier; (3) description of holding; (4) quantity of each security or other asset held; and (5) percentage weight of the holding in the Proxy Portfolio. The Proxy Portfolio is designed to reflect the economic exposures and risk characteristics of the fund's actual holdings on each trading day, but it is not the same as the fund's Actual Portfolio. The fund will disclose its Actual Portfolio quarterly with a 60-day lag via periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Proxy Portfolio disclosures will enable arbitrageurs and market participants to use the component securities and their weightings in the Proxy Portfolio to calculate intra-day values that approximate the value of the securities in the Actual Portfolio and, based thereon, assess whether the market price of the shares is higher or lower than the approximate contemporaneous value of the Actual Portfolio and engage in arbitrage and hedging activities. These activities should ensure that fund market prices remain close to the fund's NAV per share. At the end of each trading day, the fund will calculate the percentage weight overlap between the Proxy Portfolio and the Actual Portfolio (Proxy Overlap) and the standard deviation over the past three months of the daily proxy spread (i.e., the difference, in percentage terms, between the Proxy Portfolio per share NAV and that of the Actual Portfolio at the end of the trading day) (Tracking Error) and publish such information before the opening of trading each Business Day. The Proxy Overlap and Tracking Error will provide additional information to the market making community. In particular, this information will help market participants evaluate the risk that the performance of the Proxy Portfolio may deviate from the performance of the portfolio holdings of the fund. The fund's Board monitors its Tracking Error, bid/ask spread and premiums/discounts. If deviations become too large, the Board will consider the continuing viability of the fund, whether shareholders are being harmed, and what, if any, corrective measures would be appropriate. See below for further discussion of the Board's monitoring responsibilities.

The fund may buy or sell certain securities, in connection with effecting in-kind purchases or redemptions in exchange for the Proxy Portfolio to the extent the composition of the Proxy Portfolio differs from the Actual Portfolio. Any such transactions may incur additional transaction costs, which will be borne by the fund, and may generate taxable gain or loss.

The Proxy Portfolio is designed to recreate the daily performance of the Actual Portfolio. This is achieved by performing a "Factor Model" analysis of the Actual Portfolio. The Factor Model is comprised of three sets of factors or analytical metrics: market-based factors, fundamental factors, and industry/sector factors. The fund uses a "Model Universe" to generate its Proxy Portfolio. The Model Universe is comprised of securities that the fund can purchase and will be a financial index or stated portfolio of securities from which fund investments will be selected. The results of the Factor Model analysis are then applied to the Model Universe. The Proxy Portfolio is then generated as a result of this Model Universe analysis with the Proxy Portfolio being a small sub-set of the Model Universe. The Factor Model is applied to both the Actual Portfolio and the Model Universe to construct the fund's Proxy Portfolio that performs in a manner substantially identical to the performance of its Actual Portfolio. The Proxy Portfolio will only include investments the fund is permitted to hold. The fund's SAI contains more information on the Proxy Portfolio and its construction.

Proxy Portfolio and Proxy Overlap Information regarding the contents of the Proxy Portfolio, and the percentage weight overlap between the holdings of the Proxy Portfolio and the fund's Actual Portfolio holdings that formed the basis for its calculation of NAV at the end of the prior Business Day (the Portfolio Overlap), is available by visiting the fund's website **www.schwabassetmanagement.com**.

Board Responsibilities Under the Order

In addition to the Board's general responsibilities of protecting shareholder interest, the Board also has additional oversight responsibilities under the Order. Given that this structure is unlike other Schwab ETFs, the Adviser will monitor on an on-going basis how shares trade, including the level of any premium/discount to NAV and the bid/ask spreads on market transactions. For at least the first three years after the launch of the fund, the Advisor will promptly call a meeting of the Board (and will present to the Board for its consideration, recommendations for appropriate remedial measures) and the Board will promptly meet (1) if the Tracking Error exceeds 1%; (2) if, for 30 or more days in any quarter or 15 days in a row (a) the absolute difference between either the closing price or the bid/ask price, on one hand,

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and NAV, on the other, exceeds 2%; or (b) the bid/ask spread exceeds 2%; or (3) as otherwise deemed necessary or appropriate by the Advisor. In such a circumstance, the Board will consider the continuing viability of the fund, whether shareholders are being harmed, and what, if any, corrective measures would be appropriate to, among other things, narrow the Tracking Error, premium/discount, or bid/ask spread, as applicable. The Board will then decide whether to take any such action. Potential actions may include, but are not limited to: (a) changing lead market makers; (b) listing the fund on a different exchange; (c) changing the size of Creation Units; (d) changing the fund's investment objective or strategy; (e) publicly disclosing additional information regarding the Proxy Portfolio and/or Actual Portfolio; and (f) revising the algorithms and model universe used as part of the NYSE Proxy Portfolio Methodology. Should the Advisor conclude that the premium/discount between the market price and NAV of the shares remains persistently high, it could recommend to the Board that it liquidate the fund or authorize the Advisor to pursue the potential conversion of the fund to a fully-transparent, active ETF or a mutual fund. The Board will also regularly review the fund's historical premiums/discounts and bid-ask spreads following the three-year period after the fund's launch, under the same standards as applied during the first three years of the fund's life, and determine if any corrective measures may be appropriate. For at least the first three years after launch of the fund, the Board will also undertake these considerations on an annual basis regardless of whether the fund's preset thresholds have been crossed.

More About Ariel's Investment Approach

The fund's strategy is rooted in the contrarian investment philosophy of Ariel Investments, LLC (Ariel), which depends on four interrelated tenets: Active Patience<sup>®</sup>, Independent Thinking, Focused Expertise, and Bold Teamwork.

Active Patience. Ariel generally seeks to own differentiated companies with certain characteristics, such as strong cash flows, low debt, quality products or services, significant barriers to entry, predictable fundamentals that allow for the potential for double-digit earnings growth (at time of initial purchase), and low reinvestment requirements. Ariel takes a long-term view, and look past short-term price volatility, seeking to hold investments for a relatively long period of time—generally three to five years. However, the holding period may vary for any particular stock. This long-term approach enables the fund's investment team to research a company and wait as long as necessary for a stock to reach a price Ariel views as undervalued relative to the internally generated estimate of its intrinsic worth ("private market value").

Independent Thinking. Ariel makes opportunistic purchases when value is seen in companies that are temporarily out of favor, misunderstood or ignored—trading at a low valuation relative to potential earnings and/or at a discount to Ariel's estimate of intrinsic worth. Ariel performs its own original proprietary research that often leads to buying when others are selling and to sell when others are buying. The primary reasons a stock will be sold are: (i) if its valuation reaches Ariel's determination of its private market value, (ii) if a better opportunity for investment presents itself, or (iii) if there are material adverse changes to a company's fundamentals. In addition, Ariel has adopted procedures to sell stocks it views as substantially outside the fund's small/mid cap range.

Focused Expertise. Ariel seeks to invest within its circle of competence, allowing it to build expertise and accumulate deep knowledge in specific sectors, to isolate key issues of importance, and to have strong convictions in the stocks purchased and held. This often results in the fund investing in fewer sectors than its respective benchmark. Ariel also integrates sustainability considerations, including the proprietary Business Resilience Risk Ratings, as part of the broader review of material risks and opportunities for a given investment.

Bold Teamwork. No one person is sufficient to shareholders' success. Different approaches and opinions allow the domestic research team to constantly learn, improve and aspire to exceed expectations. Ariel's investment professionals seek to leverage their contacts and knowledge, while also striving to work collaboratively with a shared commitment to excellence.

Portfolio Holdings

The fund may make various types of portfolio securities information available to shareholders. The fund posts a detailed list of the securities held by the fund at **www.schwabassetmanagement.com/schwabetfs_prospectus** (under "Portfolio Holdings") as of the most recent calendar quarter-end. This list is generally updated approximately 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter and remains available online until at least the following calendar quarter. The fund also posts in the fund summary section of the website and on fund fact sheets certain summary portfolio attributes, including top ten holdings, approximately 5-25 days after the end of each calendar quarter or month. The fund may exclude any portion of these portfolio holdings from publication when deemed in the best interest of the fund. Further information regarding the fund's policy and procedures on the disclosure of portfolio holdings is available in the SAI.

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## Financial Highlights
This section provides further details about the fund's financial history for the past five years or, if shorter, for its period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. "Total return" shows the percentage that an investor in the fund would have earned or lost during a given period, assuming all distributions were reinvested. The information has been audited by the fund's independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP (Deloitte). Deloitte's full report is included in the fund's annual holdings and financial statements, which are included in the fund's Form N-CSR (see back cover).

#### Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF

---

| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **4/01/24 – <br> 3/31/25**  | **4/01/23 – <br> 3/31/24**  | **4/01/22 – <br> 3/31/23**  | **11/16/21<sup>(1)</sup> – <br> 3/31/22**  |
| **Per-Share Data** |  |  |  |  |
| Net asset value at beginning of period | $24.53 | $21.21 | $22.84 | $25.00 |
| Income (loss) from investment operations: |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Net investment income (loss)<sup>(2)</sup>  | 0.10 | 0.12 | 0.14 | 0.05 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)  | (0.05) | 3.32 | (1.65) | (2.16) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Total from investment operations  | 0.05 | 3.44 | (1.51) | (2.11) |
| Less distributions: |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Distributions from net investment income  | (0.10) | (0.12) | (0.12) | (0.05) |
| Net asset value at end of period | $24.48 | $24.53 | $21.21 | $22.84 |
| Total return | 0.19% | 16.27% | (6.58%) | (8.46%)<sup>(3)</sup> |
| **Ratios/Supplemental Data** |  |  |  |  |
| Ratios to average net assets: |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Total expenses  | 0.59% | 0.59% | 0.59%<sup>(4)</sup> | 0.59%<sup>(5)</sup> |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Net investment income (loss)  | 0.40% | 0.56% | 0.68% | 0.61%<sup>(5)</sup> |
| Portfolio turnover rate<sup>(6)</sup> | 15% | 11% | 16% | 15%<sup>(3)</sup> |
| Net assets, end of period (x 1,000) | $23618 | $22572 | $14108 | $10622 |

---

<sup>(1)</sup>

Commencement of operations.

<sup>(2)</sup>

Calculated based on the average shares outstanding during the period.

<sup>(3)</sup>

Not annualized.

<sup>(4)</sup>

Ratio includes less than 0.005% of non-routine proxy expenses.

<sup>(5)</sup>

Annualized.

<sup>(6)</sup>

Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from processing of in-kind creations or redemptions.

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## Fund Management
The investment adviser for the fund is Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dba Schwab Asset Management, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Founded in 1989, the firm today serves as investment adviser for all of the Schwab Funds<sup>®</sup> and Schwab ETFs. As of May 31, 2025, the investment adviser managed approximately $1.4 trillion in assets. Ariel Investments, LLC (Ariel), 200 East Randolph Street, Suite 2900, Chicago, IL 60601, serves as subadviser to the fund.

Ariel is a registered investment adviser that began operations in 1983. As of May 31, 2025, Ariel had approximately $11.5 billion in investment company and other portfolio assets under management. In its capacity as subadviser, Ariel provides day-to-day portfolio management services to the fund, while, as adviser, Schwab Asset Management supervises Ariel and assumes other functions, including managing the fund's other affairs and business, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees.

The investment adviser oversees the asset management and administration of the fund. As compensation for these services, the investment adviser is entitled to receive a management fee from the fund. For the 12 months ended March 31, 2025, the advisory fee paid to Schwab Asset Management was 0.59% for the fund, expressed as a percentage of the fund's average daily net assets.

Pursuant to an Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the investment adviser and Schwab Strategic Trust on behalf of the fund, the investment adviser pays the operating expenses of the fund, excluding taxes, any brokerage expenses, and extraordinary or non-routine expenses. The investment adviser – and not the fund – pays a portion of the management fee it receives to Ariel in return for its services.

The fund and the investment adviser have received exemptive relief from the SEC to permit the investment adviser and the fund to hire, terminate or replace subadvisers without shareholder approval, subject to certain conditions. One of the conditions requires approvals by the Board of Trustees before any hiring is implemented. In addition, the exemptive order currently prohibits the investment adviser from entering into a sub-advisory agreement with affiliates of the investment adviser without shareholder approval. Within 90 days of the hiring of any new subadviser, the investment adviser will furnish shareholders with the required information about the new subadviser.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees' approval of the fund's Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement and sub-advisory agreement is available in the fund's 2024 semiannual holdings and financial statements, which are included in the fund's Form N-CSR and cover the period from April 1, 2024 through September 30, 2024.

**John W. Rogers, Jr.,** Chairman, Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer, of Ariel, is portfolio manager of the fund and is responsible for the day-to-day co-management of the fund, including managing the fund's overall investment strategy. Mr. Rogers founded Ariel in 1983.

**Kenneth E. Kuhrt, CPA,** Executive Vice President, of Ariel, is portfolio manager of the fund and is responsible for the day-to-day co-management of the fund, including managing the fund's overall investment strategy. Mr. Kuhrt joined Ariel in 2004 as a Research Analyst.

Additional information about the portfolio managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers' ownership of securities in the fund is available in the SAI.

**Distributor.** The fund's Distributor is SEI Investments Distribution Co. The Distributor, located at 1 Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456, is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the fund and does not maintain a secondary market in shares of the fund.

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## Investing in the Fund
On the following pages, you will find information on buying and selling shares. Most investors will invest in the fund by placing orders through their brokerage account at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab) or an account with another broker/dealer or other intermediary. Authorized Participants (as defined in "Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units," below) may invest directly in the fund by placing orders for Creation Units through the fund's transfer agent, State Street Bank and Trust Company (direct orders). Helpful information on taxes is included as well.

The fund generally is not registered for sale in jurisdictions outside the United States and is intended for purchase by persons residing in the United States. A person is considered resident in the United States if at the time of the investment (i) the account has an address of record in the United States or a U.S. territory (including APO/FPO/DPO) and (ii) all account owners are resident in the United States or a U.S. territory and have a valid U.S. taxpayer identification number. If an existing account is updated to reflect a non-U.S. address, the account may be restricted from making additional investments.

Shares of the fund trade on national securities exchanges and elsewhere during the trading day and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other shares of publicly traded securities. When buying or selling shares through a broker most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges. In addition, you may incur the cost of the "spread" – that is, any difference between the bid price (the highest price a buyer is willing to pay for a share of a fund) and the ask price (the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for a share of a fund).

#### Shares of the fund trade under the following trading symbol:
Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF SAEF

Shares of the fund may be acquired or redeemed directly from the fund only in Creation Units or multiples thereof, as discussed in the "Creation and Redemption" section below. Once created, shares of the fund trade in the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit. The fund does not impose any minimum investment for shares of the fund purchased on an exchange or in the secondary market. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable by the fund.

Share Trading Prices

As with other types of securities, the trading prices of shares in the secondary market can be affected by market forces such as supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors. The price you pay or receive when you buy or sell your shares in the secondary market may be more (a premium) or less (a discount) than the NAV of such shares. Although the Proxy Portfolio is intended to provide authorized participants and other market participants with enough information to allow for an effective arbitrage mechanism that is intended to keep the market price of the fund at or close to the underlying NAV per share of the fund, there is a risk (which may increase during periods of market disruption or volatility) that market prices will vary significantly from the underlying NAV of the fund. It is possible that the fund will trade with a larger premium/discount and/or wider bid/ask spreads because of its non-transparent structure, especially during periods of market disruption or volatility, and therefore, may cost investors more to trade. Although the fund seeks to benefit from keeping its portfolio information secret, market participants may attempt to use the Proxy Portfolio to identify a fund's trading strategy, which if successful, could result in such market participants engaging in certain predatory trading practices that may have the potential to harm the fund and its shareholders.

Because the shares are traded in the secondary market, a broker may charge a commission to execute a transaction in shares, and an investor also may incur the cost of the spread between the price at which a dealer will buy shares and the somewhat higher price at which a dealer will sell shares.

#### Premium/Discount Information
Information showing the number of days the market price of the fund's shares was greater than the fund's NAV per share (i.e., at a premium) and the number of days it was less than the fund's NAV per share (i.e., at a discount), for various time periods, is available by visiting the fund's website **www.schwabassetmanagement.com**.

Determination of Net Asset Value

The NAV of the fund's shares is calculated as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading (each, a Business Day). NAV per share is calculated by dividing the fund's net assets

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by the number of the fund's shares outstanding. If the NYSE is closed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances on a day it would typically be open for business, or the NYSE has an unscheduled early closing on a day it has opened for business, the fund reserves the right to treat such day as a Business Day and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate its NAV as of the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE for that day.

The fund's portfolio securities are valued using market quotations or official closing prices if they are readily available. In cases where market quotations are not readily available or the investment adviser deems them unreliable, the fund's portfolio securities are valued based on fair values developed following procedures approved by the fund's Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees has designated the investment adviser as the valuation designee (Valuation Designee) for the fund to perform the fair value determination relating to all fund investments.

The fund's Board of Trustees has approved procedures to fair value the fund's securities when market prices are not "readily available" or are unreliable. For example, the fund may fair value a security when a security is de-listed or its trading is halted or suspended; when a security's primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; when a security's primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or when a security's value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security's primary trading market. By fair valuing securities whose prices may have been affected by events occurring after the close of trading, the fund seeks to establish prices that investors might expect to realize upon the current sales of these securities. The Valuation Designee's policies and procedures, which govern the selection and application of methodologies for determining the fair value of fund investments, seek to ensure that the prices at which the fund's shares are purchased and redeemed are fair and do not result in dilution of shareholder interest or other harm to shareholders. Generally, when fair valuing a security, the Valuation Designee will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer's business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the security. The Valuation Designee makes fair value determinations in good faith and in accordance with the fair value procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. Due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, there can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.

Transactions in fund shares will be priced at NAV only if you purchase or redeem shares directly from the fund in Creation Units. Fund shares that are purchased or sold on the secondary market will be effected at prevailing market prices, which may be higher or lower than NAV, and may be subject to brokerage commissions and charges. As described below, purchases and redemptions of Creation Units will be priced at the NAV next determined after receipt of the purchase or redemption order.

Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units

#### Creation and Redemption
The shares that trade in the secondary market are "created" at NAV. The fund issues and redeems shares only in Creation Units, which are large blocks of shares. Only institutional investors who have entered into an authorized participant agreement (known as Authorized Participants) may purchase or redeem Creation Units. Creation Units generally are issued and redeemed in exchange for a specified basket of securities and/or a designated amount of cash. Each Business Day, prior to the opening of trading, the fund publishes the specific securities and designated amount of cash included in that day's basket for the fund through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) or other method of public dissemination. The fund reserves the right to accept or pay out a basket of securities or cash that differs from the published basket. The prices at which creations and redemptions occur are based on the next calculation of NAV after an order is received and deemed acceptable by the transfer agent. Orders from Authorized Participants to create or redeem Creation Units will only be accepted on a Business Day and are also subject to acceptance by the fund and the transfer agent.

Creations and redemptions must be made by an Authorized Participant that has executed an agreement with the Distributor with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Unit aggregations. Information about the procedures regarding creation and redemption of Creation Units is included in the SAI.

#### Authorized Participants and the Continuous Offering of Shares
Because new shares may be created and issued on an ongoing basis, at any point during the life of the fund, a "distribution," as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), may be occurring. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in them being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner that could render them statutory underwriters and subject to the prospectus-delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act. Nonetheless, any determination of whether one is an underwriter must take into account all the relevant facts and circumstances of each particular case.

Broker-dealers should also note that dealers who are not "underwriters," but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary transactions), and thus dealing with shares that are part of an "unsold allotment" within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the

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1933 Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the 1933 Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the 1933 Act is only available with respect to transactions on a national securities exchange.

#### Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees for Creation Units
The fund may impose a creation transaction fee and a redemption transaction fee to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units. The creation and redemption transaction fees applicable to the fund are listed below. The standard creation transaction fee is charged to each purchaser on the day such purchaser creates a Creation Unit. The standard fee is a single charge and will be the amount indicated below regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by an investor on the same day. Similarly, the standard redemption transaction fee will be the amount indicated below regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed that day. In addition, purchasers and redeemers of shares in Creation Units are responsible for payment of the costs of transferring securities to or out of the fund. Purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units for cash may also be subject to an additional variable charge up to the maximum amount shown in the table below. This additional variable charge will offset the transaction costs to the fund of buying or selling portfolio securities. In certain circumstances, the cost of any standard transaction fees and/or additional variable charges may be waived by the fund when doing so is believed to be in the best interests of the fund. From time to time, the investment adviser may cover the cost of any transaction fees.

The following table shows, as of June 30, 2025, the approximate value of one Creation Unit of the fund, including the standard and maximum additional creation and redemption transaction fee. These fees are payable only by investors who purchase shares directly from the fund. Retail investors who purchase shares through their brokerage account will not pay these fees. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may pay fees for such services.

---

| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund**  | **Approximate Value <br> of One Creation Unit**  | **Standard <br> Creation/Redemption <br> Transaction Fee**  | **Maximum <br> Additional Creation <br> Transaction Fee<sup>(1)</sup>**  | **Maximum <br> Additional Redemption <br> Transaction Fee<sup>(1)</sup>**  |
| Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF  | $129029 | $100 | 3.0% | 2.0% |

---

<sup>(1)</sup>

As a percentage of total amount invested or redeemed.

Additional Policies

#### Policy Regarding Short-Term or Excessive Trading
The fund does not impose any restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of fund shares. When considering that a policy regarding short-term or excessive trading was not necessary for the fund, the Board of Trustees considered the structure of the fund as an ETF and that fund shares are purchased and redeemed directly with the fund only in large quantities (Creation Units) by Authorized Participants who are authorized to purchase and redeem shares directly with the fund. Because purchase and redemption transactions with Authorized Participants are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep ETF trading prices in line with NAV, the fund accommodates frequent purchases and redemptions by Authorized Participants. Frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase portfolio transaction costs and may lead to realization of capital gains. Frequent in-kind creations and redemptions do not give rise to these concerns. The fund reserves the right to reject or limit any purchase order at any time.

The fund reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive or abusive trading. Such trading is defined by the fund as purchases and sales of fund shares in amounts and frequency determined by the fund to be significant and in a pattern of activity that can potentially be detrimental to the fund and its shareholders. Such adverse effects can include diluting the value of the shareholders' holdings, increasing fund transaction costs, disrupting portfolio management strategy, incurring unwanted taxable gains or forcing the fund to hold excess levels of cash. The fund may reject purchase or redemption orders in such instances. The fund also imposes a transaction fee on Creation Unit transactions that is designed to offset the fund's transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of the Creation Units. The Board of Trustees may determine that policies and procedures regarding the frequency of purchases and redemptions of fund shares are necessary in the future.

#### Investments by Registered Investment Companies
Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, restricts investments by registered investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including shares of the fund. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in the fund beyond the limits set forth in section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions including in some cases that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the fund.

#### Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The investment adviser or its affiliates make payments out of their own resources, or provide products and services at a discount, to certain brokerage firms, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan service providers and other financial intermediaries that perform shareholder,

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recordkeeping, sub-accounting and other administrative services in connection with investments in fund shares. The investment adviser or its affiliates also make payments out of their own resources, or provide products and services at a discount, to certain financial intermediaries in connection with certain activities or services which may facilitate, directly or indirectly, investment in the fund. These payments may relate to marketing and/or fund promotion activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development and support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems, data analytics and support, or making shares of the fund available to their customers. These payments, which may be significant, are paid by the investment adviser or its affiliates out of their own resources and not from the assets of the fund.

Payments to a financial intermediary may create potential conflicts of interest between the intermediary and its clients as the payments may provide such intermediary with an incentive to favor sales of shares of the fund over other investment options they make available to their customers. Please see the SAI for additional information.

Distributions and Taxes

Any investment in the fund typically involves several tax considerations. The information below is meant as a general summary for U.S. citizens and residents. Please see the SAI for additional information. Because each person's tax situation is different, you should consult your tax advisor about the tax implications of your investment in the fund. You also can visit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website at **www.irs.gov**.

As a shareholder, you are entitled to your share of the dividends and gains your fund earns. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are generally declared and paid quarterly. To receive a dividend distribution, you must be a registered shareholder on the date that dividends are declared. Dividend distributions are paid to shareholders on the payable date. Net realized capital gains, if any, generally are declared and paid annually, although the fund may do so more frequently as determined by the Board of Trustees. Although it is not generally expected, if the fund's distributions exceed its realized taxable income and capital gains during a taxable year, then all or a portion of the distributions made during that year may be characterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution generally will not be taxable but will reduce the shareholder's cost basis and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold. The fund reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve its status as a regulated investment company or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income or realized gains. Dividends and other distributions on shares of the fund are distributed on a pro rata basis to beneficial owners of such shares. During the fourth quarter of the year, typically in early November, an estimate of the fund's year-end distributions, if any, may be made available on the fund's website **www.schwabassetmanagement.com**.

Unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-advantaged account, your fund distributions generally have tax consequences. The fund's net investment income and short-term capital gains are distributed as dividends and will be taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Other capital gains distributions are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have held your shares in the fund. The maximum individual rate applicable to long-term capital gains and qualified dividend income is generally either 15% or 20%, depending on whether the individual's income exceeds certain threshold amounts. Distributions generally are taxable in the tax year in which they are declared, whether you reinvest them or take them in cash.

Generally, any sale of your shares is a taxable event. A sale of your shares may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. The maximum individual rate applicable to long-term capital gains is generally either 15% or 20%, depending on whether the individual's income exceeds certain threshold amounts. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gains distributions received (or deemed received) by you with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if you purchase other substantially identical shares within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gains distributions received from the fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person's "modified adjusted gross income" (in the case of an individual) or "adjusted gross income" (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds certain threshold amounts.

At the beginning of every year, the fund provides shareholders with information detailing the tax status of any distributions the fund paid during the previous calendar year. Schwab customers also receive information on distributions and transactions in their monthly account statements.

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If you are investing through a taxable account and purchase shares of the fund just before it declares a distribution, you may receive a portion of your investment back as a taxable distribution. This is because when the fund makes a distribution, the share price is reduced by the amount of the distribution. You can avoid "buying a dividend," as it is often called, by finding out if a distribution is imminent and waiting until afterwards to invest. Of course, you may decide that the opportunity to gain a few days of investment performance outweighs the tax consequences of buying a dividend.

Shareholders in the fund may have additional tax considerations as a result of foreign tax payments made by the fund. Typically, these payments will reduce the fund's dividends but, if eligible, the fund may elect for these payments to be included in your taxable income. In such event, you may be able to claim a tax credit or deduction for your portion of foreign taxes paid by the fund.

Foreign shareholders may be subject to different U.S. federal income tax treatment, including withholding tax at the rate of 30% on amounts treated as ordinary dividends from the fund, as discussed in more detail in the SAI. Furthermore, the fund is required to withhold U.S. tax (at a 30% rate) on payments of taxable dividends made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to the fund to enable the fund to determine whether withholding is required.

#### Taxes on Creation and Redemption of Creation Units
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and the cash component paid. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger's basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of the securities and the amount of cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing "wash sales," or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging securities for Creation Units should consult a tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a redemption (or creation) of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the fund's shares (or securities surrendered) have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the shares (or securities surrendered) have been held for one year or less.

If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many shares you purchased or sold and at what price. Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.

Additional Information

#### Disclaimers
AMS<sup>SM</sup> is a service mark of NYSE Group, Inc. or its affiliates (NYSE) and has been licensed for use by Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (Licensee) in connection with the Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF (the fund). Neither Licensee nor the fund is sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by NYSE. NYSE makes no representations or warranties regarding Licensee or the fund or the ability of the AMS<sup>SM</sup> to track the intra-day performance of any fund. NYSE MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE WITH RESPECT TO AMS<sup>SM</sup> OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. IN NO EVENT SHALL NYSE HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Shares of the fund are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by NYSE Arca, Inc. NYSE Arca makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the fund or any member of the public regarding the ability of a fund to achieve its investment objective. NYSE Arca is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the fund's investments, nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of shares of the fund to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares are redeemable. NYSE Arca has no obligation or liability to owners of the shares of the fund in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the shares of the fund.

Without limiting any the foregoing, in no event shall NYSE Arca have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or any other damages (including lost profits) even if notified of the possibility of such damages.

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**Prospectus** \| July 28, 2025

## Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF

#### To Learn More
This prospectus contains important information on the fund and should be read and kept for reference. You also can obtain more information from the following sources:

Recent information regarding the fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at **www.schwabassetmanagement.com**.

Additional information about the fund's investments is available in the fund's **annual and semiannual reports** to shareholders, which are sent to current investors, and in Form N-CSR. In the fund's annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the fund's performance during its last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the fund's annual and semiannual financial statements.

The **Statement of Additional Information (SAI)** includes a more detailed discussion of investment policies and the risks associated with various investments. The SAI is incorporated by reference into the prospectus, making it legally part of the prospectus.

For a free copy of any of these documents, to request other information, or ask questions about the fund, call 1-877-824-5615. In addition, you may visit

**www.schwabassetmanagement.com/prospectus** for a free copy of these documents.

The SAI, the fund's annual and semiannual reports, the fund's holdings and financial statements, and other related materials are available from the EDGAR Database on the SEC's website (**www.sec.gov**). You can obtain copies of this information, after paying a duplicating fee, by sending a request by e-mail to publicinfo@sec.gov.

SEC File Number <br> Schwab Strategic Trust 811-22311 REG116067-04

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![[MISSING IMAGE: log-csamctr299c.jpg]](tm2515430d1_logo.jpg)

**Prospectus** \| July 28, 2025

Schwab<sup>®</sup> ETFs

Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| Ticker Symbol | **STCE**  |

---

Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: **NYSE Arca, Inc.**

As with all exchange-traded funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved these securities or passed on whether the information in this prospectus is adequate and accurate. Anyone who indicates otherwise is committing a federal crime.

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## Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Fund Summary** |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF](#idfejheSCTETF)  | [1](#idfejheSCTETF) |
| **[About the Fund](#iddgbaAF)**  | [6](#iddgbaAF) |
| **[Fund Details](#idffaejIOMAPR)**  | [7](#idffaejIOMAPR) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Investment Objective and More About Principal Risks](#idffaejIOMAPR)  | [7](#idffaejIOMAPR) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Portfolio Holdings](#iddjjPH)  | [13](#iddjjPH) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Financial Highlights](#idbdeebFH)  | [14](#idbdeebFH) |
| **[Fund Management](#idhbehFM)**  | [15](#idhbehFM) |
| **[Investing in the Fund](#idbeabSTP)**  | [16](#idbeabSTP) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Share Trading Prices](#idbeabSTP)  | [16](#idbeabSTP) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Determination of Net Asset Value](#idedagDNAV)  | [16](#idedagDNAV) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units](#idibbiPRCU)  | [17](#idibbiPRCU) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Additional Policies](#idfgihAP)  | [18](#idfgihAP) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Distributions and Taxes](#idijiaDT)  | [19](#idijiaDT) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [Additional Information](#idfegfAI)  | [20](#idfegfAI) |

---

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Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Ticker Symbol:**  | **STCE** |

---

#### Investment Objective
The fund's goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of an index that is designed to deliver global exposure to companies that may benefit from the development or utilization of cryptocurrencies (including bitcoin) and other digital assets, and the business activities connected to blockchain and other distributed ledger technology.

#### Fund Fees and Expenses
 **This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.** 

**Shareholder Fees** (fees paid directly from your investment) <br>

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
|  **Annual Fund Operating Expenses** (expenses that you pay each year as a % <br> of the value of your investment)  | **Annual Fund Operating Expenses** (expenses that you pay each year as a % <br> of the value of your investment)  |
| Management fees | 0.30  |
| Other expenses |  |
| **Total annual fund operating expenses** | **0.30**  |

---

#### Example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those time periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund's operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Expenses on a $10,000 Investment**  | **Expenses on a $10,000 Investment**  | **Expenses on a $10,000 Investment**  | **Expenses on a $10,000 Investment**  |
| **1 Year**  | **3 Years**  | **5 Years**  | **10 Years**  |
| $31 | $97 | $169 | $381 |

---

#### 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 may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the 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 60% of the average value of its portfolio.

#### Principal Investment Strategies
 **To pursue its goal, the fund generally invests in stocks that are included in the Schwab Crypto Thematic Index<sup>®</sup>. The index is designed to deliver global exposure to companies that may benefit** 

from one or more of the following business activities: either directly or facilitating others in validating consensus mechanisms for (such as mining or staking) investing in, or trading cryptocurrency or other digital assets; enabling the use of cryptocurrency or other digital assets to buy or sell goods or services; and developing, distributing or implementing applications of blockchain or other distributed ledger technology, including in new cryptocurrencies or digital assets (collectively referred to as companies in the "crypto ecosystem," and with respect to the fund's investment strategy, the "Theme").

"Digital assets" are assets issued and transferred using cryptographically secured distributed ledger or blockchain technology. As used herein, "digital assets" refers to all digital assets, including both digital asset securities (i.e., digital assets that are securities under U.S. securities laws) and cryptocurrencies. Many digital assets and, consequently, many companies eligible for inclusion in the index, rely on "blockchain" technologies. A "blockchain" is a peer-to-peer shared, distributed ledger that facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking assets in a business network. A blockchain stores transaction data in "blocks" that are linked together to form a "chain." As the number of transactions grow, so does the blockchain. Blocks record and confirm the time and sequence of transactions, which are then logged into the blockchain, within a discrete network governed by rules agreed on by the network participants. Although initially associated with digital commodities, blockchain technology can be used to track tangible, intangible and digital assets and companies in all business sectors.

The index is comprised of equity securities, including depositary receipts which may be in the form of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) and European Depositary Receipts (EDRs), of companies listed and traded on exchanges in U.S. and non-U.S. markets, including developed and emerging markets, as determined by the index provider (the Eligible Trading Venues).

The index is constructed using a proprietary rules-based methodology. The index methodology identifies and weights securities for inclusion in the index based on an objective determination of relevance and exposure to the Theme, which involves four steps:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (1)

Each company in the eligible universe is scored based on its exposure to the Theme, their "Thematic Beta". Each company's Thematic Beta is calculated by applying a proprietary natural language algorithm using keyword terms to review large volumes of publicly available data, including datasets and documents. Each document is then 'scored' for its relevance to the Theme based on a scoring algorithm and the scores for each company in the eligible universe are aggregated to determine the overall Thematic Beta for each company.

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (2)

Each company with a Thematic Beta score greater than zero is then mapped to one or more common equity securities, including ADRs, GDRs and EDRs, listed on exchanges in the Eligible Trading Venues (the Index Universe). If a corresponding security cannot be identified then the company is removed from consideration.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (3)

Liquidity and investability screens are then applied to each security in the Index Universe. Securities that do not meet the screen criteria are removed from the Index Universe.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (4)

The remaining securities in the Index Universe that have passed the applicable liquidity and investability screens are ranked by a function of their Thematic Beta and the weight of the security from the previous rebalancing (if applicable). Up to 50 companies are kept in the Index Universe. The securities are then reviewed by the index provider to ensure that they are positively exposed to the Theme based on one or more factors and business metrics applied by the index provider. If it is not possible to gain confidence in the stock's positive exposure to the Theme, then the company's securities are removed from the Index Universe and the next highest ranked company is added. Following this review, each security is assigned an initial weight that is directly proportionate to its relative Thematic Beta which is then adjusted based on minimum and maximum weight constraints.

The methodology used by the index differs from the methodologies used by more traditional indexes to identify and weight index constituents because it utilizes a natural language algorithm (i.e., searches for key words or terms) to determine a company's relevance to the Theme, whereas more traditional index methodologies may utilize financial metrics, such as a company's past profits or revenue, to identify and weigh index constituents. Using a natural language algorithm may result in the index including companies that would not be classified by a more traditional index methodology as a company within the Theme, that do not have material exposure to the Theme based on profits, revenue or other financial metrics, or that have significant business operations or lines of business unrelated to the Theme. This means that the operating results of companies included in the index may not be tied economically to the Theme. Conversely, the index methodology may overlook companies that have material economic exposure to the Theme that otherwise would have been included in the index if the publicly available data for those companies had included the relevant keyword terms.

The index is reconstituted and rebalanced quarterly.

It is the fund's policy that under normal circumstances it will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including, for this purpose, any borrowings for investment purposes) in securities, including depositary receipts, included in the index. The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy. The fund generally will seek to replicate the performance of the index by giving the same weight to a given stock as the index does. However, when the investment adviser believes it is appropriate to do so, such as to avoid purchasing odd-lots (i.e., purchasing less than the usual number of shares traded for a security), for tax considerations, or to address liquidity considerations with respect to a security,

the investment adviser may cause the fund's weighting of a security to be more or less than the index's weighting of the security. The fund may sell securities that are represented in the index in anticipation of their removal from the index or buy securities that are not yet represented in the index in anticipation of their addition to the index. **The fund will not invest in cryptocurrency or digital assets directly.** The fund will not invest in initial coin offerings. The fund may, however, have indirect exposure to cryptocurrencies by virtue of its investments in operating companies that use one or more digital assets as part of their business activities or that hold digital assets as proprietary investments, or through other non-principal investments held by the fund.

Under normal circumstances, the fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities not included in the index. The principal types of these investments include those that the investment adviser believes will help the fund track the index, such as investments in (a) securities that are not represented in the index, but the investment adviser anticipates will be added to the index or as necessary to reflect various corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs); (b) other investment companies; and (c) derivatives, principally futures contracts. The fund may use futures contracts and other derivatives primarily to seek returns on the fund's otherwise uninvested cash assets to help it better track the index. The fund may also invest in cash and cash equivalents, including money market funds, and may lend its securities to minimize the difference in performance that naturally exists between an index fund and its corresponding index.

The investment adviser typically seeks to track the total return of the index by replicating the index. This means that the fund generally expects that it will hold the same securities as those included in the index. However, the investment adviser may use sampling techniques if the investment adviser believes such use will best help the fund to track the index or is otherwise in the best interest of the fund. Sampling techniques involve investing in a limited number of index securities that, when taken together, are expected to perform similarly to the index as a whole. These techniques are based on a variety of factors, including performance attributes, tax considerations, capitalization, dividend yield, price/earnings ratio, industry factors, risk factors and other characteristics. When the fund uses sampling techniques, the fund generally expects that its portfolio will hold less than the total number of securities in the index, but reserves the right to hold as many securities as it believes necessary to achieve the fund's investment objective. The fund generally expects that its industry weightings, dividend yield and price/earnings ratio will be similar to those of the index.

The fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., hold more than 25% of its total assets) in a particular industry, group of industries or sector to approximately the same extent that the index is so concentrated. As of June 30, 2025, the index was concentrated in the Software (59%) and Capital Markets (25%) industries. In addition, as of June 30, 2025, a significant portion of the index consisted of companies in the Software & Services (63%) and Financial Services (30%) sectors.

The fund is classified as a "non-diversified" investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and, therefore, may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer than a diversified fund.

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#### Principal Risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money. The fund's principal risks include:

**Market Risk.** Financial markets rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. Markets may be impacted by economic, political, regulatory and other conditions, including economic sanctions, tariffs and other government actions. In addition, the occurrence of global events, such as war, terrorism, environmental disasters, natural disasters and epidemics, may also negatively affect the financial markets. As with any investment whose performance is tied to these markets, the value of an investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that an investor could lose money over short or long periods.

**Risk of Investing in Crypto Ecosystem Companies.** The technology relating to digital assets, including blockchain and other types of distributed ledgers (digital asset technology), is new and developing and the risks associated with digital assets may not fully emerge until the technology is widely used. Currently, there are relatively few companies for which digital assets represents an attributable and significant revenue stream or source of profit. Therefore, the values of the companies included in the index may not be a reflection of their connection to digital assets but may be based on other business operations or lines of business which means that such companies' operating results may not be significantly tied to their respective activities related to digital assets. These companies also may not be able to develop digital asset technology applications or may not be able to capitalize on those applications. Digital asset technologies may never be fully implemented, which could adversely affect an investment in the fund. Additionally, there may be risks posed by the lack of regulation for digital assets and any future regulatory developments could affect the viability and expansion of the use of digital assets.

**Investment Style Risk.** The fund is an index fund. Therefore, the fund follows the securities included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market. In addition, because of the fund's expenses, the fund's performance may be below that of the index. Errors relating to the index may occur from time to time and may not be identified by the index provider for a period of time. In addition, market disruptions could cause delays in the index's rebalancing schedule. Such errors and/or market disruptions may result in losses for the fund.

**Equity Risk.** The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles, which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time.

**Market Capitalization Risk.** Securities issued by companies of different market capitalizations tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. During a period when securities of a particular market capitalization fall behind other types of investments, the fund's performance could be impacted.

**Large-Cap Company Risk.** Large-cap companies are generally more mature and the securities issued by these companies may not be able to reach the same levels of growth as the securities issued by small- or mid-cap companies.

**Mid-Cap Company Risk.** Mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies and the value of securities issued by these companies may move sharply.

**Small-Cap Company Risk.** Securities issued by small-cap companies may be riskier than those issued by larger companies, and their prices may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns.

**Emerging Markets Risk.** Emerging market countries may be more likely to experience political turmoil or rapid changes in market or economic conditions than more developed countries. Emerging market countries often have less uniformity in accounting, auditing, financial reporting and recordkeeping requirements and greater risk associated with the custody of securities. In addition, the financial stability of issuers (including governments) in emerging market countries may be more precarious than in developed countries. As a result, there may be an increased risk of illiquidity and price volatility associated with the fund's investments in emerging market countries, which may be magnified by currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar, and, at times, it may be difficult to value such investments.

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**Non-Diversification Risk.** The fund is non-diversified, which means that it may invest in the securities of relatively few issuers. As a result, a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence may have a more significant effect on the fund's investments, and the fund may experience increased volatility.

**Thematic Investing Risk.** The fund invests in a portfolio of securities that are based on a theme and its performance may suffer if such theme is not correctly identified or if the theme develops in an unexpected manner. Performance may also suffer if the securities included in the index do not benefit from the development of such theme. A failure to correctly identify the theme or a failure of the theme to develop in the manner expected by the index provider may result from many causes, including government or other oppositions to the theme, incorrect or incomplete demographic or economic data, social and political changes or natural disasters. In addition, the theme may go in and out of favor, which could cause the fund to outperform or underperform other funds that invest in similar asset classes but employ different investment strategies.

**Thematic Index Methodology Risk.** The index uses certain proprietary methodology to help assess the criteria of companies to be included in the index, including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the fund nor the investment adviser can offer assurances that the index methodology will provide an accurate assessment of included companies. The index's proprietary natural language algorithm may not identify companies that would otherwise have been included in the index if the publicly available data for those companies had used the key words analyzed by the natural language algorithm or, alternatively, the natural language algorithm may identify companies that would not otherwise have been included in the index if the publicly available data for those companies had not used the key words analyzed by the natural language algorithm. There is no guarantee that the index will reflect the Theme exposures intended.

**Sampling Index Tracking Risk.** The fund may not fully replicate the index and may hold securities not included in the index. As a result, the fund is subject to the risk that the investment adviser's investment management strategy, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints, may not produce the intended results. Because the fund utilizes a sampling approach it may not track the return of the index as well as it would if the fund purchased all of the securities in the index.

**Tracking Error and Correlation Risk.** As an index fund, the fund seeks to track the performance of the index, although it may not be successful in doing so. Further, there can be no guarantee that the fund will achieve a high degree of correlation between the fund's performance and that of its index. The correlation between the performance of the fund and that of its index, positive or negative, is called "tracking error." Tracking error can be caused by many factors and it may be significant.

**Derivatives Risk.** The fund's use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments.

The fund's use of derivatives could reduce the fund's performance, increase its volatility and cause the fund to lose more than the initial amount invested. In addition, investments in derivatives may involve leverage, which means a small percentage of assets invested in derivatives can have a disproportionately large impact on the fund.

**Liquidity Risk.** The fund may be unable to sell certain securities, such as illiquid securities, readily at a favorable time or price, or the fund may have to sell them at a loss.

**Securities Lending Risk.** Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in, or delay in recovery of, the loaned securities if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent.

**Concentration Risk.** To the extent that the fund's or the index's portfolio is concentrated in the securities of issuers in a particular market, industry, group of industries, sector, country or asset class, the fund may be adversely affected by the performance of those securities, may be subject to increased price volatility and may be more vulnerable to adverse economic, market, political or regulatory occurrences affecting that market, industry, group of industries, sector, country or asset class.

**Portfolio Turnover Risk.** High portfolio turnover may result in the fund paying higher levels of transaction costs and may generate greater tax liabilities for shareholders. Portfolio turnover risk may cause the fund's performance to be less than expected.

**Market Trading Risk.** Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares.

**Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.** Fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the fund will approximate the fund's net asset value (NAV), there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. An investor may pay more than NAV when buying shares of the fund in the secondary market, and an investor may receive less than NAV when selling those shares in the secondary market. The market price of fund shares may deviate, sometimes significantly, from NAV during periods of market volatility or market disruption, or as a result of other factors impacting foreign securities, including liquidity, irregular trading activity and timing differences between foreign markets where securities trade and the secondary market where fund shares are sold.

For more information on the risks of investing in the fund, please see the "Fund Details" section in the prospectus.

#### Performance
The bar chart below shows the fund's investment results for the prior calendar year, and the following table shows how the fund's average annual total returns for various periods compared to those of two indices. The MSCI ACWI Index (Net) serves as the fund's

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regulatory index and provides a broad measure of market performance. The fund generally invests in securities that are included in the Schwab Crypto Thematic Index<sup>®</sup>. The fund does not seek to track the regulatory index.This information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. All figures assume distributions were reinvested. Keep in mind that future performance (both before and after taxes) may differ from past performance. For current performance information, please see

**www.schwabassetmanagement.com/prospectus**.

#### Annual Total Returns (%) as of 12/31
![[MISSING IMAGE: utjuq21ruckk8v3v88fbqdod73tv.jpg]](tm2515430d1_cyptotheetf.jpg)

#### Best Quarter: 64.66% Q4 2023

#### Worst Quarter: (13.40%) Q3 2023

#### Year-to-date performance (before taxes) as of 6/30/25: 11.96%

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Average Annual Total Returns** as of 12/31/24  | **Average Annual Total Returns** as of 12/31/24  | **Average Annual Total Returns** as of 12/31/24  |
|  | **1 Year**  | **Since <br> Inception <br> (08/04/22)**  |
| Before taxes | 41.92% | 28.57% |
| After taxes on distributions | 41.63% | 28.15% |
| After taxes on distributions and sale of shares  | 24.89% | 22.39% |
|  **Comparative Indices** (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)  |  |  |
| MSCI ACWI Index (Net)<sup>(1)</sup> | 17.49% | 13.93% |
| Schwab Crypto Thematic Index<sup>®</sup> (Net)<sup>(1)</sup>  | 42.24% | 28.59% |

---

<sup>(1)</sup>

The net version of the index reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes, but reflects no deductions for expenses or other taxes.

The after-tax figures reflect the highest individual federal income tax rates in effect during the period and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns depend on your individual tax situation. In addition, after-tax returns are not relevant if you hold your fund shares through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan, an individual retirement account (IRA) or other tax-advantaged account.

#### Investment Adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dba Schwab Asset Management<sup>®</sup>

#### Portfolio Managers
**Christopher Bliss, CFA,** Managing Director and Head of Equity Index Strategies, is responsible for the day-to-day co-management of the fund. He has managed the fund since inception.

**Mariela Jobson,** Senior Portfolio Manager, is responsible for the day-to-day co-management of the fund. She has managed the fund since 2024.

**Joselle Duncan, CFA,** Portfolio Manager, is responsible for the day-to-day co-management of the fund. She has managed the fund since 2023.

**Jiwei Gu, CFA,** Portfolio Manager, is responsible for the day-to-day co-management of the fund. She has managed the fund since 2023.

**David Rios,** Portfolio Manager, is responsible for the day-to-day co-management of the fund. He has managed the fund since inception.

#### Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in large blocks of shares (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket of securities included in the index and/or an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only Authorized Participants purchase or redeem Creation Units.

Individual shares may only be purchased and sold in the secondary market (i.e., on a national securities exchange) through a broker or dealer at market prices. Because fund shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, fund shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the fund (ask) (the "bid-ask spread"). Recent information regarding the fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at **www.schwabassetmanagement.com**.

#### Tax Information
Dividends and capital gains distributions received from the fund will generally be taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-advantaged account (in which case you may be taxed later, upon withdrawal of your investment from such account).

#### Payments to Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the adviser and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

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## About the Fund
The fund described in this prospectus is advised by Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dba Schwab Asset Management (the investment adviser). The fund is an "exchange-traded fund" (ETF). ETFs are funds that trade like other publicly-traded securities. The fund in this prospectus is an index fund and is designed to track the total return of an index. Because the composition of an index tends to be comparatively stable, most index funds historically have shown low portfolio turnover compared to actively managed funds.

This strategy distinguishes an index fund from an "actively managed" fund. Instead of choosing investments for the fund based on portfolio management's judgment, an index is used to determine which securities the fund should own.

Unlike shares of a mutual fund, shares of the fund are listed on a national securities exchange and trade at market prices that change throughout the day. The market price for the fund's shares may be different from its net asset value per share (NAV). The fund has its own CUSIP number and trades on the NYSE Arca, Inc. under the following ticker:

Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF STCE

The fund issues and redeems shares at its NAV only in large blocks of shares (Creation Units). These transactions are usually in exchange for a basket of securities and/or an amount of cash. As a practical matter, only institutional investors who have entered into an authorized participant agreement (Authorized Participants) purchase or redeem Creation Units.

#### A Note to Retail Investors
Shares can be purchased directly from the fund only in exchange for a basket of securities and/or an amount of cash that is expected to be worth a minimum of a million dollars or more. Most individual investors, therefore, will not be able to purchase shares directly from the fund. Instead, these investors will purchase shares in the secondary market through a brokerage account or with the assistance of a broker. Thus, some of the information contained in this prospectus – such as information about purchasing and redeeming shares from the fund and references to transaction fees imposed on purchases and redemptions – is not relevant to most individual investors. Shares purchased or sold through a brokerage account or with the assistance of a broker may be subject to brokerage commissions and charges.

The fund's performance will fluctuate over time and, as with all investments, future performance may differ from past performance.

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## Fund Details
There can be no assurance that the fund will achieve its objective. Except as explicitly described otherwise, the investment objective, strategies and policies of the fund may be changed without shareholder approval.

The principal investment strategies and the main risks associated with investing in the fund are summarized in the fund summary at the front of this prospectus. This section takes a more detailed look at some of the types of securities, the associated risks, and the various investment strategies that may be used in the day-to-day portfolio management of the fund, as described below. In addition to the particular types of securities and strategies that are described in this prospectus, the fund may use strategies that are not described herein in support of its overall investment goal. These additional strategies and the risks associated with them are described in the "Investment Objective, Strategies, Risks and Limitations" section in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI).

The fund reserves the right to substitute a different index for the index it currently tracks if the current index is discontinued, if the fund's agreement with the sponsor of its current index is terminated or for any other reason determined in good faith by the fund's Board of Trustees. In any such instance, the substitute index would represent the same market segment as the current index.

Investment Objective and More About Principal Risks

#### Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF

#### Investment Objective
The fund's goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of an index that is designed to deliver global exposure to companies that may benefit from the development or utilization of cryptocurrencies (including bitcoin) and other digital assets, and the business activities connected to blockchain and other distributed ledger technology. The fund's investment objective is not fundamental and therefore may be changed by the fund's Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.

#### Index
The Schwab Crypto Thematic Index was developed and is maintained by the investment adviser. A committee overseen by the investment adviser (Proprietary Index Committee) is responsible for overseeing the index, including the index methodology and the implementation. The investment adviser receives no compensation from the fund for maintaining the index. In constructing the index, the investment adviser has contracted with Solactive AG to calculate and maintain the index (the index calculation agent). For more information on the index calculation agent, please see the "Additional Information" section below.

The index is designed to deliver global exposure to companies that may benefit from one or more of the following business activities: either directly or facilitating others in validating consensus mechanisms for (such as mining or staking) investing in, or trading cryptocurrency or other digital assets; enabling the use of cryptocurrency or other digital assets to buy or sell goods or services; and developing, distributing or implementing applications of blockchain or other distributed ledger technology, including in new cryptocurrencies or digital assets (collectively referred to as the Theme).

The index is comprised of equity securities, including depositary receipts which may be in the form of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) and European Depositary Receipts (EDRs), of companies listed and traded on exchanges in U.S. and non-U.S. markets, including developed and emerging markets, as determined by the index provider (the Eligible Trading Venues).

Below is a summary of the methodology underlying the construction of the index and its associated rebalancing schedule. This methodology is subject to change without prior notice. For the complete and current index methodology please refer to schwabassetmanagement.com/products/stce.

#### Index Methodology
The index is constructed using a proprietary rules-based methodology. The index methodology identifies and weights securities for inclusion in the index based on an objective determination of relevance and exposure to the Theme that involves four steps:

#### Step 1: Calculation of Companies' Thematic Betas
Each company in the eligible universe is scored based on its exposure to the Theme, their Thematic Betas:

• Each company's Thematic Beta is calculated by applying a proprietary natural language algorithm using keyword terms to review large volumes of publicly available data, including datasets and documents.

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

• Each document is then 'scored' for its relevance to the Theme based on a scoring algorithm and the scores for each company in the eligible universe are aggregated to determine the overall Thematic Beta for each company.

#### Step 2: Mapping from Companies to Securities
Each company with a Thematic Beta score greater than zero is then mapped to one or more common equity securities, including ADRs, GDRs and EDRs, listed on exchanges in the Eligible Trading Venues (the Index Universe). If a corresponding security cannot be identified, the company is removed from consideration.

#### Step 3: Applying Security Screens
Eligible companies must have:

• A minimum average daily trading volume (ADTV) over the most recent 90-day period. The minimum ADTV of each company will depend on whether the company is a current index constituent or a new index constituent.

• A minimum free float percentage of total shares outstanding.

• A minimum free float share class market cap. The minimum free float share class market cap of each company will depend on whether the company is a current index constituent or a new constituent.

• More than 30 days of historical returns data over a most recent 50 calendar day period.

#### Step 4: Selecting and Weighting the Highest Ranked Securities
The remaining Index Universe is ranked by a function of their Thematic Beta and the weight of the security from the previous rebalancing (if applicable), and up to 50 companies are kept in the Index Universe. The securities are then reviewed by the index provider to ensure that they are positively exposed to the Theme, as determined by the index provider, based on one or more factors and business metrics, including: Theme-related language in the company's annual report, recent company announcements and events related to the Theme, evidence of exposure to the Theme through financial results for the company, investing in research and development in the Theme, and other public evidence of positive exposure. If it is not possible to gain confidence in the company's positive exposure to the Theme, as determined by the index provider, then the security is removed from the Index Universe and the next highest ranked company is added.

Once the underlying securities have been selected, the Index target weights are calculated:

• Each security is initially assigned a weight that is directly proportionate to its relative Thematic Beta which is then adjusted based on maximum and minimum weight constraints, as well as its previous weight in the index (if applicable).

• The maximum and minimum weight for each security is set at predetermined levels which may be adjusted downward due to ADTV, free float market cap constraints or as a result of the percentage of a company's revenue that is derived from securities related business, or on a constituent's previous weight.

• A limit on the aggregate weight of securities is also applied.

#### Rebalancing Schedule
The index is reconstituted and rebalanced quarterly on the third Friday of each March, June, September, and December (the Index Rebalancing Day), or the previous trading day if that day is a U.S. exchange holiday. Market disruptions could cause delays in the index's rebalancing schedule.

In addition to the quarterly reconstitution and rebalancing, a conditional rebalancing three (3) business days before the end of March, June, September, and December (the Conditional Rebalancing Day) may be triggered based on the current composition of the index. As part of this 'conditional rebalance', the underlying securities do not change but the number of shares of each security may.

Adjustments to the index take place at either the Index Rebalancing Day or at the Conditional Rebalancing Day, except in the event that an underlying security is affected by a "Potential Adjustment Event," which includes but not limited to: cash dividends; stock dividend; stock split; rights issue; share issuance or share repurchase; stock cash acquisition; stock merger; stock spinoff; stock delisting; and bankruptcy. The index calculation agent, in accordance with the investment adviser's index committee may make changes to the number of shares and/or the weighting of an underlying security in the index if it determines that the event could have a diluting or concentrative effect on the theoretical value of the underlying security shares and would not otherwise be accounted for in the index. Additionally, adjustments to the index may occur if a "Market Disruption Event" (i.e., a trading disruption) with respect to an underlying security have occurred (as determined by the calculation agent in its sole discretion).

#### More Information About Principal Investment Risks
The fund is subject to risks, any of which could cause an investor to lose money.

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**Market Risk.** Financial markets rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. Markets may be impacted by economic, political, regulatory and other conditions, including economic sanctions, tariffs and other government actions. In addition, the occurrence of global events, such as war, terrorism, environmental disasters, natural disasters and epidemics, may also negatively affect the financial markets. These events could reduce consumer demand or economic output; result in market closures, changes in interest rates, inflation/deflation, travel restrictions or quarantines; and significantly adversely impact the economy. Governmental and quasi-governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world have in the past often responded to serious economic disruptions with a variety of significant fiscal and monetary policy changes which could have an unexpected impact on financial markets and the fund's investments. As with any investment whose performance is tied to these markets, the value of an investment in the fund will fluctuate, which means that an investor could lose money over short or long periods.

**Risk of Investing in Crypto Ecosystem Companies.** Digital asset technology is new and developing and the risks associated with digital assets may not fully emerge until the technology is widely used. Digital asset technologies are used by companies to optimize their business practices, whether by using the technology within their business or operating business lines involved in the operation of the technology. The cryptographic keys necessary to transact a digital asset may be subject to theft, loss, or destruction, which could adversely affect a company's business or operations if it were dependent on the digital asset. Competing platforms and technologies may be developed such that consumers or investors use an alternative to digital assets. Currently, there are relatively few companies for which digital assets represents an attributable and significant revenue stream or source of profit. Therefore, the values of the companies included in the index may not be a reflection of their connection to digital assets, but may be based on other business operations or lines of business which means that such companies' operating results may not be significantly tied to their respective activities related to digital assets. In addition, these companies may engage in other lines of business unrelated to digital assets and these lines of business could adversely affect their operating results. These companies also may not be able to develop digital asset technology applications or may not be able to capitalize on those applications. There are currently a number of competing blockchain platforms and the uncertainty inherent in these competing technologies could cause companies to use alternatives to blockchain. Digital asset technologies also may never be fully implemented, which could adversely affect an investment in the fund. Companies that use digital asset technologies may be subject to cybersecurity risk. In addition, certain features of digital asset technologies, such as decentralization, open source protocol, and reliance on peer-to-peer connectivity, may increase the risk of fraud or cyber-attack by potentially reducing the likelihood of a coordinated response. A significant disruption of Internet connectivity affecting large numbers of users or geographic areas could impede the functionality of digital asset technologies and adversely affect companies included in the index. Companies in the digital asset ecosystem may be subject to the risks posed by conflicting intellectual property claims, which may reduce confidence in the viability of a digital asset. There may be risks posed by the lack of regulation for digital assets or a rapidly-evolving regulatory landscape and any future regulatory developments could affect the viability and expansion of the use of digital assets. Because digital asset platforms may operate across many national boundaries and regulatory jurisdictions, it is possible that digital asset platforms may be subject to widespread and inconsistent regulation. Digital asset systems built using third party products may be subject to technical defects or vulnerabilities beyond a company's control. Because many digital assets do not have a standardized exchange, like a stock market, there is less liquidity for such assets and greater possibility of volatility, fraud or manipulation.

Certain of the fund's investments, including investments in companies that hold material amounts of digital assets, may be subject to the risks associated with investing in digital assets, including cryptocurrencies and crypto tokens. Such companies may be subject to the risk that: the technology that facilitates the transfer of a digital asset could fail; the decentralized, open source protocol of the applicable blockchain network could be affected by Internet connectivity disruptions, fraud, consensus failures or cybersecurity attacks; such network may not be adequately maintained by its participants; because digital assets are a new technological innovation with a limited history, they are highly speculative assets and may experience extreme price volatility; future regulatory actions or policies may limit the ability to sell, exchange or use a digital asset; the price of a digital asset may be impacted by the transactions of a small number of holders of such digital asset; and that a digital asset will decline in popularity, acceptance or use, thereby impairing its price.

**Investment Style Risk.** The fund is an index fund. Therefore, the fund follows the securities included in the index during upturns as well as downturns. Because of its indexing strategy, the fund does not take steps to reduce market exposure or to lessen the effects of a declining market, even though these stocks may go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. The index does not weigh securities on the basis of investor protection, limitations or differences in the quality of financial reporting or other oversight mechanisms. Therefore, the fund will follow the securities in the index without consideration of these factors. In addition, because of the fund's expenses, the fund's performance may be below that of the index.

At times the segment of the markets represented by the index may underperform other market segments. A significant percentage of the index may be composed of securities in a single industry or sector of the economy. If the fund is focused in an industry or sector, it may present more risks than if it were broadly diversified over numerous industries and sectors of the economy. Because of the way the index is composed, the index may perform differently or worse than an index that is based solely on market capitalization.

**Index-Related Risk.** The index provider does not provide any warranty as to the timeliness, accuracy or completeness of any data relating to the index. Errors relating to the index, including index data, computations and/or construction, may occur from time to time and may not

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be identified by the index provider for a period of time or at all. Losses resulting from index errors may be borne by the fund and its shareholders. In addition, there can be no guarantee that the index will operate as intended during volatile market conditions or over the course of a full market cycle.

In addition, market disruptions could cause delays in the index's rebalancing schedule which may result in the index and, in turn, the fund experiencing returns different than those that would have been achieved under a normal rebalancing schedule.

**Equity Risk.** The prices of equity securities rise and fall daily. These price movements may result from factors affecting individual companies, industries or the securities market as a whole. Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in response. Governmental action, including the imposition of trade embargoes or tariffs, may also impact individual companies or markets as a whole. In addition, equity markets tend to move in cycles which may cause stock prices to fall over short or extended periods of time.

**Market Capitalization Risk.** Securities issued by companies of different market capitalizations tend to go in and out of favor based on market and economic conditions. In addition, there may be less trading volume in securities issued by mid- and small-cap companies than those issued by larger companies and, as a result, trading volatility may have a greater impact on the value of securities of mid- and small-cap companies. Securities issued by large-cap companies, on the other hand, may not be able to attain the high growth rates of some mid- and small-cap companies. During a period when securities of a particular market capitalization fall behind other types of investments, the fund's performance could be impacted.

**Large-Cap Company Risk.** Large-cap companies are generally more mature than smaller companies. They also may have fewer new market opportunities for their products or services, may focus resources on maintaining their market share, and may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges. As a result, the securities issued by these companies may not be able to reach the same levels of growth as the securities issued by small- or mid-cap companies.

**Mid-Cap Company Risk.** Mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies and their securities may be riskier than those issued by large-cap companies. The value of securities issued by mid-cap companies may be based in substantial part on future expectations rather than current achievements and their prices may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns.

**Foreign Investment Risk.** The fund's investments in securities of foreign issuers involve certain risks that may be greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on currency movements and exchanges); differing accounting, auditing, financial reporting and legal standards and practices; differing securities market structures; and higher transaction costs. In certain countries, legal remedies available to investors may be more limited than those available with respect to investments in the U.S. These risks may negatively impact the value or liquidity of the fund's investments and could impair the fund's ability to meet its investment objective or invest in accordance with its investment strategy. In addition, the fund's investments in foreign securities may be subject to economic sanctions or other government restrictions, including trade tariffs, embargoes or limitations on trade which could have a significant impact on a country's markets overall as well as global economies or markets. There also is the risk that the cost of buying, selling, and holding foreign securities, including brokerage, tax, and custody costs, may be higher than those involved in domestic transactions. The securities of some foreign companies may be less liquid and, at times, more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. The fund may also experience more rapid or extreme changes in value as compared to a fund that invests solely in securities of U.S. companies because the securities markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number of companies representing a small number of industries. To the extent the fund's investments in a single country or a limited number of countries represent a large percentage of the fund's assets, the fund's performance may be adversely affected by the economic, political, regulatory and social conditions in those countries, and the fund's price may be more volatile than the price of a fund that is geographically diversified.

**Depositary Receipt Risk.** Foreign securities also include ADRs, which are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts representing shares of foreign-based corporations. ADRs are issued by U.S. banks or trust companies and entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares. Foreign securities also include GDRs, which are similar to ADRs, but are shares of foreign-based corporations generally issued by international banks in one or more markets around the world. In addition, foreign securities include EDRs, which are similar to GDRs, but are shares of foreign-based corporations generally issued by European banks that trade on exchanges outside of the bank's home country. Investment in ADRs, GDRs and EDRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market and GDRs, many of which are issued by companies in emerging markets, may be more volatile.

**Variable Interest Entities Risk.** The fund may gain exposure to certain operating companies in China through legal structures known as variable interest entities (VIEs). In China, ownership of companies in certain sectors by non-Chinese individuals and entities (including U.S. persons and entities, such as the fund) is prohibited. To facilitate indirect non-Chinese investment, many China-based operating companies have created VIE structures. In a VIE structure, a China-based operating company will establish an entity outside of China that will enter into service and other contracts with the China-based operating company. Shares of the entities established outside of China are often listed and traded on an exchange. Non-Chinese investors (such as the fund) hold equity interests in the entities established outside of China rather

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than directly in the China-based operating companies. This arrangement allows U.S. investors to obtain economic exposure to the China-based operating company through contractual means rather than through formal equity ownership. An investment in a VIE structure subjects the fund to the risks associated with the underlying China-based operating company. In addition, the fund may be exposed to certain associated risks, including the risks that: the Chinese government could subject the China-based operating company to penalties, revocation of business and operating licenses or forfeiture of ownership interests; the Chinese government may outlaw the VIE structure, which could cause an uncertain negative impact to existing investors in the VIE structure; the contracts underlying the VIE structure may not be enforced by Chinese courts; and shareholders of the China-based operating company may leverage the VIE structure to their benefit and to the detriment of the investors in the VIE structure. If these actions were to occur, the market value of the fund's investments in the VIE structure would likely fall, causing investment losses, which could be substantial, for the fund.

**Thematic Investing Risk.** The fund invests in a portfolio of securities that are based on a theme and its performance may suffer if such theme is not correctly identified or if the theme develops in an unexpected manner. Performance may also suffer if the securities included in the index do not benefit from the development of such theme. A failure to correctly identify the theme or a failure of the theme to develop in the manner expected by the index provider may result from many causes, including government or other oppositions to the theme, incorrect or incomplete demographic or economic data, social and political changes or natural disasters. In addition, the theme may go in and out of favor, which could cause the fund to outperform or underperform other funds that invest in similar asset classes but employ different investment strategies. It is also possible that the underlying criteria utilized when determining index constituents may result in the fund's forgoing opportunities to buy certain securities when it might otherwise be advantageous to do so, or selling securities for thematic reasons when it might be otherwise disadvantageous for it to do so. As a result, the fund may underperform funds that invest in a broader array of investments.

**Thematic Index Methodology Risk.** The index uses certain proprietary methodologies to help assess the criteria of issuers to be included in the index, including information that may be based on assumptions and estimates. Neither the fund nor the investment adviser can offer assurances that the index methodologies will provide an accurate assessment of included issuers. The index's proprietary natural language algorithm may not identify companies that would otherwise have been included in the index if the publicly available data for those companies had used the key words analyzed by the natural language algorithm or, alternatively, the natural language algorithm may identify companies that would not otherwise have been included in the index if the publicly available data for those companies had not used the key words analyzed by the natural language algorithm. The natural language algorithm has a limited ability to recognize key words in context of relevant business exposure to the Theme, and the frequency of key words is not necessarily indicative of relevancy. In addition, the natural language algorithm may identify companies for inclusion in the index that may derive only a small portion of revenue or profits from the Theme. There is no guarantee that the index will reflect the Theme exposures intended. There can be no assurance that the calculation methodology or sources of information will provide an accurate assessment of the index's companies or that the index will identify all Theme-related companies. Errors in index data, index computations or the construction of the index in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the index for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the fund and its shareholders.

**Tracking Error and Correlation Risk.** As an index fund, the fund seeks to track the performance of the index, although it may not be successful in doing so. The divergence between the performance of the fund and the index, positive or negative, is called "tracking error." Tracking error can be caused by many factors and it may be significant. For example, the fund may not invest in certain securities in the index, match the securities' weighting to the index, or the fund may invest in securities not in the index, due to regulatory, operational, custodial or liquidity constraints; corporate transactions; asset valuations; transaction costs and timing; tax considerations; and index rebalancing, which may result in tracking error. In addition, the fund may not invest in issuers located in certain countries due to these considerations. The fund may attempt to offset the effects of not being invested in certain index securities by making substitute investments, but these efforts may not be successful. In certain circumstances, the fund may value individual securities based on fair value prices developed using methods approved by the fund's Board of Trustees. To the extent the fund calculates its NAV based on fair value prices, the fund's performance may diverge from that of its index. In addition, cash flows into and out of the fund, timing variances, operating expenses and trading costs all affect the ability of the fund to match the performance of the index, because the index does not have to manage cash flows and does not incur any costs. Tracking error may also be impacted by timing differences in currency conversions between the fund and the index and by the fund's use of fair valuation. Lastly, differences between the fund's portfolio and the index resulting from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to the index impact correlation between the performance of the fund and that of its index.

**Derivatives Risk.** The fund may invest in derivative instruments. The principal types of derivatives the fund may use are futures contracts. A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a financial instrument at a specific price on a specific day. The fund's use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Certain of these risks, such as market risk, liquidity risk and leverage risk, are discussed elsewhere in this prospectus. The fund's use of derivatives is also subject to counterparty risk, lack of availability risk, valuation risk, correlation risk and tax risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that the counterparty to a derivative transaction may not fulfill its contractual obligations either because the financial condition of the counterparty declines, or because the counterparty is otherwise unable or unwilling to perform under the contract. Lack of

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availability risk is the risk that suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes. Valuation risk is the risk that a particular derivative may be valued incorrectly. Correlation risk is the risk that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate or index. Tax risk is the risk that the use of derivatives may cause the fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gains. The fund's use of derivatives could reduce the fund's performance, increase its volatility and cause the fund to lose more than the initial amount invested. The fund's use of derivatives also could create a risk of counterparty default under certain transactions, risks that the fund would need to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so in order to meet margin and payment obligations, and legal risks relating to insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of a counterparty, or legality or enforceability of a contract. Furthermore, the use of derivatives subject to regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) could cause the fund to become a commodity pool, which would require the fund to comply with certain CFTC rules.

**Liquidity Risk.** Liquidity risk exists when particular investments may be difficult to purchase, sell or value, especially during stressed market conditions. The market for certain investments may become illiquid due to specific adverse changes in the conditions of a particular issuer or under adverse market or economic conditions independent of the issuer. In such cases, the fund, due to limitations on investments in illiquid securities and the difficulty in readily purchasing and selling such securities at favorable times or prices, may decline in value, experience lower returns and/or be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain issuer or sector. Further, transactions in illiquid securities may entail transaction costs that are higher than those for transactions in liquid securities.

**Securities Lending Risk.** The fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers, and other financial institutions provided a number of conditions are satisfied, including that the loan is fully collateralized. When the fund lends portfolio securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned, and the fund will also receive a fee or interest on the collateral. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in, or delay in recovery of, the loaned securities if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral. The fund may pay lending fees to a party arranging the loan.

**Financials Sector Risk.** Companies doing business in the financials sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation which may limit both the amounts and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, the interest rates and fees they can charge, the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and the amount of capital they must maintain. Profitability is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds, and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change or due to increased competition. In addition, the deterioration of the credit markets in the aftermath of the 2007-2008 financial crisis generally caused the financials sector to experience an adverse impact in a broad range of markets, including U.S. and international credit and interbank money markets generally, thereby affecting a wide range of financial institutions and markets. Certain events in the financials sector may cause an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign, and cause certain companies in the financials sector to incur large losses. Securities of companies in the financials sector may experience a dramatic decline in value when such companies experience substantial declines in the valuations of their assets, take action to raise capital (such as the issuance of debt or equity securities), or cease operations. Credit losses resulting from financial difficulties of borrowers and financial losses associated with investment activities can negatively impact the sector. Adverse economic, business or political developments affecting real estate could have a major effect on the value of real estate securities (which include REITs). Declining real estate values could adversely affect financial institutions engaged in mortgage finance or other lending or investing activities directly or indirectly connected to the value of real estate.

**Technology Sector Risk.** Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology advances could have a major effect on the value of the stocks in the technology sector, including software companies. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

**Market Trading Risk.** Although fund shares are listed on national securities exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for fund shares will develop or be maintained. If an active market is not maintained, investors may find it difficult to buy or sell fund shares. Trading of shares of the fund on a national securities exchange may be halted if exchange officials deem such action appropriate, if the fund is delisted, or if the activation of marketwide "circuit breakers" halts stock trading generally. If the fund's shares are delisted, the fund may seek to list its shares on another market, merge with another ETF, or redeem its shares at NAV.

**Portfolio Turnover Risk.** The fund tracks an index that reconstitutes quarterly and as a result the portfolio turnover of the fund may be buy and sell portfolio securities more often than an index fund that tracks an index reconstitutes less frequently. High portfolio turnover may result in the fund paying higher levels of transaction costs, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other costs and may generate greater tax liabilities for shareholders. Portfolio turnover risk may cause the fund's performance to be less than expected

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**Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV.** As with all ETFs, fund shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of the shares of the fund will approximate the fund's NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. Thus, an investor may pay more than NAV when buying shares of the fund in the secondary market, and an investor may receive less than NAV when selling those shares in the secondary market. The investment adviser cannot predict whether shares will trade above (premium), below (discount) or at NAV. The fund may have a limited number of financial institutions that may act as "Authorized Participants" or market makers. Only Authorized Participants who have entered into agreements with the fund's distributor may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the fund (as discussed in the "Creation and Redemption" section below). If those Authorized Participants exit the business or are unable to process creation and/or redemption orders (including in situations where Authorized Participants have limited or diminished access to capital required to post collateral), and no other Authorized Participant is able to step forward to create and redeem in either of these cases, fund shares may trade at a discount to NAV like closed-end fund shares (and may even face delisting). Similar effects may result if market makers exit the business or are unable to continue making markets in the fund's shares. Risks associated with having a limited number of Authorized Participants may be heightened for ETFs that invest in securities issued by non-U.S. issuers or other instruments that have lower trading volumes. More generally, market makers are not obligated to make a market in the fund's shares, and Authorized Participants are not obligated to submit purchase or redemption orders for Creation Units. Further, while the creation/ redemption feature is designed to make it likely that shares normally will trade close to the value of the fund's holdings, disruptions to creations and redemptions, including disruptions at market makers, Authorized Participants or market participants, or during periods of significant market volatility, may result in market prices that differ significantly from the value of the fund's holdings. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account for a large percentage of trading volume on the fund's primary listing exchange and may, therefore, have a material effect on the market price of the fund's shares.

The market price of fund shares during the trading day, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a "bid/ask" spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other participants that trade the fund shares. The bid/ask spread on ETF shares varies over time based on the fund's trading volume and market liquidity. As a result, the bid/ask spread on ETF shares is generally larger when the shares have little trading volume or market liquidity and generally lower when the shares have high trading volume or market liquidity. In addition, in times of severe market disruption, the bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, fund shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that investors most want to sell shares. The investment adviser believes that, under normal market conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be sustained because of arbitrage opportunities. There are various methods by which investors can purchase and sell shares of the fund and various types of orders that may be placed. Investors should consult their financial intermediary before purchasing or selling shares of the fund.

In addition, the securities held by the fund may be traded in markets that close at a different time than the fund's secondary market and liquidity in those securities may be reduced after the applicable market closing times. Accordingly, during the time when the fund's secondary market is open but after the applicable foreign market closing, fixing or settlement times, bid/ask spreads and the resulting premium or discount to the fund's NAV may widen. The fund's bid/ask spread may also be impacted by the liquidity of the underlying securities held by the fund or in instances of significant volatility of the underlying securities.

Portfolio Holdings

A description of the fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the fund's portfolio securities is available in the SAI.

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## Financial Highlights
This section provides further details about the fund's financial history for the past five years or, if shorter, for its period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. "Total return" shows the percentage that an investor in the fund would have earned or lost during a given period, assuming all distributions were reinvested. The information has been audited by the fund's independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP (Deloitte). Deloitte's full report is included in the fund's annual holdings and financial statements, which are included in the fund's Form N-CSR (see back cover).

#### Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **4/1/24 – <br> 3/31/25**  | **4/1/23 – <br> 3/31/24**  | **8/4/22<sup>(1)</sup> – <br> 3/31/23**  |
| **Per-Share Data** |  |  |  |
| Net asset value at beginning of period | $39.96 | $20.02 | $25.00 |
| Income (loss) from investment operations: |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Net investment income (loss)<sup>(2)</sup>  | 0.19 | 0.12 | 0.20 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)  | (7.22) | 19.92 | (4.96) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Total from investment operations  | (7.03) | 20.04 | (4.76) |
| Less distributions: |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Distributions from net investment income  | (0.29) | (0.10) | (0.22) |
| Net asset value at end of period | $32.64 | $39.96 | $20.02 |
| Total return | (17.85%) | 100.38% | (18.85%)<sup>(3)</sup> |
| **Ratios/Supplemental Data** |  |  |  |
| Ratios to average net assets: |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Total expenses  | 0.30% | 0.30% | 0.30%<sup>(4)</sup> |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Net investment income (loss)  | 0.46% | 0.47% | 1.55%<sup>(4)</sup> |
| Portfolio turnover rate<sup>(5)</sup> | 60% | 58% | 36%<sup>(3)</sup> |
| Net assets, end of period (x 1,000) | $84864 | $37959 | $11012 |

---

<sup>(1)</sup>

Commencement of operations.

<sup>(2)</sup>

Calculated based on the average shares outstanding during the period.

<sup>(3)</sup>

Not annualized.

<sup>(4)</sup>

Annualized.

<sup>(5)</sup>

Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from processing of in-kind creations or redemptions.

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## Fund Management
The investment adviser for the fund is Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dba Schwab Asset Management, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. The investment adviser was founded in 1989 and as of May 31, 2025, managed approximately $1.4 trillion in assets.

The investment adviser oversees the asset management and administration of the fund. As compensation for these services, the investment adviser is entitled to receive a management fee from the fund. For the 12 months ended March 31, 2025, the advisory fee paid to Schwab Asset Management was 0.30% for the fund, expressed as a percentage of the fund's average daily net assets. Pursuant to an Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the investment adviser and Schwab Strategic Trust, on behalf of the fund, the investment adviser pays the operating expenses of the fund, excluding taxes, any brokerage expenses, and extraordinary or non-routine expenses.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees' approval of the fund's Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement is available in the fund's 2024 semiannual holdings and financial statements, which are included in the fund's Form N-CSR and cover the period from April 1, 2024 through September 30, 2024.

**Christopher Bliss, CFA,** Managing Director and Head of Equity Index Strategies for Schwab Asset Management. Mr. Bliss is responsible for overseeing the portfolio management for equity index Schwab Funds and Schwab ETFs, and Schwab Personalized Indexing<sup>®</sup> separately managed accounts. Before joining Schwab in 2016, Mr. Bliss spent 12 years at BlackRock (formerly Barclays Global Investors) managing and leading institutional index teams, most recently as a managing director and the head of the Americas institutional index team. In this role, Mr. Bliss was responsible for overseeing a team of portfolio managers managing domestic, developed international and emerging markets index strategies. Prior to BlackRock, he worked as an equity analyst and portfolio manager for Harris Bretall and before that, as a research analyst for JP Morgan.

**Mariela Jobson,** Senior Portfolio Manager for Schwab Asset Management, is responsible for the day-to-day co-management of the Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF. Prior to joining Schwab in 2023, Ms. Jobson worked at BlackRock (formerly Barclays Global Investors) for 16 years as a lead portfolio manager, where she managed all aspects of iShares exchange traded funds in global equity, preferred equity, and commodities. Most recently, she was responsible for leading a team of portfolio managers who managed domestic, developed, emerging and frontier markets covering market-cap, factor, ESG and thematic index strategies. Prior to BlackRock, Ms. Jobson worked as an associate equity analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities and as an equity research analyst at ING Investments.

**Joselle Duncan, CFA,** Portfolio Manager for Schwab Asset Management, is responsible for the day-to-day co-management of the fund. Prior to joining Schwab in 2022, Ms. Duncan worked at BlackRock (formerly Barclays Global Investors) for over 20 years as a vice president and portfolio manager focused on international ETFs and institutional funds. She began her career at BlackRock on the securities lending team as a product specialist and trader.

**Jiwei Gu, CFA,** Portfolio Manager for Schwab Asset Management, is responsible for the day-to-day co-management of the fund. Ms. Gu joined the portfolio management team as an associate portfolio manager in 2018. Prior to joining Schwab, she spent four years at CoBank, most recently as an enterprise risk analyst performing bank-level loan portfolio credit risk analysis, data analytics, and risk management methodology research. Before that, Ms. Gu worked in commercial credit underwriting and capital markets supporting lending activities.

**David Rios,** Portfolio Manager for Schwab Asset Management, is responsible for the day-to-day co-management of the fund. Prior to this role, Mr. Rios was an associate portfolio manager on the Schwab equity index strategies team for four years. His first role with Schwab Asset Management was as a trade operations specialist. Prior to joining Schwab in 2008, Mr. Rios was a senior fund accountant at Investors Bank & Trust (subsequently acquired by State Street Corporation).

Additional information about the portfolio managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers' ownership of securities in the fund is available in the SAI.

**Distributor.** The fund's Distributor is SEI Investments Distribution Co. The Distributor, located at 1 Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456, is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the fund and does not maintain a secondary market in shares of the fund.

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## Investing in the Fund
On the following pages, you will find information on buying and selling shares. Most investors will invest in the fund by placing orders through their brokerage account at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab) or an account with another broker/dealer or other intermediary. Authorized Participants (as defined in "Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units," below) may invest directly in the fund by placing orders for Creation Units through the fund's transfer agent, State Street Bank and Trust Company (direct orders). Helpful information on taxes is included as well.

The fund generally is not registered for sale in jurisdictions outside the United States and is intended for purchase by persons residing in the United States. A person is considered resident in the United States if at the time of the investment (i) the account has an address of record in the United States or a U.S. territory (including APO/FPO/DPO) and (ii) all account owners are resident in the United States or a U.S. territory and have a valid U.S. taxpayer identification number. If an existing account is updated to reflect a non-U.S. address, the account may be restricted from making additional investments.

Shares of the fund trade on national securities exchanges and elsewhere during the trading day and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other shares of publicly traded securities. When buying or selling shares through a broker most investors will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges. In addition, you may incur the cost of the "spread" – that is, any difference between the bid price (the highest price a buyer is willing to pay for a share of a fund) and the ask price (the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for a share of a fund).

#### Shares of the fund trade under the following trading symbol:
Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF STCE

Shares of the fund may be acquired or redeemed directly from the fund only in Creation Units or multiples thereof, as discussed in the "Creation and Redemption" section below. Once created, shares of the fund trade in the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit. The fund does not impose any minimum investment for shares of the fund purchased on an exchange or in the secondary market. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, shares are not redeemable by the fund.

Share Trading Prices

As with other types of securities, the trading prices of shares in the secondary market can be affected by market forces such as supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors. The price you pay or receive when you buy or sell your shares in the secondary market may be more (a premium) or less (a discount) than the NAV of such shares.

#### Premium/Discount Information
Information showing the number of days the market price of the fund's shares was greater than the fund's NAV per share (i.e., at a premium) and the number of days it was less than the fund's NAV per share (i.e., at a discount), for various time periods, is available by visiting the fund's website **www.schwabassetmanagement.com**.

Determination of Net Asset Value

The NAV of the fund's shares is calculated as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading (each, a Business Day). NAV per share is calculated by dividing the fund's net assets by the number of the fund's shares outstanding. If the NYSE is closed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances on a day it would typically be open for business, or the NYSE has an unscheduled early closing on a day it has opened for business, the fund reserves the right to treat such day as a Business Day and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate its NAV as of the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE for that day.

The fund's portfolio securities are valued using market quotations or official closing prices if they are readily available. In cases where market quotations are not readily available or the investment adviser deems them unreliable, the fund's portfolio securities are valued based on fair values developed following procedures approved by the fund's Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees has designated the investment adviser as the valuation designee (Valuation Designee) for the fund to perform the fair value determination relating to all fund investments.

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The fund's Board of Trustees has approved procedures to fair value the fund's securities when market prices are not "readily available" or are unreliable. For example, the fund may fair value a security when a security is de-listed or its trading is halted or suspended; when a security's primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; when a security's primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or when a security's value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security's primary trading market. By fair valuing securities whose prices may have been affected by events occurring after the close of trading, the fund seeks to establish prices that investors might expect to realize upon the current sales of these securities. The Valuation Designee's policies and procedures, which govern the selection and application of methodologies for determining the fair value of fund investments, seek to ensure that the prices at which the fund's shares are purchased and redeemed are fair and do not result in dilution of shareholder interest or other harm to shareholders. Generally, when fair valuing a security, the Valuation Designee will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer's business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the security. The Valuation Designee makes fair value determinations in good faith and in accordance with the fair value procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. Due to the subjective and variable nature of fair value pricing, there can be no assurance that the fund could obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.

Shareholders of the fund should be aware that because foreign markets are often open on weekends and other days when the fund is closed, the value of the fund's portfolio may change on days when it is not possible to buy or sell shares of the fund.

Transactions in fund shares will be priced at NAV only if you purchase or redeem shares directly from the fund in Creation Units. Fund shares that are purchased or sold on the secondary market will be effected at prevailing market prices, which may be higher or lower than NAV, and may be subject to brokerage commissions and charges. As described below, purchases and redemptions of Creation Units will be priced at the NAV next determined after receipt of the purchase or redemption order.

Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units

#### Creation and Redemption
The shares that trade in the secondary market are "created" at NAV. The fund issues and redeems shares only in Creation Units, which are large blocks of shares. Only institutional investors who have entered into an authorized participant agreement (known as Authorized Participants) may purchase or redeem Creation Units. Creation Units generally are issued and redeemed in exchange for a specified basket of securities and/or a designated amount of cash. Each Business Day, prior to the opening of trading, the fund publishes the specific securities and designated amount of cash included in that day's basket for the fund through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) or other method of public dissemination. The fund reserves the right to accept or pay out a basket of securities or cash that differs from the published basket. The prices at which creations and redemptions occur are based on the next calculation of NAV after an order is received and deemed acceptable by the transfer agent. Orders from Authorized Participants to create or redeem Creation Units will only be accepted on a Business Day and are also subject to acceptance by the fund and the transfer agent.

Creations and redemptions must be made by an Authorized Participant that has executed an agreement with the Distributor with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Unit aggregations. Information about the procedures regarding creation and redemption of Creation Units is included in the SAI.

#### Authorized Participants and the Continuous Offering of Shares
Because new shares may be created and issued on an ongoing basis, at any point during the life of the fund, a "distribution," as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), may be occurring. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in them being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner that could render them statutory underwriters and subject to the prospectus-delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act. Nonetheless, any determination of whether one is an underwriter must take into account all the relevant facts and circumstances of each particular case.

Broker-dealers should also note that dealers who are not "underwriters," but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary transactions), and thus dealing with shares that are part of an "unsold allotment" within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the 1933 Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the 1933 Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the 1933 Act is only available with respect to transactions on a national securities exchange.

#### Creation and Redemption Transaction Fees for Creation Units
The fund may impose a creation transaction fee and a redemption transaction fee to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of Creation Units. The creation and redemption transaction fees applicable to the fund are listed below. The standard creation transaction fee is charged to each purchaser on the day such purchaser creates a Creation Unit. The standard fee is a

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single charge and will be the amount indicated below regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by an investor on the same day. Similarly, the standard redemption transaction fee will be the amount indicated below regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed that day. In addition, purchasers and redeemers of shares in Creation Units are responsible for payment of the costs of transferring securities to or out of the fund. Purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units for cash may also be subject to an additional variable charge up to the maximum amount shown in the table below. This additional variable charge will offset the transaction costs to the fund of buying or selling portfolio securities. In certain circumstances, the cost of any standard transaction fees and/or additional variable charges may be waived by the fund when doing so is believed to be in the best interests of the fund. From time to time, the investment adviser may cover the cost of any transaction fees.

The following table shows, as of June 30, 2025, the approximate value of one Creation Unit of the fund, including the standard and maximum additional creation and redemption transaction fee. These fees are payable only by investors who purchase shares directly from the fund. Retail investors who purchase shares through their brokerage account will not pay these fees. Investors who use the services of a broker or other such intermediary may pay fees for such services.

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name of Fund**  | **Approximate Value <br> of One Creation Unit**  | **Standard <br> Creation/Redemption <br> Transaction Fee**  | **Maximum <br> Additional Creation <br> Transaction Fee<sup>(1)</sup>**  | **Maximum <br> Additional Redemption <br> Transaction Fee<sup>(1)</sup>**  |
| Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF  | $2504920 | $500 | 3% | 2% |

---

<sup>(1)</sup>

As a percentage of total amount invested or redeemed.

Additional Policies

#### Policy Regarding Short-Term or Excessive Trading
The fund does not impose any restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of fund shares. When considering that a policy regarding short-term or excessive trading was not necessary for the fund, the Board of Trustees considered the structure of the fund as an ETF and that fund shares are purchased and redeemed directly with the fund only in large quantities (Creation Units) by Authorized Participants who are authorized to purchase and redeem shares directly with the fund. Because purchase and redemption transactions with Authorized Participants are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep ETF trading prices in line with NAV, the fund accommodates frequent purchases and redemptions by Authorized Participants. Frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase index tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to realization of capital gains. Frequent in-kind creations and redemptions do not give rise to these concerns. The fund reserves the right to reject or limit any purchase order at any time.

The fund reserves the right to impose restrictions on disruptive or abusive trading. Such trading is defined by the fund as purchases and sales of fund shares in amounts and frequency determined by the fund to be significant and in a pattern of activity that can potentially be detrimental to the fund and its shareholders. Such adverse effects can include diluting the value of the shareholders' holdings, increasing fund transaction costs, disrupting portfolio management strategy, incurring unwanted taxable gains or forcing the fund to hold excess levels of cash. The fund may reject purchase or redemption orders in such instances. The fund also imposes a transaction fee on Creation Unit transactions that is designed to offset the fund's transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance and redemption of the Creation Units. The Board of Trustees may determine that policies and procedures regarding the frequency of purchases and redemptions of fund shares are necessary in the future.

#### Investments by Registered Investment Companies
Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, restricts investments by registered investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including shares of the fund. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in the fund beyond the limits set forth in section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions including in some cases that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the fund.

#### Payments to Financial Intermediaries
The investment adviser or its affiliates make payments out of their own resources, or provide products and services at a discount, to certain brokerage firms, banks, insurance companies, retirement plan service providers and other financial intermediaries that perform shareholder, recordkeeping, sub-accounting and other administrative services in connection with investments in fund shares. The investment adviser or its affiliates also make payments out of their own resources, or provide products and services at a discount, to certain financial intermediaries in connection with certain activities or services which may facilitate, directly or indirectly, investment in the fund. These payments may relate to marketing and/or fund promotion activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development and support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems, data analytics and support, or making shares of the fund available to their customers. These payments, which may be significant, are paid by the investment adviser or its affiliates out of their own resources and not from the assets of the fund.

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Payments to a financial intermediary may create potential conflicts of interest between the intermediary and its clients as the payments may provide such intermediary with an incentive to favor sales of shares of the fund over other investment options they make available to their customers. Please see the SAI for additional information.

Distributions and Taxes

Any investment in the fund typically involves several tax considerations. The information below is meant as a general summary for U.S. citizens and residents. Please see the SAI for additional information. Because each person's tax situation is different, you should consult your tax advisor about the tax implications of your investment in the fund. You also can visit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website at **www.irs.gov**.

As a shareholder, you are entitled to your share of the dividends and gains your fund earns. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are generally declared and paid semiannually. Net realized capital gains, if any, are generally declared and paid annually, although the fund may do so more frequently as determined by the Board of Trustees. To receive a dividend distribution, you must be a registered shareholder on the date that dividends are declared. Dividend distributions are paid to shareholders on the payable date. Although it is not generally expected, if the fund's distributions exceed its realized taxable income and capital gains during a taxable year, then all or a portion of the distributions made during that year may be characterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution generally will not be taxable but will reduce the shareholder's cost basis and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold. The fund reserves the right to declare special distributions if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve its status as a regulated investment company or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income or realized gains. Dividends and other distributions on shares of the fund are distributed on a pro rata basis to beneficial owners of such shares. During the fourth quarter of the year, typically in early November, an estimate of the fund's year-end distributions, if any, may be made available on the fund's website **www.schwabassetmanagement.com**.

Unless you are investing through an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-advantaged account, your fund distributions generally have tax consequences. The fund's net investment income and short-term capital gains are distributed as dividends and will be taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Other capital gains distributions are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have held your shares in the fund. The maximum individual rate applicable to long-term capital gains and qualified dividend income is generally either 15% or 20%, depending on whether the individual's income exceeds certain threshold amounts. Distributions generally are taxable in the tax year in which they are declared, whether you reinvest them or take them in cash.

Generally, any sale of your shares is a taxable event. A sale of your shares may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. The maximum individual rate applicable to long-term capital gains is generally either 15% or 20%, depending on whether the individual's income exceeds certain threshold amounts. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gains distributions received (or deemed received) by you with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if you purchase other substantially identical shares within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gains distributions received from the fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person's "modified adjusted gross income" (in the case of an individual) or "adjusted gross income" (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds certain threshold amounts.

At the beginning of every year, the fund provides shareholders with information detailing the tax status of any distributions the fund paid during the previous calendar year. Schwab customers also receive information on distributions and transactions in their monthly account statements.

If you are investing through a taxable account and purchase shares of the fund just before it declares a distribution, you may receive a portion of your investment back as a taxable distribution. This is because when the fund makes a distribution, the share price is reduced by the amount of the distribution. You can avoid "buying a dividend," as it is often called, by finding out if a distribution is imminent and waiting until afterwards to invest. Of course, you may decide that the opportunity to gain a few days of investment performance outweighs the tax consequences of buying a dividend.

Shareholders in the fund may have additional tax considerations as a result of foreign tax payments made by the fund. Typically, these payments will reduce the fund's dividends but, if eligible, the fund may elect for these payments to be included in your taxable income. In such event, you may be able to claim a tax credit or deduction for your portion of foreign taxes paid by the fund.

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Foreign shareholders may be subject to different U.S. federal income tax treatment, including withholding tax at the rate of 30% on amounts treated as ordinary dividends from the fund, as discussed in more detail in the SAI. Furthermore, the fund is required to withhold U.S. tax (at a 30% rate) on payments of taxable dividends made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to the fund to enable the fund to determine whether withholding is required.

#### Taxes on Creation and Redemption of Creation Units
An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and the cash component paid. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger's basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of the securities and the amount of cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing "wash sales," or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging securities for Creation Units should consult a tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a redemption (or creation) of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the fund's shares (or securities surrendered) have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the shares (or securities surrendered) have been held for one year or less.

If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many shares you purchased or sold and at what price. Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.

Additional Information

#### Index Provider and Disclaimers
The Schwab Crypto Thematic Index is the property of Charles Schwab Investment Management, the fund's investment adviser, which has contracted with Solactive AG to calculate and maintain the index. The fund is not sponsored, promoted, sold or supported in any other manner by Solactive AG nor does Solactive AG offer any express or implicit guarantee or assurance either with regard to the results of using the index and/or index trade mark or the index price at any time or in any other respect. The index is calculated and published by Solactive AG. Solactive AG uses its best efforts to ensure that the index is calculated correctly. Irrespective of its obligations towards Charles Schwab Investment Management, Solactive AG has no obligation to point out errors in the index to third parties including but not limited to investors and/or financial intermediaries of the financial instrument. Neither publication of the index by Solactive AG nor the licensing of the index or index trade mark for the purpose of use in connection with the fund constitutes a recommendation by Solactive AG to invest capital in the fund nor does it in any way represent an assurance or opinion of Solactive AG with regard to any investment in the fund.

Shares of the fund are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by NYSE Arca, Inc. NYSE Arca makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the fund or any member of the public regarding the ability of a fund to track the total return performance of its underlying index or the ability of the underlying index to track stock market performance. NYSE Arca is not responsible for, nor has it participated in, the determination of the compilation or the calculation of any underlying index, nor in the determination of the timing of, prices of, or quantities of shares of the fund to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the shares are redeemable. NYSE Arca has no obligation or liability to owners of the shares of the fund in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the shares of the fund.

NYSE Arca shall have no liability for damages, claims, losses or expenses caused by any errors, omissions, or delays in calculating or disseminating any current index or portfolio value; the current value of the portfolio of securities required to be deposited to the fund; the amount of any dividend equivalent payment or cash distribution to holders of shares of the fund; net asset value; or other information relating to the creation, redemption or trading of shares of the fund, resulting from any negligent act or omission by NYSE Arca, or any act, condition or cause beyond the reasonable control of NYSE Arca, including, but not limited to, an act of God; fire; flood; extraordinary weather conditions; war; insurrection; riot; strike; accident; action of government; communications or power failure; equipment or software malfunction; or any error, omission or delay in the reporting of transactions in one or more underlying securities. NYSE Arca makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by any person or entity from the use of any underlying index or data included therein and NYSE Arca makes no express or implied warranties, and disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to shares of the fund or any underlying index or data included therein.

The fund and the investment adviser do not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the indexes or any data included therein and shall have no liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions therein. The fund and the investment adviser make no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the fund, or any other person or entity from the use of the indexes or any data included therein.

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The fund and the investment adviser make no express or implied warranties, and expressly disclaims all warranties, of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the indexes or any data included therein, without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the fund and the investment adviser have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special or consequential damages (including lost profits), even if notified of the possibility of such damages.

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**Prospectus** \| July 28, 2025

## Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF

#### To Learn More
This prospectus contains important information on the fund and should be read and kept for reference. You also can obtain more information from the following sources:

Recent information regarding the fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available at **www.schwabassetmanagement.com**.

Additional information about the fund's investments is available in the fund's **annual and semiannual reports** to shareholders, which are sent to current investors, and in Form N-CSR. In the fund's annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the fund's performance during its last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the fund's annual and semiannual financial statements.

The **Statement of Additional Information (SAI)** includes a more detailed discussion of investment policies and the risks associated with various investments. The SAI is incorporated by reference into the prospectus, making it legally part of the prospectus.

For a free copy of any of these documents, to request other information, or ask questions about the fund, call 1-877-824-5615. In addition, you may visit

**www.schwabassetmanagement.com/prospectus** for a free copy of these documents.

The SAI, the fund's annual and semiannual reports, the fund's holdings and financial statements, and other related materials are available from the EDGAR Database on the SEC's website (**www.sec.gov**). You can obtain copies of this information, after paying a duplicating fee, by sending a request by e-mail to publicinfo@sec.gov.

SEC File Number <br> Schwab Strategic Trust 811-22311 REG118067-03

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![[MISSING IMAGE: log-csamctr299c.jpg]](log-csamctr299c.jpg)

Schwab<sup>®</sup> ETFs

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|:---|:---|
| Schwab<sup>®</sup> Ariel Opportunities ETF (formerly, Schwab Ariel ESG ETF) | **SAEF**  |

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Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: **NYSE Arca, Inc.**

#### STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

#### July 28, 2025
The Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the fund's prospectus dated July 28, 2025 (as amended from time to time).

The fund's audited financial statements and the report of the independent registered public accounting firm thereon from the fund's [Form](https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312525133424/d824599dncsr.htm)[N-CSR](https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312525133424/d824599dncsr.htm) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, are incorporated by reference into this SAI.

For a free copy of any of these documents, to request other information, or ask questions about the fund, call 1-877-824-5615. For TDD service, call 1-800-345-2550. In addition, you may visit **www.schwabassetmanagement.com/prospectus** for a free copy of these documents.

The fund is a series of Schwab Strategic Trust (the Trust). The fund is part of the Schwab complex of funds (Schwab Funds). Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dba Schwab Asset Management<sup>®</sup>, is the investment adviser to the fund (investment adviser).

REG116069-04

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#### **TABLE OF CONTENTS**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
|  | **<u>Page</u>**  |
| [INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, STRATEGIES, RISKS AND LIMITATIONS](#idbbdibaINVESTMENTO)  | [1](#idbbdibaINVESTMENTO) |
| [CONTINUOUS OFFERING](#idcgebCONTINUOUSO)  | [14](#idcgebCONTINUOUSO) |
| [MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND](#idehbhdMANAGEMENTO)  | [14](#idehbhdMANAGEMENTO) |
| [CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES](#idcficCONTROLPERS)  | [20](#idcficCONTROLPERS) |
| [INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES](#idbigdeINVESTMENTA)  | [20](#idbigdeINVESTMENTA) |
| [PORTFOLIO MANAGERS](#idbbcjbPORTFOLIOMA)  | [23](#idbbcjbPORTFOLIOMA) |
| [BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES](#idbebigBROKERAGEAL)  | [24](#idbebigBROKERAGEAL) |
| [PROXY VOTING](#idjddPROXYVOTING)  | [25](#idjddPROXYVOTING) |
| [PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE](#idbchiePORTFOLIOHO)  | [25](#idbchiePORTFOLIOHO) |
| [DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST](#idebhjDESCRIPTION)  | [27](#idebhjDESCRIPTION) |
| [PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF SHARES](#idcjijiPURCHASERED)  | [28](#idcjijiPURCHASERED) |
| [TAXATION](#iddcaicTAXATION)  | [32](#iddcaicTAXATION) |
| APPENDIX – PROXY VOTING POLICY |  |

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#### INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, STRATEGIES, RISKS AND LIMITATIONS

#### Investment Objective
The fund's investment objective is not fundamental and therefore may be changed by the fund's Board of Trustees (the Board) without shareholder approval.

The **Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF** seeks long-term capital appreciation.

There is no guarantee the fund will achieve its investment objective.

#### Proxy Portfolio Structure
**Proxy Portfolio Methodology –** Unlike a traditional ETF, the fund does not disclose its portfolio holdings daily. Rather, the fund discloses a portfolio transparency substitute – the "Proxy Portfolio" – and certain related information about the relative performance of the Proxy Portfolio and the fund's Actual Portfolio holdings, which are designed to facilitate an effective arbitrage mechanism for the fund's shares while protecting the identity of the fund's full portfolio holdings. The adviser and subadviser believe that daily disclosure of the fund's full portfolio holdings could enable market participants to predict the fund's trading strategy and trade ahead of the fund's portfolio trades (a practice known as "frontrunning"), or to copy the fund's investment strategy (a practice known as "free riding"). The purpose of the proxy portfolio methodology, as described below (the "Proxy Portfolio Methodology") is to protect the fund and its shareholders against such practices. Although the fund does not publish its full portfolio holdings daily, the Proxy Portfolio Methodology is designed to allow Authorized Participants and other market participants to assess the intra-day value and associated risk characteristics of the fund's Actual Portfolio.

An important feature of the Proxy Portfolio Methodology is the daily disclosure of a basket of cash and securities – the Proxy Portfolio – that is designed and constructed to closely track the daily performance of the fund's Actual Portfolio. In addition to the Proxy Portfolio, the fund will disclose daily the percentage weight overlap between the holdings of the Proxy Portfolio and the Actual Portfolio that formed the basis for the fund's calculation of net asset value (NAV) at the end of the prior Business Day (as defined below) (the "Proxy Overlap"). Daily disclosure of the Proxy Portfolio, the Proxy Overlap and the other related Proxy Portfolio Disclosures is designed to enable Authorized Participants and other market participants to accurately assess the profitability of arbitrage trades in shares of the fund and to effectively hedge their risks associated with arbitrage and market making activities, thereby helping to ensure that investors can purchase and sell fund shares in the secondary market at prices that are at or close to the underlying NAV per share of the fund.

**Proxy Portfolio –** The goal of the Proxy Portfolio Methodology is to permit the fund's Proxy Portfolio, during all market conditions, to track closely the daily performance of the fund's Actual Portfolio and to minimize intra-day misalignment between the performance of the Proxy Portfolio and the performance of the Actual Portfolio. The Proxy Portfolio is designed to reflect the economic exposures and the risk characteristics of the Actual Portfolio on any given trading day.

Construction of a Proxy Portfolio that replicates the daily performance of the Actual Portfolio is achieved by performing a factor model analysis of the fund's Actual Portfolio. The factor model is comprised of three sets of factors or analytical metrics: market-based factors, fundamental factors, and industry/sector factors. The fund will have a universe of securities (the "Model Universe") that will be used to generate the fund's Proxy Portfolio. The Model Universe will be comprised of securities that the fund can purchase and will be a financial index or stated portfolio of securities from which fund investments will be selected. The results of the factor model analysis of the fund's Actual Portfolio are then applied to the fund's model universe of securities, resulting in the generation of a Proxy Portfolio, which consists of a small subset of the securities in the Model Universe. The Proxy Portfolio is designed to perform in a manner substantially identical to the performance of the Actual Portfolio. The Proxy Portfolio will only include securities and investments in which the fund may invest. However, while the Proxy Portfolio and the Actual Portfolio will likely hold some or many of the same securities, the Proxy Portfolio and the fund's Actual Portfolio may not include identical securities. The Proxy Portfolio will be reconstituted daily.

**Proxy Portfolio Disclosures –** The composition of the Proxy Portfolio will be published on the fund's website each Business Day and will include the following information for each portfolio holding in the Proxy Portfolio: (1) ticker symbol; (2) CUSIP or other identifier; (3) description of holding; (4) quantity of each security or other asset held; and (5) percentage weight of the holding in the Proxy Portfolio. The fund's website will publish on a daily basis, per share for the fund, the prior Business Day's NAV and the Closing Price or Bid/Ask Price (each as defined below), and a calculation of the premium/discount of the Closing Price or Bid/Ask Price against such NAV. The fund's website will also publish a variety of other information metrics regarding the relative behavior of the Proxy Portfolio and the Actual Portfolio, including the Proxy Overlap (defined below). The website will also include Tracking Error for the fund and, once the fund has completed a fiscal year, the median bid/ask spread (expressed as a percentage rounded to the nearest hundredth), will be computed by identifying the fund's National Best Bid and Offer as of the end of each ten second interval during each trading day of the last thirty calendar days, dividing the difference between each such bid and offer by the midpoint of the National Best Bid and Offer and identifying the median of these values. Additionally, the fund is required to disclose on its website a table showing the number of days the fund's shares traded at a premium/discount and a line graph showing the fund's share premiums or discounts during the most recently completed calendar year and the most recently completed calendar quarters since that year (or the life of the fund).

The adviser and subadviser believe that the Proxy Portfolio Disclosures will enable Authorized Participants and other market participants to use the component securities and their weightings of the Proxy Portfolio to calculate intra-day values that approximate the value of the

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securities in the Actual Portfolio and, based thereon, assess whether the market price of the fund's shares is higher or lower than the approximate contemporaneous value of the Actual Portfolio. These activities are intended to facilitate an arbitrage mechanism that keeps market prices of the fund's shares at or close to the fund's NAV. Moreover, the Proxy Portfolio Disclosures generated by the Proxy Portfolio Methodology are intended to facilitate effective hedging activities by market participants, so that share market price bid/ask spreads will be narrow. Below are some definitions of the defined terms used above:

<sup>●</sup>

Closing Price – the official closing price of the share on the fund's primary listing exchange.

<sup>●</sup>

Bid/Ask Price – the midpoint of the highest bid and the lowest offer based upon the National Best Bid and Offer as of the time of calculation of the fund's NAV.

<sup>●</sup>

National Best Bid and Offer – the current national best bid and national best offer as disseminated by the Consolidated Quotation System or UTP Plan Securities Information Processor.

<sup>●</sup>

Proxy Overlap – the percentage weight overlap between the holdings of the prior Business Day's Proxy Portfolio compared to the Actual Portfolio's holdings that formed the basis for the fund's calculation of NAV at the end of the prior Business Day. The Proxy Overlap is calculated based on the Proxy Portfolio and portfolio holdings as of the prior Business Day. The Proxy Overlap is calculated by taking the lesser weight of each asset held in common between the Actual Portfolio and the Proxy Portfolio and adding the totals.

<sup>●</sup>

Tracking Error – At the end of each trading day, the fund will calculate its Proxy Overlap and the standard deviation over the past three months of the daily proxy spread (i.e., the difference, in percentage terms, between the Proxy Portfolio per share NAV and that of the Actual Portfolio at the end of the trading day) and publish such information before the opening of fund share trading each Business Day.

**Monitoring of Actual and Proxy Portfolio Securities –** A security held in the Actual Portfolio but not in the Proxy Portfolio might not have readily available market quotations, which could be the situation when, for example, the fund's primary listing exchange institutes an extended trading halt in a portfolio security, leading to a potential increase in the difference between the value of the Actual Portfolio and Proxy Portfolio. If the trading of a security held in the fund's Actual Portfolio is halted or otherwise does not have readily available market quotations and the adviser or the subadviser believes that the lack of any such readily available market quotations may affect the reliability of the Proxy Portfolio as an arbitrage vehicle or otherwise determines it is in the best interest of the fund, the adviser or the subadviser promptly will disclose on the fund's website the identity and weighting of such security for so long as such security's trading is halted or otherwise does not have readily available market quotations and remains in the Actual Portfolio. The adviser and subadviser believe that this intra-day corrective measure will allow sufficient market information so that market participants can continue to engage in share arbitrage and hedging transactions effectively. If securities representing 10% or more of the fund's Actual Portfolio do not have readily available market quotations, the adviser or the subadviser would promptly request that the fund's primary listing exchange halt trading in the fund's shares.

The adviser and subadviser believe that in situations where a security in the Proxy Portfolio does not have a readily available market quotation, the effectiveness of the Proxy Portfolio as an arbitrage vehicle is unlikely to be materially affected given the large number of securities expected to be included in the Proxy Portfolio. If, however, the adviser or the subadviser believes that the lack of any such readily available market quotations may affect the reliability of the Proxy Portfolio as an arbitrage vehicle or otherwise determines it is in the best interest of the fund, the adviser or the subadviser will promptly take any remedial steps it believes necessary and appropriate.

**Protecting Confidential Information –** Because the fund will not publicly disclose its Actual Portfolio holdings daily, the selective disclosure of material nonpublic information, including information other than portfolio information, would be more likely to provide an unfair advantage to the recipient than in other ETFs. Accordingly, the fund and each person acting on behalf of the fund will be required to comply with Regulation Fair Disclosure as if it applied to them (except that the exemptions provided in Rule 100(b)(2)(iii) therein shall not apply). In addition, the Actual Portfolio will be considered material, non-public information under the codes of ethics of the fund, adviser, Distributor and the subadviser and the agreements related to the fund's other service providers with, or any other party given, access to the Actual Portfolio, including the custodian, administrator and fund accountant, will include appropriate confidentiality provisions and be generally prohibited from trading based upon this information.

#### Investments, Risks and Limitations
The Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF is a non-transparent, actively managed ETF that utilizes the NYSE Proxy Portfolio Methodology licensed from the NYSE Group. The fund operates in reliance on an exemptive order from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) (the Order), which incorporates by reference the conditions and restrictions of a previous order issued to Natixis ETF Trust II, to permit the operation of non-transparent active ETFs (the Natixis Order), and limits the types of investments the fund may hold to those listed in the application for the Natixis Order. Under the terms of the Order, the fund may invest only in exchange-traded funds, exchange-traded notes, exchange-traded common stocks (excluding "penny stocks"), common stocks listed on a foreign exchange that trade on such exchange contemporaneously with the fund's shares, exchange-traded preferred stocks, exchange-traded American Depositary Receipts, exchange-traded real estate investment trusts, exchange-traded commodity pools, exchange-traded metals trusts, exchange-traded currency trusts and exchange-traded futures that trade contemporaneously with fund shares, as well as cash and cash equivalents (which are short-term U.S. Treasury securities, government money market funds, and repurchase agreements). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, "exchange-traded" refers to a national securities exchange as defined in Section 2(a)(26) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), except that exchange-traded futures will be traded on a U.S. futures exchange where the reference asset is an asset the fund could invest in directly, or in the case of an index future, based on an index of a type of asset the fund could invest in directly. The fund will not borrow for investment purposes or hold short positions. The fund also will not purchase any securities that are illiquid investments at the time of purchase.

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The fund's investment adviser, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dba Schwab Asset Management (the Adviser), acts as "manager of managers" for the fund. In this role, Schwab Asset Management, subject to approval by the fund's Board, hires subadvisers to manage all, or portions, of the fund's assets.

The following investment strategies, risks and limitations supplement those set forth in the prospectus and may be changed without shareholder approval unless otherwise noted. Also, policies and limitations that state a maximum percentage of assets that may be invested in a security or other asset, or that set forth a quality standard, shall be measured immediately after and as a result of the fund's acquisition of such security or asset unless otherwise noted. Thus, except with respect to limitations on borrowing and futures contracts, any subsequent change in values, net assets or other circumstances does not require the fund to sell an investment if it could not then make the same investment.

From time to time the fund may hold certain securities not otherwise discussed in this SAI as a permissible investment for the fund. For example, the fund may invest in certain types of securities even if the types of securities have not been identified as part of the fund's investment strategy. To the extent an investment becomes part of the fund's investment strategy, the fund will take the necessary steps to identify them as permissible investments. In addition, the fund may receive (i.e., not actively invest) such securities as a result of a corporate action, such as securities dividends, spin-offs or rights issues. In such cases, the fund will not actively add to its position and generally will dispose of the securities as soon as reasonably practicable.

**Borrowing.** The fund may not borrow for investment purposes. The fund may borrow money from banks or through the Schwab Funds interfund borrowing and lending facility (as described below) for non-investment purposes, such as for temporary or emergency purposes; for example, the fund may borrow at times to meet redemption requests rather than sell portfolio securities to raise the necessary cash. Provisions of the 1940 Act, as amended, require the fund to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed, with an exception for certain temporary or emergency borrowings not exceeding 5% of the fund's total assets. If the 300% asset coverage should decline as a result of market fluctuations or other reasons, the fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) to reduce the debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to sell securities at that time.

The fund's borrowings will be subject to interest costs. Borrowing can also involve leveraging when securities are purchased with the borrowed money. Leveraging creates interest expenses that can exceed the income from the assets purchased with the borrowed money. In addition, leveraging may magnify changes in the net asset value of the fund's shares and in its portfolio yield. The fund is required to comply with the asset coverage requirements of the 1940 Act when it engages in borrowing activities. If assets used to secure a borrowing decrease in value, the fund may be required to pledge additional collateral to avoid liquidation of those assets.

The fund may establish lines-of-credit (lines) with certain banks by which it may borrow funds for temporary or emergency purposes. A borrowing is presumed to be for temporary or emergency purposes if it is repaid by the fund within 60 days and is not extended or renewed. The fund may use the lines to meet large or unexpected redemptions that would otherwise force the fund to liquidate securities under circumstances which are unfavorable to the fund's remaining shareholders. The fund will pay a fee to the bank for using the lines.

**Concentration** means that substantial amounts of assets are invested in a particular industry or group of industries. Concentration increases investment exposure to industry risk. For example, the automobile industry may have a greater exposure to a single factor, such as an increase in the price of oil, which may adversely affect the sale of automobiles and, as a result, the value of the industry's securities. The fund will not concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries.

**Cyber Security Risk.** As the use of technology, including cloud-based technology, and the frequency of cyber attacks in the market has become more prevalent, the fund is potentially more susceptible to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cybersecurity that may lead to financial losses. A breach in cybersecurity refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may, among other things, cause the fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption and/or destruction or lose operational capacity, or otherwise disrupt normal business operations. This in turn could adversely affect the fund and its shareholders by, among other things, interfering with the processing of shareholder transactions; impeding the fund's ability to calculate its net asset value (NAV); causing the release or misuse of confidential fund information or private shareholder information (which may violate privacy and other laws, including those related to identity theft). A cyber attack may cause financial losses by impeding trading, causing reputational damage, and subjecting the fund to regulatory penalties, fines, reimbursement or other compensation costs. Additional compliance costs could be associated with corrective measures and/or cybersecurity risk management. Cybersecurity breaches may involve unauthorized access to the fund's digital information systems (e.g., through "hacking" or malicious software coding), and may come from multiple sources, including from outside attacks such as denial-of-service attacks (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users) or cyber extortion, including exfiltration of data held for ransom and/or "ransomware" attacks that render systems inoperable until ransom is paid, or insider actions (e.g., intentionally or unintentionally harmful acts of adviser personnel). In addition, cybersecurity breaches involving the fund's third-party service providers (e.g., the fund's custodian and transfer agent), trading counterparties or issuers in which the fund invests can also subject the fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cybersecurity breaches or extortion of data. Recently, geopolitical tensions may have increased the scale and sophistication of deliberate cybersecurity attacks, particularly those from nation-states or from entities with nation-state backing.

Cybersecurity failures or breaches may result in financial losses to the fund and its shareholders. For example, cybersecurity failures or breaches involving trading counterparties or issuers in which the fund invests could adversely impact such counterparties or issuers and cause the fund's investment to lose value.

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Although the investment adviser has business continuity plans and risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cybersecurity, there are inherent limitations in these plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified, in large part because different or unknown threats may emerge in the future. As such, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially because the fund does not directly control the cybersecurity systems of issuers in which the fund may invest, trading counterparties or third-party service providers to the fund. Such entities have experienced cyber attacks and other attempts to gain unauthorized access to systems from time to time, and there is no guarantee that efforts to prevent or mitigate the effects of such attacks or other attempts to gain unauthorized access will be successful. There is also a risk that cybersecurity breaches may not be detected. There can be no assurance that the fund will not suffer losses relating to cyber attacks on the fund, their service providers, trading counterparties or the issuers in which the fund invests.

**Delayed-Delivery Transactions** include purchasing and selling securities on a delayed-delivery or when-issued basis. These transactions involve a commitment to buy or sell specific securities at a predetermined price or yield, with payment and delivery taking place after the customary settlement period for that type of security. When purchasing securities on a delayed-delivery basis, the fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership, including the risk of price and yield fluctuations. Typically, no interest will accrue to the fund until the security is delivered. When the fund sells a security on a delayed-delivery basis, the fund does not participate in further gains or losses with respect to that security. If the other party to a delayed-delivery transaction fails to deliver or pay for the securities, the fund could suffer losses.

**Depositary Receipts.** American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. The fund will not invest in any depositary receipts that the fund deems to be illiquid or for which pricing information is not readily available.

Although the two types of depositary receipt facilities (unsponsored or sponsored) are similar, there are differences regarding a holder's rights and obligations and the practices of market participants. A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of non-objection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon the deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other services. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the underlying issuer or to pass through voting rights to depositary receipt holders with respect to the underlying securities.

Sponsored depositary receipt facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depository and the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the depositary receipts (such as dividend payment fees of the depository), although most sponsored depositary receipts holders may bear costs such as deposit and withdrawal fees. Depositories of most sponsored depositary receipts agree to distribute notices of shareholder meetings, voting instructions, and other shareholder communications and information to the depositary receipt holders at the underlying issuer's request.

**Derivative Instruments** are commonly defined to include instruments or contracts whose values depend on (or "derive" from) the value of one or more other assets such as securities, currencies, or commodities. These "other assets" are commonly referred to as "underlying assets." The fund may use exchange-traded futures contracts, primarily to seek returns on the fund's otherwise uninvested cash assets.

Futures contracts may also be used to effect risk management strategies, which include investment techniques designed to facilitate the sale of portfolio securities, manage the average duration of the portfolio or create or alter exposure to certain asset classes, such as equity, other debt or foreign securities.

The fund's derivatives instruments can create (i) leverage risk, which generally refers to the risk that derivatives transactions can magnify the fund's gains and losses, (ii) market risk, which generally refers to the risk from potential adverse market movements in relation to the fund's derivatives positions, or the risk that markets could experience a change in volatility that adversely impacts fund returns and the fund's obligations and exposures, (iii) counterparty risk, which generally refers to the risk that a counterparty on a derivatives transaction may not be willing or able to perform its obligations under the derivatives contract, and the related risks of having concentrated exposure to such a counterparty, (iv) liquidity risk, which generally refers to the risk involving the liquidity demands that derivatives transactions can create to make payments of margin, collateral, or settlement payments to counterparties, (v) operational risk, which generally refers to the risk related to potential operational issues, including documentation issues, settlement issues, systems failures, inadequate controls, and human error and (vi) legal risk, which generally refers to insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of the counterparty, or legality or enforceability of a contract. Certain of these risks are described in more detail as they apply to specific derivatives instruments in the following sub-sections of this SAI.

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*<u>Futures Contracts</u>* are instruments that represent an agreement between two parties that obligates one party to buy, and the other party to sell, specific instruments at an agreed-upon price on a stipulated future date. In the case of futures contracts relating to an index or otherwise not calling for physical delivery at the close of the transaction, the parties usually agree to deliver the final cash settlement price of the contract. The fund may purchase and sell futures contracts based on securities, securities indices and foreign currencies, interest rates or any other futures contracts traded on U.S. exchanges or boards of trade that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) licenses and regulates on foreign exchanges. Although positions are usually marked-to-market on a daily basis with an intermediary (executing broker), there remains a credit risk with the futures exchange.

The fund must maintain a small portion of its assets in cash to process shareholder transactions and to pay its expenses. To reduce the effect this otherwise uninvested cash would have on its performance, the fund may purchase futures contracts. Such transactions allow the fund's cash balance to produce a return similar to that of the underlying security or index on which the futures contract is based. Also, the fund may purchase or sell futures contracts on a specified foreign currency to "fix" the price in U.S. dollars of the foreign security it has acquired or sold or expects to acquire or sell. The fund may enter into futures contracts for other reasons as well.

When buying or selling futures contracts, the fund must place a deposit with its broker equal to a fraction of the contract amount. This amount is known as "initial margin" and must be in the form of liquid assets, including cash, cash-equivalents and U.S. government securities. Subsequent payments to and from the broker, known as "variation margin" may be made daily, if necessary, as the value of the futures contracts fluctuate. This process is known as "marking-to-market." The initial margin amount will be returned to the fund upon termination of the futures contracts assuming all contractual obligations are satisfied. Because margin requirements are normally only a fraction of the amount of the futures contracts in a given transaction, futures trading can involve a great deal of leverage.

While the fund may purchase and sell futures contracts to simulate full investment, there are risks associated with these transactions. Adverse market movements could cause the fund to experience substantial losses when buying and selling futures contracts. Of course, barring significant market distortions, similar results would have been expected if the fund had instead transacted in the underlying securities directly. There also is the risk of losing any margin payments held by a broker in the event of its bankruptcy. Additionally, the fund incurs transaction costs (e.g., brokerage fees) when engaging in futures trading. To the extent the fund also invests in futures to simulate full investment, these same risks apply.

When interest rates are rising or securities prices are falling, the fund may seek, through the sale of futures contracts, to offset a decline in the value of its current portfolio securities. When interest rates are falling or prices are rising, the fund, through the purchase of futures contracts, may attempt to secure better rates or prices than might later be available in the market when it effects anticipated purchases. Similarly, the fund may sell futures contracts on a specified currency to protect against a decline in the value of that currency and its portfolio securities that are denominated in that currency. The fund may purchase futures contracts on a foreign currency to fix the price in U.S. dollars of a security denominated in that currency that the fund has acquired or expects to acquire.

Futures contracts may require actual delivery or acquisition of an underlying security or cash value of an index on the expiration date of the contract. In most cases, however, the contractual obligation is fulfilled before the date of the contract by buying or selling, as the case may be, identical futures contracts. Such offsetting transactions terminate the original contracts and cancel the obligation to take or make delivery of the underlying securities or cash. There may not always be a liquid secondary market at the time the fund seeks to close out a futures position. If the fund is unable to close out its position and prices move adversely, the fund would have to continue to make daily cash payments to maintain its margin requirements. If the fund had insufficient cash to meet these requirements it may have to sell portfolio securities at a disadvantageous time or incur extra costs by borrowing the cash. Also, the fund may be required to make or take delivery and incur extra transaction costs buying or selling the underlying securities. The fund seeks to reduce the risks associated with futures transactions by buying and selling futures contracts that are traded on national exchanges or for which there appears to be a liquid secondary market.

*<u>Derivatives Regulatory Matters.</u>* In October 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted a rule related to the use of derivatives, reverse repurchase agreements and certain other transactions by registered investment companies that rescinded and withdrew the guidance of the SEC and its staff regarding asset segregation and cover transactions previously applicable to the fund's use of such transactions. The rule requires the fund to trade derivatives and other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations (except reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions) subject to value-at-risk (VaR) leverage limits and derivatives risk management program and reporting requirements. Generally, these requirements apply unless the fund satisfies a "limited derivatives users" exception that is included in the rule. Under the rule, when the fund trades reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions, including certain tender option bonds, it needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness when calculating the fund's asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions. Reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions aggregated with other indebtedness do not need to be included in the calculation of whether the fund satisfies the limited derivatives users exception, but for funds subject to the VaR testing requirement, reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions must be included for purposes of such testing whether treated as derivatives transactions or not. The SEC also provided guidance in connection with the rule regarding the use of securities lending collateral that may limit the fund's securities lending activities. In addition, under the rule, the fund is permitted to invest in a security on a when-issued or forward-settling basis, or with a non-standard settlement cycle, and the transaction will be deemed not to involve a senior security (as defined under Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act), provided that, (i) the fund intends to physically settle the transaction and (ii) the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date (the Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision). The fund may otherwise

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engage in when-issued, forward-settling and non-standard settlement cycle securities transactions that do not meet the conditions of the Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision so long as the fund treats any such transaction as a "derivatives transaction" for purposes of compliance with the rule. Furthermore, under the rule, the fund will be permitted to enter into an unfunded commitment agreement, and such unfunded commitment agreement will not be subject to the asset coverage requirements under the 1940 Act, if the fund reasonably believes, at the time it enters into such agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations with respect to all such agreements as they come due. These requirements may limit the ability of the fund to use derivatives, and reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions, when-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions, and unfunded commitment agreements as part of its investment strategies. These requirements may increase the cost of the fund's investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors. The investment adviser cannot predict the effects of these regulations on the fund. The investment adviser seeks to manage the fund in a manner consistent with achieving the fund's investment objectives, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful in doing so.

The CFTC regulates the trading of commodity interests, including certain futures contracts, options, and swaps in which the fund may invest. A fund that invests in commodity interests will generally be subject to certain CFTC regulatory requirements if it is considered a "commodity pool." A notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" (CPO) under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (CEA) has been filed, by the investment adviser, with respect to the fund's operation. Therefore, the fund and its investment adviser are not subject to registration or regulation as a CPO under the CEA. If the fund's investment adviser were no longer able to claim the exclusion, the fund's investment adviser may be required to register as a CPO and the fund and its investment adviser would be subject to regulation as a CPO under the CEA. If the fund or its investment adviser is subject to CFTC regulation, it may incur additional expenses and/or may choose to make changes to its investment strategies.

**Diversification** involves investing in a wide range of securities and thereby spreading and reducing the risks of investment. The fund is a series of an open-end investment management company with limited redeemability. The fund is a diversified exchange-traded fund. Diversification does not eliminate the risk of market loss.

**Equity Securities** represent ownership interests in a company, and are commonly called "stocks." Equity securities historically have outperformed most other securities, although their prices can fluctuate based on changes in a company's financial condition, market conditions and political, economic or even company-specific news. When a stock's price declines, its market value is lowered even though the intrinsic value of the company may not have changed. Sometimes factors, such as economic conditions or political events, affect the value of stocks of companies of the same or similar industry or group of industries, and may affect the entire stock market.

Types of equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, depositary receipts, and interests in real estate investment trusts (REITs). (For more information on REITs, see the section titled "Real Estate Investment Trusts" and for more information on depositary receipts, see the section titled "Depositary Receipts").

*<u>Common Stocks,</u>* which are probably the most recognized type of equity security, represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer and usually entitle the owner to voting rights in the election of the corporation's directors and any other matters submitted to the corporation's shareholders for voting, as well as to receive dividends on such stock. The market value of common stock can fluctuate widely, as it reflects increases and decreases in an issuer's earnings. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of bond owners, other debt holders and owners of preferred stock take precedence over the claims of common stock owners. Common stocks are typically categorized by their market capitalization as large-, mid- or small-cap.

*<u>Preferred Stocks</u>* are a permissible non-principal investment for the fund. Preferred stocks represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer but do not ordinarily carry voting rights, though they may carry limited voting rights. Preferred stocks normally have preference over the corporation's assets and earnings, however. For example, preferred stocks have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends. Preferred stocks normally pay dividends at a specified rate. However, preferred stock may be purchased where the issuer has omitted, or is in danger of omitting, payment of its dividend. Such investments would be made primarily for their capital appreciation potential. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of bond owners take precedence over the claims of preferred and common stock owners. Certain classes of preferred stock are convertible into shares of common stock of the issuer. By holding convertible preferred stock, the fund can receive a steady stream of dividends and still have the option to convert the preferred stock to common stock. Preferred stock is subject to many of the same risks as common stock and debt securities.

*<u>Initial Public Offering</u>* (IPO). As part of its non-principal investment strategy, the fund may purchase shares issued as part of, or a short period after, a company's IPO, and may at times dispose of those shares shortly after their acquisition. The fund's purchase of shares issued in IPOs exposes it to the risks associated with companies that have little operating history as public companies, as well as to the risks inherent in those sectors of the market where these new issuers operate. The market for IPO issuers has been volatile, and share prices of newly-public companies have fluctuated significantly over short periods of time.

*<u>Master Limited Partnerships</u>* (MLPs). As part of its non-principal investment strategy, the fund may purchase units of MLPs. MLPs are limited partnerships or limited liability companies, whose partnership units or limited liability interests are listed and traded on a U.S. securities exchange, and are treated as publicly traded partnerships for federal income tax purposes. To qualify to be treated as a partnership for tax purposes, an MLP must receive at least 90% of its income from qualifying sources as set forth in Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (Internal Revenue Code). These qualifying sources include activities such as the exploration, development, mining, production,

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processing, refining, transportation, storage and marketing of mineral or natural resources. MLPs generally have two classes of owners, the general partner and limited partners. MLPs that are formed as limited liability companies generally have two analogous classes of owners, the managing member and the members. For purposes of this section, references to general partners also apply to managing members and references to limited partners also apply to members. The general partner is typically owned by a major energy company, an investment fund, the direct management of the MLP or is an entity owned by one or more of such parties. The general partner may be structured as a private or publicly traded corporation or other entity. The general partner typically controls the operations and management of the MLP through an equity interest of as much as 2% in the MLP plus, in many cases, ownership of common units and subordinated units. Limited partners own the remainder of the MLP through ownership of common units and have a limited role in the MLP's operations and management.

MLPs are typically structured such that common units and general partner interests have first priority to receive quarterly cash distributions up to an established minimum amount (minimum quarterly distributions or MQD). Common and general partner interests also accrue arrearages in distributions to the extent the MQD is not paid. Once common and general partner interests have been paid, subordinated units receive distributions of up to the MQD; however, subordinated units do not accrue arrearages. Distributable cash in excess of the MQD paid to both common and subordinated units is distributed to both common and subordinated units generally on a pro rata basis. The general partner is also eligible to receive incentive distributions if the general partner operates the business in a manner which results in distributions paid per common unit surpassing specified target levels. As the general partner increases cash distributions to the limited partners, the general partner receives an increasingly higher percentage of the incremental cash distributions. A common arrangement provides that the general partner can reach a tier where it receives 50% of every incremental dollar paid to common and subordinated unit holders. These incentive distributions encourage the general partner to streamline costs, increase capital expenditures and acquire assets in order to increase the partnership's cash flow and raise the quarterly cash distribution in order to reach higher tiers. Such results benefit all security holders of the MLP.

General partner interests of MLPs are typically retained by an MLP's original sponsors, such as its founders, corporate partners, entities that sell assets to the MLP and investors such as the fund. A holder of general partner interests can be liable under certain circumstances for amounts greater than the amount of the holder's investment in the general partner interest. General partner interests often confer direct board participation rights and in many cases, operating control, over the MLP. These interests themselves are not publicly traded, although they may be owned by publicly traded entities. General partner interests receive cash distributions, typically 2% of the MLP's aggregate cash distributions, which are contractually defined in the partnership agreement. In addition, holders of general partner interests typically hold incentive distribution rights, which provide them with a larger share of the aggregate MLP cash distributions as the distributions to limited partner unit holders are increased to prescribed levels. General partner interests generally cannot be converted into common units. The general partner interest can be redeemed by the MLP if the MLP unitholders choose to remove the general partner, typically with a supermajority vote by limited partner unitholders.

**Exchange-Traded Funds** (ETFs) such as the fund, are investment companies that typically are registered under the 1940 Act as open-end funds (as is the fund's case) or unit investment trusts (UITs). ETFs are actively traded on national securities exchanges and are generally based on specific domestic and foreign market indices. Shares of an ETF may be bought and sold throughout the day at market prices, which may be higher or lower than the shares' net asset value. Market prices of ETF shares will fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and materially, in response to various factors including changes in the ETF's net asset value, the value of ETF holdings, and supply of and demand for ETF shares. Although the creation/redemption feature of ETFs generally makes it more likely that ETF shares will trade close to their net asset value, market volatility, lack of an active trading market for ETF shares, disruptions at market participants (such as Authorized Participants or market makers) and any disruptions in the ordinary functioning of the creation/redemption process may result in ETF shares trading significantly above (at a "premium") or below (at a "discount") their net asset value. An ETF's investment results are based on the ETF's daily net asset value. Investors transacting in ETF shares in the secondary market, where market prices may differ from net asset value, may experience investment results that differ from results based on the ETF's daily net asset value. An "index-based ETF" seeks to track the performance of an index by holding in its portfolio either the contents of the index or a representative sample of the securities in the index. Because ETFs are based on an underlying basket of stocks or an index, they are subject to the same market fluctuations as these types of securities in volatile market swings. ETFs, like mutual funds, have expenses associated with their operation, including advisory fees. When the fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the ETF's expenses. As with any exchange listed security, ETF shares purchased in the secondary market are subject to customary brokerage charges.

**Foreign Securities.** Investments in foreign securities, such as common stocks listed on a foreign exchange that trade contemporaneously with the fund's shares, involve additional risks, including foreign currency exchange rate risks, because they are issued by foreign entities, including foreign governments, banks and corporations or because they are traded principally overseas. Foreign securities in which the fund may invest include those issued by foreign entities that are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. corporations. In addition, there may be less publicly available information about foreign entities. Foreign economic, political and legal developments, a compromise in public health and safety, as well as fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates and withholding taxes, could have more dramatic effects on the value of foreign securities. For example, conditions within and around foreign countries, such as the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, diplomatic developments, currency blockage, the imposition of sanctions and other similar measures, change of government or war could affect the value of foreign investments. Additionally, a country could experience a public health threat such as an infectious illness which could reduce consumer demand

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or economic output and/or result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, all of which could affect the value of that country's securities and impact global markets. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position.

Foreign securities typically have less volume and are generally less liquid and more volatile than securities of U.S. companies. Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although the fund will endeavor to achieve the most favorable overall results on portfolio transactions. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of foreign securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. There may be difficulties in obtaining or enforcing judgments against foreign issuers as well. Bankruptcy laws in some foreign countries are sometimes biased to the borrowers and against the creditors. These factors and others may increase the risks with respect to the liquidity of the fund.

In addition, the fund's investments in foreign securities may be subject to economic sanctions or other government restrictions. The type and severity of sanctions and other similar measures, including counter sanctions and other retaliatory actions, that may be imposed could vary broadly in scope, and their impact is difficult to ascertain. These types of measures may include, but are not limited to, banning a sanctioned country or certain persons or entities associated with such country from global payment systems that facilitate cross-border payments, restricting the settlement of securities transactions by certain investors, and freezing the assets of particular countries, entities or persons. The imposition of sanctions and other similar measures could, among other things, result in a decline in the value and/or liquidity of securities issued by the sanctioned country or companies located in or economically tied to the sanctioned country, downgrades in the credit ratings of the sanctioned country's securities or those of companies located in or economically tied to the sanctioned country, currency devaluation or volatility, and increased market volatility and disruption in the sanctioned country and throughout the world. Sanctions and other similar measures could directly or indirectly limit or prevent the fund from buying and selling securities (in the sanctioned country and other markets), significantly delay or prevent the settlement of securities transactions, and adversely impact the fund's liquidity and performance.

Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and, in certain markets, there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of the fund is uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Losses to the fund arising out of the inability to fulfill a contract to sell such securities also could result in potential liability for the fund.

Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may be made and held in foreign currencies. In addition, the fund may hold cash investments in foreign currencies. These investments may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency rates and in exchange control regulations, and may cause the fund to incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. The rate of exchange between the U.S. dollar and other currencies is determined by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange market as well as by political and economic factors. Changes in the foreign currency exchange rates also may affect the value of dividends and interest earned, gains and losses realized on the sale of securities, and net investment income and gains, if any, to be distributed to shareholders by the fund.

**Foreign Institutions** involve additional risks. The fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities issued by foreign institutions or securities that are subject to credit or liquidity enhancements provided by foreign institutions. Foreign institutions may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements that are comparable to those applicable to U.S. corporations. In addition, there may be less publicly available information about foreign entities. Foreign economic, political and legal developments could have effects on the value of securities issued or supported by foreign institutions. For example, conditions within and around foreign countries, such as the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, diplomatic developments, change of government or war could affect the value of these securities. In addition, there may be difficulties in obtaining or enforcing judgments against foreign institutions that issue or support securities in which the fund may invest. These factors and others may increase the risks with respect to the liquidity of the fund.

**Illiquid Securities or Investments** means any investment that the fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. The liquidity of the fund's investments is monitored under the supervision and direction of the Board and is governed by the 1940 Act and rules promulgated thereunder. Investments currently not considered liquid include, among others, repurchase agreements not maturing within seven days that are not subject to a demand feature of seven days or less and certain restricted securities. Any investment may become illiquid in times of market dislocation. The fund will not purchase any securities that are illiquid investments at the time of purchase.

**Inflation/Deflation Risk.** The fund may be subject to inflation and deflation risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the present value of assets or income from the fund's investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the fund's assets can decline. Deflation risk is the risk that prices throughout the economy decline over time. Deflation may have an adverse effect on the creditworthiness of issuers and may make issuer default more likely, which may result in a decline in the value of the fund's assets.

**Interfund Borrowing and Lending.** The fund may borrow money from and/or lend money to other funds in the Fund Complex, as defined under "Management of the Fund," including funds and ETFs not discussed in this SAI or in the corresponding prospectus. All loans are for temporary or emergency purposes and the interest rates to be charged will be the average of the overnight repurchase agreement rate and the short-term

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bank loan rate. All loans are subject to numerous conditions designed to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all participating funds. These conditions include, for example, that the fund's participation in the credit facility must be consistent with its investment policies and limitations and organizational documents; no fund may lend to another fund through the interfund lending facility if the loan would cause the aggregate outstanding loans through the credit facility to exceed 15% of the lending fund's current net assets at the time of the loan; and that the fund's interfund loans to any one fund shall not exceed 5% of the lending fund's net assets. The interfund lending facility is subject to the oversight and periodic review of the Board.

**Market Disruptions Risk.** The fund is subject to investment and operational risks associated with financial, economic and other global market developments and disruptions, including those arising from war, terrorism, market manipulation, government interventions, tariffs, defaults and shutdowns, political changes or diplomatic developments, public health emergencies (such as the spread of infectious diseases, epidemics and pandemics) and natural/environmental disasters, which can all negatively impact the securities markets and cause the fund to lose value. These events can also impair the technology and other operational systems upon which the fund's service providers, including Schwab Asset Management as the fund's investment adviser, rely, and could otherwise disrupt the fund's service providers' ability to fulfill their obligations to the fund.

A widespread health crisis, such as an infectious disease outbreak, epidemic or pandemic, could cause substantial market volatility, securities exchange suspensions, restrictions or closures, and other deleterious effects, any of which could disrupt fund operations and adversely affect fund performance. For example, the outbreak of COVID-19, a novel coronavirus disease, caused volatility, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints in many markets, including those in which the fund invests. Efforts to contain the spread of infectious disease could result in travel restrictions and disruptions, closed international borders, enhanced health screenings at ports of entry and elsewhere, disruption of and delays in healthcare service preparation and delivery, quarantines, event and service cancellations or interruptions, disruptions to business operations (including staff reductions), supply chains and consumer activity, as well as general concern and uncertainty that could have negative economic effects. Such disruptions could lead to instability in the market place, including losses and overall volatility. Future health crises could adversely affect economies, the financial performance of individual issuers, borrowers and sectors and the health of the markets generally in potentially significant and unforeseen ways.

War, terrorism and related responses and events could cause substantial market volatility, disrupt fund operations and adversely affect fund performance. For example, Russia's military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, responses by the United States and other countries to the invasion and the potential for wider conflict have increased and may continue to increase volatility and uncertainty in financial markets worldwide. The United States and other countries have imposed broad-ranging economic sanctions on Russia and Russian entities and individuals that, among other restrictions, prohibit companies from doing business with Russia and Russian issuers, and may adversely affect companies with economic or financial exposure to Russia and Russian issuers. The United States and other countries have also imposed economic sanctions on Belarus and may impose sanctions on other countries that support Russia's military invasion. Additionally, armed conflict between Israel and Hamas and other militant groups in the Middle East and related events could cause significant market disruptions and volatility. These events and other similar events could negatively affect the fund's performance.

U.S. and global markets have experienced increased volatility in past years, including as a result of the failures of certain U.S. and non-U.S. banks, which could be harmful to the fund and issuers in which it invests. For example, if a bank in which the fund or an issuer has an account fails, any cash or other assets in bank accounts may be temporarily inaccessible or permanently lost by the fund or issuer. If a bank that provides a subscription line credit facility, asset-based facility, other credit facility and/or other services to an issuer fails, the issuer could be unable to draw funds under its credit facilities or obtain replacement credit facilities or other services from other lending institutions with similar terms. Even if banks used by issuers in which the fund invests remain solvent, continued volatility in the banking sector could cause or intensify an economic recession, increase the costs of banking services or result in the issuers being unable to obtain or refinance indebtedness at all or on as favorable terms as could otherwise have been obtained. Conditions in the banking sector are evolving, and the scope of any potential impacts to the fund and issuers, both from market conditions and also potential legislative or regulatory responses, are uncertain. Continued market volatility and uncertainty and/or a downturn in market and economic and financial conditions, as a result of developments in the banking industry or otherwise (including as a result of delayed access to cash or credit facilities), could have an adverse impact on the fund and issuers in which it invests.

International trade tensions may arise from time to time which could result in trade tariffs, embargos or other restrictions or limitations on trade. The imposition of any actions on trade could trigger a significant reduction in international trade, an oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods, possible failure of individual companies or industries, slower economic growth or recession, inflation, increased unemployment or market volatility, any of which could have a negative impact on the fund's performance. Recently the United States has increased tariffs or threatened to increase tariffs on imports from certain countries and on certain imported goods. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to retaliatory actions by other countries and an escalation of trade barriers, and could heighten the aforementioned risks to the fund.

The foregoing could lead to a significant economic downturn or recession, increased market volatility, market closures, changes in interest rates, higher default rates and adverse effects on the values and liquidity of securities or other assets. Such impacts, which may vary across asset classes, may adversely affect the performance of the fund. In certain cases, an exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities or even the entire market, which may result in the fund being, among other things, unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments or to accurately price its investments.

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**Mid-Cap Stocks** include common stocks issued by operating companies with market capitalizations that place them between the upper and lower end of the stock market, as well as the stocks of companies that are determined to be mid-sized based on several factors, including the capitalization of the company and the amount of revenues. REITs and other real estate companies may be small- to medium-sized companies in relation to the equity markets as a whole. Historically, mid-cap stocks have been riskier than large-cap stocks. Mid-cap companies themselves may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies. Stock prices of mid-sized companies may be based in substantial part on future expectations rather than current achievements and may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns. During a period when mid-cap stocks fall behind other types of investments – large-cap stocks, for instance – the fund's mid-cap holdings could reduce performance.

Mid-cap companies may have less certain growth prospects and are typically less diversified and less able to withstand changing economic conditions than larger capitalized companies. Mid-cap companies also may have more limited product lines, markets or financial resources than companies with larger capitalizations, and may be more dependent on a relatively smaller management group. In addition, mid-cap companies may not be well known to the investing public, may not have institutional ownership and may have only cyclical, static or moderate growth prospects. Mid-cap company stocks may pay low or no dividends. These factors and others may cause sharp changes in the value of a mid-cap company's stock, and even cause some mid-cap companies to fail. While mid-cap stocks are generally considered to offer greater growth opportunities for investors than large-cap stocks, they involve greater risks and the share price of a fund that invests in mid-cap stocks may change sharply during the short term and long term.

**Operational Risk.** The fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the fund's service providers, counterparties or other third parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or system failures. The fund seeks to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures believed to be reasonably designed to address these risks. However, these controls and procedures cannot address every possible risk and may not fully mitigate the risks that they are intended to address.

**Real Estate Investment Trusts** (REITs) are pooled investment vehicles, which invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests and, in some cases, manage real estate. The fund will only invest in REITs that are exchange-traded. REITs are sometimes referred to as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or hybrid REITs. An equity REIT invests primarily in properties and generates income from rental and lease properties and, in some cases, from the management of real estate. Equity REITs also offer the potential for growth as a result of property appreciation and from the sale of appreciated property. Mortgage REITs invest primarily in real estate mortgages, which may secure construction, development or long-term loans, and derive income for the collection of interest payments. Hybrid REITs may combine the features of equity REITs and mortgage REITs. REITs are generally organized as corporations or business trusts, but are not taxed as a corporation if they meet certain requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. To qualify, a REIT must, among other things, invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including other REITs), cash and government securities, distribute at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders and receive at least 75% of that income from rents, mortgages and sales of property.

Like any investment in real estate, a REIT's performance depends on many factors, such as its ability to find tenants for its properties, to renew leases, and to finance property purchases and renovations. In general, REITs may be affected by changes in underlying real estate values, which may have an exaggerated effect to the extent a REIT concentrates its investment in certain regions or property types. For example, rental income could decline because of extended vacancies, increased competition from nearby properties, tenants' failure to pay rent, or incompetent management. Property values could decrease because of overbuilding, environmental liabilities, uninsured damages caused by natural disasters, a general decline in the neighborhood, losses due to casualty or condemnation, increases in property taxes, or changes in zoning laws. Ultimately, a REIT's performance depends on the types of properties it owns and how well the REIT manages its properties. Additionally, declines in the market value of a REIT may reflect not only depressed real estate prices, but may also reflect the degree of leverage utilized by the REIT.

In general, during periods of rising interest rates, REITs may lose some of their appeal for investors who may be able to obtain higher yields from other income-producing investments, such as long term bonds. Higher interest rates also mean that financing for property purchases and improvements is more costly and difficult to obtain. During periods of declining interest rates, certain mortgage REITs may hold mortgages that mortgagors elect to prepay, which can reduce the yield on securities issued by mortgage REITs. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the ability of borrowers to repay debts to the REIT when due and equity REITs may be affected by the ability of tenants to pay rent.

Like small-cap stocks in general, certain REITs have relatively small market capitalizations and their securities can be more volatile than – and at times will perform differently from – large-cap stocks. In addition, because small-cap stocks are typically less liquid than large-cap stocks, REIT stocks may sometimes experience greater share-price fluctuations than the stocks of larger companies. Further, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification, and are therefore subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. By investing in REITs indirectly through the fund, a shareholder will bear indirectly a proportionate share of the REIT's expenses in addition to their proportionate share of the fund's expenses. Finally, REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act and CFTC regulations.

**Repurchase Agreements** are instruments under which a buyer acquires ownership of certain securities (usually U.S. government securities) from a seller who agrees to repurchase the securities at a mutually agreed-upon time and price, thereby determining the yield during the buyer's holding period. Any repurchase agreements the fund enters into will involve the fund as the buyer and banks or broker-dealers as sellers. The period of repurchase agreements is usually short, from overnight to one week, although the securities collateralizing a repurchase agreement may

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have longer maturity dates. Default by the seller might cause the fund to experience a loss or delay in the liquidation of the collateral securing the repurchase agreement. The fund also may incur disposition costs in liquidating the collateral. In the event of a bankruptcy or other default of a repurchase agreement's seller, the fund might incur expenses in enforcing its rights, and could experience losses, including a decline in the value of the underlying securities and loss of income. Certain repurchase agreements the fund may enter into may or may not be subject to an automatic stay in bankruptcy proceedings. The fund will make payment under a repurchase agreement only upon physical delivery or evidence of book entry transfer of the collateral to the account of its custodian bank. Repurchase agreements are the economic equivalents of loans.

**Securities Lending** of portfolio securities is a common practice in the securities industry. The fund may engage in security lending arrangements. When the fund is lending portfolio securities, the fund may receive cash collateral and may invest it in short-term U.S. Treasury securities, government money market funds and repurchase agreements, but will do so only to the extent that it will not lose the tax treatment available to regulated investment companies. Lending portfolio securities involves risks that the borrower may fail to return the securities or provide additional collateral. Also, voting rights with respect to the loaned securities may pass with the lending of the securities and efforts to recall such securities promptly may be unsuccessful, especially for foreign securities. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in, or delay in recovery of, the loaned securities, if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral.

The fund may loan portfolio securities to qualified broker-dealers or other institutional investors provided: (1) the loan is secured continuously by collateral consisting of short-term U.S. Treasury securities, government money market funds and repurchase agreements maintained on a daily marked-to-market basis in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned; (2) the fund may at any time call the loan and obtain the return of the securities loaned; (3) the fund will receive payments in lieu of any interest or dividends paid on the loaned securities; and (4) the aggregate market value of securities loaned will not at any time exceed one-third of the total assets of the fund, including collateral received from the loan (at market value computed at the time of the loan).

Although voting rights with respect to loaned securities pass to the borrower, the lender retains the right to recall a security (or terminate a loan) for the purpose of exercising the security's voting rights. Efforts to recall such securities promptly may be unsuccessful, especially for foreign securities or thinly traded securities such as small-cap stocks. In addition, because recalling a security may involve expenses to the fund, it is expected that the fund will do so only where the items being voted upon are, in the judgment of the investment adviser, either material to the economic value of the security or threaten to materially impact the issuer's corporate governance policies or structure.

To the extent the fund participates in securities lending under the current securities lending agreements with unaffiliated lending agents, costs and expenses, including agent fees, associated with securities lending activities under the securities lending program paid to the unaffiliated lending agents start at 9% of gross lending revenue, with subsequent breakpoints to a low of 5%. In this context, the gross lending revenue equals the income received from the investment of cash collateral and fees paid by borrowers less any rebates paid to borrowers. Any expenses charged by the cash collateral fund are in addition to these fees. All remaining revenue is retained by the fund, as applicable. No portion of the lending revenue is paid to or retained by Schwab Asset Management or any affiliate of Schwab Asset Management.

**Securities of Other Investment Companies.** Investment companies generally offer investors the advantages of diversification and professional investment management, by combining shareholders' money and investing it in securities such as stocks, bonds and money market instruments. Investment companies include: (1) open-end funds (commonly called mutual funds) that issue and redeem their shares on a continuous basis; (2) Business Development Companies (BDCs) that generally invest in, and provide services to, privately-held companies or thinly-traded public companies; (3) closed-end funds that offer a fixed number of shares, and are usually listed on an exchange; (4) UITs that generally offer a fixed number of redeemable shares; and (5) money market funds that typically seek current income by investing in money market securities. The fund will only invest in exchange-traded funds structured as open-end funds, or UITs that are traded on exchanges and/or government money market funds.

To the extent the fund invests, or has invested, in shares of other investment companies during its prior fiscal year, the fund, pursuant to SEC rules, must disclose any material fees and expenses indirectly incurred by the fund as a result of such investments. These indirect fees and expenses, to the extent incurred, will appear in the fee table of the fund's prospectus as a separate line item captioned "Acquired fund fees and expenses."

Investment companies may make investments and use techniques designed to enhance their performance. These may include delayed-delivery and when-issued securities transactions; swap agreements; buying and selling futures contracts, illiquid, and/or restricted securities and repurchase agreements; and borrowing or lending money and/or portfolio securities. The risks of investing in a particular investment company will generally reflect the risks of the securities in which it invests and the investment techniques it employs. Also, investment companies charge fees and incur expenses.

The fund may buy securities of other investment companies, including those of foreign issuers, in compliance with the requirements of federal law or any SEC exemptive order.

Federal law restricts the ability of one registered investment company to invest in another. As a result, the extent to which the fund may invest in another investment company may be limited. Except as described below, the 1940 Act currently requires that, as determined immediately after a purchase is made, (i) not more than 5% of the value of a fund's total assets will be invested in the securities of any one acquired investment company (acquired fund), (ii) not more than 10% of the value of its total assets will be invested in the aggregate in securities of acquired funds as a group and (iii) not more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one acquired fund will be owned by a fund.

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The limitations described above do not apply to investments in money market funds subject to certain conditions. The fund may invest in affiliated and unaffiliated money market funds without limit under Rule 12d1-1 under the 1940 Act subject to the fund's investment policies and restrictions and the conditions of the Rule.

Rule 12d1-4 allows a fund to acquire shares of an acquired fund in excess of the limitations currently imposed by the 1940 Act. Fund of funds arrangements relying on Rule 12d1-4 will be subject to several conditions, certain of which are specific to a fund's position in the arrangement (i.e., as an acquiring or acquired fund). Notable conditions include those relating to: (i) control and voting that prohibit an acquiring fund, its investment adviser (or a subadviser) and their respective affiliates from beneficially owning more than 25% of the outstanding voting securities of an unaffiliated acquired fund; (ii) certain required findings relating to complexity, fees and undue influence (among other things); (iii) fund of funds investment agreements; and (iv) general limitations on an acquired fund's investments in other investment companies and private funds to no more than 10% of the acquired fund's assets, except in certain circumstances. To the extent the fund is an acquired fund, the limitations placed on acquired funds under Rule 12d1-4 may impact the investments made by the fund.

**Small-Cap Stocks** include common stocks issued by operating companies with market capitalizations that place them at the lower end of the stock market, as well as the stocks of companies that are determined to be small based on several factors, including the capitalization of the company and the amount of revenues. REITs and other real estate companies may be small- to medium-sized companies in relation to the equity markets as a whole. Historically, small company stocks have been riskier than stocks issued by large- or mid-cap companies for a variety of reasons. Small-cap companies may have less certain growth prospects and are typically less diversified and less able to withstand changing economic conditions than larger capitalized companies. Small-cap companies also may have more limited product lines, markets or financial resources than companies with larger capitalizations, and may be more dependent on a relatively small management group. In addition, small-cap companies may not be well known to the investing public, may not have institutional ownership and may have only cyclical, static or moderate growth prospects. Most small company stocks pay low or no dividends.

These factors and others may cause sharp changes in the value of a small company's stock, and even cause some small-cap companies to fail. Additionally, small-cap stocks may not be as broadly traded as large- or mid-cap stocks, and the fund's positions in securities of such companies may be substantial in relation to the market for such securities. Accordingly, it may be difficult for the fund to dispose of securities of these small-cap companies at prevailing market prices to meet redemptions. This lower degree of liquidity can adversely affect the value of these securities. For these reasons and others, the value of the fund's investments in small-cap stocks is expected to be more volatile than other types of investments, including other types of stock investments. While small-cap stocks are generally considered to offer greater growth opportunities for investors, they involve greater risks and the share price of a fund that invests in small-cap stocks may change sharply during the short term and long term.

**Temporary Defensive Strategies.** During unusual economic or market conditions or for temporary defensive or liquidity purposes, the fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash, short-term U.S. Treasury securities, government money market funds and repurchase agreements that would not ordinarily be consistent with the fund's objectives. The fund will do so only if the investment adviser or subadviser believes that the risk of loss outweighs the opportunity for capital gains or higher income. When the fund engages in such activities, it may not achieve its investment objective.

**U.S. Government Securities** in which the fund may invest consist of securities issued by the U.S. Treasury. U.S. Treasury Securities are obligations of the U.S. Treasury and include bills, notes and bonds. U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government. U.S. Treasury securities are among the safest securities; however, not unlike other debt securities, they are still sensitive to interest rate changes, which will cause their yields and prices to fluctuate. The fund may invest in short-term U.S. Treasury securities, as well as government money market funds and repurchase agreements.

The risk of default on U.S. government securities may be heightened when there is uncertainty relating to negotiations in the U.S. Congress over increasing the statutory debt ceiling or periodic legislation to fund the government. If the U.S. Congress is unable to negotiate an increase to the statutory debt ceiling or pass legislation to fund the government, the U.S. government may default on certain U.S. government securities including those held by the fund, which could have an adverse impact on the fund. In August 2011, the long-term credit rating of the U.S. government was downgraded by a major rating agency as a result of concern about the U.S. government's budget deficit and rising debt burden. More recently, in August 2023, another major rating agency downgraded the long-term credit rating of the U.S. government debt burden and an erosion of governance relative to peers. Similar downgrades in the future could increase volatility in domestic and foreign financial markets, result in higher interest rates, lower prices of U.S. Treasury securities and increase the costs of different kinds of debt. It is possible that under certain scenarios the U.S. government could default on its debt, including U.S. Treasury securities.

#### Investment Limitations
**The investment limitations below may be changed only by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the fund.**

Under the 1940 Act, a "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities" of the fund means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the fund or (2) 67% or more of the shares present at a shareholders meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy.

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#### The fund may not:
(1) Purchase securities of an issuer, except as consistent with the maintenance of its status as an open-end diversified company under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

(2) Concentrate investments in a particular industry or group of industries, as concentration is defined under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

(3) Purchase or sell commodities, commodities contracts or real estate, lend or borrow money, issue senior securities, underwrite securities issued by others, or pledge, mortgage or hypothecate any of its assets, except as permitted by (or not prohibited by) the 1940 Act or the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

#### The following descriptions of the 1940 Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions.
<u>Borrowing.</u> The 1940 Act restricts an investment company from borrowing (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in excess of 33 ⅓% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets). Transactions that are entered into in accordance with the conditions to applicable SEC requirements shall not be regarded as borrowings for the purposes of the fund's investment restriction. The fund will not borrow for investment purposes.

<u>Concentration.</u> The SEC has defined concentration as investing more than 25% of an investment company's total assets in an industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions such as with respect to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities, or tax-exempt obligations of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions.

<u>Diversification.</u> Under the 1940 Act and the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, a "diversified company," as to 75% of its total assets, may not purchase securities of any issuer (other than obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. government or its agencies, or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuer's voting securities would be held by the fund.

<u>Lending.</u> Under the 1940 Act, an investment company may only make loans if expressly permitted by its investment policies.

<u>Real Estate.</u> The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company's ability to invest in real estate, but does require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments. The fund has adopted a fundamental policy that would permit direct investment in real estate. However, the fund has a non-fundamental investment limitation that prohibits it from investing directly in real estate. This non-fundamental policy may be changed only by vote of the fund's Board.

<u>Senior Securities.</u> Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by an investment company evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits the fund from issuing senior securities, although it provides allowances for certain borrowings and certain other investments, such as short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, and firm commitment agreements, when such investments are entered into in accordance with the conditions to applicable SEC requirements.

<u>Underwriting.</u> Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves an investment company purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating in any such activity either directly or indirectly. Under the 1940 Act, a diversified fund may not make any commitment as underwriter, if immediately thereafter the amount of its outstanding underwriting commitments, plus the value of its investments in securities of issuers (other than investment companies) of which it owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities, exceeds 25% of the value of its total assets.

#### The following are non-fundamental investment policies and restrictions, and may be changed by the Board.

#### The fund may not:
(1) Sell securities short except as in accordance with current SEC rules and interpretations.

(2) Purchase securities on margin, except such short term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities and provided that margin deposits in connection with futures contracts, options on futures or other derivative instruments shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

(3) Borrow money except that the fund may (i) borrow money from banks or through an interfund lending facility, if any, and engage in reverse repurchase agreements with any party provided that such borrowings and reverse repurchase agreements in combination do not exceed 33 ⅓% of its total assets, including the amount borrowed (but not including temporary or emergency borrowings not exceeding 5%); and (ii) may borrow an additional amount up to 5% of its assets for temporary or emergency purposes.

(4) Lend any security or make any other loan if, as a result, more than 33 ⅓% of its total assets would be lent to other parties (this restriction does not apply to purchases of debt securities or repurchase agreements).

(5) Purchase securities (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result of such purchase, 25% or more of the value of its total assets would be invested in any industry or group of industries.

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(6) Purchase or sell physical commodities or commodity contracts based on physical commodities or invest in unmarketable interests in real estate limited partnerships or invest directly in real estate. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing policy does not prevent the fund from, among other things, (i) purchasing marketable securities of companies that deal in real estate or interests therein (including REITs); (ii) purchasing marketable securities of companies that deal in physical commodities or interests therein; and (iii) purchasing, selling and entering into futures contracts (including futures contracts on indices of securities, interest rates and currencies), options on futures contracts (including futures contracts on indices of securities, interest rates and currencies), warrants, swaps, forward contracts, foreign currency spot and forward contracts or other derivative instruments.

Notwithstanding the investment policies listed above, the fund's investments and operations will be limited by the terms and conditions of the Order. For example, the Order prohibits the funds from borrowing for investment purposes, holding short positions, and investing in real estate and commodities directly. The Order also prohibits the fund from purchasing any investments that are illiquid at the time of purchase.

Policies and investment limitations that state a maximum percentage of assets that may be invested in a security or other asset, or that set forth a quality standard shall be measured immediately after and as a result of the fund's acquisition of such security or asset, unless otherwise noted. Except with respect to limitations on borrowing and futures contracts, any subsequent change in total assets or net assets, as applicable, or other circumstances does not require the fund to sell an investment if it could not then make the same investment.

#### CONTINUOUS OFFERING
The fund offers and issues shares at their net asset value per share (NAV) only in aggregations of a specified number of shares (Creation Units). The method by which Creation Units are created and trade may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the fund on an ongoing basis, at any point a "distribution," as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), may occur.

Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner that could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of the 1933 Act.

For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the fund's transfer agent, breaks them down into constituent shares, and sells such shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the 1933 Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to categorization as an underwriter.

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not "underwriters" but are effecting transactions in shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares, generally are required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the 1933 Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to shares of the fund are reminded that, pursuant to Rule 153 under the 1933 Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the 1933 Act owed to an exchange member in connection with the sale on an exchange is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

#### MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
The fund is overseen by a Board. The trustees are responsible for protecting shareholder interests. The trustees regularly meet to review the investment activities, contractual arrangements and the investment performance of the fund. The trustees met five times during the most recent fiscal year.

Certain trustees are "interested persons." A trustee is considered an interested person (Interested Trustee) of the Trust under the 1940 Act if he or she is an officer, director, or an employee of Schwab Asset Management. A trustee also may be considered an interested person of the Trust under the 1940 Act if he or she owns stock of The Charles Schwab Corporation (CSC), a publicly traded company and the parent company of Schwab Asset Management.

As used herein, the terms "Fund Complex" and "Family of Investment Companies" each refer collectively to The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust which, as of July 28, 2025, included 109 funds. As used herein, the term "Schwab Funds" refers collectively to The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Schwab Capital Trust; and the term "Schwab ETFs" refers to Schwab Strategic Trust.

Each of the officers and/or trustees serves in the same capacity, unless otherwise noted, for The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust. The tables below provide information about the trustees and officers for the Trust, which includes the fund in this SAI. The address of each individual listed below is 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust <br> (Term of Office and Length of Time Served<sup>(1)</sup>)**  | **Principal Occupations <br> During the Past Five Years**  | **Number of Portfolios <br> in Fund Complex <br> Overseen by the <br> Trustee**  | **Other Directorships During <br> the Past Five Years**  |
| **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  |
| Michael J. Beer <br> 1961 <br> Trustee <br> (Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2022) | Retired. | 109  |  |
| Robert W. Burns <br> 1959 <br> Trustee <br> (Trustee of Schwab Strategic Trust since 2009; The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust since 2016) | Retired/Private Investor. | 109  |  |
| Nancy F. Heller <br> 1956 <br> Trustee <br> (Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2018) | Retired. | 109  |  |
| David L. Mahoney <br> 1954 <br> Trustee <br> (Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust since 2011; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2016) | Private Investor. | 109  | Director (2004-present), <br> Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated <br> Director (2009-2021), <br> Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  |
| Jane P. Moncreiff <br> 1961 <br> Trustee <br> (Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2019) | Consultant (2018-present), Fulham Advisers LLC (management consulting). | 109  |  |
| Kimberly S. Patmore <br> 1956 <br> Trustee <br> (Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2016) | Consultant (2008-present), Patmore Management Consulting (management consulting). | 109  |  |
| J. Derek Penn <br> 1957 <br> Trustee <br> (Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2021) | Retired. | 109  |  |
| **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  |
| Omar Aguilar<sup>(2)</sup> <br> 1970 <br> Trustee <br> (Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2025) | Director (Oct. 2024-present), Chief Executive Officer (Jan. 2022-present), President (Oct. 2023-present), Chief Investment Officer (Apr. 2011-present) and Senior Vice President (Apr. 2011-Jan. 2022), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Director, Chief Executive Officer and President (Oct. 2022-July 2024), Charles Schwab Investment Advisory, Inc.; Chief Executive Officer (Sept. 2023-present), President (Oct. 2023-present), Chief Investment Officer (June 2011-present) and Vice President (June 2011-Sept. 2023), Schwab Funds, Laudus Trust and Schwab ETFs. | 109  |  |

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust <br> (Term of Office and Length of Time Served<sup>(1)</sup>)**  | **Principal Occupations <br> During the Past Five Years**  | **Number of Portfolios <br> in Fund Complex <br> Overseen by the <br> Trustee**  | **Other Directorships During <br> the Past Five Years**  |
| **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  |
| Richard A. Wurster<sup>(2)</sup> <br> 1973 <br> Chairman and Trustee <br> (Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2022) | Director and Chief Executive Officer (Jan. 2025-present), President (Oct. 2021-present), and Executive Vice President – Schwab Asset Management Solutions (Apr. 2019-Oct. 2021), The Charles Schwab Corporation; President, Director (Nov. 2021-Dec. 2024), Executive Vice President – Schwab Asset Management Solutions (July 2019-Oct. 2021), Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.; President (Nov. 2021-Dec. 2024), Schwab Holdings, Inc.; Director (Oct. 2021-present) and Chief Executive Officer (Nov. 2019-Jan. 2022), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Director, Chief Executive Officer and President (Mar. 2018-Oct. 2022), Charles Schwab Investment Advisory, Inc. | 109  | Director (2025-present), <br> The Charles Schwab Corporation |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Name, Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust <br> (Term of Office and Length of Time Served<sup>(3)</sup>)**  | **Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years**  |
| **OFFICERS**  | **OFFICERS**  |
| Omar Aguilar <br> 1970 <br> Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Investment Officer <br> (Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2011) | Director (Oct. 2024-present), Chief Executive Officer (Jan. 2022-present), President (Oct. 2023-present), Chief Investment Officer (Apr. 2011-present) and Senior Vice President (Apr. 2011-Jan. 2022), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Director, Chief Executive Officer and President (Oct. 2022-July 2024), Charles Schwab Investment Advisory, Inc.; Trustee (Jan. 2025-present), Chief Executive Officer (Sept. 2023-present), President (Oct. 2023-present), Chief Investment Officer (June 2011-present) and Vice President (June 2011-Sept. 2023), Schwab Funds, Laudus Trust and Schwab ETFs. |
| Jessica Seidlitz <br> 1978 <br> Chief Operating Officer <br> (Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust from 2013-2017 and since 2023) | Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer (Sept. 2024-present), Managing Director (Nov. 2023-present), and Chief Compliance Officer (Nov. 2023-Dec. 2024), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Managing Director (Jan. 2019-present), Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.; Chief Compliance Officer (Mar. 2021-June 2023), Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc.; Chief Operating Officer (Sept. 2024–present), and Chief Compliance Officer (Oct. 2023-Dec. 2024), Schwab Funds, Laudus Trust and Schwab ETFs. |
| Dana Smith <br> 1965 <br> Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer <br> (Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2023) | Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (Jan. 2023-present) and Assistant Treasurer (Dec. 2015-Dec. 2022), Schwab Funds, Laudus Trust and Schwab ETFs; Managing Director (Mar. 2023-present), Vice President (Mar. 2022-Mar. 2023) and Director (Oct. 2015-Mar. 2022), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Managing Director (May 2022-present) and Vice President (Apr. 2022-May 2022), Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. |
| Patrick Cassidy <br> 1964 <br> Vice President and Chief Investment Officer <br> (Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2018) | Chief Investment Officer (Oct. 2023-present) and Vice President (Feb. 2018-present), Schwab Funds, Laudus Trust and Schwab ETFs; Managing Director (Mar. 2023-present), Chief Investment Officer (Oct. 2023-present), and Senior Vice President (Oct. 2012-Mar. 2023), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. |
| William P. McMahon, Jr. <br> 1972 <br> Vice President and Chief Investment Officer <br> (Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2021) | Managing Director (Mar. 2023-present), Senior Vice President (Jan. 2020-Mar. 2023) and Chief Investment Officer (Jan. 2020-present), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Vice President and Chief Investment Officer (June 2021-present), Schwab Funds, Laudus Trust and Schwab ETFs. |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Name, Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust <br> (Term of Office and Length of Time Served<sup>(3)</sup>)**  | **Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years**  |
| **OFFICERS**  | **OFFICERS**  |
| Catherine MacGregor <br> 1964 <br> Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Schwab Funds and Schwab ETFs <br> Chief Legal Officer, Vice President and Clerk, Laudus Trust <br> (Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust since 2005; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2009) | Chief Legal Officer (Mar. 2022-present), Managing Director (Mar. 2023-present) and Vice President (Sept. 2005-Mar. 2023), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Managing Director (May 2022-present) and Vice President (Aug. 2005-May 2022), Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.; Vice President (Dec. 2005-present) and Chief Legal Officer and Clerk (Mar. 2007-present), Laudus Trust; Chief Legal Officer and Secretary (Oct. 2021-present), Vice President (Nov. 2005-Oct. 2021) and Assistant Secretary (June 2007-Oct. 2021), Schwab Funds; Chief Legal Officer and Secretary (Oct. 2021-present), Vice President and Assistant Secretary (Oct. 2009-Oct. 2021), Schwab ETFs. |

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<sup>(1)</sup>

Each Trustee shall hold office until the election and qualification of his or her successor, or until he or she dies, resigns or is removed. The retirement policy requires that each independent trustee retire by December 31 of the year in which the Trustee turns 74 or the Trustee's twentieth year of service as an independent trustee on any trust in the Fund Complex, whichever occurs first.

<sup>(2)</sup>

Mr. Aguilar and Mr. Wurster are Interested Trustees. Mr. Aguilar and Mr. Wurster are Interested Trustees because each owns stock of CSC, the parent company of Schwab Asset Management, the investment adviser for the trusts in the Fund Complex. In addition, Mr. Wurster is an employee of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., the principal underwriter for The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust.

<sup>(3)</sup>

The President, Treasurer and Secretary/Clerk hold office until their respective successors are chosen and qualified or until he or she sooner dies, resigns, is removed or becomes disqualified. Each of the other officers serves at the pleasure of the Board.

#### Board Leadership Structure
The Chairman of the Board, Richard A. Wurster, is Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of CSC and an interested person of the Trust as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. The Board is comprised of a super-majority (78 percent) of trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (i.e., independent trustees). There are three primary committees of the Board: the Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee; the Governance Committee; and the Investment Oversight Committee. Each of the Committees is chaired by an independent trustee, and each Committee is currently comprised solely of independent trustees. The Committee chairs preside at Committee meetings, participate in formulating agendas for those meetings, and coordinate with management to serve as a liaison between the independent trustees and management on matters within the scope of the responsibilities of each Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The independent trustees meet regularly in executive session without management. While the Board does not have single lead independent trustee, the chair of the Governance Committee leads executive sessions held by the independent trustees and coordinates responses from the independent trustees to management. The Board has determined that this leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Board made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the independent trustees of the Trust constitute a super-majority of the Board, the fact that Committee chairs are independent trustees, the number of funds (and classes) overseen by the Board, and the total number of trustees on the Board.

#### Board Oversight of Risk Management
Like most investment companies, fund management and its other service providers have responsibility for day-to-day risk management for the fund. The Board's duties, as part of its risk oversight of the Trust, consist of monitoring risks identified during regular and special reports to the Committees of the Board, as well as regular and special reports to the full Board. In addition to monitoring such risks, the Committees and the Board oversee efforts of fund management and service providers to manage risks to which the funds of the Trust may be exposed. For example, the Investment Oversight Committee meets with portfolio managers and receives regular reports regarding investment risk and credit risk of the fund's portfolio. The Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee meets with the fund's Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Financial Officer and receives regular reports regarding compliance risks, operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. From its review of these reports and discussions with management, each Committee receives information about the material risks of the funds of the Trust and about how management and service providers mitigate those risks, enabling the independent Committee chairs and other independent members of the Committees to discuss these risks with the full Board.

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the fund can be identified nor can processes and controls be developed to eliminate or mitigate the occurrence or effects of certain risks; some risks are simply beyond the reasonable control of the fund, its management, and service providers. Although the risk oversight functions of the Board, and the risk management policies of fund management and fund service providers, are designed to be effective, there is no guarantee that they will eliminate or mitigate all risks. In addition, it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the fund's investment objective. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the fund's ability to manage risk is subject to significant limitations.

#### Individual Trustee Qualifications
The Board has concluded that each of the trustees should initially and continue to serve on the Board because of (i) his or her ability to review and understand information about the Trust provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management regarding material factors bearing on the management of the Trust, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Trust's shareholders and (ii) the trustee's experience, qualifications, attributes or skills as described below.

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The Board has concluded that Mr. Aguilar should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained as chief executive officer, chief investment officer, and president of Schwab Asset Management, the Schwab Funds, Schwab ETFs and Laudus Funds, as well as his knowledge of and experience in financial and investment management services.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Beer should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained serving as director, president and chief executive officer of Principal Funds and his knowledge and experience in the investment management industry.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Burns should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained as managing director of Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC (PIMCO) and president of PIMCO Funds as well as the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Schwab ETFs since 2009, and the Schwab Funds and Laudus Trust since 2016.

The Board has concluded that Ms. Heller should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience she gained as president of TIAA Charitable and as senior managing director at TIAA, the experience she has gained serving on other non-public company boards, her knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry, as well as the experience she has gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds and Schwab ETFs since 2018.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Mahoney should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds and Laudus Trust since 2011 and Schwab ETFs since 2016, as co-chief executive officer of McKesson Corporation, and his service on other public company boards.

The Board has concluded that Ms. Moncreiff should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience she gained as chief investment officer of CareGroup Healthcare System, the experience she has gained serving on other non-public company boards, her knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry, as well as the experience she has gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds and Schwab ETFs since 2019.

The Board has concluded that Ms. Patmore should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience she gained serving as chief financial officer and executive vice president of First Data Corporation, her knowledge of and experience in management consulting, as well as the experience she has gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds and Schwab ETFs since 2016.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Penn should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained as head of equity sales and trading of BNY Mellon and his knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry, as well as the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds and Schwab ETFs since 2021.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Wurster should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained leading investment advisory firms and organizations, including Schwab Asset Management, and his knowledge of and experience in the investment management industry.

#### Trustee Committees
The Board has established certain committees and adopted Committee charters with respect to those committees, each as described below:

<sup>●</sup>

The Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee reviews the integrity of the Trust's financial reporting processes and compliance policies, procedures and processes, and the Trust's overall system of internal controls. The Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee also reviews and evaluates the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust's independent auditors, and the implementation and operation of the Trust's valuation policy and procedures. This Committee is comprised of at least three independent trustees and currently has the following members: Kimberly S. Patmore (Chair), Michael J. Beer and J. Derek Penn. The Committee met four times during the most recent fiscal year.

<sup>●</sup>

The Governance Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Board regarding Trust governance-related matters, including but not limited to Board compensation practices, retirement policies and term limits, Board self-evaluations, the effectiveness and allocation of assignments and functions by the Board, the composition of Committees of the Board, and the training of trustees. The Governance Committee is responsible for selecting and nominating candidates to serve as trustees. The Governance Committee does not have a written policy with respect to consideration of candidates for trustee submitted by shareholders. However, if the Governance Committee determined that it would be in the best interests of the Trust to fill a vacancy on the Board, and a shareholder submitted a candidate for consideration by the Board to fill the vacancy, the Governance Committee would evaluate that candidate in the same manner as it evaluates nominees identified by the Governance Committee. Nominee recommendations may be submitted to the Secretary of the Trust at the Trust's principal business address. This Committee is comprised of at least three independent trustees and currently has the following members: David L. Mahoney (Chair), Robert W. Burns and Kimberly S. Patmore. The Committee met four times during the most recent fiscal year.

<sup>●</sup>

The Investment Oversight Committee reviews the investment activities of the Trust and the performance of the fund's investment adviser. This Committee is comprised of at least three trustees (at least two-thirds of whom shall be independent trustees) and currently has the following members: Jane P. Moncreiff (Chair), Robert W. Burns, Nancy F. Heller and David L. Mahoney. The Committee met four times during the most recent fiscal year.

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#### Trustee Compensation
The following table provides trustee compensation for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, earned with respect to the fund in this SAI and the Fund Complex. Trustee compensation for the fund is paid by Schwab Asset Management.

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name of Trustee**  | **Aggregate Compensation <br> from the Fund in this SAI**  | **Pension or Retirement Benefits <br> Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses**  | **Total Compensation from the Fund <br> and Fund Complex Paid to Trustees**  |
| **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  |
| Omar Aguilar<sup>(1)</sup> |  | N/A  |  |
| Richard A. Wurster |  | N/A  |  |
| **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  |
| Michael J. Beer | $1685 | N/A  | $355000 |
| Robert W. Burns | $1685 | N/A  | $355000 |
| Nancy F. Heller | $1685 | N/A  | $355000 |
| David L. Mahoney | $1851 | N/A  | $390000 |
| Jane P. Moncreiff | $1803 | N/A  | $380000 |
| Kimberly S. Patmore | $1803 | N/A  | $380000 |
| J. Derek Penn | $1685 | N/A  | $355000 |

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<sup>(1)</sup>

Mr. Aguilar joined the Board effective January 1, 2025.

#### Securities Beneficially Owned By Each Trustee
The following table provides each trustee's equity ownership of the fund and ownership of all registered investment companies overseen by each trustee in the Family of Investment Companies as of December 31, 2024.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name of Trustee**  | **Dollar Range of Trustee Ownership of the Fund Included in the SAI**  | **Aggregate Dollar Range of <br> Trustee Ownership in the Family <br> of Investment Companies**  |
| **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  |
| **Omar Aguilar<sup>(1)</sup>**  |  | Over $100,000  |
|  | Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF |  |
| **Richard A. Wurster** |  | **Over $100,000**  |
|  | Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF |  |
| **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  |
| **Michael J. Beer** |  | **Over $100,000**  |
|  | Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF |  |
| **Robert W. Burns** |  | **Over $100,000**  |
|  | Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF |  |
| **Nancy F. Heller** |  | **Over $100,000**  |
|  | Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF |  |
| **David L. Mahoney** |  | **Over $100,000**  |
|  | Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF |  |
| **Jane P. Moncreiff** |  | **Over $100,000**  |
|  | Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF |  |
| **Kimberly S. Patmore** |  | **Over $100,000**  |
|  | Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF |  |
| **J. Derek Penn** |  |  |
|  | Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF |  |

---

<sup>(1)</sup>

Mr. Aguilar joined the Board effective January 1, 2025.

As of December 31, 2024, none of the independent trustees or their immediate family members owned beneficially or of record any securities of Schwab Asset Management or Schwab or any subadvisers or the distributor of the fund, or in a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with Schwab Asset Management or Schwab or any subadvisers or the distributor of the fund.

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#### Code of Ethics
The fund, the investment adviser and the distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics as required under the 1940 Act. Subject to certain conditions or restrictions, the Codes of Ethics permit the trustees, directors, officers or advisory representatives of the fund or the investment adviser or the directors or officers of the distributor to buy or sell directly or indirectly securities for their own accounts. This includes securities that may be purchased or held by the fund. Securities transactions by some of these individuals may be subject to prior approval of the investment adviser's Chief Compliance Officer or alternate. Most securities transactions are subject to quarterly reporting and review requirements.

Ariel has adopted a Code of Ethics which describe their policies and procedures pertaining to personal securities transactions and giving and accepting gifts and entertainment. Subject to the limitations set forth in the Code of Ethics, the officers, directors, trustees and employees of Ariel may invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the fund.

#### CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
As of June 30, 2025, the officers and trustees of the Trust, as a group owned, of record or beneficially, less than 1% of the outstanding voting securities of the fund.

Although the Trust does not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of shares held in the names of DTC participants, as of June 30, 2025, the name and percentage of ownership of each DTC participant that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the fund were as follows (a shareholder's or an entity's address will be listed once at the first mention and not repeated for future entries):

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund**  | **Name and Address**  | **Percent of <br> Ownership**  |
| Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF  | Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. <br> 3000 Schwab Way <br> Westlake, TX 76262  | 57.50% |
| Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF  | National Financial Services LLC <br> 200 Liberty Street <br> One World Financial Centre <br> 5th Floor <br> New York, NY 10281-1003 | 25.63% |
| Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF  | The Northern Trust Company <br> 50 S La Salle Street <br> Chicago, IL 60603 | 11.80% |

---

Persons who beneficially own more than 25% of the fund may be deemed to control the fund. As a result, it may not be possible for matters subject to a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the fund to be approved without the affirmative vote of such shareholder, and it may be possible for such matters to be approved by such shareholder without the affirmative vote of any other shareholder.

#### INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

#### Investment Adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dba Schwab Asset Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of CSC, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, serves as the fund's investment adviser pursuant to an Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement (Advisory Agreement) between it and the Trust. Charles R. Schwab is the founder, Chairman and Director of CSC. As a result of his ownership of and interests in CSC, Mr. Schwab may be deemed to be a controlling person of Schwab Asset Management.

#### Advisory Agreement
After an initial two-year term, the continuation of the fund's Advisory Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (1) by the vote of the trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the fund, and (2) by the vote of a majority of the trustees who are not parties to the investment advisory agreement or "interested persons" of any party (independent trustees), cast in person, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

After the initial two-year term, each year, the Board will call and hold one or more meetings to decide whether to renew the Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Schwab Asset Management with respect to the fund. In preparation for the meetings, the Board requests and reviews a wide variety of materials provided by Schwab Asset Management, as well as extensive data provided by third parties, and the independent trustees receive advice from counsel to the independent trustees.

As described below, Schwab Asset Management is entitled to receive a fee from the fund, payable monthly, for its advisory and administrative services to the fund. As compensation for these services, Schwab Asset Management receives a management fee from the fund, expressed as a percentage of the fund's average daily net assets.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Fund**  | **Fee**  |
| Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF | 0.59% |

---

The following table shows the net investment advisory fees paid by the fund for the past three fiscal years or, if shorter, for the period of its operations.

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund**  | **2025**  | **2024**  | **2023**  |
| Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF | $140957  | $101070  | $70809  |

---

Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, Schwab Asset Management pays the operating expenses of the fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, but excluding taxes, brokerage expenses and extraordinary or non-routine expenses.

#### Sub-advisory Agreement
The fund is actively managed by a team of dedicated investment professionals, led by Schwab Asset Management, who serves as the "manager of managers," and Ariel Investments, LLC (Ariel or the subadviser) who manages the assets of the fund. Schwab Asset Management oversees the advisory services provided to the fund. Schwab Asset Management may also manage a portion of the fund's assets. Pursuant to a sub-advisory agreement, and under the supervision of Schwab Asset Management and the fund's Board, the subadviser is responsible for the day-to-day investment management of the assets of the fund. The subadviser is responsible for managing its employees who provide services to the fund. Subject to Board review, Schwab Asset Management allocates and, when appropriate, reallocates the fund's assets to the subadviser, monitors and evaluates subadviser performance, and oversees subadviser compliance with the fund's investment objectives, policies and restrictions. Schwab Asset Management may hire additional subadvisers in the future as the fund is operated under manager of managers exemptive relief.

Schwab Asset Management has entered into an agreement on behalf of the fund with Ariel by which Ariel acts as subadviser to the fund (Subadviser Agreement). Under the Subadviser Agreement, Ariel, continuously furnishes an investment management program for the fund and makes investment decisions on behalf of the fund and places all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities and all other investments, subject to the supervision of Schwab Asset Management and the trustees.

Ariel, with its principal office located at 200 East Randolph Street, Suite 2900, Chicago, IL 60601, manages the assets of the fund. Ariel is a registered investment adviser that began operations in 1983. As of May 31, 2025, Ariel had approximately $11.5 billion in investment company and other portfolio assets under management.

The investment adviser pays the subadviser out of the amount it receives from the fund.

#### Subadvisory Fee
This section describes the subadvisory fee payable by Schwab Asset Management to Ariel. Please remember, however, that the following fees described are paid by Schwab Asset Management to Ariel; they do not affect how much you pay or the fund pays.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| First $1 billion | 0.35% |
| Over $1 billion | 0.32% |

---

The following table shows the subadvisory fees paid by Schwab Asset Management to Ariel for the past three fiscal years or, if shorter, for the period of the fund's operations.

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **2025**  | **2024**  | **2023**  |
| Net Subadvisory Fee | $83676  | $60407  | $41796  |

---

#### Distributor
SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the Distributor), 1 Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456, is the principal underwriter and distributor of shares of the fund. The Distributor has entered into an agreement with the Trust pursuant to which it distributes shares of the fund (the Distribution Agreement). The Distributor continually distributes shares of the fund on a best effort basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of fund shares. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually thereafter in accordance with the 1940 Act. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the fund through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in the fund's prospectus. Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 1934 Act) and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The Distributor is not affiliated with the Trust, Schwab Asset Management, or any stock exchange.

The Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on at least sixty (60) days prior written notice to the other party. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its "assignment" (as defined in the 1940 Act).

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#### Payments to Financial Intermediaries
Schwab Asset Management and its affiliates make payments to certain broker-dealers, banks, trust companies, insurance companies, retirement plan service providers, consultants and other financial intermediaries (Intermediaries) for services and expenses incurred in connection with certain activities or services which may educate financial advisors or facilitate, directly or indirectly, investment in the fund and other investment companies advised by Schwab Asset Management, including the Schwab ETFs. These payments are made by Schwab Asset Management or its affiliates at their own expense, and not from the assets of the fund. Although a portion of Schwab Asset Management's and its affiliates' revenue comes directly or indirectly in part from fees paid by the fund, these payments do not increase the expenses paid by investors for the purchase of fund shares, or the cost of owning the fund.

These payments may relate to educational efforts regarding the fund, or for other activities, such as marketing and/or fund promotion activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, data analytics and support, or the development and support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems. In addition, Schwab Asset Management or its affiliates make payments to certain Intermediaries that make shares of the fund available to their customers or otherwise promote the fund, which may include Intermediaries that allow customers to buy and sell fund shares without paying a commission or other transaction charge. Payments of this type are sometimes referred to as revenue-sharing or marketing support.

Payments made to Intermediaries may be significant and may cause an Intermediary to make decisions about which investment options it will recommend or make available to its clients or what services to provide for various products based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive. As a result, these payments could create conflicts of interest between an Intermediary and its clients and these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the fund over other investments.

As of July 28, 2025, Schwab Asset Management anticipates that Ascensus, LLC, Envestnet Asset Management, Inc., Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC/National Financial Services LLC, Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC, Principal Life Insurance Company, Schwab Retirement Plan Services, Inc. and Standard Insurance Company will receive these payments. Schwab Asset Management may enter into similar agreements with other FINRA member firms (or their affiliates) in the future. In addition to member firms of FINRA, Schwab Asset Management and its affiliates may also make these payments to certain other financial intermediaries, such as banks, trust companies, insurance companies, and plan administrators and consultants that sell fund shares or provide services to the fund and its shareholders. These firms may not be included in this list. You should ask your financial intermediary if it receives such payments.

Schwab Asset Management also makes payments to Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab) for certain administrative, professional and support services provided by Schwab, in its capacity as an affiliated financial intermediary of the fund. These payments reimburse Schwab for its charges, costs and expenses of providing Schwab personnel to perform marketing and sales activities under the direction of Schwab Asset Management, such as sales lead generation and sales support, assistance with public relations, marketing and/or advertising activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, and data analytics and support. Payments also are made by Schwab Asset Management to Schwab for Schwab Asset Management's allocated costs of general corporate services provided by Schwab, such as human resources, facilities, project management support and technology.

#### Transfer Agent
State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street), One Congress Street, Suite 1, Boston, MA 02114, serves as the fund's transfer agent. As part of these services, the firm maintains records pertaining to the sale, redemption and transfer of the fund's shares.

The transfer agent is also responsible for the order-taking function for the fund's shares.

#### Custodian and Fund Accountant
State Street, One Congress Street, Suite 1, Boston, MA 02114, serves as custodian and accountant for the fund.

The custodian is responsible for the daily safekeeping of securities and cash held by the fund. The fund's accountant maintains all books and records related to the fund's transactions.

#### Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The fund's independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP (Deloitte), 1601 Wewatta Street, Suite 400, Denver, CO 80202, audits and reports on the annual financial statements of the fund and reviews certain regulatory reports. Deloitte or one of its affiliates also reviews the fund's federal income tax returns and performs other professional, accounting, auditing, tax and advisory services when engaged to do so by the Trust.

#### Securities Lending Activities
As of the most recent fiscal year-end, the fund had not entered into a contract with a securities lending agent and was not engaged in securities lending.

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#### PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Ariel acts as subadviser to the fund. Presented below is information about the portfolio managers of the fund as identified in the fund's prospectus.

**Other Accounts.** In addition to the fund, each portfolio manager (collectively, referred to as the Portfolio Managers) is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below. The accounts listed below under "Other Pooled Investment Vehicles" and "Other Accounts (separate accounts)" are not subject to a performance-based advisory fee. The information below is provided as of March 31, 2025.

---

| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Registered Investment Companies <br> (this amount does not include the fund in this SAI)**  | **Registered Investment Companies <br> (this amount does not include the fund in this SAI)**  | **Other Pooled Investment Vehicles**  | **Other Pooled Investment Vehicles**  | **Other Accounts (separate accounts)**  | **Other Accounts (separate accounts)**  |
| <br> **Name**  | **Number of Accounts**  | **Total Assets**  | **Number of Accounts**  | **Total Assets**  | **Number of Accounts**  | **Total Assets**  |
| John W. Rogers, Jr.  | 2(1) | $2704285813 | 0 | $0 | 82 | $3364812803 |
| Kenneth E. Kuhrt | 3(1) | $3553444742 | 0 | $0 | 121 | $4036745256 |

---

<sup>(1)</sup>

Fees based in whole or in part on performance are charged for one of these accounts that had $290 million in assets as of March 31, 2025.

**Material Conflicts of Interest.** Accounts managed within the same strategy are managed using similar investment weightings. This does not mean, however, that all accounts in a given strategy will hold the same stocks. The subadviser allocates investment decisions across all accounts in a strategy in order to limit the conflicts involved in managing multiple accounts. Differences in investments are primarily a result of individual client account investment restrictions or the timing of additions and withdrawals of amounts subject to account management.

**Portfolio Manager Compensation – John W. Rogers, Jr.** Mr. Rogers' compensation is determined by Ariel's Board of Directors and is composed of:

(1) <u>Base Salary</u>. Base salary is a fixed amount determined annually and is calculated based upon market factors for chief executive officers with portfolio management responsibilities.

(2) <u>Discretionary Bonuses</u>. Target-based incentives (cash and non-cash) are based on annual market benchmarking data specific to Mr. Rogers' role. Target-based incentives fluctuate based on annual net revenues of the subadviser's domestic research team and Mr. Rogers' contributions to the firm. Deferred incentives are allocated based on a firmwide schedule. Deferrals vest three years from the award date. Mr. Rogers may choose the form of deferred incentive, which include: (i) investment in the stock of the subadviser or (ii) deferred cash payment based on the pre-tax performance of one or more of the subadviser's proprietary funds from the grant date through the vest date. Mr. Rogers may be required to select a minimum percentage in one or more of such proprietary funds.

**Portfolio Manager Compensation – Kenneth E. Kuhrt.** Mr. Kuhrt's compensation is determined by Mr. Rogers and Mr. Timothy Fidler, and is composed of:

(1) <u>Base Salary</u>. Base salary is a fixed amount determined annually. Base salaries vary among the portfolio managers and may be based on factors such as level of experience, position responsibilities, years of service, and the subadviser's revenue related to their areas of focus as discussed below.

(2) <u>Discretionary Bonuses</u>. Target-based incentives (cash and non-cash) are based on annual market benchmarking data and may fluctuate based on the annual net revenues of the subadviser's domestic research team and Mr. Kuhrt's contributions to the subadviser as determined based on various qualitative and quantitative factors. Deferred incentives vest three years from the award date. Mr. Kuhrt may choose the form of deferred incentive, which include: (i) investment in the stock of the subadviser or (ii) deferred cash payment based on the pre-tax performance of one or more of the subadviser's proprietary fund(s) from the grant date through the vest date. Mr. Kuhrt may be required to select a minimum percentage in one or more of such proprietary funds.

The subadviser attempts to align the interests of the portfolio managers and fund shareholders in determining the portfolio managers' compensation. Each portfolio manager is evaluated on qualitative factors, which may include technical skills, productivity, communication skills, industry knowledge, contribution to long-term performance of the subadviser's proprietary funds (and other accounts) he or she manages and consistent exhibition of the subadviser's firm values. There is no mathematical formula attributed to any of the factors considered in determining the value of each form of compensation; rather, each factor considered is a part of a comprehensive qualitative review.

**Ownership of Fund Shares.** The following table shows the dollar amount range of the Portfolio Managers' "beneficial ownership" of shares of the fund, as of March 31, 2025. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. "Beneficial ownership" is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act.

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Portfolio Manager**  | **Fund**  | **Dollar Range of <br> Fund Shares Owned**  |
| John W. Rogers, Jr. | Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF | $500001-$1000000  |
| Kenneth E. Kuhrt | Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF | $100001-$500000  |

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#### BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES

#### Portfolio Turnover
For reporting purposes, the fund's portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing the value of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year, whichever is less, by the monthly average value of portfolio securities the fund owned during the fiscal year. When making the calculation, all securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less (short-term securities) are excluded. Securities received or delivered in the processing of in-kind creation or redemption baskets are excluded from the calculation.

A 100% portfolio turnover rate would occur, for example, if all portfolio securities (aside from short-term securities) were sold and either repurchased or replaced once during the fiscal year. Typically, funds with high turnover (such as 100% or more) tend to generate higher capital gains and transaction costs, such as brokerage commissions.

The portfolio turnover rate for the fund for the past two fiscal years or, if shorter, for the period of its operations is as follows:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund**  | **2025**  | **2024**  |
| Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF | 15% | 11% |

---

#### Portfolio Transactions
The investment adviser and subadviser make decisions with respect to the purchase and sale of portfolio securities on behalf of the fund. The investment adviser and subadviser are responsible for implementing these decisions, including the negotiation of commissions and the allocation of principal business and portfolio brokerage. The fund generally does not incur any commissions or sales charges when it invests in underlying Schwab Funds, but it may incur such costs if it invests directly in other types of securities or in unaffiliated funds. Purchases and sales of securities on a stock exchange, including ETF shares, or certain riskless principal transactions placed on NASDAQ are typically effected through brokers who charge a commission for their services. Exchange fees may also apply to transactions effected on an exchange. Purchases and sales of fixed-income securities may be transacted with the issuer, the issuer's underwriter, or a dealer. The fund does not usually pay brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of fixed-income securities, although the price of the securities generally includes compensation, in the form of a spread or a mark-up or mark-down, which is not disclosed separately. The price the fund pays to underwriters of newly-issued securities usually include a commission paid by the issuer to the underwriter. Transactions placed through dealers who are serving as primary market makers reflect the spread between the bid and asked prices. The money market securities in which the fund may invest are traded primarily in the over-the-counter market on a net basis and do not normally involve either brokerage commissions or transfer taxes. It is expected that the cost of executing portfolio securities transactions of the fund will primarily consist of dealer spreads and brokerage commissions.

The investment adviser and subadviser seek to obtain the best execution for the fund's portfolio transactions. The investment adviser or the subadviser may take a number of factors into account in selecting brokers or dealers to execute these transactions. Such factors may include, without limitation, the following: execution price; brokerage commission or dealer spread; size or type of the transaction; nature or character of the markets; clearance or settlement capability; reputation; financial strength and stability of the broker or dealer; efficiency of execution and error resolution; block trading capabilities; willingness to execute related or unrelated difficult transactions in the future; order of call; ability to facilitate short selling; provision of additional brokerage or research services or products; whether a broker guarantees that the fund will receive, on aggregate, prices at least as favorable as the closing prices on a given day when adherence to "market-on-close" pricing aligns with fund objectives; or whether a broker guarantees that the fund will receive the volume-weighted average price (VWAP) for a security for a given trading day (or portion thereof) when the investment adviser or subadviser believes that VWAP execution is in the fund's best interest. In addition, the investment adviser and subadviser may have incentive sharing arrangements with certain unaffiliated brokers who guarantee market-on-close pricing: on a day when such a broker executes transactions at prices better, on aggregate, than market-on-close prices, that broker may receive, in addition to his or her standard commission, a portion of the net difference between the actual execution prices and corresponding market-on-close prices for that day.

The investment adviser and subadviser may cause the fund to pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers or dealers in return for brokerage or research services or products if the investment adviser or subadviser believes that such commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided. In addition to agency transactions, the investment adviser and subadviser may receive brokerage and research services or products in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with applicable SEC and other regulatory guidelines. In both instances, these services or products may include: economic, industry, or company research reports or investment recommendations; subscriptions to financial publications or research data compilations; compilations of securities prices, earnings, dividends, and similar data; computerized databases; quotation equipment and services; research or analytical computer software and services; products or services that assist in effecting transactions, including services of third-party computer systems developers directly related to research and brokerage activities; and effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance and settlement). The investment adviser or the subadviser may use research services furnished by brokers or dealers in servicing all fund accounts, and not all services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid commissions or spreads to the broker or dealer providing such services.

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The investment adviser or subadviser may receive a service from a broker or dealer that has both a "research" and a "non-research" use. When this occurs, the investment adviser or subadviser will make a good faith allocation, under all the circumstances, between the research and non-research uses of the service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with fund commissions or spreads, while the investment adviser or the subadviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the investment adviser or the subadviser faces a potential conflict of interest, but the investment adviser and subadviser believe that the costs of such services may be appropriately allocated to their anticipated research and non-research uses.

The investment adviser and subadviser may purchase for the fund, new issues of securities in a fixed price offering. In these situations, the seller may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to selling securities, provide the investment adviser or subadviser with research services, in accordance with applicable rules and regulations permitting these types of arrangements. Generally, the seller will provide research "credits" in these situations at a rate that is higher than that which is available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the safe harbor of Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act.

The investment adviser and subadviser may place orders directly with electronic communications networks or other alternative trading systems. Placing orders with electronic communications networks or other alternative trading systems may enable the fund to trade directly with other institutional holders. At times, this may allow the fund to trade larger blocks than would be possible trading through a single market maker.

The investment adviser and subadviser may aggregate securities sales or purchases among two or more funds. The investment adviser and subadviser will not aggregate transactions unless it believes such aggregation is consistent with its duty to seek best execution for each affected fund and is consistent with the terms of the investment advisory agreement for such fund. In any single transaction in which purchases and/or sales of securities of any issuer for the account of the fund are aggregated with other accounts managed by the investment adviser and subadviser, the actual prices applicable to the transaction will be averaged among the accounts for which the transaction is effected, including the account of the fund.

In determining when and to what extent to use Schwab or any other affiliated broker-dealer (including affiliates of the subadviser) as its broker for executing orders for the fund on securities exchanges, the investment adviser and the subadviser follow procedures, adopted by the fund's Board, that are designed to ensure that affiliated brokerage commissions (if relevant) are reasonable and fair in comparison to unaffiliated brokerage commissions for comparable transactions. The Board reviews the procedures annually and approves and reviews transactions involving affiliated brokers quarterly.

#### Brokerage Commissions
The following table shows the brokerage commissions paid by the fund for the last three fiscal years or, if shorter, for the period of its operations.

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund**  | **2025**  | **2024**  | **2023**  |
| Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF | $4703 | $3920 | $3393 |

---

#### Regular Broker-Dealers
During the fiscal year, the fund held securities issued by its respective "regular broker-dealers" (as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act), indicated below as of March 31, 2025.

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund**  | **Regular Broker-Dealer**  | **Value of Holdings**  | **Value of Holdings**  |
| Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF | None |  | N/A |

---

#### PROXY VOTING
The Board has delegated the responsibility for voting proxies to Schwab Asset Management, pursuant to the investment adviser's Proxy Voting Policy with respect to proxies voted on behalf of the various Schwab Funds' portfolios. A description of such Proxy Voting Policy is included in Appendix – Proxy Voting Policy.

The Trust is required to disclose annually the fund's complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX. The fund's proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30th is available by visiting the Schwab ETFs' website at **www.schwabassetmanagement.com/prospectus**. You can also obtain this information at no cost by calling 1-866-414-6349 or by sending an email request to orders@mysummaryprospectus.com. The fund's Form N-PX will also be available on the SEC's website at **www.sec.gov**.

#### PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE

#### The Proxy Portfolio
Unlike traditional ETFs that publish both the identities and quantities of their portfolio holdings (Actual Portfolio) daily, Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF does not publish the identities of its portfolio holdings daily. Instead, the fund will post a proxy portfolio (Proxy Portfolio). The fund uses the Proxy Portfolio as a portfolio transparency substitute for its Actual Portfolio. The fund's Proxy Portfolio holdings are publicly

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disseminated each day the fund is open for business through financial reporting and news services, including publicly accessible Internet web sites. In addition, a basket composition file, which includes the security names and share quantities to deliver in exchange for Creation Units, together with estimates and actual cash components, is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the NYSE Arca via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC. The names and quantities of the instruments included in the basket composition file may not be the same as the fund's Proxy Portfolio. Each Business Day, the fund's Proxy Portfolio holdings information is provided to the Distributor or other agent for dissemination through the facilities of the NSCC and/or other fee-based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee-based subscription services, including market makers and Authorized Participants, and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading shares of the fund in the secondary market or evaluating such potential transactions.

The Proxy Portfolio published on the fund's website each Business Day will include the following information for each portfolio holding in the Proxy Portfolio: (1) ticker symbol; (2) CUSIP or other identifier; (3) description of holding; (4) quantity of each security or other asset held; and (5) percentage weight of the holding in the Proxy Portfolio. The fund's website will note that the Proxy Overlap is calculated based on the Proxy Portfolio and portfolio holdings as of the prior Business Day. The Proxy Overlap will be calculated by taking the lesser weight of each asset held in common between the Actual Portfolio and the Proxy Portfolio and adding the totals. The goal of the Proxy Portfolio is to allow for efficient trading of shares through an effective portfolio transparency substitute.

Proxy Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation/redemption process may be provided to other entities that provide services to the fund in the ordinary course of business after it has been disseminated to the NSCC. From time to time, information concerning Proxy Portfolio holdings other than Proxy Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation/redemption process, as discussed above, may be provided to other entities that provide services to the fund, including rating or ranking organizations, in the ordinary course of business, no earlier than one Business Day following the date of the information. The fund, Adviser, subadviser, custodian and Distributor will not disseminate non-public information concerning the fund, except: (i) to a party for a legitimate business purpose related to the day-to-day operations of the fund or (ii) to any other party for a legitimate business or regulatory purpose, upon waiver or exception.

#### The Actual Portfolio
 **For this section only, the following disclosure relates to The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust (collectively, the Trusts) and each series thereunder (each a fund and collectively, the funds).** 

The Trusts' Board has approved policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances regarding the disclosure of fund portfolio holdings information to shareholders and third parties. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that disclosure of information regarding the funds' portfolio securities is in the best interests of fund shareholders, and include procedures to address conflicts between the interests of the funds' shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the funds' investment adviser, subadviser (if applicable), principal underwriter or any affiliated person of a fund, its investment adviser, subadviser or principal underwriter, on the other. Pursuant to such procedures, the Board has authorized one of the President, Chief Operating Officer or Chief Financial Officer of the Trusts (in consultation with a fund's subadviser, if applicable) to authorize the release of the funds' portfolio holdings prior to regular public disclosure (as outlined in the prospectus and below) or regular public filings, as necessary, in conformity with the foregoing principles.

The Board exercises on-going oversight of the disclosure of fund portfolio holdings by overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the funds' policies and procedures by the Chief Compliance Officer and by considering reports and recommendations by the Chief Compliance Officer concerning any material compliance matters. The Board will receive periodic updates, at least annually, regarding entities which were authorized to be provided "early disclosure" of the funds' portfolio holdings information and will periodically review any agreements that the Trusts have entered into to selectively disclose portfolio holdings.

Portfolio holdings may be made available on a selective basis to ratings agencies, certain industry organizations, consultants and other qualified financial professionals when the appropriate officer of the Trusts determines such disclosure meets the requirements noted above and serves a legitimate business purpose. Agreements entered into with such entities will describe the permitted use of portfolio holdings and provide that, among other customary confidentiality provisions: (i) the portfolio holdings will be kept confidential; (ii) the person will not trade on the basis of any material non-public information; and (iii) the information will be used only for the purpose described in the agreement.

The funds' service providers including, without limitation, the investment adviser, subadvisers (if applicable), the distributor, the custodian, fund accountant, transfer agent, certain affiliates of the investment adviser, counsel, auditor, proxy voting service provider, pricing information vendors, trade execution measurement vendors, portfolio management system providers, cloud database providers, securities lending agents, publisher, printer and mailing agent may receive disclosure of portfolio holdings information as frequently as daily in connection with the services they perform for the funds. Schwab Asset Management, any subadviser to a fund as disclosed in the most current prospectus, Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC, State Street and/or Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., as service providers to the funds, are currently receiving this information on a daily basis. Donnelley Financial Solutions, as a service provider to the funds, is currently receiving this information on a quarterly basis. Deloitte, the Transfer Agent, and the Distributor, as service providers to the funds, receive this information on an as-needed basis. Service providers are subject to a duty of confidentiality with respect to any portfolio holdings information they receive whether imposed by the confidentiality

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provisions of the service providers' agreements with the Trusts or by the nature of its relationship with the Trusts. Although certain of the service providers are not under formal confidentiality obligations in connection with disclosure of portfolio holdings, a fund will not continue to conduct business with a service provider who the fund believes is misusing the disclosed information.

The funds' policies and procedures prohibit the funds, the funds' investment adviser or any related party from receiving any compensation or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information.

Generally, a complete list of a fund's portfolio holdings is published on the fund's website www.schwabassetmanagement.com on the "Prospectus & Reports" tab under "Portfolio Holdings" generally 60-80 days after a fund's fiscal quarter-end in-line with regulatory filings unless a different timing is outlined in the fund's prospectus.

Specifically for the Schwab ETFs (other than the Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF), each Schwab ETF discloses its portfolio holdings each business day on its website before the opening of regular trading on the ETF's primary listing exchange in accordance with the requirements of Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act. Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units for the Schwab ETFs may be provided to other entities that provided services to the funds in the ordinary course of business after it has been disseminated to the NSCC.

With respect to the Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF, the fund discloses its month-end full portfolio holdings and the percentages the holdings represent of the fund's net assets at least quarterly on the website 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter for each of the preceding three months.

The Schwab Money Funds have an ongoing arrangement to make available information about the funds' portfolio holdings and information derived from the funds' portfolio holdings to iMoneyNet, a rating and ranking organization, which is subject to a confidentiality agreement. Under its arrangement with the funds, iMoneyNet, among other things, receives information concerning the funds' net assets, yields, maturities and portfolio compositions on a weekly basis, subject to a one business day lag.

On the website, the funds also may provide, on a monthly or quarterly basis, information regarding certain attributes of a fund's portfolio, such as a fund's top ten holdings, sector weightings, composition, credit quality and duration and maturity, as applicable. This information is generally updated within 5-25 days after the end of the period. This information on the website is publicly available to all categories of persons.

The funds may disclose non-material information including commentary and aggregate information about the characteristics of a fund in connection with or relating to a fund or its portfolio securities to any person if such disclosure is for a legitimate business purpose, such disclosure does not effectively result in the disclosure of the complete portfolio securities of any fund (which can only be disclosed in accordance with the above requirements), and such information does not constitute material non-public information. Such disclosure does not fall within the portfolio securities disclosure requirements outlined above.

Whether the information constitutes material non-public information will be made on a good faith determination, which involves an assessment of the particular facts and circumstances. In most cases, commentary or analysis would be immaterial and would not convey any advantage to a recipient in making a decision concerning a fund. Commentary and analysis include, but are not limited to, the allocation of a fund's portfolio securities and other investments among various asset classes, sectors, industries, countries or other relevant category, the characteristics of the stock components and other investments of a fund, the attribution of fund returns by asset class, sector, industry, country or other relevant category, and the volatility characteristics of a fund.

#### DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
The fund is a series of Schwab Strategic Trust, an open-end investment management company organized as a Delaware statutory trust on January 27, 2009. On July 28, 2025, Schwab Ariel ESG ETF changed its name to Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF.

The Declaration of Trust provides for the perpetual existence of the Trust. The Trust may, however, be terminated at any time by vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of each series of the Trust or by the vote of the trustees.

Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share held (with fractional votes for fractional shares held) and will vote (to the extent provided on the Declaration of Trust) in the election of trustees and the termination of the Trust and on other matters submitted to the vote of shareholders. Shareholders will vote by individual series on all matters except (i) when required by the 1940 Act, shares shall be voted in the aggregate and not by individual series and (ii) when the trustees have determined that the matter affects only the interests of one or more series, then only shareholders of such series shall be entitled to vote thereon. Shareholders of one series shall not be entitled to vote on matters exclusively affecting another series, such matters including, without limitation, the adoption of or change in any fundamental policies or restrictions of the other series and the approval of the investment advisory contracts of the other series.

There will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing trustees, except that in accordance with the 1940 Act (i) the Trust will hold a shareholders' meeting for the election of trustees at such time as less than a majority of the trustees holding office have been elected by shareholders, and (ii) if, as a result of a vacancy in the Board, less than two-thirds of the trustees holding office have been elected by the shareholders, that vacancy may only be filled by a vote of the shareholders. In addition, trustees may be removed from office by a written consent signed by the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares and filed with the Trust's custodian or by a vote of the holders

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of two-thirds of the outstanding shares at a meeting duly called for the purpose, which meeting shall be held upon the written request of the holders of not less than 10% of the outstanding shares. Except as set forth above, the trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor trustees. Voting rights are not cumulative.

The Trust may, without shareholder vote, restate, amend or otherwise supplement the Declaration of Trust. Shareholders shall have the right to vote on any amendment that could affect their right to vote, any amendment to the Amendments section, any amendment for which shareholder vote may be required by applicable law or by the Trust's registration statement filed with the SEC, and on any amendment submitted to them by the trustees.

Any series of the Trust may reorganize or merge with one or more other series of the Trust or another investment company. Any such reorganization or merger shall be pursuant to the terms and conditions specified in an agreement and plan of reorganization authorized and approved by the trustees and entered into by the relevant series in connection therewith. In addition, such reorganization or merger may be authorized by vote of a majority of the trustees then in office and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, without the approval of shareholders of any series.

Shareholders wishing to submit proposals for inclusion in a proxy statement for a future shareholder meeting should send their written submissions to the Trust at 1 Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456. Proposals must be received a reasonable time in advance of a proxy solicitation to be included. Submission of a proposal does not guarantee inclusion in a proxy statement because proposals must comply with certain federal securities regulations.

#### EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING
Shares of the fund are listed for trading, and trade throughout the day, on the NYSE Arca. The fund is listed and traded on the NYSE Arca pursuant to relief under Rule 19b-4 of the 1934 Act. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the NYSE Arca necessary to maintain the listing of shares of the fund will continue to be met. The NYSE Arca may, but is not required to, remove shares of the fund from listing under any of the following circumstances: (i) any of the continued listing requirements are not continuously maintained; (ii) following the initial twelve month period after commencement of trading on the NYSE Arca there are fewer than 50 beneficial holders; (iii) the NYSE Arca is notified, or otherwise becomes aware, that the fund is not in compliance with the conditions of any currently applicable exemptive order or no-action relief; (iv) any of the statements or representations regarding (a) the description of the portfolio, (b) limitations on portfolio holdings, or (c) the applicability of NYSE Arca listing rules, specified in the NYSE Arca's rule filing pursuant to Section 19(b) of the 1934 Act to permit the listing and trading of shares, is not continuously maintained; or (v) such other event shall occur or condition exists which, in the opinion of the NYSE Arca, makes further dealings on the NYSE Arca inadvisable.

If the trading of a security held in the fund's Actual Portfolio is halted or otherwise does not have readily available market quotations and the Advisor believes that the lack of any such readily available market quotations may affect the reliability of the Proxy Portfolio as an arbitrage vehicle or otherwise determines it is in the best interest of the fund, the Advisor promptly will disclose on the fund's website the identity and weighting of such security for so long as such security's trading is halted or otherwise does not have readily available market quotations and remains in the Actual Portfolio. If securities representing 10% or more of the fund's Actual Portfolio do not have readily available market quotations, the Advisor will promptly request that the NYSE Arca halt trading in the fund's shares.

As in the case of other publicly traded securities, when you buy or sell shares through a broker, you will incur a brokerage commission determined by that broker.

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the share prices of a fund in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the fund or an investor's equity interest in the fund.

#### PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF SHARES

#### Creation and Redemption of Creation Units
The fund is open each day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open (Business Days). The NYSE's trading session is normally conducted from 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time until 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, although some days, such as in advance of and following holidays, the NYSE's trading session closes early. The NYSE typically observes the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Although it is expected that the same holidays will be observed in the future, the NYSE may modify its holiday schedule or hours of operation at any time. Only orders that are received and deemed acceptable by the transfer agent no later than the time specified by the Trust will be executed that day at the fund's share price calculated that day. On any day that the NYSE closes early, the fund reserves the right to advance the time by which purchase and redemption orders must be received by the transfer agent that day to be executed that day at that day's share price. If the NYSE is closed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances on a day it would typically be open for business, or the NYSE has an unscheduled early closing on a day it has opened for business, the fund reserves the right to treat such day as a Business Day and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate their NAV as of the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE for that day.

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**Creation.** The Trust issues and sells shares of the fund only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day, for an order received and deemed acceptable by the transfer agent.

**Fund Deposit.** The consideration for purchase of Creation Units of the fund may consist of (i) the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the Deposit Securities), and (ii) an amount of cash denominated in U.S. Dollars (the Cash Component) computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the "Fund Deposit," which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the fund.

The fund may accept a basket of securities, cash or cash equivalents that differs from the composition of the published basket. The fund may permit or require the consideration for Creation Units to consist solely of cash or cash equivalents. The fund may permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (i.e., a "cash in lieu" amount) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. For example, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require a "cash in lieu" amount where the delivery of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant (as described below) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws, or in certain other situations.

The Cash Component is sometimes also referred to as the "Balancing Amount." The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the value of the Deposit Securities. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the value of the Deposit Securities), the creator will deliver the Cash Component. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the value of the Deposit Securities), the creator will receive the Cash Component. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty tax or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant.

The identity and amount of Deposit Securities and Cash Component for the fund changes as the composition of the fund's portfolio changes and as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by Schwab Asset Management with a view to the investment objective of the fund.

The fund or its agent, through the NSCC or otherwise, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the NYSE Arca, Inc. Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the current Fund Deposit for the fund. Such Deposit Securities are applicable, subject to any adjustments, in order to effect creations of Creation Units of the fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities is made available.

**Procedures for Creation of Creation Units.** To be eligible to place orders with the transfer agent and to create a Creation Unit of the fund, an entity must be a Depository Trust Company (DTC) participant, such as a broker-dealer, bank, trust company, clearing corporation or certain other organization, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC (each a DTC Participant). DTC acts as securities depositary for the shares. The DTC Participant must have executed an agreement with the Distributor with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Units (Participant Agreement). A DTC Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement is referred to as an Authorized Participant. Investors should contact the Distributor for the names of Authorized Participants that have signed a Participant Agreement. All shares of the fund, however created, will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.

All orders to create shares must be placed for one or more Creation Units. Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement. The date on which an order to create Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as discussed below) is placed is referred to as the Transmittal Date. Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the transfer agent pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, as described below. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede the ability to reach the transfer agent or an Authorized Participant.

On days when the New York Stock Exchange or U.S. or non-U.S. bond markets close earlier than normal, the fund may require purchase orders to be placed earlier in the day. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities to be delivered, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding.

If the fund does not receive both the required Deposit Securities and the Cash Component by the specified time on the settlement date, the Trust may cancel or revoke acceptance of such order. Upon written notice to the transfer agent, such canceled or revoked order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the fund. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the settlement date.

Creation Units may be created in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the shares on the date the order is placed since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash or cash equivalents must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) at least 115%, which the Trust may change from time to time, of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the Additional Cash Deposit) with the fund pending delivery of any missing Deposit Securities. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the custodian the appropriate amount of federal funds by 10:00 a.m. New York time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the settlement date. If the fund does not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount by such time, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the

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Authorized Participant shall be liable to the fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash or cash equivalents shall be required to be deposited with the fund, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to 115%, which the Trust may change from time to time, of the daily marked-to-market value of the missing Deposit Securities. To the extent that missing Deposit Securities are not received by the specified time on the settlement date, or in the event a marked-to-market payment is not made within one Business Day following notification by the fund that such a payment is required, the Trust may use the cash on deposit to purchase the missing Deposit Securities. The Authorized Participant will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such Deposit Securities on the transmittal date plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the fund or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee, as listed below, will be charged in all cases.

**Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units.** The Trust reserves the right to reject or revoke acceptance of an individual creation order transmitted to it by the transfer agent in respect of the fund if, including, but not limited to, the following conditions are present: (i) the order does not conform to the procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the fund; (iii) the Deposit Securities delivered are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the fund as described above; (iv) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the fund; (v) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (vi) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or Schwab Asset Management, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; or (vii) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the custodian, the transfer agent, the Distributor or Schwab Asset Management make it for all practical purposes impossible to process creation orders. Examples of such circumstances include natural disaster, war, revolution; public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, Schwab Asset Management, the transfer agent, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, custodian (or sub-custodian) or any other participant in the creation process, and similar extraordinary events. The transfer agent shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, custodian (or sub-custodian), transfer agent and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

**Creation/Redemption Transaction Fee.** The fund may impose a transaction fee on investors purchasing or redeeming Creation Units. The transaction fee will be limited to amounts that have been determined by Schwab Asset Management to be appropriate. The purpose of the transaction fee is to protect the existing shareholders of the fund from the dilutive costs associated with the purchase and redemption of Creation Units. Where the fund permits cash creations (or redemptions) or cash in lieu of depositing one or more Deposit Securities, the purchaser (or redeemer) may be assessed an additional variable transaction fee (which may, in certain instances, be based on a good faith estimate of transaction costs) to offset the transaction cost to the fund of buying (or selling) those particular Deposit Securities. Every purchaser of a Creation Unit will receive a prospectus that contains disclosure about the transaction fee, including the maximum amount of the additional variable transaction fee charged by the fund. In certain circumstances, the cost of any standard transaction fees and/or variable transaction fees may be waived by the fund when doing so is believed to be in the best interests of the fund. From time to time, the investment adviser may cover the cost of any transaction fees.

The following table shows, as of June 30, 2025, the approximate value of one Creation Unit of the fund and sets forth the standard and additional creation/redemption transaction fee for the fund.

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund**  | **Approximate Value of <br> One Creation Unit**  | **Standard Creation/<br>Redemption <br>Transaction Fee** | **Maximum Additional <br> Creation Transaction Fee<sup>(1)</sup>**  | **Maximum Additional <br> Redemption Transaction <br> Fee<sup>(1)</sup>**  |
| Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF | $129029 | $100 | 3.0% | 2.0% |

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<sup>(1)</sup>

As a percentage of the total amount invested or redeemed.

**Placement of Redemption Orders.** The process to redeem Creation Units works much like the process to purchase Creation Units, but in reverse. Orders to redeem Creation Units of the fund must be delivered through an Authorized Participant. Investors other than Authorized Participants are responsible for making arrangements for a redemption request to be made through an Authorized Participant. Orders must be accompanied or followed by the requisite number of shares of the fund specified in such order, which delivery must be made to the Distributor no later than 10:00 a.m. New York time on the next Business Day following the Transmittal Date. All other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement must be properly followed.

Fund securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Units. The fund reserves the right to honor a redemption request by delivering a basket of securities or cash that differs from the basket of fund securities generally applicable to redemption requests. An Authorized Participant submitting a redemption request is deemed to represent to the Trust that it (or its client) (i) owns outright or has full legal authority and legal beneficial right to tender for redemption the requisite number of fund shares to be redeemed and can receive the entire proceeds of the redemption, and (ii) the fund shares to be redeemed have not been loaned or pledged to

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another party nor are they the subject of a repurchase agreement, securities lending agreement or such other arrangement that would preclude the delivery of such fund shares to the Trust. The Trust reserves the right to verify these representations at its discretion, but will typically require verification with respect to a redemption request from the fund in connection with higher levels of redemption activity and/or short interest in the fund. If the Authorized Participant, upon receipt of a verification request, does not provide sufficient verification of its representations as determined by the Trust, the redemption request will not be considered to have been received in proper form and may be rejected by the Trust.

To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant's agreement, in the event the Authorized Participant has submitted a redemption request but is unable to transfer all or part of the Creation Units to be redeemed to the fund, the transfer agent will nonetheless accept the redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing shares as soon as possible. Such undertaking shall be secured by the Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value (marked-to-market daily) at least equal to 115%, which Schwab Asset Management may change from time to time, of the value of the missing shares.

The current procedures for collateralization of missing shares require, among other things, that any cash collateral shall be in the form of U.S. dollars (or, at the discretion of the Trust, cash equivalents) in immediately-available funds and shall be held by the custodian and marked-to-market daily. The fees of the custodian (and any sub-custodians) in respect of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery of the cash collateral shall be payable by the Authorized Participant. The Trust, on behalf of the fund, is permitted to purchase the missing shares or acquire the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component underlying such shares at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such shares, Deposit Securities or Cash Component and the value of the collateral.

If the requisite number of shares of the fund are not delivered on the Transmittal Date as described above, the fund may reject or revoke acceptance of the redemption request. If it is not possible to effect deliveries of the fund securities, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such shares in U.S. cash and the redeeming Authorized Participant will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its shares based on the NAV of shares of the fund next determined after the redemption request is received (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust's brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of fund securities).

Redemptions of shares for fund securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific fund securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the fund securities under such laws.

The ability of the Trust to effect in-kind creations and redemptions is subject, among other things, to the condition that, within the time period from the date of the order to the date of delivery of the securities, there are no days that are holidays in the applicable foreign market. Non-U.S. market holiday schedules, coupled with standard settlement cycles, may require that the fund extend settlement longer than seven, but not greater than fifteen, calendar days. For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable foreign market that are not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle may be extended by the number of such intervening holidays.

**Large Shareholder Redemptions.** Certain accounts or Schwab affiliates may from time to time own (beneficially or of record) or control a significant percentage of the fund's shares. Redemptions by these shareholders of their holdings in the fund or large redemptions by several shareholders resulting from events affecting investor demand, to the extent such redemptions are not executed in the secondary market but rather directly with the fund through an Authorized Participant, may impact the fund's liquidity and NAV. These redemptions if made in cash, rather than in-kind, may also force the fund to sell securities, which may negatively impact the fund's brokerage costs. To the extent the fund effects redemptions in cash, this activity could also accelerate the realization of capital gains. Large purchases of shares, if made in cash rather than in-kind, may adversely affect the fund's performance to the extent that the fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would.

#### Pricing of Shares
Each business day, the fund calculates its share price, net asset value per share or NAV, as of the close of the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). This means that NAVs are calculated using the values of the fund's portfolio securities as of the close of the NYSE. Such values are required to be determined in one of two ways: securities for which market quotations are readily available are required to be valued at current market value; and securities for which market quotations are not readily available or that the investment adviser deems to be unreliable are required to be valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Board. If the NYSE is closed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances on a day it would typically be open for business, or the NYSE has an unscheduled early closing on a day it has opened for business, the fund reserves the right to treat such day as a business day and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate its share price as of the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE for that day.

The fund uses approved pricing sources (including pricing services) to provide values for its portfolio securities. Values are generally determined by the approved pricing sources as follows: securities traded on stock exchanges, excluding the NASDAQ National Market System, are valued at the last-quoted sales price on the exchange on which such securities are primarily traded (closing values), or, lacking any sales, at the mean between the bid and ask prices; securities traded in the over-the-counter market are generally valued at an evaluated price using a mid-price as supplied by an approved, independent pricing service. The mid-price is the mean of the bid and ask prices as calculated by the pricing service. Generally securities listed on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. In

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addition, securities that are primarily traded on foreign exchanges are generally valued at the official closing price or last sales price on the exchange where the securities are primarily traded with these values then translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate. Fixed-income securities normally are valued based on valuations provided by approved pricing services. Securities will be fair valued pursuant to procedures approved by the fund's Board when market quotations are not "readily available" or the investment adviser deems them unreliable. For example, the fund may fair value a security when a security is delisted or its trading is halted or suspended; when a security's primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; when a security's primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or when a security's value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security's primary trading market. The Board has designated the investment adviser as the valuation designee (Valuation Designee) for the fund to perform the fair value determination relating to all fund investments. The Valuation Designee periodically provides reports to the Board on items related to its fair value of fund investments.

NOTE: Transactions in fund shares will be priced at NAV only if you purchase or redeem shares directly from a fund in Creation Units. Fund shares that are purchased or sold on a national securities exchange will be effected at prevailing market prices, which may be higher (premium) or lower (discount) than NAV, and may be subject to brokerage commissions and charges.

#### TAXATION
This discussion of federal income tax consequences is based on the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.

#### Federal Tax Information for the Fund
It is the fund's policy to qualify for taxation as a "regulated investment company" (RIC) by meeting the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. By qualifying as a RIC, the fund expects to eliminate or reduce to a nominal amount the federal income tax to which it is subject. If the fund does not qualify as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code, it will be subject to federal income tax on its net investment income and any net realized capital gains. In addition, the fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC.

The fund is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes and is not combined with the Trust's other funds. The fund intends to qualify as a RIC so that it will be relieved of federal income tax on that part of its income that is distributed to shareholders. In order to qualify for treatment as a RIC, the fund must, among other requirements, distribute annually to its shareholders at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (generally, net investment income plus the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt income. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the fund's gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock or securities or currencies and net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership; (ii) at the close of each quarter of the fund's taxable year, at least 50% of the value of its total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount that does not exceed 5% of the value of the fund's assets and that does not represent more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer; and (iii) at the close of each quarter of the fund's taxable year, not more than 25% of the value of its assets may be invested in securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs) of any one issuer or of two or more issuers and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses if the fund owns at least 20% of the voting power of such issuers, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.

Certain master limited partnerships may qualify as "qualified publicly traded partnerships" for purposes of the Subchapter M diversification rules described above. To do so, the master limited partnership must satisfy two requirements during the taxable year. First, the interests of such partnership either must be traded on an established securities market or must be readily tradable on a secondary market (or the substantial equivalent thereof). Second, the partnership must meet the 90% gross income requirements for the exception from treatment as a corporation with gross income other than income consisting of dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, or gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock securities or currencies.

The Internal Revenue Code imposes a non-deductible excise tax on RICs that do not distribute in a calendar year (regardless of whether they otherwise have a non-calendar taxable year) an amount equal to 98% of their "ordinary income" (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) for the calendar year plus 98.2% of their net capital gain for the one-year period ending on October 31 of such calendar year, plus any undistributed amounts from prior years. The non-deductible excise tax is equal to 4% of the deficiency. For the foregoing purposes, the fund is treated as having distributed any amount on which it is subject to income tax for any taxable year ending in such calendar year and certain amounts with respect to which estimated taxes are paid in such calendar year. The fund may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate fund investments to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the fund to satisfy the requirements for qualification as a RIC.

Dividends and interest received from the fund's holding of foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If the fund meets certain requirements, which include a requirement that more than 50% of the value of the fund's total assets at the close of its taxable year

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consists of stocks or securities of foreign corporations, then the fund should be eligible to file an election with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that may enable shareholders, in effect, to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a tax deduction, with respect to any foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid by the fund, subject to certain limitations. Pursuant to this election, the fund will treat those taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders. Each such shareholder will be required to include a proportionate share of those taxes in gross income as income received from a foreign source and must treat the amount so included as if the shareholder had paid the foreign tax directly. The shareholder may then, subject to certain limitations, either deduct the taxes deemed paid by him or her in computing his or her taxable income or, alternatively, use the foregoing information in calculating any foreign tax credit the shareholder may be entitled to use against such shareholder's federal income tax. If the fund makes this election, the fund will report annually to its shareholders the respective amounts per share of the fund's income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and U.S. possessions.

The fund's transactions in foreign currencies and forward foreign currency contracts will be subject to special provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the fund to mark-to-market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. The fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make the appropriate tax elections, and intends to make the appropriate entries in its books and records when it acquires any foreign currency or forward foreign currency contract in order to mitigate the effect of these rules so as to prevent disqualification of the fund as a RIC and minimize the imposition of income and excise taxes.

If the fund owns shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to as "passive foreign investment companies" or "PFICs," the fund will be subject to one of the following special tax regimes: (i) the fund is liable for U.S. federal income tax, and an additional interest charge, on a portion of any "excess distribution" from such foreign entity or any gain from the disposition of such shares, even if the entire distribution or gain is paid out by the fund as a dividend to its shareholders; (ii) if the fund were able and elected to treat a PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" or "QEF," the fund would be required each year to include in income, and distribute to shareholders in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above, the fund's pro rata share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the passive foreign investment company, whether or not such earnings or gains are distributed to the fund; or (iii) the fund may be entitled to mark-to-market annually shares of the PFIC, and in such event would be required to distribute to shareholders any such mark-to-market gains in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above.

The fund's transactions in futures contracts, forward contracts, foreign currency exchange transactions, options and certain other investment and hedging activities may be restricted by the Internal Revenue Code and are subject to special tax rules. In a given case, these rules may accelerate income to the fund, defer its losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the fund's assets, convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses or otherwise affect the character of the fund's income. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders. The fund will endeavor to make any available elections pertaining to these transactions in a manner believed to be in the best interest of the fund and its shareholders.

Under Section 988 of the Internal Revenue Code, special rules are provided for certain transactions in a foreign currency other than the taxpayer's functional currency (i.e., unless certain special rules apply, currencies other than the U.S. dollar). In general, foreign currency gains or losses from forward contracts, from futures contracts that are not "regulated futures contracts," and from unlisted options will be treated as ordinary income or loss under Section 988 of the Internal Revenue Code. Also, certain foreign exchange gains or losses derived with respect to foreign fixed income securities are also subject to Section 988 treatment. In general, therefore, Section 988 gains or losses will increase or decrease the amount of the fund's investment company taxable income available to be distributed to shareholders as ordinary income, rather than increasing or decreasing the amount of the fund's net capital gain.

The fund is required for federal income tax purposes to mark-to-market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures contracts as of the end of the year as well as those actually realized during the year. Gain or loss from futures and options contracts on broad-based indexes required to be marked-to-market will be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders. The fund may be required to defer the recognition of losses on futures contracts, options contracts and swaps to the extent of any unrecognized gains on offsetting positions held by the fund. It is anticipated that any net gain realized from the closing out of futures or options contracts will be considered gain from the sale of securities and therefore will be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% requirement described above. The fund distributes to shareholders at least annually any net capital gains which have been recognized for federal income tax purposes, including unrealized gains at the end of the fund's fiscal year on futures or options transactions. Such distributions are combined with distributions of capital gains realized on the fund's other investments and shareholders are advised on the nature of the distributions.

#### Federal Income Tax Information for Shareholders
The discussion of federal income taxation presented below supplements the discussion in the fund's prospectus and only summarizes some of the important federal tax considerations generally affecting shareholders of the fund. Accordingly, prospective investors (particularly those not residing or domiciled in the United States) should consult their own tax advisors regarding the consequences of investing in the fund.

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Any dividends declared by the fund in October, November or December and paid the following January are treated, for tax purposes, as if they were received by shareholders on December 31 of the year in which they were declared. In general, distributions by the fund of investment company taxable income (including net short-term capital gains), if any, whether received in cash or additional shares, will be taxable to you as ordinary income. A portion of these distributions may be treated as qualified dividend income (eligible for the reduced rates to individuals as described below) to the extent that the fund receives qualified dividend income. Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations (e.g., foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States, or the stock of which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States). A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income to the extent that (i) the shareholder has not held the shares of the fund on which the dividend was paid for more than 60 days during the 121-day period that begins on the date that is 60 days before the date on which the shares of the fund become ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (and the fund also satisfies those holding period requirements with respect to the securities it holds that paid the dividends distributed to the shareholder), (ii) the shareholder is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to substantially similar or related property, or (iii) the shareholder elects to treat such dividend as investment income under section 163(d)(4)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code. Dividends received by the fund from a REIT or another RIC may be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent the dividend distributions are attributable to qualified dividend income received by such REIT or RIC. It is expected that dividends received by the fund from a REIT and distributed to a shareholder generally will be taxable to the shareholder as ordinary income.

Distributions from net capital gain (if any) that are reported as capital gain dividends are taxable as long-term capital gains without regard to the length of time the shareholder has held shares of the fund. However, if you receive a capital gain dividend with respect to fund shares held for six months or less, any loss on the sale or exchange of those shares shall, to the extent of the capital gain dividend, be treated as a long-term capital loss. The maximum individual rate applicable to "qualified dividend income" and long-term capital gains is generally either 15% or 20% depending on whether the individual's income exceeds certain threshold amounts.

An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person's "modified adjusted gross income" (in the case of an individual) or "adjusted gross income" (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount.

At the beginning of every year, the fund will provide shareholders with a tax reporting statement containing information detailing the estimated tax status of any distributions that the fund paid during the previous calendar year. REITs in which the fund invests often do not provide complete and final tax information to the fund until after the time that the fund issues the tax reporting statement. As a result, the fund may at times find it necessary to reclassify to the amount and character of its distributions to you after it issues your tax reporting statement. When such reclassification is necessary, the fund will send you a corrected, final Form 1099-DIV to reflect the reclassified information. If you receive a corrected Form 1099-DIV, use the information on this corrected form, and not the information on the previously issued tax reporting statement in completing your tax returns.

The fund will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, at the time they are paid and will advise you of its tax status for federal income tax purposes, including what portion of the distributions will be qualified dividend income, shortly after the close of each calendar year.

If the fund makes a distribution to a shareholder in excess of the fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder's tax basis in its shares, and thereafter, as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholder's tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares. To the extent that a return of capital distribution exceeds a shareholder's adjusted basis, the distribution will be treated as gain from the sale of shares.

For corporate investors in the fund, dividend distributions the fund reports as dividends received from qualifying domestic corporations will be eligible for the 50% corporate dividends-received deduction to the extent they would qualify if the fund were a regular corporation. Distributions by the fund also may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes, which may differ from the federal income tax treatment described above.

A sale of shares in the fund may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. The maximum individual tax rate applicable to long-term capital gains is generally either 15% or 20%, depending on whether the individual's income exceeds certain threshold amounts. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares of the fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss

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equal to the difference between the exchanger's basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing "wash sales," or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses.

The fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the fund and if, pursuant to section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code, the respective fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.

Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (UBTI). Under current law, the fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in the fund where, for example, (i) the fund invests in REITs that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) or (ii) its shares in the fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisors. There are no restrictions preventing the fund from holding investments in REITs that hold residual interests in REMICs, and the fund may do so. The IRS has issued recent guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisors regarding these issues.

Non-corporate taxpayers generally may deduct 20% of "qualified business income" derived either directly or through partnerships or S corporations. For this purpose, "qualified business income" generally includes ordinary REIT dividends and income derived from MLP investments. The fund is permitted to pass through to shareholders the character of ordinary REIT dividends so as to allow non-corporate shareholders to claim this deduction. There currently is no mechanism for the fund to pass through to non-corporate shareholders the character of income derived from MLP investments. It is uncertain whether future legislation or other guidance will enable the fund to pass through to non-corporate shareholders the ability to claim this deduction with respect to income derived from MLP investments.

**Backup Withholding –** The fund will be required in certain cases to withhold at the applicable withholding rate and remit to the U.S. Treasury the withheld amount of taxable dividends and redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to "backup withholding;" or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder's ultimate U.S. tax liability.

**Disclosure for Non-U.S. Shareholders –** Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from net investment income and short-term capital gains; provided, however, that U.S. source interest related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends generally are not subject to U.S. withholding tax if the fund elects to report such dividends in written notice. Distributions to foreign shareholders of such short-term capital gain dividends and of long-term capital gains, and any gains from the sale or other disposition of shares of the fund, generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who either (1) meets the Internal Revenue Code's definition of "resident alien" or (2) is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders may also be subject to U.S. estate taxes with respect to shares in the fund. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a portion of the income, if any, derived by the fund from investments in REITs that hold residual interests in REMICs may be classified as "excess inclusion income." With respect of foreign shareholders, no exemption or reduction in withholding tax will apply to such excess inclusion income.

The fund is required to withhold U.S. tax (at a 30% rate) on payments of taxable dividends made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to the fund to enable the fund to determine whether withholding is required.

A look-through rule will apply to distributions of so-called FIRPTA gain by the fund if the fund is classified as a "qualified investment entity," which includes an entity taxable as a RIC if, in general, more than 50% of the RIC's assets consist of interests in REITs and other U.S. real property holding corporations. If this condition is met, in the absence of certain exceptions (described below), distributions by the fund to a foreign shareholder, to the extent derived from gain from the disposition of a U.S. real property interest (USRPI), will be treated as FIRPTA gain subject to U.S. withholding tax (currently at the maximum corporate rate of 21%), and requiring that the foreign shareholder file nonresident U.S. income tax returns. Also, such gain will be subject to a 30% branch profits tax in the hands of a foreign corporate shareholder.

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Provided, however, that the class of fund shares held by a foreign shareholder is regularly traded on an established U.S. securities exchange and the foreign shareholder did not own more than 5% of that class of shares at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of the distribution, distributions made by the fund will not be treated as FIRPTA gain under the look-through rule; instead, capital gain distributions from USRPI gain in the hands of a foreign shareholder will be taxed as ordinary income and will generally be subject to withholding at a 30% rate (or lower treaty rate). If the fund is treated as a "qualified investment entity," unless the fund is "domestically controlled," meaning that less than 50% of the shares of the fund is held directly or indirectly by foreign shareholders for a five-year period ending on the date of the distribution, dispositions of fund shares by a foreign shareholder that does not satisfy the conditions of the 5% ownership exception described above generally will be treated as FIRPTA gain subject to withholding at a 15% rate, and requiring that foreign shareholders file nonresident U.S. income tax returns.

**Reportable Transactions –** Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC such as the fund are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the state and local tax rules affecting investments in the fund.

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#### APPENDIX – PROXY VOTING POLICY
The Charles Schwab Family of Funds Schwab Investments Schwab Capital Trust Schwab Annuity Portfolios Laudus Trust Schwab Strategic Trust

#### PROXY VOTING POLICY AS OF MARCH 2025
The Boards of Trustees (the "Board") of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, and Laudus Trust ("Schwab Funds") and Schwab Strategic Trust ("Schwab ETFs"; collectively with Schwab Funds, the "Funds") have delegated to the Funds' investment adviser, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. ("CSIM"), the responsibility to vote proxies relating to the Funds' portfolio securities pursuant to CSIM's Proxy Voting Policy ("CSIM Proxy Policy"). On an annual basis, CSIM will report to the Board any changes to the CSIM Proxy Policy and on the implementation of the CSIM Proxy Policy.

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Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.

I. ### INTRODUCTION
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. ("CSIM"), as an investment adviser, is responsible for voting proxies with respect to the securities held in accounts of investment companies and other clients that have delegated the authority to vote proxies to CSIM. CSIM's Proxy Committee exercises and documents CSIM's responsibility with regard to voting of client proxies, including the review and approval of the Proxy Voting Policy (the "Proxy Policy"). CSIM's Investment Stewardship Team has the primary responsibility for overseeing that voting is carried out consistent with the Proxy Policy. The Investment Stewardship Team also conducts research into proxy issues and carries out engagement activities with companies. The Proxy Committee receives regular reports from the Investment Stewardship Team on these activities.

II. ### PHILOSOPHY
As a leading asset manager, it is CSIM's responsibility to use its proxy votes to encourage transparency, corporate governance structures, and the management of environmental, social and other governance issues that it believes protect and promote shareholder value.

Just as the investors in CSIM's equity funds generally have a long-term investment horizon, CSIM takes a long-term, measured approach to investment stewardship. CSIM's client-first philosophy drives all of its efforts, including its approach to decision making. In the investment stewardship context, that unfolds through CSIM's efforts to appropriately manage risk by encouraging transparency and focusing on corporate governance structures that will help protect and promote shareholder value. CSIM also recognizes that companies can conduct themselves in ways that have important environmental and social consequences. Therefore, CSIM's focus on maximizing long-term shareholder value includes consideration of potential environmental and social impacts that we believe are relevant to individual companies.

In general, CSIM believes corporate directors, as the elected representatives of all shareholders, are best positioned to oversee the management of their companies. Accordingly, CSIM typically supports a board of directors' and management's recommendations on proxy matters. However, CSIM will vote against management's recommendations when it believes doing so will protect or promote long-term shareholder value.

III. ### USE OF PROXY ADVISORS
To assist CSIM in its responsibility for voting proxies and the overall proxy voting process, CSIM has retained Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC ("Glass Lewis") as an expert in the proxy voting and corporate governance area. The services provided by Glass Lewis include in-depth research, global issuer analysis, and voting recommendations as well as vote execution, reporting and record keeping. CSIM has also retained Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. to conduct research and provide voting recommendations on certain topics and may retain additional experts in the proxy voting, corporate governance, and environmental and social areas in the future.

To support CSIM in efficiently executing its votes, Glass Lewis, simultaneously with issuing its voting recommendations, also automatically populates votes based on CSIM's custom voting guidelines, except for certain ballot items which CSIM elects to vote manually. CSIM's votes are executed just prior to the vote deadline, which allows CSIM the opportunity to incorporate changes in Glass Lewis voting recommendations or the receipt of additional information from the company or other parties.

IV. ### PROXY VOTING PRINCIPLES
CSIM invests on behalf of its clients in companies domiciled all over the world. Since corporate governance standards and best practices differ by country and jurisdiction, the market context is taken into account in the analysis of proposals. Furthermore, there are instances where CSIM may determine that voting is not in the best interests of its clients (typically due to costs or to trading restrictions) and will refrain from submitting votes.

The Proxy Committee reviews CSIM's proxy voting guidelines with input from the Investment Stewardship Team at least annually and evaluates them in light of the long-term best interests of shareholders. In addition, for U.S. companies, contested director elections, "vote no" campaigns, mergers and acquisitions, some executive compensation and election of director proposals, and many shareholder proposals, including environmental, social, and governance-related proposals, such as those requesting additional environmental, social and political disclosures, are voted on a case-by-case basis by the Investment Stewardship Team.

While the voting policy is in place to provide structure and guidance and ensure CSIM's approach is consistent and repeatable, CSIM recognizes instances may arise that would benefit from additional research and analysis to determine CSIM's policy recommendation. As such, CSIM reserves the right to use discretion and apply a case-by-case approach when determining its vote decision for any proposal that it believes warrants added scrutiny by the Investment Stewardship Team.

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The following is a summary of CSIM's proxy voting principles which are grouped according to types of proposals usually presented to shareholders in proxy statements.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A.

DIRECTORS AND AUDITORS

i. <u>Directors</u>

As a starting point, CSIM expects boards to be composed of at least a majority of independent directors and to be responsive to shareholders. CSIM also expects directors that serve on a company's nominating, compensation or audit committee to be independent. CSIM believes that diversity of background, experience, and skills contribute to a board's ability to make effective decisions on behalf of shareholders.

Factors that may result in a vote against one or more directors:

<sup>●</sup>

The board is not majority independent

<sup>●</sup>

A company board is not sufficiently diverse with respect to background, or the board has not provided a reasonable explanation of board diversity or lack thereof

<sup>●</sup>

Non-independent directors serve on the nominating, compensation or audit committees

<sup>●</sup>

A director recently failed to attend at least 75% of meetings or serves on an excessive number of publicly traded company boards

<sup>●</sup>

A director approved executive compensation schemes that appear misaligned with shareholders' interests

<sup>●</sup>

A director recently acted in a manner inconsistent with this Proxy Policy or failed to be responsive to shareholder concerns

<sup>●</sup>

The company has not provided explicit disclosure of board oversight of material risks

ii. <u>Contested Director Elections</u>

A proxy contest is when a dissident shareholder (or group of shareholders) proposes outside nominees to compete against incumbent directors. A "Vote No" campaign is when an activist shareholder attempts to solicit votes against certain directors. CSIM evaluates proxy contests and Vote No campaigns on a case-by-case basis and votes for the outcome it believes will maximize long-term shareholder value. CSIM considers numerous factors when making its voting decision, including but not limited to the merit of the campaign, the qualifications of director nominees, long-term company performance compared to peers, board oversight of material risks, and, in the case of proxy contests, the dissident's and management's strategic plans for driving improvements.

iii. <u>Auditors</u>

CSIM typically supports the ratification of auditors unless CSIM believes that the auditors' independence may have been compromised.

Factors that may result in a vote against the ratification of auditors:

<sup>●</sup>

Audit-related fees are less than half of the total fees paid by the company to the audit firm

<sup>●</sup>

A recent material restatement of annual financial statements

<sup>●</sup>

A pattern of inaccurate audits or other behavior that may call into question an auditor's effectiveness

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; B.

BOARD MATTERS

i. <u>Classified Boards</u>

CSIM generally does not support classified board proposals unless management has provided valid reasoning for the structure.

ii. <u>Majority Voting</u>

CSIM generally supports majority voting proposals when they call for plurality voting standards in contested elections.

iii. <u>Proxy Access</u>

CSIM typically supports proxy access proposals when the following criteria are met:

<sup>●</sup>

Ownership threshold of at least 3% of the company's outstanding shares held for at least three years

<sup>●</sup>

Number of nominees is no more than 20% of current board (rounded down to nearest whole number)

<sup>●</sup>

Group size is capped at 20 shareholders

iv. <u>Separation of Chair and CEO role</u>

CSIM believes that boards are typically best positioned to determine their leadership structure. Therefore, CSIM will typically not support shareholder proposals requiring the separation of these roles unless certain circumstances are in place.

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Factors that may result in a vote supporting a shareholder proposal requiring the separation of the Chair and CEO roles include:

<sup>●</sup>

The board does not have a lead independent director

<sup>●</sup>

The board is not two-thirds independent

<sup>●</sup>

The company did not implement a shareholder proposal that was passed by shareholders at two previous shareholder meetings

<sup>●</sup>

The company nominated directors for election that did not receive a majority of shareholder support at the previous shareholder meeting

<sup>●</sup>

The company had material financial statement restatements

<sup>●</sup>

The company's board adopted a Shareholder Rights Plan during the past year and did not submit it to shareholders for approval

<sup>●</sup>

Ongoing executive compensation concerns

<sup>●</sup>

Ongoing financial underperformance

<sup>●</sup>

Lack of robust lead independent director

v. <u>Independent Chair</u>

CSIM believes that boards are typically best positioned to determine their leadership structure. Therefore, CSIM will typically not support shareholder proposals requiring an independent chair unless CSIM has concerns regarding a board's accountability or responsiveness to shareholders.

Factors that may result in a vote supporting a shareholder proposal requiring an independent chair:

<sup>●</sup>

The board does not have a lead independent director

<sup>●</sup>

The board is not two-thirds independent

<sup>●</sup>

The company did not implement a shareholder proposal that was passed by shareholders at two previous shareholder meetings

<sup>●</sup>

The company nominated directors for election that did not receive a majority of shareholder support at the previous shareholder meeting

<sup>●</sup>

The company had material financial statement restatements

<sup>●</sup>

The company's board adopted a Shareholder Rights Plan during the past year and did not submit it to shareholders for approval

<sup>●</sup>

Ongoing executive compensation concerns

<sup>●</sup>

Ongoing financial underperformance

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; C.

COMPENSATION

i. <u>Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation and Frequency</u>

CSIM generally supports advisory votes on executive compensation (which are proposed by management and are known as "Say-On-Pay") when the compensation scheme appears aligned with shareholder economic interests and lacks problematic features.

Factors that may result in a vote against a company's Say-On-Pay proposal:

<sup>●</sup>

There is a disconnect identified between executive pay and company performance

<sup>●</sup>

Executive compensation is out of line with industry peers considering the company's performance over time

<sup>●</sup>

Executive compensation plan includes significant guaranteed bonuses or has a low amount of compensation at risk

<sup>●</sup>

Executive compensation plan offers excessive one-time payments, perquisites, tax-gross up provisions, or golden parachutes

<sup>●</sup>

Compensation amounts are increased, or goals are lowered without providing a valid explanation

<sup>●</sup>

Executive compensation plan lacks adequate disclosure or rationale for decisions related to goals and amounts

ii. <u>Equity Compensation Plans</u>

CSIM generally supports stock-based compensation plans when they do not overly dilute shareholders by providing participants with excessive awards and lack problematic features.

Factors that may result in a vote against Equity Compensation Plans:

<sup>●</sup>

Plan's total potential dilution appears excessive

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<sup>●</sup>

Plan's burn rate appears excessive compared to industry peers

<sup>●</sup>

Plan allows for the re-pricing of options without shareholder approval

<sup>●</sup>

Plan has an evergreen feature

iii. <u>Employee Stock Purchase Plans</u>

CSIM supports the concept of broad employee participation in a company's equity. Therefore, CSIM typically supports employee stock purchase plans when the shares can be purchased at 85% or more of the shares' market value.

iv. <u>Re-price/Exchange Option Plans</u>

CSIM generally only supports management proposals to re-price options when the plan excludes senior management and directors, does not excessively dilute shareholders, and the company has not significantly underperformed its industry peers over time.

v. <u>Compensation-Related Shareholder Proposals</u>

CSIM generally votes with management on compensation-related shareholder proposals. CSIM believes the responsibility for designing an effective executive compensation program lies with the board's compensation committee, rather than shareholders. Therefore, rather than supporting policies proposed by shareholders, a more appropriate way for shareholders to express discontent with a company's policies and practices is through the election of directors, the advisory vote on executive compensation, proposals regarding equity plans and/or other executive compensationspecific proposals.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; D.

ANTI-TAKEOVER

i. <u>Shareholder Rights Plans</u>

Shareholder Rights Plans constrain a potential acquirer's ability to buy shares in a company above a certain threshold without the approval of the company's board of directors. While such a plan may help a company in achieving a higher bid, it may also entrench the incumbent management and board. CSIM believes that shareholders should have the right to approve a Shareholder Rights Plan within a year of its adoption. CSIM generally votes against such plans if they do not have safeguards to protect shareholder interests.

Factors that may result in a vote against a Shareholder Rights Plan proposal:

<sup>●</sup>

Plan does not expire in a relatively short time horizon

<sup>●</sup>

Plan does not have a well-crafted permitted bid or qualified offer feature that mandates shareholder votes in certain situations

<sup>●</sup>

Plan automatically renews without shareholder approval

<sup>●</sup>

Company's corporate governance profile is problematic

ii. <u>Right to Call Special Meeting</u>

CSIM generally votes against shareholder proposals asking for shareholders to be given the right to call a special meeting unless the threshold to call a special meeting is 25% or more of shares outstanding to avoid wasting corporate resources.

iii. <u>Right to Act by Written Consent</u>

CSIM generally votes against shareholder proposals asking for shareholders to be given the right to act by written consent if the company already offers shareholders the right to call special meetings. CSIM expects appropriate mechanisms for implementation.

iv. <u>Supermajority Voting</u>

CSIM generally supports the concept of simple majority standards to pass proposals.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; E.

CAPITAL STRUCTURE, MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

i. <u>Increase in Authorized Common Shares</u>

CSIM typically supports proposals to increase the authorized shares unless the company does not sufficiently justify the need for the use of the proposed shares.

ii. <u>Preferred Shares</u>

CSIM generally supports proposals to create a class of preferred shares with specific voting, dividend, conversion and other rights.

iii. <u>Mergers and Acquisitions</u>

CSIM generally supports transactions that appear to maximize shareholder value. CSIM assesses these proposals on a case-by-case basis and considers the proposed transaction's strategic rationale, the offer premium, the board's oversight of the sales process, and other pertinent factors.

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; F.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS

Effective oversight of material environmental and social risks relevant to a company and its business is an essential board function. In CSIM's view, appropriate risk oversight of environmental and social issues contributes to sustainable long-term value and companies should provide pertinent information on material risks common to their industry and specific to their business. CSIM evaluates, on a case-by-case basis, shareholder proposals regarding environmental and social issues, including those calling for additional disclosure of material risks to a company, with emphasis placed on those risks identified within the framework of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB).

CSIM recognizes that financial performance can be impacted by a company's environmental, social and human capital management policies. CSIM's case-by-case evaluation of these proposals takes into consideration a company's current practices, level of reporting, disclosures by its peers, and the existence of controversies or litigation related to the issue.

CSIM believes that, in most instances, boards are best positioned to determine their company's strategy and manage its operations, and generally does not support shareholder proposals seeking a change in business practices.

i. <u>Climate Change Proposals</u>

CSIM believes that companies should provide pertinent information on the management of potential climate change-related risks, with the understanding that the relevance of this disclosure for any specific company will vary depending on its industry and operations. For companies operating in carbon-intensive industries, we believe boards should be considering a range of energy demand scenarios. We generally support proposals requesting additional disclosure on climate change-related impacts when the company's current reporting is inadequate.

ii. <u>Corporate Political Activity Proposals</u>

CSIM expects boards of directors to have a stated oversight process for political contributions and lobbying activities. CSIM evaluates proposals asking for disclosure of a company's political contributions and lobbying activities on a case-by-case basis and considers supporting them if there is no evidence of board oversight, a political spending policy and/or a company's disclosure is deficient and lags that of its peers.

V. ### ADMINISTRATION
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A.

CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS

CSIM maintains the following practices that seek to prevent undue influence on its proxy voting activity. Such influence might arise from any relationship between the company holding the proxy (or any shareholder or board member of the company) and CSIM, CSIM's affiliates, a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund managed by CSIM ("Affiliated Fund"), an affiliate of such Fund, or a CSIM employee. The Proxy Committee has directed that Glass Lewis be instructed to vote any such proxies in the same proportion as the votes of all other shareholders in the fund (i.e., "echo vote").

With respect to proxies of an underlying Affiliated Fund, the Investment Stewardship Team will ensure that such proxies are "echo voted," unless otherwise required by law. When required by law or applicable exemptive order, the Investment Stewardship Team will also ensure the "echo voting" of an unaffiliated mutual fund or exchange traded fund. For example, certain exemptive orders issued to a fund by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, require the fund, under certain circumstances, to "echo vote" proxies of registered investment companies that serve as underlying investments of the fund.

In addition, with respect to holdings of The Charles Schwab Corporation ("CSC") (ticker symbol: SCHW), the Investment Stewardship Team will ensure such proxies are echo-voted, unless otherwise required by law.

Where the Proxy Committee has delegated an item to the Investment Stewardship Team, CSIM has taken certain steps to mitigate perceived or potential conflicts of interest, including, but not limited to, the following:

<sup>●</sup>

maintaining a reporting structure that separates employees with voting authority from those with sales or business relationship authority,

<sup>●</sup>

reporting of potential conflicts to the Proxy Committee to review the conflict and provide final vote determination,

<sup>●</sup>

defaulting to the standard CSIM Proxy Voting Policy.

In all other cases, proxy issues that present material conflicts of interest between CSIM, and/or any of its affiliates, and CSIM's clients, will be delegated to Glass Lewis to be voted in accordance with CSIM's Proxy Voting Guidelines which are set each year based on governance criteria and not influenced by any individual issuer or ballot item.

Where CSIM's Investment Stewardship Team conducts an engagement meeting with a company, CSIM has taken certain steps to mitigate perceived or potential conflicts of interest, including, but not limited to, the following:

<sup>●</sup>

ensuring that no members of the board of (i) CSC or (ii) an Affiliated Fund, which are affiliated with such company, are participants in such meetings.

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; B.

FOREIGN SECURITIES/SHAREBLOCKING

Voting proxies with respect to shares of foreign securities may involve significantly greater effort and corresponding cost than voting proxies with respect to domestic securities due to the variety of regulatory schemes and corporate practices in foreign countries with respect to proxy voting. Problems voting foreign proxies may include the following:

<sup>●</sup>

proxy statements and ballots written in a foreign language,

<sup>●</sup>

untimely and/or inadequate notice of shareholder meetings,

<sup>●</sup>

restrictions of foreigner's ability to exercise votes,

<sup>●</sup>

requirements to vote proxies in person,

<sup>●</sup>

requirements to provide local agents with power of attorney to facilitate CSIM's voting instructions.

In consideration of the foregoing issues, CSIM, in conjunction with Glass Lewis, uses its best efforts to vote foreign proxies. As part of its ongoing oversight, the Proxy Committee will monitor the voting of foreign proxies to determine whether all reasonable steps are taken to vote foreign proxies. If the Proxy Committee determines that the cost associated with the attempt to vote outweighs the potential benefits clients may derive from voting, the Proxy Committee may decide not to attempt to vote. In addition, certain foreign countries impose restrictions on the sale of securities for a period of time before and/or after the shareholder meeting. To avoid these trading restrictions, the Proxy Committee instructs Glass Lewis not to vote such foreign proxies (share-blocking).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; C.

SECURITIES LENDING

Certain of the funds managed by CSIM enter into securities lending arrangements with lending agents to generate additional revenue for their portfolios. In securities lending arrangements, any voting rights that accompany the loaned securities generally pass to the borrower of the securities, but the lender retains the right to recall a security and may then exercise the security's voting rights. In order to vote the proxies of securities out on loan, the securities must be recalled prior to the established record date. CSIM will use its best efforts to recall a fund's securities on loan when deemed appropriate and in the best interest of shareholders and complies with all reporting requirements.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; D.

SUB-ADVISORY RELATIONSHIPS

Where CSIM has delegated day-to-day investment management responsibilities to an investment sub-adviser, CSIM may (but generally does not) delegate proxy voting responsibility to such investment sub-adviser. In addition, CSIM may share proxy voting with an investment sub-adviser. Each sub-adviser to whom proxy voting responsibility has been delegated will be required to review all proxy solicitation material and to make voting decisions in the best interest of each investment company and its shareholders, or other client associated with the securities it has been allocated. Each sub-adviser to whom proxy voting has been delegated must inform CSIM of its voting decisions to allow CSIM to implement the votes or in the case of shared voting responsibility, potentially override the sub-adviser's vote recommendation. Prior to delegating the proxy voting responsibility, CSIM will review each sub-adviser's proxy voting policy to determine whether it believes that each sub-adviser's proxy voting policy is generally consistent with the maximization of the value of CSIM's clients' investments by protecting the long-term best interest of shareholders.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; E.

REPORTING AND RECORD RETENTION

CSIM will maintain, or cause Glass Lewis to maintain, records that identify the manner in which proxies have been voted (or not voted) on behalf of CSIM clients. CSIM will comply with all applicable rules and regulations regarding disclosure of its or its clients' proxy voting records and procedures.

CSIM will retain all proxy voting materials and supporting documentation as required under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

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![[MISSING IMAGE: log-csamctr299c.jpg]](log-csamctr299c.jpg)

Schwab<sup>®</sup> ETFs

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF | **STCE**  |

---

Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: **NYSE Arca, Inc.**

#### STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

#### July 28, 2025
The Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the fund's prospectus dated July 28, 2025 (as amended from time to time).

The fund's audited financial statements and the report of the independent registered public accounting firm thereon from the fund's [Form N-CSR](https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001454889/000119312525133424/d824599dncsr.htm) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, are incorporated by reference into this SAI.

For a free copy of any of these documents, to request other information, or ask questions about the fund, call 1-877-824-5615. For TDD service, call 1-800-345-2550. In addition, you may visit **www.schwabassetmanagement.com/prospectus** for a free copy of these documents.

The fund is a series of Schwab Strategic Trust (the Trust). The fund is part of the Schwab complex of funds (Schwab Funds). Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dba Schwab Asset Management<sup>®</sup>, is the investment adviser to the fund (investment adviser).

REG118068-03

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#### **TABLE OF CONTENTS**

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
|  | **<u>Page</u>**  |
| [INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, STRATEGIES, RISKS AND LIMITATIONS](#idbeihjdINVESTMENTO)  | [1](#idbeihjdINVESTMENTO) |
| [CONTINUOUS OFFERING](#idcfijCONTINUOUSO)  | [18](#idcfijCONTINUOUSO) |
| [MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND](#ideghghMANAGEMENTO)  | [18](#ideghghMANAGEMENTO) |
| [CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES](#idcddcCONTROLPERS)  | [23](#idcddcCONTROLPERS) |
| [INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES](#idbidebINVESTMENTA)  | [24](#idbidebINVESTMENTA) |
| [PORTFOLIO MANAGERS](#idcbceaPORTFOLIOMA)  | [26](#idcbceaPORTFOLIOMA) |
| [BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES](#idbeadaBROKERAGEAL)  | [28](#idbeadaBROKERAGEAL) |
| [PROXY VOTING](#idjdiPROXYVOTING)  | [29](#idjdiPROXYVOTING) |
| [PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE](#idiejhPORTFOLIOHO)  | [30](#idiejhPORTFOLIOHO) |
| [DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST](#ideaijDESCRIPTION)  | [31](#ideaijDESCRIPTION) |
| [PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF SHARES](#iddagddPURCHASERED)  | [31](#iddagddPURCHASERED) |
| [TAXATION](#iddcaictaxation-0)  | [35](#iddcaictaxation-0) |
| APPENDIX – PROXY VOTING POLICY |  |

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#### INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, STRATEGIES, RISKS AND LIMITATIONS

#### Investment Objective
The fund's investment objective is not fundamental and therefore may be changed by the fund's Board of Trustees (the Board) without shareholder approval.

The **Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF's** goal is to track as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the total return of an index that is designed to deliver global exposure to companies that may benefit from the development or utilization of cryptocurrencies (including bitcoin) and other digital assets, and the business activities connected to blockchain and other distributed ledger technology.

There is no guarantee the fund will achieve its investment objective.

#### Fund Investment Policies
The Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 80% of its net assets in the stocks of its index, including depositary receipts representing securities of that index; which may be in the form of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) and European Depositary Receipts (EDRs). The fund will notify its shareholders at least 60 days before changing this policy. For purposes of this policy, net assets mean net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.

#### Investments, Risks and Limitations
The following investment strategies, risks and limitations supplement those set forth in the prospectus and may be changed without shareholder approval unless otherwise noted. Also, policies and limitations that state a maximum percentage of assets that may be invested in a security or other asset, or that set forth a quality standard, shall be measured immediately after and as a result of the fund's acquisition of such security or asset unless otherwise noted. Thus, except with respect to limitations on borrowing and futures and option contracts, any subsequent change in values, net assets or other circumstances does not require the fund to sell an investment if it could not then make the same investment.

From time to time the fund may hold certain securities not otherwise discussed in this SAI as a permissible investment for the fund. For example, the fund may invest in certain types of securities to the extent its index does even if the types of securities have not been identified as part of the fund's investment strategy. To the extent an investment becomes part of the fund's investment strategy, the fund will take the necessary steps to identify them as permissible investments. In addition, the fund may receive (i.e., not actively invest) such securities as a result of a corporate action, such as securities dividends, spin-offs or rights issues. In such cases, the fund will not actively add to its position and generally will dispose of the securities as soon as reasonably practicable.

**Bitcoin Futures.** The fund may invest in standardized, cash-settled bitcoin futures contracts (Bitcoin Futures) traded on commodity futures exchanges registered with the CFTC, including the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME).

Futures contracts are financial contracts the value of which depends on, or is derived from, the underlying reference asset. In the case of Bitcoin Futures, the underlying reference asset is bitcoin. Futures contracts may be physically-settled or cash-settled. "Cash-settled" means that when the relevant futures contract expires, if the value of the underlying asset exceeds the futures contract price, the seller pays to the purchaser cash in the amount of that excess, and if the futures contract price exceeds the value of the underlying asset, the purchaser pays to the seller cash in the amount of that excess. In a cash-settled futures contract on bitcoin, the amount of cash to be paid is equal to the difference between the value of the bitcoin underlying the futures contract at the close of the last trading day of the contract and the futures contract price specified in the agreement. The CME has specified that the value of bitcoin underlying Bitcoin Futures traded on the CME will be determined by reference to a volume-weighted average of bitcoin trading prices on multiple bitcoin trading venues. Margin requirements for Bitcoin Futures traded on the CME or other futures exchanges may be substantially higher than margin requirements for many other types of futures contracts. These collateral requirements may require the fund to liquidate its position when it otherwise would not do so.

Futures contracts exhibit "futures basis," which refers to the difference between the current market value of the underlying bitcoin (the "spot" price) and the price of the cash-settled futures contracts. A negative futures basis exists when Bitcoin Futures generally trade at a premium to the current market value of bitcoin. If a negative futures basis exists, the fund's investments in Bitcoin Futures will generally underperform a direct investment in bitcoin.

*<u>Bitcoin Reference Rate.</u>* The CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate (BRR) is a daily reference rate of the U.S. Dollar price of one bitcoin, and serves as the underlying rate used to determine the final settlement of CME-traded Bitcoin Futures contracts. The BRR was introduced on November 14, 2016 to provide market participants with a reliable credible source for the price of bitcoin and intended to facilitate the creation of financial products based on bitcoin.

The BRR is calculated by the aggregation of executed trade flow of major bitcoin spot exchanges during a specific one-hour calculation window. All relevant transactions are added to a joint list, recording the trade price and size for each transaction. This one-hour window is then partitioned into twelve, five-minute intervals. For each partition, the volume-weighted median trade price is calculated from the trade prices and sizes of all relevant transactions, i.e. across all constituent exchanges. The BRR is then given by the equally-weighted average of the volume-weighted medians of all partitions. Calculation rules are geared toward a maximum of transparency and replicability in the underlying spot markets.

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*<u>Regulatory Aspects of Investments in Futures.</u>* The fund's investment decisions may need to be modified, and commodity contract positions held by the fund may have to be liquidated at disadvantageous times or prices, to avoid exceeding position limits established by the CFTC, potentially subjecting the fund to losses. The regulation of commodity transactions in the United States is subject to ongoing modification by government, self-regulatory and judicial action. The effect of any future regulatory change on the fund is impossible to predict, but could be adverse to the fund.

**Borrowing.** The fund may borrow money from banks or through the Schwab Funds interfund borrowing and lending facility (as described below) for any purpose in an amount up to 1/3 of the fund's total assets (not including temporary borrowings). The fund may also borrow for temporary or emergency purposes; for example, the fund may borrow at times to meet redemption requests rather than sell portfolio securities to raise the necessary cash. Provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), as amended, require the fund to maintain continuous asset coverage (that is, total assets including borrowings, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of the amount borrowed, with an exception for certain temporary or emergency borrowings not exceeding 5% of the fund's total assets. If the 300% asset coverage should decline as a result of market fluctuations or other reasons, the fund may be required to sell some of its portfolio holdings within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) to reduce the debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to sell securities at that time.

The fund's borrowings will be subject to interest costs. Borrowing can also involve leveraging when securities are purchased with the borrowed money. Leveraging creates interest expenses that can exceed the income from the assets purchased with the borrowed money. In addition, leveraging may magnify changes in the net asset value of the fund's shares and in its portfolio yield. The fund will be required to comply with the asset coverage requirements under the 1940 Act when it engages in borrowing activities. If assets used to secure a borrowing decrease in value, the fund may be required to pledge additional collateral to avoid liquidation of those assets.

The fund may establish lines-of-credit (lines) with certain banks by which it may borrow funds for temporary or emergency purposes. A borrowing is presumed to be for temporary or emergency purposes if it is repaid by the fund within 60 days and is not extended or renewed. The fund may use the lines to meet large or unexpected redemptions that would otherwise force the fund to liquidate securities under circumstances which are unfavorable to the fund's remaining shareholders. The fund will pay a fee to the bank for using the lines.

**Concentration** means that substantial amounts of assets are invested in a particular industry or group of industries. Concentration increases investment exposure to industry risk. For example, the automobile industry may have a greater exposure to a single factor, such as an increase in the price of oil, which may adversely affect the sale of automobiles and, as a result, the value of the industry's securities. As part of the fund's principal investment strategy, the fund will concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries only to approximately the same extent that its index concentrates in the securities of such particular industry or group of industries.

**Cyber Security Risk.** As the use of technology, including cloud-based technology, and the frequency of cyber attacks in the market has become more prevalent, the fund is potentially more susceptible to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cybersecurity that may lead to financial losses. A breach in cybersecurity refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may, among other things, cause the fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption and/or destruction or lose operational capacity, or otherwise disrupt normal business operations. This in turn could adversely affect the fund and its shareholders by, among other things, interfering with the processing of shareholder transactions; impeding the fund's ability to calculate its net asset value (NAV); causing the release or misuse of confidential fund information or private shareholder information (which may violate privacy and other laws, including those related to identity theft). A cyber attack may cause financial losses by impeding trading, causing reputational damage, and subjecting the fund to regulatory penalties, fines, reimbursement or other compensation costs. Additional compliance costs could be associated with corrective measures and/or cybersecurity risk management. Cybersecurity breaches may involve unauthorized access to the fund's digital information systems (e.g., through "hacking" or malicious software coding), and may come from multiple sources, including from outside attacks such as denial-of-service attacks (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users) or cyber extortion, including exfiltration of data held for ransom and/or "ransomware" attacks that render systems inoperable until ransom is paid, or insider actions (e.g., intentionally or unintentionally harmful acts of adviser personnel). In addition, cybersecurity breaches involving the fund's third-party service providers (e.g., the fund's custodian and transfer agent), trading counterparties or issuers in which the fund invests can also subject the fund to many of the same risks associated with direct cybersecurity breaches or extortion of data. Recently, geopolitical tensions may have increased the scale and sophistication of deliberate cybersecurity attacks, particularly those from nation-states or from entities with nation-state backing.

Cybersecurity failures or breaches may result in financial losses to the fund and its shareholders. For example, cybersecurity failures or breaches involving trading counterparties or issuers in which the fund invests could adversely impact such counterparties or issuers and cause the fund's investment to lose value.

Although the investment adviser has business continuity plans and risk management systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cybersecurity, there are inherent limitations in these plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified, in large part because different or unknown threats may emerge in the future. As such, there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially because the fund does not directly control the cybersecurity systems of issuers in which the fund may invest, trading counterparties or third-party service providers to the fund. Such entities have experienced cyber attacks and other attempts to gain unauthorized access to systems from time to time, and there is no guarantee that efforts to prevent or mitigate the effects of such attacks or other attempts to gain unauthorized access will be successful. There is also a risk that cybersecurity breaches may not be detected. There can be no assurance that the fund will not suffer losses relating to cyber attacks on the fund, their service providers, trading counterparties or the issuers in which the fund invests.

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**Delayed-Delivery Transactions** include purchasing and selling securities on a delayed-delivery or when-issued basis. These transactions involve a commitment to buy or sell specific securities at a predetermined price or yield, with payment and delivery taking place after the customary settlement period for that type of security. When purchasing securities on a delayed-delivery basis, the fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership, including the risk of price and yield fluctuations. Typically, no interest will accrue to the fund until the security is delivered. When the fund sells a security on a delayed-delivery basis, the fund does not participate in further gains or losses with respect to that security. If the other party to a delayed-delivery transaction fails to deliver or pay for the securities, the fund could suffer losses.

**Depositary Receipts** include American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) as well as other "hybrid" forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), and are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. Depositary receipts may be sponsored or unsponsored. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.

Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may subject the fund to investment risks that differ in some respects from those related to investments in securities of U.S. issuers. Such risks include future adverse political and economic developments; possible imposition of withholding taxes on income; possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of foreign deposits; possible establishment of exchange controls; or taxation at the source or greater fluctuation in value due to changes in exchange rates. Foreign issuers of securities often engage in business practices different from those of domestic issuers of similar securities, and there may be less information publicly available about foreign issuers. In addition, foreign issuers are, generally speaking, subject to less government supervision and regulation and different accounting treatment than are those in the United States. Please see the section titled "Foreign Securities" for more detail.

Although the two types of depositary receipt facilities (unsponsored or sponsored) are similar, there are differences regarding a holder's rights and obligations and the practices of market participants. A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of non-objection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon the deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other services. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the underlying issuer or to pass through voting rights to depositary receipt holders with respect to the underlying securities.

Sponsored depositary receipt facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depository and the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the depositary receipts (such as dividend payment fees of the depository), although most sponsored depositary receipts holders may bear costs such as deposit and withdrawal fees. Depositories of most sponsored depositary receipts agree to distribute notices of shareholder meetings, voting instructions, and other shareholder communications and information to the depositary receipt holders at the underlying issuer's request.

**Derivative Instruments** are commonly defined to include instruments or contracts whose values depend on (or "derive" from) the value of one or more other assets such as securities, currencies, or commodities. These "other assets" are commonly referred to as "underlying assets." The fund may use derivatives, principally futures contracts, primarily to seek returns on the fund's otherwise uninvested cash assets.

In addition to the derivative instruments and strategies described in this SAI, the investment adviser expects to discover additional derivative instruments and other investment, hedging or risk management techniques. The investment adviser may utilize these new derivative instruments and techniques to the extent that they are consistent with the fund's investment objective and permitted by the fund's investment limitations, operating policies and applicable regulatory authorities.

The fund's derivative instruments can create (i) leverage risk, which generally refers to the risk that derivatives transactions can magnify the fund's gains and losses, (ii) market risk, which generally refers to the risk from potential adverse market movements in relation to the fund's derivatives positions, or the risk that markets could experience a change in volatility that adversely impacts fund returns and the fund's obligations and exposures, (iii) counterparty risk, which generally refers to the risk that a counterparty on a derivatives transaction may not be willing or able to perform its obligations under the derivatives contract, and the related risks of having concentrated exposure to

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such a counterparty, (iv) liquidity risk, which generally refers to the risk involving the liquidity demands that derivatives transactions can create to make payments of margin, collateral, or settlement payments to counterparties, (v) operational risk, which generally refers to the risk related to potential operational issues, including documentation issues, settlement issues, systems failures, inadequate controls, and human error and (vi) legal risk, which generally refers to insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of the counterparty, or legality or enforceability of a contract. Certain of these risks are described in more detail as they apply to specific derivative instruments in the following sub-sections of this SAI.

*<u>Futures Contracts</u>* are instruments that represent an agreement between two parties that obligates one party to buy, and the other party to sell, specific instruments at an agreed-upon price on a stipulated future date. In the case of futures contracts relating to an index or otherwise not calling for physical delivery at the close of the transaction, the parties usually agree to deliver the final cash settlement price of the contract. The fund may purchase and sell futures contracts based on securities, securities indices and foreign currencies, interest rates, or any other futures contracts traded on U.S. exchanges or boards of trade that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) licenses and regulates on foreign exchanges. Although positions are usually marked-to-market on a daily basis with an intermediary (executing broker), there remains a credit risk with the futures exchange.

The fund must maintain a small portion of its assets in cash to process shareholder transactions and to pay its expenses. To reduce the effect this otherwise uninvested cash would have on its performance, the fund may purchase futures contracts. Such transactions allow the fund's cash balance to produce a return similar to that of the underlying security or index on which the futures contract is based. Also, the fund may purchase or sell futures contracts on a specified foreign currency to "fix" the price in U.S. dollars of the foreign security it has acquired or sold or expects to acquire or sell. The fund may enter into futures contracts for other reasons as well.

When buying or selling futures contracts, the fund must place a deposit with its broker equal to a fraction of the contract amount. This amount is known as "initial margin" and must be in the form of liquid assets, including cash, cash-equivalents and U.S. government securities. Subsequent payments to and from the broker, known as "variation margin" may be made daily, if necessary, as the value of the futures contracts fluctuate. This process is known as "marking-to-market." The initial margin amount will be returned to the fund upon termination of the futures contracts assuming all contractual obligations are satisfied. Because margin requirements are normally only a fraction of the amount of the futures contracts in a given transaction, futures trading can involve a great deal of leverage.

While the fund may purchase and sell futures contracts to simulate full investment, there are risks associated with these transactions. Adverse market movements could cause the fund to experience substantial losses when buying and selling futures contracts. Of course, barring significant market distortions, similar results would have been expected if the fund had instead transacted in the underlying securities directly. There also is the risk of losing any margin payments held by a broker in the event of its bankruptcy. Additionally, the fund incurs transaction costs (e.g., brokerage fees) when engaging in futures trading. To the extent the fund also invests in futures to simulate full investment, these same risks apply. When interest rates are rising or securities prices are falling, the fund may seek, through the sale of futures contracts, to offset a decline in the value of its current portfolio securities.

When interest rates are falling or prices are rising, the fund, through the purchase of futures contracts, may attempt to secure better rates or prices than might later be available in the market when it effects anticipated purchases. Similarly, the fund may sell futures contracts on a specified currency to protect against a decline in the value of that currency and its portfolio securities that are denominated in that currency. The fund may purchase futures contracts on a foreign currency to fix the price in U.S. dollars of a security denominated in that currency that the fund has acquired or expects to acquire.

Futures contracts may require actual delivery or acquisition of an underlying security or cash value of an index on the expiration date of the contract. In most cases, however, the contractual obligation is fulfilled before the date of the contract by buying or selling, as the case may be, identical futures contracts. Such offsetting transactions terminate the original contracts and cancel the obligation to take or make delivery of the underlying securities or cash. There may not always be a liquid secondary market at the time the fund seeks to close out a futures position. If the fund is unable to close out its position and prices move adversely, the fund would have to continue to make daily cash payments to maintain its margin requirements. If the fund had insufficient cash to meet these requirements it may have to sell portfolio securities at a disadvantageous time or incur extra costs by borrowing the cash. Also, the fund may be required to make or take delivery and incur extra transaction costs buying or selling the underlying securities. The fund seeks to reduce the risks associated with futures transactions by buying and selling futures contracts that are traded on national exchanges or for which there appears to be a liquid secondary market.

*<u>Derivatives Regulatory Matters.</u>* In October 2020, the SEC adopted a rule related to the use of derivatives, reverse repurchase agreements and certain other transactions by registered investment companies that rescinded and withdrew the guidance of the SEC and its staff regarding asset segregation and cover transactions previously applicable to the fund's use of such transactions. The rule requires the fund to trade derivatives and other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations (except reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions) subject to value-at-risk (VaR) leverage limits and derivatives risk management program and reporting requirements. Generally, these requirements apply unless the fund satisfies a "limited derivatives users" exception that is included in the rule. Under the rule, when the fund trades reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions, including certain tender option bonds, it needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness when calculating the fund's asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions. Reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions aggregated with other indebtedness do not need to be included in the calculation of whether the fund satisfies the limited derivatives users exception, but for funds subject to

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the VaR testing requirement, reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions must be included for purposes of such testing whether treated as derivatives transactions or not. The SEC also provided guidance in connection with the rule regarding the use of securities lending collateral that may limit the fund's securities lending activities. In addition, under the rule, the fund is permitted to invest in a security on a when-issued or forward-settling basis, or with a non-standard settlement cycle, and the transaction will be deemed not to involve a senior security (as defined under Section 18(g) of the 1940 Act), provided that, (i) the fund intends to physically settle the transaction and (ii) the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date (the Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision). The fund may otherwise engage in when-issued, forward-settling and non-standard settlement cycle securities transactions that do not meet the conditions of the Delayed-Settlement Securities Provision so long as the fund treats any such transaction as a "derivatives transaction" for purposes of compliance with the rule. Furthermore, under the rule, the fund will be permitted to enter into an unfunded commitment agreement, and such unfunded commitment agreement will not be subject to the asset coverage requirements under the 1940 Act, if the fund reasonably believes, at the time it enters into such agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations with respect to all such agreements as they come due. These requirements may limit the ability of the fund to use derivatives, and reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions, when-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions, and unfunded commitment agreements as part of its investment strategies. These requirements may increase the cost of the fund's investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors. The investment adviser cannot predict the effects of these regulations on the fund. The investment adviser seeks to manage the fund in a manner consistent with achieving the fund's investment objectives, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful in doing so.

The CFTC regulates the trading of commodity interests, including certain futures contracts, options, and swaps in which the fund may invest. A fund that invests in commodity interests will generally be subject to certain CFTC regulatory requirements if it is considered a "commodity pool." A notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" (CPO) under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (CEA) has been filed, by the investment adviser, with respect to the fund's operation. Therefore, the fund and its investment adviser are not subject to registration or regulation as a CPO under the CEA. If the fund's investment adviser were no longer able to claim the exclusion, the fund's investment adviser may be required to register as a CPO and the fund and its investment adviser would be subject to regulation as a CPO under the CEA. If the fund or its investment adviser is subject to CFTC regulation, it may incur additional expenses and/or may choose to make changes to its investment strategies.

**Diversification** involves investing in a wide range of securities and thereby spreading and reducing the risks of investment. The fund is a series of an open-end investment management company with limited redeemability. The fund is non-diversified, which means that a relatively high percentage of assets of the fund may be invested in the obligations of a limited number of issuers. The value of shares of the fund may be more susceptible to any single economic, political or regulatory occurrence than the shares of a diversified investment company would be.

**Emerging or Developing Markets** exist in countries that are considered to be in the initial stages of industrialization. The risks of investing in these markets are similar to the risks of international investing in general, although the risks are greater in emerging and developing markets. Countries with emerging or developing securities markets tend to have economic structures that are less stable than countries with developed securities markets. This is because their economies may be based on only a few industries and their securities markets may trade a small number of securities. Prices on these exchanges tend to be volatile, and securities in these countries historically have offered greater potential for gain (as well as loss) than securities of companies located in developed countries. There are no strict definitions of what is emerging or developing versus what is considered developed and certain countries are considered emerging or developing in some indices yet developed in others.

The fund's investments in emerging markets can be considered speculative, and therefore may offer higher potential for gains and losses than investments in developed markets of the world. With respect to an emerging market country, there may be a greater potential for nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political changes, government regulation, social instability or diplomatic developments (including war) which could affect adversely the economies of such countries or investments in such countries. The economies of developing countries generally are heavily dependent upon international trade and, accordingly, have been and may continue to be adversely affected by 4 trade barriers, exchange or currency controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they trade.

In addition to the risks of investing in emerging market country debt securities, the fund's investment in government or government-related securities of emerging market countries and restructured debt instruments in emerging markets are subject to special risks, including the inability or unwillingness to repay principal and interest, requests to reschedule or restructure outstanding debt, and requests to extend additional loan amounts. The fund may have limited recourse in the event of default on such debt instruments.

*<u>Investing in China</u>* involves certain additional risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in other more established economies or securities markets. China based companies that incorporate in the People's Republic of China (PRC) can issue different classes of shares depending on where they are listed and which investors are allowed to own them. These are referred to as Class A Shares, Class B shares, and Class H shares, which are all renminbi-denominated shares that trade in different currencies depending on what stock exchange they are listed on. Class H Shares trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, are quoted and traded in Hong Kong dollars, and have no restrictions on who can trade them. Class B Shares trade on either the Shanghai or Shenzhen stock exchanges and can only be traded by non-residents of the PRC or residents with appropriate foreign currency dealing accounts. They trade in U.S. dollars on the Shanghai exchange and in Hong Kong dollars on the Shenzhen exchange. Class A Shares trade on either the Shanghai or Shenzhen exchanges and are quoted in renminbi. Class A

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Shares may only be traded by residents of the PRC, or under the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) rules, or through the Stock Connect programs (Shanghai-Hong Kong or Shenzhen-Hong Kong). Finally, China based companies that are controlled by PRC residents or PRC state entities and have a majority of their revenue or assets in the PRC may incorporate outside the PRC and trade on an exchange outside the PRC in the currency of the exchange. These are referred to as "Red Chip" (Hong Kong), "P Chip" (Hong Kong), "S Chip" (Singapore), or "N Shares" (United States). The multiplicity of share classes and various restrictions on ownership, in addition to the ability of Chinese regulatory authorities and Chinese issuers to suspend trading and their willingness to exercise this option in response to market volatility and other events, can significantly impact liquidity and volatility of the Chinese market and the markets for Chinese securities. In addition, to the extent that the fund invests in China A Shares, there may be legal restrictions imposed by the PRC on the repatriation of assets or proceeds from the sale of China A Shares. Further, there are quotas on the amount China A Shares available either to QFIIs or through the Stock Connect programs. These quotas are applicable to the entire market, not to a specific fund, but they impact the ability of the fund to implement its investment strategy.

The fund may invest a portion of its assets in certain operating companies in China through legal structures known as variable interest entities (VIEs). In China, ownership of companies in certain sectors by non-Chinese individuals and entities (including U.S. persons and entities, such as the fund) is prohibited. To facilitate indirect foreign investment in these businesses, many Chinese companies have created VIE structures. In such an arrangement, a China-based operating company typically establishes a shell entity in another jurisdiction, such as the Cayman Islands. The shell company enters into service and other contracts with the China-based operating company, and then issues shares on an exchange (such as the New York Stock Exchange or the Hong Kong Stock Exchange). Non-Chinese investors hold stock in the shell entity rather than directly in the China-based operating company. This arrangement allows U.S. investors to obtain economic exposure to the China-based operating company through contractual means rather than through formal equity ownership. The contractual arrangements also permit the VIE to consolidate the China-based operating company into its financial statements.

Although VIE structures are a longstanding industry practice and well known to officials and regulators in China, VIE structures are not formally recognized under Chinese law nor have they been tested in court and it is not clear that the contracts are enforceable or that the structures will otherwise work as intended. As a result, investors face the risk that future actions by the Chinese government, at any time and without advance notice, could significantly affect the China-based operating company's financial performance and the enforceability of the VIE structure's contractual arrangements. It is uncertain whether Chinese officials or regulators will withdraw their implicit acceptance of the VIE structure, or whether any new laws, rules or regulations relating to this structure will be adopted (in each case either generally or with respect to specific industries, sectors or companies) and, if adopted, what impact they would have on the interests of shareholders in the VIE structure. Under extreme circumstances, China could prohibit the existence of VIE structures or limit a VIE structure's ability to pass through economic and governance rights to non-Chinese individuals and entities or otherwise determine that the contractual arrangements as part of the VIE structure are unenforceable or contravene applicable law or regulations. If the Chinese government takes these or similar actions affecting VIE structures, the market value of the fund's associated portfolio holdings in VIE structures would likely suffer significant, detrimental, and possibly permanent negative effects, which could result in substantial investment losses to the fund (i.e., such investments could become worthless) with no recourse available.

In addition, Chinese companies, including China-based operating companies listed on U.S. exchanges through a VIE structure, are not subject to the same degree of regulatory requirements, accounting standards or auditor oversight as companies based in more developed countries. As a result, information about the Chinese securities and securities in the VIE structure in which the fund invests may be less reliable or complete than investments in other securities. Foreign companies listed on U.S. exchanges, including China-based operating companies that utilize a VIE structure, also could face delisting or other ramifications for failure to meet the requirements of the SEC, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board or other U.S. regulators. Delisting would significantly decrease the liquidity and value of the securities, decrease the ability of the fund to transact in such securities and may increase the transaction costs of the fund if the fund is required to seek other markets in which to transact in those securities.

Investments involving a VIE structure may also pose additional risks because such investments are made through a company whose interests in the underlying China-based operating company are established through contract rather than through equity ownership. For example, in the event of a dispute, the contractual claims with respect to the China-based operating company may be deemed unenforceable in the PRC, thus limiting (or eliminating) the remedies and rights available to the VIE and its investors. Such legal uncertainty may also be exploited against the interests of the investors in the VIE structure. Further, the interests of the direct equity owners of the China-based operating company may conflict with the interests of the investors in the VIE structure, and the fiduciary duties of the officers and directors of the China-based operating company may differ from, or conflict with, the fiduciary duties of the officers and directors of the shell entity in which the fund invests.

The Chinese government has historically exercised substantial control over the Chinese economy and China-based operating companies, such as through administrative regulation, state ownership and/or other forms of involvement. Actions of the Chinese central and local government authorities continue to have a substantial effect on economic conditions in China and operations of certain China-based operating companies. In addition, the Chinese government has actively intervened in Chinese companies' operations and structures and taken (and may continue to take) actions that impact such companies' structures and operations. Also, such governmental action may include ownership or control directly or indirectly by the central, provincial or municipal governments of the People's Republic of China or by the People's Liberation Army (the military arm of the Chinese Communist Party) and, thus, the fund's investments in Chinese companies are subject to increased risks of political changes, social instability and/or regulatory developments. In general, investments in China involve risk of a total loss due to government action or inaction or other adverse circumstances.

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There is the potential of increased tariffs and restrictions on trade between the United States and the PRC. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to a significant reduction in international trade, which could have a negative impact on PRC companies and a commensurately negative impact on a fund. In addition, the U.S. and other nations and international organizations may impose economic sanctions or take other actions that may adversely affect issuers located in certain countries, including China. See "Market Disruptions Risk" and "Foreign Securities" risk.

**Equity Securities** represent ownership interests in a company, and are commonly called "stocks." Equity securities historically have outperformed most other securities, although their prices can fluctuate based on changes in a company's financial condition, market conditions and political, economic or even company-specific news. When a stock's price declines, its market value is lowered even though the intrinsic value of the company may not have changed. Sometimes factors, such as economic conditions or political events, affect the value of stocks of companies of the same or similar industry or group of industries, and may affect the entire stock market.

Types of equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, rights and warrants, depositary receipts, and interests in real estate investment trusts (REITs). (For more information on REITs, see the section titled "Real Estate Investment Trusts" and for more information on depositary receipts, see the section titled "Depositary Receipts").

*<u>Common Stocks,</u>* which are probably the most recognized type of equity security, represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer and usually entitle the owner to voting rights in the election of the corporation's directors and any other matters submitted to the corporation's shareholders for voting, as well as to receive dividends on such stock. The market value of common stock can fluctuate widely, as it reflects increases and decreases in an issuer's earnings. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of bond owners, other debt holders and owners of preferred stock take precedence over the claims of common stock owners. Common stocks are typically categorized by their market capitalization as large-, mid- or small-cap.

*<u>Preferred Stocks</u>* are a permissible non-principal investment for the fund. Preferred stocks represent an equity or ownership interest in an issuer but do not ordinarily carry voting rights, though they may carry limited voting rights. Preferred stocks normally have preference over the corporation's assets and earnings, however. For example, preferred stocks have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends. Preferred stocks normally pay dividends at a specified rate. However, preferred stock may be purchased where the issuer has omitted, or is in danger of omitting, payment of its dividend. Such investments would be made primarily for their capital appreciation potential. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of bond owners take precedence over the claims of preferred and common stock owners. Certain classes of preferred stock are convertible into shares of common stock of the issuer. By holding convertible preferred stock, the fund can receive a steady stream of dividends and still have the option to convert the preferred stock to common stock. Preferred stock is subject to many of the same risks as common stock and debt securities.

*<u>Convertible Securities</u>* are a permissible non-principal investment for the fund. Convertible securities are typically preferred stocks or bonds that are exchangeable for a specific number of another form of security (usually the issuer's common stock) at a specified price or ratio. A convertible security generally entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on bonds or the dividend paid on preferred stock until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. A corporation may issue a convertible security that is subject to redemption after a specified date, and usually under certain circumstances. A holder of a convertible security that is called for redemption would be required to tender it for redemption to the issuer, convert it to the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party. The convertible structure allows the holder of the convertible bond to participate in share price movements in the company's common stock. The actual return on a convertible bond may exceed its stated yield if the company's common stock appreciates in value and the option to convert to common stocks becomes more valuable.

Convertible securities typically pay a lower interest rate than nonconvertible bonds of the same quality and maturity because of the conversion feature. Convertible securities are also rated below investment grade (high yield) or are not rated, and are subject to credit risk.

Prior to conversion, convertible securities have characteristics and risks similar to nonconvertible debt and equity securities. In addition, convertible securities are often concentrated in economic sectors, which, like the stock market in general, may experience unpredictable declines in value, as well as periods of poor performance, which may last for several years. There may be a small trading market for a particular convertible security at any given time, which may adversely impact market price and the fund's ability to liquidate a particular security or respond to an economic event, including deterioration of an issuer's creditworthiness.

Convertible preferred stocks are nonvoting equity securities that pay a fixed dividend. These securities have a conversion feature similar to convertible bonds, but do not have a maturity date. Due to their fixed income features, convertible securities provide higher income potential than the issuer's common stock, but typically are more sensitive to interest rate changes than the underlying common stock. In the event of a company's liquidation, bondholders have claims on company assets senior to those of shareholders; preferred shareholders have claims senior to those of common shareholders.

Convertible securities typically trade at prices above their conversion value, which is the current market value of the common stock received upon conversion, because of their higher yield potential than the underlying common stock. The difference between the conversion value and the price of a convertible security will vary depending on the value of the underlying common stock and interest rates. When the underlying value of the common stocks declines, the price of the issuer's convertible securities will tend not to fall as much because the convertible security's income

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potential will act as a price support. While the value of a convertible security also tends to rise when the underlying common stock value rises, it will not rise as much because its conversion value is more narrow. The value of convertible securities also is affected by changes in interest rates. For example, when interest rates fall, the value of convertible securities may rise because of their fixed income component.

*<u>Business Development Companies</u>* (BDCs) are a permissible non-principal investment for the fund. BDCs are closed-end investment companies that have elected to be BDCs under the 1940 Act and are taxed as regulated investment companies (RICs) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (Internal Revenue Code). BDCs operate as venture capital companies and typically invest in, lend capital to, and provide significant managerial assistance to developing private companies or thinly-traded public companies. Under the 1940 Act, BDCs are required to invest at least 70% of their total assets primarily in securities of privately-held U.S. companies or thinly-traded U.S. public companies, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less. In addition, a BDC may only incur indebtedness in amounts such that the BDC's coverage ratio of total assets to total senior securities equals 150% or 200%, as applicable.

BDCs generally invest in debt securities that are not rated by a credit rating agency and are considered below investment grade quality (junk bonds). Little public information generally exists for the type of companies in which a BDC may invest and, therefore, there is a risk that investors may not be able to make a fully informed evaluation of the BDC and its portfolio of investments. In addition, investments made by BDCs are typically illiquid and are difficult to value for purposes of determining a BDC's net asset value (for more information on BDCs, see the section titled "Securities of Other Investment Companies").

*<u>Rights and Warrants</u>* are a permissible non-principal investment for the fund. Rights and warrants are types of securities that entitle the holder to purchase a proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price for a specific period of time. Rights allow a shareholder to buy more shares directly from the company, usually at a price somewhat lower than the current market price of the outstanding shares. Warrants are usually issued with bonds and preferred stock. Rights and warrants can trade on the market separately from the company's stock. The prices of rights and warrants do not necessarily move parallel to the prices of the underlying common stock. Rights usually expire within a few weeks of issuance, while warrants may not expire for several years. If a right or warrant is not exercised within the specified time period, it will become worthless and the fund will lose the purchase price it paid for the right or warrant and the right to purchase the underlying security.

*<u>Initial Public Offering.</u>* As part of its non-principal investment strategy, the fund may purchase shares issued as part of, or a short period after, a company's initial public offering (IPOs), and may at times dispose of those shares shortly after their acquisition. The fund's purchase of shares issued in IPOs exposes it to the risks associated with companies that have little operating history as public companies, as well as to the risks inherent in those sectors of the market where these new issuers operate. The market for IPO issuers has been volatile, and share prices of newly-public companies have fluctuated significantly over short periods of time.

*<u>Master Limited Partnerships</u>* (MLPs). As part of its non-principal investment strategy, the fund may purchase units of MLPs. MLPs are limited partnerships or limited liability companies, whose partnership units or limited liability interests are listed and traded on a U.S. securities exchange, and are treated as publicly traded partnerships for federal income tax purposes. To qualify to be treated as a partnership for tax purposes, an MLP must receive at least 90% of its income from qualifying sources as set forth in Section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code. These qualifying sources include activities such as the exploration, development, mining, production, processing, refining, transportation, storage and marketing of mineral or natural resources. MLPs generally have two classes of owners, the general partner and limited partners. MLPs that are formed as limited liability companies generally have two analogous classes of owners, the managing member and the members. For purposes of this section, references to general partners also apply to managing members and references to limited partners also apply to members. The general partner is typically owned by a major energy company, an investment fund, the direct management of the MLP or is an entity owned by one or more of such parties. The general partner may be structured as a private or publicly traded corporation or other entity. The general partner typically controls the operations and management of the MLP through an equity interest of as much as 2% in the MLP plus, in many cases, ownership of common units and subordinated units. Limited partners own the remainder of the MLP through ownership of common units and have a limited role in the MLP's operations and management.

MLPs are typically structured such that common units and general partner interests have first priority to receive quarterly cash distributions up to an established minimum amount (minimum quarterly distributions or MQD). Common and general partner interests also accrue arrearages in distributions to the extent the MQD is not paid. Once common and general partner interests have been paid, subordinated units receive distributions of up to the MQD; however, subordinated units do not accrue arrearages. Distributable cash in excess of the MQD paid to both common and subordinated units is distributed to both common and subordinated units generally on a pro rata basis. The general partner is also eligible to receive incentive distributions if the general partner operates the business in a manner which results in distributions paid per common unit surpassing specified target levels. As the general partner increases cash distributions to the limited partners, the general partner receives an increasingly higher percentage of the incremental cash distributions. A common arrangement provides that the general partner can reach a tier where it receives 50% of every incremental dollar paid to common and subordinated unit holders. These incentive distributions encourage the general partner to streamline costs, increase capital expenditures and acquire assets in order to increase the partnership's cash flow and raise the quarterly cash distribution in order to reach higher tiers. Such results benefit all security holders of the MLP.

General partner interests of MLPs are typically retained by an MLP's original sponsors, such as its founders, corporate partners, entities that sell assets to the MLP and investors such as the fund. A holder of general partner interests can be liable under certain circumstances for amounts greater than the amount of the holder's investment in the general partner interest. General partner interests often confer direct board

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participation rights and in many cases, operating control, over the MLP. These interests themselves are not publicly traded, although they may be owned by publicly traded entities. General partner interests receive cash distributions, typically 2% of the MLP's aggregate cash distributions, which are contractually defined in the partnership agreement. In addition, holders of general partner interests typically hold incentive distribution rights, which provide them with a larger share of the aggregate MLP cash distributions as the distributions to limited partner unit holders are increased to prescribed levels. General partner interests generally cannot be converted into common units. The general partner interest can be redeemed by the MLP if the MLP unitholders choose to remove the general partner, typically with a supermajority vote by limited partner unitholders.

**Exchange-Traded Funds** (ETFs) such as the fund, are investment companies that typically are registered under the 1940 Act as open-end funds (as is the fund's case) or unit investment trusts (UITs). ETFs are actively traded on national securities exchanges and are generally based on specific domestic and foreign market indices. Shares of an ETF may be bought and sold throughout the day at market prices, which may be higher or lower than the shares' net asset value. Market prices of ETF shares will fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and materially, in response to various factors including changes in the ETF's net asset value, the value of ETF holdings, and supply of and demand for ETF shares. Although the creation/redemption feature of ETFs generally makes it more likely that ETF shares will trade close to their net asset value, market volatility, lack of an active trading market for ETF shares, disruptions at market participants (such as Authorized Participants or market makers) and any disruptions in the ordinary functioning of the creation/redemption process may result in ETF shares trading significantly above (at a "premium") or below (at a "discount") their net asset value. An ETF's investment results are based on the ETF's daily net asset value. Investors transacting in ETF shares in the secondary market, where market prices may differ from net asset value, may experience investment results that differ from results based on the ETF's daily net asset value. An "index-based ETF" seeks to track the performance of an index by holding in its portfolio either the contents of the index or a representative sample of the securities in the index. Because ETFs are based on an underlying basket of stocks or an index, they are subject to the same market fluctuations as these types of securities in volatile market swings. ETFs, like mutual funds, have expenses associated with their operation, including advisory fees. When the fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the ETF's expenses. As with any exchange listed security, ETF shares purchased in the secondary market are subject to customary brokerage charges.

**Foreign Securities.** Investments in foreign securities involve additional risks, including foreign currency exchange rate risks, because they are issued by foreign entities, including foreign governments, banks and corporations or because they are traded principally overseas. The fund's investments in foreign securities may include securities of issuers domiciled in a foreign jurisdiction but which are listed on a U.S. exchange and included in the fund's index, as well as securities generally available in foreign markets. Foreign securities in which the fund may invest include those issued by foreign entities that are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. corporations. In addition, there may be less publicly available information about foreign entities. Foreign economic, political and legal developments, a compromise in public health and safety, as well as fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates and withholding taxes, could have more dramatic effects on the value of foreign securities. For example, conditions within and around foreign countries, such as the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, diplomatic developments, currency blockage, the imposition of trade sanctions and other similar measures, change of government or war could affect the value of foreign investments. Additionally, a country could experience a public health threat such as an infectious illness which could reduce consumer demand or economic output and/or result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, all of which could affect the value of that country's securities and impact global markets. Moreover, individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position.

Foreign securities typically have less volume and are generally less liquid and more volatile than securities of U.S. companies. Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although the fund will endeavor to achieve the most favorable overall results on portfolio transactions. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of foreign securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. There may be difficulties in obtaining or enforcing judgments against foreign issuers as well. Bankruptcy laws in some foreign countries are sometimes biased to the borrowers and against the creditors. These factors and others may increase the risks with respect to the liquidity of the fund, and its ability to meet a large number of shareholder redemption requests.

In addition, the fund's investments in foreign securities may be subject to economic sanctions or other government restrictions. The type and severity of sanctions and other similar measures, including counter sanctions and other retaliatory actions, that may be imposed could vary broadly in scope, and their impact is difficult to ascertain. These types of measures may include, but are not limited to, banning a sanctioned country or certain persons or entities associated with such country from global payment systems that facilitate cross-border payments, restricting the settlement of securities transactions by certain investors, and freezing the assets of particular countries, entities or persons. The imposition of sanctions and other similar measures could, among other things, result in a decline in the value and/or liquidity of securities issued by the sanctioned country or companies located in or economically tied to the sanctioned country, downgrades in the credit ratings of the sanctioned country's securities or those of companies located in or economically tied to the sanctioned country, currency devaluation or volatility, and increased market volatility and disruption in the sanctioned country and throughout the world. Sanctions and other similar measures could directly or indirectly limit or prevent the fund from buying and selling securities (in the sanctioned country and other markets), significantly delay or prevent the settlement of securities transactions, and adversely impact the fund's liquidity and performance. As a result, such restrictions may limit the fund's ability to meet a large number of shareholder redemption requests.

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Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures and, in certain markets, there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of the fund is uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Losses to the fund arising out of the inability to fulfill a contract to sell such securities also could result in potential liability for the fund.

Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may be made and held in foreign currencies. In addition, the fund may hold cash investments in foreign currencies. These investments may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency rates and in exchange control regulations, and may cause the fund to incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. The rate of exchange between the U.S. dollar and other currencies is determined by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange market as well as by political and economic factors. Changes in the foreign currency exchange rates also may affect the value of dividends and interest earned, gains and losses realized on the sale of securities, and net investment income and gains, if any, to be distributed to shareholders by the fund.

During the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, financial markets in Europe experienced significant volatility due, in part, to concerns about rising levels of government debt and the prevalence of increased budget deficits. As a result, many economies in the region suffered through prolonged economic downturns. Due to the economic integration of the region, another economic downturn in one European country may have a negative impact on the economies of other European countries.

As the fund may hold investments in issuers that are located in Europe or that depend on revenues generated from operations in Europe, any material negative developments in Europe could have a negative impact on the value and liquidity of these investments, which could harm the fund's performance.

**Foreign Institutions** involve additional risks. The fund may invest in U.S. dollar-denominated securities issued by foreign institutions or securities that are subject to credit or liquidity enhancements provided by foreign institutions. Foreign institutions may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements that are comparable to those applicable to U.S. corporations. In addition, there may be less publicly available information about foreign entities. Foreign economic, political and legal developments could have effects on the value of securities issued or supported by foreign institutions. For example, conditions within and around foreign countries, such as the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, diplomatic developments, change of government or war could affect the value of these securities. In addition, there may be difficulties in obtaining or enforcing judgments against foreign institutions that issue or support securities in which the fund may invest. These factors and others may increase the risks with respect to the liquidity of the fund, and its ability to meet a large number of shareholder redemption requests.

**Illiquid Securities or Investments** means any investment that the fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. The liquidity of the fund's investments is monitored under the supervision and direction of the Board and is governed by the 1940 Act and rules promulgated thereunder, which limits acquisition of illiquid investments such that no more than 15% of the fund's net assets may be held in illiquid investments immediately after the acquisition. Investments currently not considered liquid include, among others, repurchase agreements not maturing within seven days that are not subject to a demand feature of seven days or less and certain restricted securities. Any investment may become illiquid in times of market dislocation.

**Indexing Strategies** involve tracking the securities represented in, and therefore the performance of, an index. The fund normally will invest primarily in the securities of its index. Moreover, the fund seeks to invest so that its portfolio performs similarly to that of its index. Correlation for the fund is calculated using daily returns, according to a mathematical formula which measures correlation between the fund's portfolio and index returns. The fund may rebalance its holdings in order to track its index more closely. A perfect correlation of 1.0 is unlikely as the fund incurs operating and trading expenses unlike its index.

There can be no guarantee that the performance of the fund will achieve a high degree of correlation with that of its index. A number of factors may affect the fund's ability to achieve a high correlation with its index, including the degree to which the fund utilizes a sampling technique. The correlation between the performance of the fund and its index may also diverge due to transaction costs, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), timing variances, and differences between the fund's portfolio and the index resulting from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the fund but not to the index.

**Inflation/Deflation Risk.** The fund may be subject to inflation and deflation risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the present value of assets or income from the fund's investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the fund's assets can decline. Deflation risk is the risk that prices throughout the economy decline over time. Deflation may have an adverse effect on the creditworthiness of issuers and may make issuer default more likely, which may result in a decline in the value of the fund's assets.

**Interfund Borrowing and Lending.** The fund may borrow money from and/or lend money to other funds in the Fund Complex, as defined under "Management of the Fund," including funds not discussed in this SAI or in the corresponding prospectus. All loans are for temporary or emergency purposes and the interest rates to be charged will be the average of the overnight repurchase agreement rate and the short-term bank loan rate. All loans are subject to numerous conditions designed to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all participating funds. These conditions include, for example, that the fund's participation in the credit facility must be consistent with its investment policies and limitations

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and organizational documents; no fund may lend to another fund through the interfund lending facility if the loan would cause the aggregate outstanding loans through the credit facility to exceed 15% of the lending fund's current net assets at the time of the loan; and that the fund's interfund loans to any one fund shall not exceed 5% of the lending fund's net assets. With respect to the fund discussed in this SAI, by lending to another fund the fund may forego gains which could have been made had those assets been invested in securities of its applicable underlying index. The interfund lending facility is subject to the oversight and periodic review of the Board.

**Market Disruptions Risk.** The fund is subject to investment and operational risks associated with financial, economic and other global market developments and disruptions, including those arising from war, terrorism, market manipulation, government interventions, tariffs, defaults and shutdowns, political changes or diplomatic developments, public health emergencies (such as the spread of infectious diseases, epidemics and pandemics) and natural/environmental disasters, which can all negatively impact the securities markets and cause the fund to lose value. These events can also impair the technology and other operational systems upon which the fund's service providers, including Schwab Asset Management as the fund's investment adviser, rely, and could otherwise disrupt the fund's service providers' ability to fulfill their obligations to the fund.

A widespread health crisis, such as an infectious disease outbreak, epidemic or pandemic, could cause substantial market volatility, securities exchange suspensions, restrictions or closures, and other deleterious effects, any of which could disrupt fund operations and adversely affect fund performance. For example, the outbreak of COVID-19, a novel coronavirus disease, caused volatility, severe market dislocations and liquidity constraints in many markets, including those in which the fund invests. Efforts to contain the spread of infectious disease could result in travel restrictions and disruptions, closed international borders, enhanced health screenings at ports of entry and elsewhere, disruption of and delays in healthcare service preparation and delivery, quarantines, event and service cancellations or interruptions, disruptions to business operations (including staff reductions), supply chains and consumer activity, as well as general concern and uncertainty that could have negative economic effects. Such disruptions could lead to instability in the market place, including losses and overall volatility. Future health crises could adversely affect economies, the financial performance of individual issuers, borrowers and sectors and the health of the markets generally in potentially significant and unforeseen ways.

War, terrorism and related responses and events could cause substantial market volatility, disrupt fund operations and adversely affect fund performance. For example, Russia's military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, responses by the United States and other countries to the invasion and the potential for wider conflict have increased and may continue to increase volatility and uncertainty in financial markets worldwide. The United States and other countries have imposed broad-ranging economic sanctions on Russia and Russian entities and individuals that, among other restrictions, prohibit companies from doing business with Russia and Russian issuers, and may adversely affect companies with economic or financial exposure to Russia and Russian issuers. The United States and other countries have also imposed economic sanctions on Belarus and may impose sanctions on other countries that support Russia's military invasion. Additionally, armed conflict between Israel and Hamas and other militant groups in the Middle East and related events could cause significant market disruptions and volatility. These events and other similar events could negatively affect the fund's performance.

U.S. and global markets have experienced increased volatility in past years, including as a result of the failures of certain U.S. and non-U.S. banks, which could be harmful to the fund and issuers in which it invests. For example, if a bank in which the fund or an issuer has an account fails, any cash or other assets in bank accounts may be temporarily inaccessible or permanently lost by the fund or issuer. If a bank that provides a subscription line credit facility, asset-based facility, other credit facility and/or other services to an issuer fails, the issuer could be unable to draw funds under its credit facilities or obtain replacement credit facilities or other services from other lending institutions with similar terms. Even if banks used by issuers in which the fund invests remain solvent, continued volatility in the banking sector could cause or intensify an economic recession, increase the costs of banking services or result in the issuers being unable to obtain or refinance indebtedness at all or on as favorable terms as could otherwise have been obtained. Conditions in the banking sector are evolving, and the scope of any potential impacts to the fund and issuers, both from market conditions and also potential legislative or regulatory responses, are uncertain. Continued market volatility and uncertainty and/or a downturn in market and economic and financial conditions, as a result of developments in the banking industry or otherwise (including as a result of delayed access to cash or credit facilities), could have an adverse impact on the fund and issuers in which it invests.

International trade tensions may arise from time to time which could result in trade tariffs, embargos or other restrictions or limitations on trade. The imposition of any actions on trade could trigger a significant reduction in international trade, an oversupply of certain manufactured goods, substantial price reductions of goods, possible failure of individual companies or industries, slower economic growth or recession, inflation, increased unemployment or market volatility, any of which could have a negative impact on the fund's performance. Recently the United States has increased tariffs or threatened to increase tariffs on imports from certain countries and on certain imported goods. An increase in tariffs or trade restrictions, or even the threat of such developments, could lead to retaliatory actions by other countries and an escalation of trade barriers, and could heighten the aforementioned risks to the fund.

The foregoing could lead to a significant economic downturn or recession, increased market volatility, market closures, changes in interest rates, higher default rates and adverse effects on the values and liquidity of securities or other assets. Such impacts, which may vary across asset classes, may adversely affect the performance of the fund. In certain cases, an exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities or even the entire market, which may result in the fund being, among other things, unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments or to accurately price its investments.

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**Mid-Cap Stocks.** Mid-Cap Stocks include common stocks issued by operating companies with market capitalizations that place them between the upper and lower end of the stock market, as well as the stocks of companies that are determined to be mid-sized based on several factors, including the capitalization of the company and the amount of revenues. REITs and other real estate companies may be small- to medium-sized companies in relation to the equity markets as a whole. Historically, mid-cap stocks have been riskier than large-cap stocks. Mid-cap companies themselves may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies. Stock prices of mid-sized companies may be based in substantial part on future expectations rather than current achievements and may move sharply, especially during market upturns and downturns. During a period when mid-cap stocks fall behind other types of investments – large-cap stocks, for instance – the fund's mid-cap holdings could reduce performance.

Mid-cap companies may have less certain growth prospects and are typically less diversified and less able to withstand changing economic conditions than larger capitalized companies. Mid-cap companies also may have more limited product lines, markets or financial resources than companies with larger capitalizations, and may be more dependent on a relatively smaller management group. In addition, mid-cap companies may not be well known to the investing public, may not have institutional ownership and may have only cyclical, static or moderate growth prospects. Mid-cap company stocks may pay low or no dividends. These factors and others may cause sharp changes in the value of a mid-cap company's stock, and even cause some mid-cap companies to fail. While mid-cap stocks are generally considered to offer greater growth opportunities for investors than large-cap stocks, they involve greater risks and the share price of the fund that invests in mid-cap stocks may change sharply during the short term and long term.

**Money Market Securities** are high-quality, short term debt securities that may be issued by entities such as the U.S. government, corporations and financial institutions (like banks). Money market securities include commercial paper, certificates of deposit, banker's acceptances, notes and time deposits. Certificates of deposit and time deposits are issued against funds deposited in a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate. Banker's acceptances are credit instruments evidencing a bank's obligation to pay a draft drawn on it by a customer. These instruments reflect the obligation both of the bank and of the drawer to pay the full amount of the instrument upon maturity. Commercial paper consists of short term, unsecured promissory notes issued to finance short term credit needs.

Money market securities pay fixed-, variable- or floating-rates of interest and are generally subject to credit and interest rate risks. The maturity date or price of and financial assets collateralizing a security may be structured in order to make it qualify as or act like a money market security. These securities may be subject to greater credit and interest rate risks than other money market securities because of their structure. Money market securities may be issued with puts or sold separately; these puts, which are sometimes called demand features or guarantees, are agreements that allow the buyer to sell a security at a specified price and time to the seller or "put provider." When the fund buys a put, losses could occur as a result of the costs of the put or if it exercises its rights under the put and the put provider does not perform as agreed. Standby commitments are types of puts.

The fund may keep a portion of its assets in cash for business operations. The fund may invest in money market securities to reduce the effect this otherwise uninvested cash would have on its performance. The fund may also invest in money market securities to the extent it is consistent with its investment objective.

*<u>Banker's Acceptances or Notes</u>* are credit instruments evidencing a bank's obligation to pay a draft drawn on it by a customer. These instruments reflect the obligation both of the bank and of the drawer to pay the full amount of the instrument upon maturity. The fund will invest only in banker's acceptances of banks that have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million.

*<u>Certificates of Deposit or Time Deposits</u>* are issued against funds deposited in a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate. The fund will invest only in certificates of deposit of banks that have capital, surplus and undivided profits in the aggregate in excess of $100 million.

*<u>Commercial Paper</u>* consists of short term, promissory notes issued by banks, corporations and other institutions to finance short-term credit needs. These securities generally are discounted but sometimes may be interest bearing. Commercial paper, which also may be unsecured, is subject to credit risk.

*<u>Fixed Time Deposits</u>* are bank obligations payable at a stated maturity date and bearing interest at a fixed rate. Fixed time deposits may be withdrawn on demand by the investor, but may be subject to early withdrawal penalties, which vary depending upon market conditions and the remaining maturity of the obligation. There are no contractual restrictions on the right to transfer a beneficial interest in a fixed time deposit to a third party, although there is no market for such deposits. The fund will not invest in fixed time deposits that (1) are not subject to prepayment or (2) provide for withdrawal penalties upon prepayment (other than overnight deposits) if, in the aggregate, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in such deposits, repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days and other illiquid assets.

*<u>Promissory Notes</u>* are written agreements committing the maker or issuer to pay the payee a specified amount either on demand or at a fixed date in the future, with or without interest. These are sometimes called negotiable notes or instruments and are subject to credit risk. Bank notes are notes used to represent obligations issued by banks in large denominations.

**Non-Publicly Traded Securities and Private Placements.** The fund may receive securities that are neither listed on a stock exchange nor traded over-the-counter, including privately placed securities. Such unlisted securities may involve a higher degree of business and financial risk that can result in substantial losses. As a result of the absence of a public trading market for these securities, they may be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be sold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be

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less than those originally paid by the fund or less than what may be considered the fair value of such securities. Furthermore, companies whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements which might be applicable if their securities were publicly traded. If such securities are required to be registered under the securities laws of one or more jurisdictions before being sold, the fund may be required to bear the expenses of registration. Though the fund does not intend to purchase these securities, it may receive such securities as a result of another transaction, such as the spin-off of a company's subsidiary to a separate entity.

**Operational Risk.** The fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the fund's service providers, counterparties or other third parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or system failures. The fund seeks to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures believed to be reasonably designed to address these risks. However, these controls and procedures cannot address every possible risk and may not fully mitigate the risks that they are intended to address.

**Real Estate Investment Trusts** (REITs) are pooled investment vehicles, which invest primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests and, in some cases, manage real estate. REITs are sometimes referred to as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or hybrid REITs. An equity REIT invests primarily in properties and generates income from rental and lease properties and, in some cases, from the management of real estate. Equity REITs also offer the potential for growth as a result of property appreciation and from the sale of appreciated property. Mortgage REITs invest primarily in real estate mortgages, which may secure construction, development or long-term loans, and derive income for the collection of interest payments. Hybrid REITs may combine the features of equity REITs and mortgage REITs. REITs are generally organized as corporations or business trusts, but are not taxed as a corporation if they meet certain requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. To qualify, a REIT must, among other things, invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including other REITs), cash and government securities, distribute at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders and receive at least 75% of that income from rents, mortgages and sales of property.

Like any investment in real estate, a REIT's performance depends on many factors, such as its ability to find tenants for its properties, to renew leases, and to finance property purchases and renovations. In general, REITs may be affected by changes in underlying real estate values, which may have an exaggerated effect to the extent a REIT concentrates its investment in certain regions or property types. For example, rental income could decline because of extended vacancies, increased competition from nearby properties, tenants' failure to pay rent, or incompetent management. Property values could decrease because of overbuilding, environmental liabilities, uninsured damages caused by natural disasters, a general decline in the neighborhood, losses due to casualty or condemnation, increases in property taxes, or changes in zoning laws. Ultimately, a REIT's performance depends on the types of properties it owns and how well the REIT manages its properties. Additionally, declines in the market value of a REIT may reflect not only depressed real estate prices, but may also reflect the degree of leverage utilized by the REIT.

In general, during periods of rising interest rates, REITs may lose some of their appeal for investors who may be able to obtain higher yields from other income-producing investments, such as long term bonds. Higher interest rates also mean that financing for property purchases and improvements is more costly and difficult to obtain. During periods of declining interest rates, certain mortgage REITs may hold mortgages that mortgagors elect to prepay, which can reduce the yield on securities issued by mortgage REITs. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the ability of borrowers to repay debts to the REIT when due and equity REITs may be affected by the ability of tenants to pay rent.

Like small-cap stocks in general, certain REITs have relatively small market capitalizations and their securities can be more volatile than - and at times will perform differently from - large-cap stocks. In addition, because small-cap stocks are typically less liquid than large-cap stocks, REIT stocks may sometimes experience greater share-price fluctuations than the stocks of larger companies. Further, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification, and are therefore subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. By investing in REITs indirectly through the fund, a shareholder will bear indirectly a proportionate share of the REIT's expenses in addition to their proportionate share of the fund's expenses. Finally, REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act and CFTC regulations.

**Repurchase Agreements** are instruments under which a buyer acquires ownership of certain securities (usually U.S. government securities) from a seller who agrees to repurchase the securities at a mutually agreed-upon time and price, thereby determining the yield during the buyer's holding period. Any repurchase agreements the fund enters into will involve the fund as the buyer and banks or broker-dealers as sellers. The period of repurchase agreements is usually short, from overnight to one week, although the securities collateralizing a repurchase agreement may have longer maturity dates. Default by the seller might cause the fund to experience a loss or delay in the liquidation of the collateral securing the repurchase agreement. The fund also may incur disposition costs in liquidating the collateral. In the event of a bankruptcy or other default of a repurchase agreement's seller, the fund might incur expenses in enforcing its rights, and could experience losses, including a decline in the value of the underlying securities and loss of income. Certain repurchase agreements the fund may enter into may or may not be subject to an automatic stay in bankruptcy proceedings. The fund will make payment under a repurchase agreement only upon physical delivery or evidence of book entry transfer of the collateral to the account of its custodian bank. Repurchase agreements are the economic equivalents of loans.

**Restricted Securities** are securities that are subject to legal restrictions on their sale. Difficulty in selling restricted securities may result in a loss or be costly to the fund. Restricted securities generally can be sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), or in a registered public offering. Where registration is required, the holder of a registered security may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may elapse

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between the time it decides to seek registration and the time it may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the holder might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security. Certain restricted securities, such as commercial paper and other promissory notes may be issued under Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act and may be sold only to qualified institutional buyers, such as the fund, under 1933 Act Rule 144A. Securities purchased through a private placement offering are also restricted securities. These securities may be considered to be liquid if they meet the criteria for liquidity established by the Board. To the extent the fund invests in restricted securities that are deemed liquid, the general level of illiquidity in the fund's portfolio may be increased if such securities become illiquid or if buyers in that market become unwilling to purchase these securities.

**Securities Lending** of portfolio securities is a common practice in the securities industry. The fund may engage in security lending arrangements. When the fund is lending portfolio securities, the fund may receive cash collateral and may invest it in short-term, interest-bearing obligations, including cash collateral funds, but will do so only to the extent that it will not lose the tax treatment available to regulated investment companies. Lending portfolio securities involves risks that the borrower may fail to return the securities or provide additional collateral. Also, voting rights with respect to the loaned securities may pass with the lending of the securities and efforts to recall such securities promptly may be unsuccessful, especially for foreign securities. Securities lending involves the risk of loss of rights in, or delay in recovery of, the loaned securities, if the borrower fails to return the security loaned or becomes insolvent. The fund will also bear the risk of any decline in value of securities acquired with cash collateral.

The fund may loan portfolio securities to qualified broker-dealers or other institutional investors provided: (1) the loan is secured continuously by collateral consisting of U.S. government securities, letters of credit, cash or cash equivalents or other permitted instruments maintained on a daily marked-to-market basis in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned; (2) the fund may at any time call the loan and obtain the return of the securities loaned; (3) the fund will receive payments in lieu of any interest or dividends paid on the loaned securities; and (4) the aggregate market value of securities loaned will not at any time exceed one-third of the total assets of the fund, including collateral received from the loan (at market value computed at the time of the loan).

Although voting rights with respect to loaned securities pass to the borrower, the lender retains the right to recall a security (or terminate a loan) for the purpose of exercising the security's voting rights. Efforts to recall such securities promptly may be unsuccessful, especially for foreign securities or thinly traded securities such as small-cap stocks. In addition, because recalling a security may involve expenses to the fund, it is expected that the fund will do so only where the items being voted upon are, in the judgment of the investment adviser, either material to the economic value of the security or threaten to materially impact the issuer's corporate governance policies or structure.

To the extent the fund participates in securities lending under the current securities lending agreements with unaffiliated lending agents, costs and expenses, including agent fees, associated with securities lending activities under the securities lending program paid to the unaffiliated lending agents start at 9% of gross lending revenue, with subsequent breakpoints to a low of 5%. In this context, the gross lending revenue equals the income received from the investment of cash collateral and fees paid by borrowers less any rebates paid to borrowers. Any expenses charged by the cash collateral fund are in addition to these fees. All remaining revenue is retained by the fund, as applicable. No portion of the lending revenue is paid to or retained by Schwab Asset Management or any affiliate of Schwab Asset Management.

**Securities of Other Investment Companies.** Investment companies generally offer investors the advantages of diversification and professional investment management, by combining shareholders' money and investing it in securities such as stocks, bonds and money market instruments. Investment companies include: (1) open-end funds (commonly called mutual funds) that issue and redeem their shares on a continuous basis; (2) BDCs that generally invest in, and provide services to, privately-held companies or thinly-traded public companies (see the sub-section titled "Business Development Companies" under the section titled "Equity Securities" for more information); (3) closed-end funds that offer a fixed number of shares, and are usually listed on an exchange; (4) UITs that generally offer a fixed number of redeemable shares; and (5) money market funds that typically seek current income by investing in money market securities (see the section titled "Money Market Securities" for more information). Certain open-end funds, closed-end funds and UITs are traded on exchanges.

To the extent the fund invests, or has invested, in shares of other investment companies, including BDCs, during its prior fiscal year, the fund, pursuant to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules, must disclose any material fees and expenses indirectly incurred by the fund as a result of such investments. These indirect fees and expenses, to the extent incurred, will appear in the fee table of the fund's prospectus as a separate line item captioned "Acquired fund fees and expenses."

Unlike securities of other investments companies, BDCs may be included in various indices by index providers. As a result, particularly to the extent the fund seeks to track the total return of its index by replicating the index (rather than employing sampling techniques), the fund may hold securities of BDCs and may be required to disclose Acquired fund fees and expenses.

Investment companies may make investments and use techniques designed to enhance their performance. These may include delayed-delivery and when-issued securities transactions; swap agreements; buying and selling futures contracts, illiquid, and/or restricted securities and repurchase agreements; and borrowing or lending money and/or portfolio securities. The risks of investing in a particular investment company will generally reflect the risks of the securities in which it invests and the investment techniques it employs. Also, investment companies charge fees and incur expenses.

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The fund may buy securities of other investment companies, including those of foreign issuers, in compliance with the requirements of federal law or any SEC exemptive order. The fund may invest in investment companies that are not registered with the SEC or privately placed securities of investment companies (which may or may not be registered), such as hedge funds and offshore funds. Unregistered funds are largely exempt from the regulatory requirements that apply to registered investment companies. As a result, unregistered funds may have a greater ability to make investments, or use investment techniques, that offer a higher potential investment return (for example, leveraging), but which may carry high risk. Unregistered funds, while not regulated by the SEC like registered funds, may be indirectly supervised by the financial institutions (e.g., commercial and investment banks) that may provide them with loans or other sources of capital. Investments in unregistered funds may be difficult to sell, which could cause the fund selling an interest in an unregistered fund to lose money. For example, many hedge funds require their investors to hold their investments for at least one year.

Federal law restricts the ability of one registered investment company to invest in another. As a result, the extent to which the fund may invest in another investment company may be limited. Except as described below, the 1940 Act currently requires that, as determined immediately after a purchase is made, (i) not more than 5% of the value of a fund's total assets will be invested in the securities of any one acquired investment company ("acquired fund"), (ii) not more than 10% of the value of its total assets will be invested in the aggregate in securities of acquired funds as a group and (iii) not more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one acquired fund will be owned by a fund.

The limitations described above do not apply to investments in money market funds subject to certain conditions. The fund may invest in affiliated and unaffiliated money market funds without limit under Rule 12d1-1 under the 1940 Act subject to the fund's investment policies and restrictions and the conditions of the Rule.

Rule 12d1-4 allows a fund to acquire shares of an acquired fund in excess of the limitations currently imposed by the 1940 Act. Fund of funds arrangements relying on Rule 12d1-4 will be subject to several conditions, certain of which are specific to a fund's position in the arrangement (i.e., as an acquiring or acquired fund). Notable conditions include those relating to: (i) control and voting that prohibit an acquiring fund, its investment adviser (or a sub-adviser) and their respective affiliates from beneficially owning more than 25% of the outstanding voting securities of an unaffiliated acquired fund; (ii) certain required findings relating to complexity, fees and undue influence (among other things); (iii) fund of funds investment agreements; and (iv) general limitations on an acquired fund's investments in other investment companies and private funds to no more than 10% of the acquired fund's assets, except in certain circumstances. To the extent the fund is an acquired fund, the limitations placed on acquired funds under Rule 12d1-4 may impact the investments made by the fund.

**Small-Cap Stocks** include common stocks issued by operating companies with market capitalizations that place them at the lower end of the stock market, as well as the stocks of companies that are determined to be small based on several factors, including the capitalization of the company and the amount of revenues. REITs and other real estate companies may be small- to medium-sized companies in relation to the equity markets as a whole. Historically, small company stocks have been riskier than stocks issued by large- or mid-cap companies for a variety of reasons. Small-companies may have less certain growth prospects and are typically less diversified and less able to withstand changing economic conditions than larger capitalized companies. Small-cap companies also may have more limited product lines, markets or financial resources than companies with larger capitalizations, and may be more dependent on a relatively small management group. In addition, small-cap companies may not be well known to the investing public, may not have institutional ownership and may have only cyclical, static or moderate growth prospects. Most small company stocks pay low or no dividends.

These factors and others may cause sharp changes in the value of a small company's stock, and even cause some small-cap companies to fail. Additionally, small-cap stocks may not be as broadly traded as large- or mid-cap stocks, and the fund's positions in securities of such companies may be substantial in relation to the market for such securities. Accordingly, it may be difficult for the fund to dispose of securities of these small-cap companies at prevailing market prices to meet redemptions. This lower degree of liquidity can adversely affect the value of these securities. For these reasons and others, the value of the fund's investments in small-cap stocks is expected to be more volatile than other types of investments, including other types of stock investments. While small-cap stocks are generally considered to offer greater growth opportunities for investors, they involve greater risks and the share price of the fund that invests in small-cap stocks may change sharply during the short term and long term.

**Stock Substitution Strategy** is a strategy, whereby the fund may, in certain circumstances, substitute a similar stock for a security in its index. For example, a stock issued by a foreign corporation and included in the fund's index may not be available for purchase by the fund because the fund does not reside in the foreign country in which the stock was issued. However, the foreign corporation may have issued a series of stock that is sold only to foreign investors such as a the fund. In these cases, the fund may buy that issue as a substitute for the security included in its index. The fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in stocks that are designed to substitute for securities in its index.

**U.S. Government Securities** are issued by the U.S. Treasury or issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities. Not all U.S. government securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Some U.S. government securities, such as those issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), the Student Loan Marketing Association (Sallie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLB), are supported by a line of credit the issuing entity has with the U.S. Treasury. Securities issued by other issuers are supported solely by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality such as obligations issued by the Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government will provide financial support to U.S. government securities of its agencies and instrumentalities if it is not obligated to do so under law. U.S. government securities, including U.S. Treasury securities, are among the safest securities; however, not unlike other debt securities, they are still sensitive to interest rate changes, which will cause their yields and prices to fluctuate.

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In September 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) placed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship. As the conservator, FHFA succeeded to all rights, titles, powers and privileges of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and of any stockholder, officer or director of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with respect to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the assets of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In connection with the conservatorship, the U.S. Treasury entered into a Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement (SPA) with each of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pursuant to which the U.S. Treasury agreed to purchase up to 1,000,000 shares of senior preferred stock with an aggregate initial liquidation preference of $1 billion and obtained warrants and options for the purchase of common stock of each of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Under the SPAs as currently amended, the U.S. Treasury has pledged to provide financial support to a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) in any quarter in which the GSE has a net worth deficit as defined in the respective SPA. The SPAs contain various covenants that severely limit each enterprise's operations.

The conditions attached to entering into the SPAs place significant restrictions on the activities of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae must obtain the consent of the U.S. Treasury to, among other things, (i) make any payment to purchase or redeem its capital stock or pay any dividend other than in respect of the senior preferred stock, (ii) issue capital stock of any kind, (iii) terminate the conservatorship of the FHFA except in connection with a receivership, or (iv) increase its debt beyond certain specified levels. Under a letter agreement entered into in January 2021, each enterprise is permitted to retain earnings and raise private capital to enable them to meet the minimum capital requirements under the FHFA's Enterprise Regulatory Capital Framework ("ERCF"). The letter agreement also permits each enterprise to develop a plan to exit conservatorship, but may not do so until litigation involving the conservatorships is resolved and each enterprise has the minimum capital required by FHFA's rules. In addition, significant restrictions are placed on the maximum size of each of Freddie Mac's and Fannie Mae's respective portfolios of mortgages and mortgage-backed securities, and the purchase agreements entered into by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae provide that the maximum size of their portfolios of these assets must decrease by a specified percentage each year. The future status and role of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae could be impacted by (among other things) the actions taken and restrictions placed on Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae by the FHFA in its role as conservator, the restrictions placed on Freddie Mac's and Fannie Mae's operations and activities as a result of the senior preferred stock investment made by the U.S. Treasury, market responses to developments at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and future legislative and regulatory action that alters the operations, ownership, structure and/or mission of these institutions, each of which may, in turn, impact the value of, and cash flows on, any mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, including any such mortgage-backed securities held by the fund.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are continuing to operate as going concerns while in conservatorship and each remain liable for all of its obligations, including its guaranty obligations, associated with its mortgage-backed securities. The SPAs are intended to enhance each of Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's ability to meet its obligations. The FHFA has indicated that the conservatorship of each enterprise will end when the director of the FHFA determines that the FHFA's plan to restore the enterprise to a safe and solvent condition has been completed. Under amendments to the ERCF, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have published capital disclosures which provide additional information about their capital position and capital requirements on a quarterly basis since the first quarter of 2023 and delivered their first capital plans to FHFA in May 2023. The FHFA finalized amendments to certain provisions of the ERCF in November 2023 that modify various capital requirements for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The FHFA previously announced plans to consider taking Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac out of conservatorship. Should Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac be taken out of conservatorship, it is unclear whether the U.S. Treasury would continue to enforce its rights or perform its obligations under the SPAs. It also is unclear how the capital structure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be constructed post-conservatorship, and what effects, if any, the privatization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will have on their creditworthiness and guarantees of certain mortgage-backed securities. The ERCF requires Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, upon exit from conservatorship, to maintain higher levels of capital than prior to conservatorship to satisfy their risk-based capital requirements, leverage ratio requirements and prescribed buffer amounts. Accordingly, should the FHFA take Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac out of conservatorship, there could be an adverse impact on the value of their securities which could cause the fund's investments to lose value.

A default by the U.S. government on a portfolio investment could cause the fund's share price or yield to fall. The risk of default on U.S. government securities may be heightened when there is uncertainty relating to negotiations in the U.S. Congress over increasing the statutory debt ceiling or periodic legislation to fund the government. If the U.S. Congress is unable to negotiate an increase to the statutory debt ceiling or pass legislation to fund the government, the U.S. government may default on certain U.S. government securities including those held by the fund, which could have an adverse impact on the fund. In August 2011, the long-term credit rating of the U.S. government was downgraded by a major rating agency as a result of concern about the U.S. government's budget deficit and rising debt burden. More recently, in August 2023 and May 2025, two other major rating agencies downgraded the long-term credit rating of the U.S. government due to a combination of expected fiscal deterioration, a high and growing government debt burden, rising interest costs, and an erosion of governance relative to peers. Further downgrades in the future could increase volatility in domestic and foreign financial markets, result in higher interest rates, lower prices of U.S. Treasury securities and increase the costs of different kinds of debt. It is possible that under certain scenarios the U.S. government could default on its debt, including U.S. Treasury securities.

#### Investment Limitations
**The investment limitations below may be changed only by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the fund.**

Under the 1940 Act, a "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities" of the fund means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the fund or (2) 67% or more of the shares present at a shareholders meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy.

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#### The fund may not:
(1) Concentrate investments in a particular industry or group of industries, as concentration is defined under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time, except that the fund will concentrate its investments to approximately the same extent that its benchmark index concentrates in the securities of such particular industry or group of industries.

(2) Purchase or sell commodities, commodities contracts or real estate, lend or borrow money, issue senior securities, underwrite securities issued by others, or pledge, mortgage or hypothecate any of its assets, except as permitted by (or not prohibited by) the 1940 Act or the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

#### The following descriptions of the 1940 Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions.
<u>Borrowing.</u> The 1940 Act restricts an investment company from borrowing (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in excess of 33 ⅓% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets). Transactions that are entered into in accordance with the conditions to applicable SEC requirements shall not be regarded as borrowings for the purposes of the fund's investment restriction.

<u>Concentration.</u> The SEC has defined concentration as investing more than 25% of an investment company's total assets in an industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions such as with respect to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities, or tax-exempt obligations of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions.

<u>Lending.</u> Under the 1940 Act, an investment company may only make loans if expressly permitted by its investment policies.

<u>Real Estate.</u> The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company's ability to invest in real estate, but does require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments. The fund has adopted a fundamental policy that would permit direct investment in real estate. However, the fund has a non-fundamental investment limitation that prohibits it from investing directly in real estate. This non-fundamental policy may be changed only by vote of the fund's Board.

<u>Senior Securities.</u> Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by an investment company evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits the fund from issuing senior securities, although it provides allowances for certain borrowings and certain other investments, such as short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, and firm commitment agreements, when such investments are entered into in accordance with the conditions to applicable SEC requirements.

<u>Underwriting.</u> Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves an investment company purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating in any such activity either directly or indirectly.

#### The following are non-fundamental investment policies and restrictions, and may be changed by the Board.

#### The fund may not:
(1) Sell securities short except as in accordance with current SEC rules and interpretations.

(2) Purchase securities on margin, except such short term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities and provided that margin deposits in connection with futures contracts, options on futures or other derivative instruments shall not constitute purchasing securities on margin.

(3) Borrow money except that the fund may (i) borrow money from banks or through an interfund lending facility, if any, and engage in reverse repurchase agreements with any party provided that such borrowings and reverse repurchase agreements in combination do not exceed 33 1/3% of its total assets, including the amount borrowed (but not including temporary or emergency borrowings not exceeding 5%); and (ii) may borrow an additional amount up to 5% of its assets for temporary or emergency purposes.

(4) Lend any security or make any other loan if, as a result, more than 33 ⅓% of its total assets would be lent to other parties (this restriction does not apply to purchases of debt securities or repurchase agreements).

(5) Purchase securities (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result of such purchase, 25% or more of the value of its total assets would be invested in any industry or group of industries (except that the fund may purchase securities to the extent that the index the fund is designed to track is also so concentrated).

(6) Purchase or sell physical commodities or commodity contracts based on physical commodities or invest in unmarketable interests in real estate limited partnerships or invest directly in real estate. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing policy does not prevent the fund from, among other things, (i) purchasing marketable securities of companies that deal in real estate or interests therein (including REITs); (ii) purchasing marketable securities of companies that deal in physical commodities or interests therein; and (iii) purchasing, selling and entering into futures contracts (including futures contracts on indices of securities, interest rates and currencies), options on futures contracts (including futures contracts on indices of securities, interest rates and currencies), warrants, swaps, forward contracts, foreign currency spot and forward contracts or other derivative instruments.

Policies and investment limitations that state a maximum percentage of assets that may be invested in a security or other asset, or that set forth a quality standard shall be measured immediately after and as a result of the fund's acquisition of such security or asset, unless otherwise noted. Except with respect to limitations on borrowing and futures and option contracts, any subsequent change in total assets or net assets, as applicable, or other circumstances does not require the fund to sell an investment if it could not then make the same investment.

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#### CONTINUOUS OFFERING
The fund offers and issues shares at its net asset value per share (NAV) only in aggregations of a specified number of shares (Creation Units). The method by which Creation Units are created and trade may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the fund on an ongoing basis, at any point a "distribution," as such term is used in the 1933 Act, may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner that could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of the 1933 Act.

For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the fund's transfer agent, breaks them down into constituent shares, and sells such shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the 1933 Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to categorization as an underwriter.

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not "underwriters" but are effecting transactions in shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares, generally are required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the 1933 Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to shares of the fund are reminded that, pursuant to Rule 153 under the 1933 Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the 1933 Act owed to an exchange member in connection with the sale on an exchange is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

#### MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
The fund is overseen by a Board. The trustees are responsible for protecting shareholder interests. The trustees regularly meet to review the investment activities, contractual arrangements and the investment performance of the fund. The trustees met five times during the most recent fiscal year.

Certain trustees are "interested persons." A trustee is considered an interested person (Interested Trustee) of the Trust under the 1940 Act if he or she is an officer, director, or an employee of Schwab Asset Management. A trustee also may be considered an interested person of the Trust under the 1940 Act if he or she owns stock of The Charles Schwab Corporation (CSC), a publicly traded company and the parent company of Schwab Asset Management.

As used herein, the terms "Fund Complex" and "Family of Investment Companies" each refer collectively to The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust which, as of July 28, 2025, included 109 funds. As used herein, the term "Schwab Funds" refers collectively to The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Schwab Capital Trust; and the term "Schwab ETFs" refers to Schwab Strategic Trust.

Each of the officers and/or trustees serves in the same capacity, unless otherwise noted, for The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust. The tables below provide information about the trustees and officers for the Trust, which includes the fund in this SAI. The address of each individual listed below is 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust <br> (Term of Office and Length of Time Served<sup>(1)</sup>)**  | **Principal Occupations <br> During the Past Five Years**  | **Number of Portfolios <br> in Fund Complex <br> Overseen by the <br> Trustee**  | **Other Directorships During <br> the Past Five Years**  |
| **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  |
| Michael J. Beer <br> 1961 <br> Trustee <br> (Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2022) | Retired. | 109  |  |
| Robert W. Burns <br> 1959 <br> Trustee <br> (Trustee of Schwab Strategic Trust since 2009; The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust since 2016) | Retired/Private Investor. | 109  |  |

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust <br> (Term of Office and Length of Time Served<sup>(1)</sup>)**  | **Principal Occupations <br> During the Past Five Years**  | **Number of Portfolios <br> in Fund Complex <br> Overseen by the <br> Trustee**  | **Other Directorships During <br> the Past Five Years**  |
| **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  |
| Nancy F. Heller <br> 1956 <br> Trustee <br> (Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2018) | Retired. | 109  |  |
| David L. Mahoney <br> 1954 <br> Trustee <br> (Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust since 2011; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2016) | Private Investor. | 109  | Director (2004-present), <br> Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated <br> Director (2009-2021), <br> Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  |
| Jane P. Moncreiff <br> 1961 <br> Trustee <br> (Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2019) | Consultant (2018-present), Fulham Advisers LLC (management consulting). | 109  |  |
| Kimberly S. Patmore <br> 1956 <br> Trustee <br> (Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2016) | Consultant (2008-present), Patmore Management Consulting (management consulting). | 109  |  |
| J. Derek Penn <br> 1957 <br> Trustee <br> (Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2021) | Retired. | 109  |  |
| **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  |
| Omar Aguilar<sup>(2)</sup> <br> 1970 <br> Trustee <br> (Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2025) | Director (Oct. 2024-present), Chief Executive Officer (Jan. 2022-present), President (Oct. 2023-present), Chief Investment Officer (Apr. 2011-present) and Senior Vice President (Apr. 2011-Jan. 2022), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Director, Chief Executive Officer and President (Oct. 2022-July 2024), Charles Schwab Investment Advisory, Inc.; Chief Executive Officer (Sept. 2023-present), President (Oct. 2023-present), Chief Investment Officer (June 2011-present) and Vice President (June 2011-Sept. 2023), Schwab Funds, Laudus Trust and Schwab ETFs. | 109  |  |
| Richard A. Wurster<sup>(2)</sup> <br> 1973 <br> Chairman and Trustee <br> (Trustee of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2022) | Director and Chief Executive Officer (Jan. 2025-present), President (Oct. 2021-present), and Executive Vice President – Schwab Asset Management Solutions (Apr. 2019-Oct. 2021), The Charles Schwab Corporation; President, Director (Nov. 2021-Dec. 2024), Executive Vice President – Schwab Asset Management Solutions (July 2019-Oct. 2021), Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.; President (Nov. 2021-Dec. 2024), Schwab Holdings, Inc.; Director (Oct. 2021-present) and Chief Executive Officer (Nov. 2019-Jan. 2022), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Director, Chief Executive Officer and President (Mar. 2018-Oct. 2022), Charles Schwab Investment Advisory, Inc. | 109  | Director (2025-present), <br> The Charles Schwab Corporation |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Name, Year of Birth, and Position(s) with the Trust <br> (Term of Office and Length of Time Served<sup>(3)</sup>)**  | **Principal Occupations During the Past Five Years**  |
| **OFFICERS**  | **OFFICERS**  |
| Omar Aguilar <br> 1970 <br> Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Investment Officer <br> (Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2011) | Director (Oct. 2024-present), Chief Executive Officer (Jan. 2022-present), President (Oct. 2023-present), Chief Investment Officer (Apr. 2011-present) and Senior Vice President (Apr. 2011-Jan. 2022), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Director, Chief Executive Officer and President (Oct. 2022-July 2024), Charles Schwab Investment Advisory, Inc.; Trustee (Jan. 2025-present), Chief Executive Officer (Sept. 2023-present), President (Oct. 2023-present), Chief Investment Officer (June 2011-present) and Vice President (June 2011-Sept. 2023), Schwab Funds, Laudus Trust and Schwab ETFs. |
| Jessica Seidlitz <br> 1978 <br> Chief Operating Officer <br> (Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust from 2013-2017 and since 2023) | Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer (Sept. 2024-present), Managing Director (Nov. 2023-present), and Chief Compliance Officer (Nov. 2023-Dec. 2024), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Managing Director (Jan. 2019-present), Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.; Chief Compliance Officer (Mar. 2021-June 2023), Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc.; Chief Operating Officer (Sept. 2024–present), and Chief Compliance Officer (Oct. 2023-Dec. 2024), Schwab Funds, Laudus Trust and Schwab ETFs. |
| Dana Smith <br> 1965 <br> Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer <br> (Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2023) | Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (Jan. 2023-present) and Assistant Treasurer (Dec. 2015-Dec. 2022), Schwab Funds, Laudus Trust and Schwab ETFs; Managing Director (Mar. 2023-present), Vice President (Mar. 2022-Mar. 2023) and Director (Oct. 2015-Mar. 2022), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Managing Director (May 2022-present) and Vice President (Apr. 2022-May 2022), Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. |
| Patrick Cassidy <br> 1964 <br> Vice President and Chief Investment Officer <br> (Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2018) | Chief Investment Officer (Oct. 2023-present) and Vice President (Feb. 2018-present), Schwab Funds, Laudus Trust and Schwab ETFs; Managing Director (Mar. 2023-present), Chief Investment Officer (Oct. 2023-present), and Senior Vice President (Oct. 2012-Mar. 2023), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. |
| William P. McMahon, Jr. <br> 1972 <br> Vice President and Chief Investment Officer <br> (Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust since 2021) | Managing Director (Mar. 2023-present), Senior Vice President (Jan. 2020-Mar. 2023) and Chief Investment Officer (Jan. 2020-present), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Vice President and Chief Investment Officer (June 2021-present), Schwab Funds, Laudus Trust and Schwab ETFs. |
| Catherine MacGregor <br> 1964 <br> Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Schwab Funds and Schwab ETFs <br> Chief Legal Officer, Vice President and Clerk, Laudus Trust <br> (Officer of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust since 2005; Schwab Strategic Trust since 2009) | Chief Legal Officer (Mar. 2022-present), Managing Director (Mar. 2023-present) and Vice President (Sept. 2005-Mar. 2023), Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.; Managing Director (May 2022-present) and Vice President (Aug. 2005-May 2022), Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.; Vice President (Dec. 2005-present) and Chief Legal Officer and Clerk (Mar. 2007-present), Laudus Trust; Chief Legal Officer and Secretary (Oct. 2021-present), Vice President (Nov. 2005-Oct. 2021) and Assistant Secretary (June 2007-Oct. 2021), Schwab Funds; Chief Legal Officer and Secretary (Oct. 2021-present), Vice President and Assistant Secretary (Oct. 2009-Oct. 2021), Schwab ETFs. |

---

<sup>(1)</sup>

Each Trustee shall hold office until the election and qualification of his or her successor, or until he or she dies, resigns or is removed. The retirement policy requires that each independent trustee retire by December 31 of the year in which the Trustee turns 74 or the Trustee's twentieth year of service as an independent trustee on any trust in the Fund Complex, whichever occurs first.

?

<sup>(2)</sup>

Mr. Aguilar and Mr. Wurster are Interested Trustees. Mr. Aguilar and Mr. Wurster are Interested Trustees because each owns stock of CSC, the parent company of Schwab Asset Management, the investment adviser for the trusts in the Fund Complex. In addition, Mr. Wurster is an employee of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., the principal underwriter for The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust.

<sup>(3)</sup>

The President, Treasurer and Secretary/Clerk hold office until their respective successors are chosen and qualified or until he or she sooner dies, resigns, is removed or becomes disqualified. Each of the other officers serves at the pleasure of the Board.

#### Board Leadership Structure
The Chairman of the Board, Richard A. Wurster, is Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of CSC and an interested person of the Trust as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. The Board is comprised of a super-majority (78 percent) of trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (i.e., independent trustees). There are three primary committees of the Board: the Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee; the Governance Committee; and the Investment Oversight Committee. Each of the Committees is chaired by an independent trustee, and each Committee is currently comprised solely of independent trustees. The Committee chairs preside at Committee meetings, participate in formulating agendas for those meetings, and coordinate with management to serve as a liaison between the independent trustees and management on matters within the scope of the responsibilities of each Committee as set forth in its Board-approved charter. The independent trustees meet regularly in executive session without management. While the Board does not have single lead independent trustee, the chair of the Governance Committee leads executive sessions held by the independent trustees and coordinates responses from the independent trustees to management. The Board has determined that this leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Board made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the independent

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trustees of the Trust constitute a super-majority of the Board, the fact that Committee chairs are independent trustees, the number of funds (and classes) overseen by the Board, and the total number of trustees on the Board.

#### Board Oversight of Risk Management
Like most investment companies, fund management and its other service providers have responsibility for day-to-day risk management for the fund. The Board's duties, as part of its risk oversight of the Trust, consist of monitoring risks identified during regular and special reports to the Committees of the Board, as well as regular and special reports to the full Board. In addition to monitoring such risks, the Committees and the Board oversee efforts of fund management and service providers to manage risks to which the funds of the Trust may be exposed. For example, the Investment Oversight Committee meets with portfolio managers and receives regular reports regarding investment risk and credit risk of the fund's portfolio. The Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee meets with the fund's Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Financial Officer and receives regular reports regarding compliance risks, operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. From its review of these reports and discussions with management, each Committee receives information about the material risks of the funds of the Trust and about how management and service providers mitigate those risks, enabling the independent Committee chairs and other independent members of the Committees to discuss these risks with the full Board.

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the fund can be identified nor can processes and controls be developed to eliminate or mitigate the occurrence or effects of certain risks; some risks are simply beyond the reasonable control of the fund, its management, and service providers. Although the risk oversight functions of the Board, and the risk management policies of fund management and fund service providers, are designed to be effective, there is no guarantee that they will eliminate or mitigate all risks. In addition, it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the fund's investment objective. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the fund's ability to manage risk is subject to significant limitations.

#### Individual Trustee Qualifications
The Board has concluded that each of the trustees should initially and continue to serve on the Board because of (i) his or her ability to review and understand information about the Trust provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management regarding material factors bearing on the management of the Trust, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Trust's shareholders and (ii) the trustee's experience, qualifications, attributes or skills as described below.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Aguilar should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained as chief executive officer, chief investment officer, and president of Schwab Asset Management, the Schwab Funds, Schwab ETFs and Laudus Funds, as well as his knowledge of and experience in financial and investment management services.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Beer should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained serving as director, president and chief executive officer of Principal Funds and his knowledge and experience in the investment management industry.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Burns should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained as managing director of Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC (PIMCO) and president of PIMCO Funds as well as the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Schwab ETFs since 2009, and the Schwab Funds and Laudus Trust since 2016.

The Board has concluded that Ms. Heller should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience she gained as president of TIAA Charitable and as senior managing director at TIAA, the experience she has gained serving on other non-public company boards, her knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry, as well as the experience she has gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds and Schwab ETFs since 2018.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Mahoney should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds and Laudus Trust since 2011 and Schwab ETFs since 2016, as co-chief executive officer of McKesson Corporation, and his service on other public company boards.

The Board has concluded that Ms. Moncreiff should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience she gained as chief investment officer of CareGroup Healthcare System, the experience she has gained serving on other non-public company boards, her knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry, as well as the experience she has gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds and Schwab ETFs since 2019.

The Board has concluded that Ms. Patmore should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience she gained serving as chief financial officer and executive vice president of First Data Corporation, her knowledge of and experience in management consulting, as well as the experience she has gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds and Schwab ETFs since 2016.

The Board has concluded that Mr. Penn should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained as head of equity sales and trading of BNY Mellon and his knowledge of and experience in the financial services industry, as well as the experience he has gained serving as trustee of the Schwab Funds and Schwab ETFs since 2021.

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The Board has concluded that Mr. Wurster should serve as trustee of the Trust because of the experience he gained leading investment advisory firms and organizations, including Schwab Asset Management, and his knowledge of and experience in the investment management industry.

#### Trustee Committees
The Board has established certain committees and adopted Committee charters with respect to those committees, each as described below:

<sup>●</sup>

The Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee reviews the integrity of the Trust's financial reporting processes and compliance policies, procedures and processes, and the Trust's overall system of internal controls. The Audit, Compliance and Valuation Committee also reviews and evaluates the qualifications, independence and performance of the Trust's independent auditors, and the implementation and operation of the Trust's valuation policy and procedures. This Committee is comprised of at least three independent trustees and currently has the following members: Kimberly S. Patmore (Chair), Michael J. Beer and J. Derek Penn. The Committee met four times during the most recent fiscal year.

<sup>●</sup>

The Governance Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Board regarding Trust governance-related matters, including but not limited to Board compensation practices, retirement policies and term limits, Board self-evaluations, the effectiveness and allocation of assignments and functions by the Board, the composition of Committees of the Board, and the training of trustees. The Governance Committee is responsible for selecting and nominating candidates to serve as trustees. The Governance Committee does not have a written policy with respect to consideration of candidates for trustee submitted by shareholders. However, if the Governance Committee determined that it would be in the best interests of the Trust to fill a vacancy on the Board, and a shareholder submitted a candidate for consideration by the Board to fill the vacancy, the Governance Committee would evaluate that candidate in the same manner as it evaluates nominees identified by the Governance Committee. Nominee recommendations may be submitted to the Secretary of the Trust at the Trust's principal business address. This Committee is comprised of at least three independent trustees and currently has the following members: David L. Mahoney (Chair), Robert W. Burns and Kimberly S. Patmore. The Committee met four times during the most recent fiscal year.

<sup>●</sup>

The Investment Oversight Committee reviews the investment activities of the Trust and the performance of the fund's investment adviser. This Committee is comprised of at least three trustees (at least two-thirds of whom shall be independent trustees) and currently has the following members: Jane P. Moncreiff (Chair), Robert W. Burns, Nancy F. Heller and David L. Mahoney. The Committee met four times during the most recent fiscal year.

#### Trustee Compensation
The following table provides trustee compensation from the fund for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, earned with respect to the fund in this SAI and the Fund Complex. Trustee compensation for the fund is paid by Schwab Asset Management.

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name of Trustee**  | **Aggregate <br> Compensation from the Fund in <br> this SAI**  | **Pension or Retirement Benefits <br> Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses**  | **Total Compensation from the Fund <br> and Fund Complex Paid to Trustees**  |
| **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  |
| Omar Aguilar<sup>(1)</sup> |  | N/A  |  |
| Richard A. Wurster |  | N/A  |  |
| **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  |
| Michael J. Beer | $1687 | N/A  | $355000 |
| Robert W. Burns | $1687 | N/A  | $355000 |
| Nancy F. Heller | $1687 | N/A  | $355000 |
| David L. Mahoney | $1854 | N/A  | $390000 |
| Jane P. Moncreiff | $1806 | N/A  | $380000 |
| Kimberly S. Patmore | $1806 | N/A  | $380000 |
| J. Derek Penn | $1687 | N/A  | $355000 |

---

<sup>(1)</sup>

Mr. Aguilar joined the Board effective January 1, 2025.

#### Securities Beneficially Owned By Each Trustee
The following table provides each trustee's equity ownership of the fund and ownership of all registered investment companies overseen by each trustee in the Family of Investment Companies as of December 31, 2024.

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name of Trustee**  | **Dollar Range of Trustee Ownership of the Fund Included in the SAI**  | **Aggregate Dollar Range of <br> Trustee Ownership in the Family <br> of Investment Companies**  |
| **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  | **INTERESTED TRUSTEES**  |

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name of Trustee**  | **Dollar Range of Trustee Ownership of the Fund Included in the SAI**  | **Dollar Range of Trustee Ownership of the Fund Included in the SAI**  | **Aggregate Dollar Range of <br> Trustee Ownership in the Family <br> of Investment Companies**  |
| **Omar Aguilar<sup>(1)</sup>**  |  |  | Over $100,000  |
|  | Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF | Over $100,000  |  |
| **Richard A. Wurster** |  |  | **Over $100,000**  |
|  | Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF |  |  |
| **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  | **INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES**  |
| **Michael J. Beer** |  |  | **Over $100,000**  |
|  | Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF |  |  |
| **Robert W. Burns** |  |  | **Over $100,000**  |
|  | Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF |  |  |
| **Nancy F. Heller** |  |  | **Over $100,000**  |
|  | Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF |  |  |
| **David L. Mahoney** |  |  | **Over $100,000**  |
|  | Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF |  |  |
| **Jane P. Moncreiff** |  |  | **Over $100,000**  |
|  | Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF |  |  |
| **Kimberly S. Patmore** |  |  | **Over $100,000**  |
|  | Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF |  |  |
| **J. Derek Penn** |  |  |  |
|  | Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF |  |  |

---

<sup>(1)</sup>

Mr. Aguilar joined the Board effective January 1, 2025.

As of December 31, 2024, none of the independent trustees or their immediate family members owned beneficially or of record any securities of Schwab Asset Management or Schwab or any subadvisers or the distributor of the fund, or in a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with Schwab Asset Management or Schwab or any subadvisers or the distributor of the fund.

#### Code of Ethics
The fund, the investment adviser and the distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics as required under the 1940 Act. Subject to certain conditions or restrictions, the Codes of Ethics permit the trustees, directors, officers or advisory representatives of the fund or the investment adviser or the directors or officers of the distributor to buy or sell directly or indirectly securities for their own accounts. This includes securities that may be purchased or held by the fund. Securities transactions by some of these individuals may be subject to prior approval of the investment adviser's Chief Compliance Officer or alternate. Most securities transactions are subject to quarterly reporting and review requirements.

#### CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
As of June 30, 2025, the officers and trustees of the Trust, as a group owned, of record or beneficially, none of the outstanding voting securities of the fund.

Although the Trust does not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of shares held in the names of DTC participants, as of June 30, 2025, the name and percentage of ownership of each DTC participant that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the fund were as follows (a shareholder's or an entity's address will be listed once at the first mention and not repeated for future entries):

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund**  | **Name and Address**  | **Percent of <br> Ownership**  |
| Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF | Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. <br> 3000 Schwab Way <br> Westlake, TX 76262 | 82.41% |
|  | National Financial Services LLC <br> 200 Liberty Street <br> One World Financial Center <br> 5th Floor <br> New York, NY 10281-1003 | 5.52% |

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Persons who beneficially own more than 25% of the fund may be deemed to control the fund. As a result, it may not be possible for matters subject to a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the fund to be approved without the affirmative vote of such shareholder, and it may be possible for such matters to be approved by such shareholder without the affirmative vote of any other shareholder.

#### INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

#### Investment Adviser
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dba Schwab Asset Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of CSC, 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, serves as the fund's investment adviser pursuant to an Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement (Advisory Agreement) between it and the Trust. Charles R. Schwab is the founder, Chairman and Director of CSC. As a result of his ownership of and interests in CSC, Mr. Schwab may be deemed to be a controlling person of Schwab Asset Management.

#### Advisory Agreement
After an initial two-year term, the continuation of the fund's Advisory Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (1) by the vote of the trustees or by a vote of the shareholders of the fund, and (2) by the vote of a majority of the trustees who are not parties to the investment advisory agreement or "interested persons" of any party (independent trustees), cast in person, except to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

After the initial two-year term, each year, the Board will call and hold a meeting to decide whether to renew the Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Schwab Asset Management with respect to any existing funds in the Trust. In preparation for the meeting, the Board requests and reviews a wide variety of materials provided by Schwab Asset Management, as well as extensive data provided by third parties, and the independent trustees receive advice from counsel to the independent trustees.

Schwab Asset Management is entitled to receive a fee from the fund, payable monthly, for its advisory and administrative services to the fund. As compensation for these services, Schwab Asset Management receives a management fee from the fund, expressed as a percentage of the fund's average daily net assets, as follows:

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Fund**  | **Fee**  |
| Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF | 0.30% |

---

The following table shows the net investment advisory fees paid by the fund for the past three fiscal years or, if shorter, for the period of its operations.

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund**  | **2025**  | **2024**  |
| Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF | $194295  | $48261 <br> $15072<sup>(1)</sup>  |

---

<sup>(1)</sup>

From August 4, 2022 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2023.

Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, Schwab Asset Management pays the operating expenses of the fund, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, but excluding taxes, brokerage expenses and extraordinary or non-routine expenses.

#### Distributor
SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the Distributor), 1 Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456, is the principal underwriter and distributor of shares of the fund. The Distributor has entered into an agreement with the Trust pursuant to which it distributes shares of the fund (the Distribution Agreement). The Distributor continually distributes shares of the fund on a best effort basis. The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of fund shares. The Distribution Agreement will continue for two years from its effective date and is renewable annually thereafter in accordance with the 1940 Act. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the fund through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in the fund's prospectus. Shares in less than Creation Units are not distributed by the Distributor. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 1934 Act) and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The Distributor is not affiliated with the Trust, Schwab Asset Management, or any stock exchange.

The Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on at least sixty (60) days prior written notice to the other party. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its "assignment" (as defined in the 1940 Act).

#### Payments to Financial Intermediaries
Schwab Asset Management and its affiliates make payments to certain broker-dealers, banks, trust companies, insurance companies, retirement plan service providers, consultants and other financial intermediaries (Intermediaries) for services and expenses incurred in connection with certain activities or services which may educate financial advisors or facilitate, directly or indirectly, investment in the fund and other investment companies advised by Schwab Asset Management, including the Schwab ETFs. These payments are made by Schwab Asset

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Management or its affiliates at their own expense, and not from the assets of the fund. Although a portion of Schwab Asset Management's and its affiliates' revenue comes directly or indirectly in part from fees paid by the fund, these payments do not increase the expenses paid by investors for the purchase of fund shares, or the cost of owning the fund.

These payments may relate to educational efforts regarding the fund, or for other activities, such as marketing and/or fund promotion activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, data analytics and support, or the development and support of technology platforms and/or reporting systems. In addition, Schwab Asset Management or its affiliates make payments to certain Intermediaries that make shares of the fund available to their customers or otherwise promote the fund, which may include Intermediaries that allow customers to buy and sell fund shares without paying a commission or other transaction charge. Payments of this type are sometimes referred to as revenue-sharing or marketing support.

Payments made to Intermediaries may be significant and may cause an Intermediary to make decisions about which investment options it will recommend or make available to its clients or what services to provide for various products based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive. As a result, these payments could create conflicts of interest between an Intermediary and its clients and these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the fund over other investments.

As of July 28, 2025, Schwab Asset Management anticipates that Ascensus, LLC, Envestnet Asset Management, Inc., Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC/National Financial Services LLC, Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC, Principal Life Insurance Company, Schwab Retirement Plan Services, Inc. and Standard Insurance Company will receive these payments. Schwab Asset Management may enter into similar agreements with other FINRA member firms (or their affiliates) in the future. In addition to member firms of FINRA, Schwab Asset Management and its affiliates may also make these payments to certain other financial intermediaries, such as banks, trust companies, insurance companies, and plan administrators and consultants that sell fund shares or provide services to the fund and its shareholders. These firms may not be included in this list. You should ask your financial intermediary if it receives such payments.

Schwab Asset Management also makes payments to Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab) for certain administrative, professional and support services provided by Schwab, in its capacity as an affiliated financial intermediary of the fund. These payments reimburse Schwab for its charges, costs and expenses of providing Schwab personnel to perform marketing and sales activities under the direction of Schwab Asset Management, such as sales lead generation and sales support, assistance with public relations, marketing and/or advertising activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, and data analytics and support. Payments also are made by Schwab Asset Management to Schwab for Schwab Asset Management's allocated costs of general corporate services provided by Schwab, such as human resources, facilities, project management support and technology.

#### Transfer Agent
State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street), One Congress Street, Suite 1, Boston, MA 02114, serves as the fund's transfer agent. As part of these services, the firm maintains records pertaining to the sale, redemption and transfer of the fund's shares.

The transfer agent is also responsible for the order-taking function for the fund's shares.

#### Custodian and Fund Accountant
State Street, One Congress Street, Suite 1, Boston, MA 02114, serves as custodian and accountant for the fund.

The custodian is responsible for the daily safekeeping of securities and cash held by the fund. The fund's accountant maintains all books and records related to the fund's transactions.

#### Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The fund's independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP (Deloitte), 1601 Wewatta Street, Suite 400, Denver, CO 80202, audits and reports on the annual financial statements of the fund and reviews certain regulatory reports. Deloitte or one of its affiliates also reviews the fund's federal income tax returns and performs other professional, accounting, auditing, tax and advisory services when engaged to do so by the Trust.

#### Securities Lending Activities
The fund's securities lending agent is Goldman Sachs Bank USA (d/b/a Goldman Sachs Agency Lending). The securities lending agent provides services to the fund which include the following: locating borrowers, negotiating the loan terms, monitoring the value of loans and collateral on a daily basis, marking each loan to market on a daily basis, coordinating collateral movements, collecting income, monitoring and processing corporate actions, managing recalls of loaned securities and termination of loans, and recordkeeping.

The table below summarizes key information regarding the fund's securities lending activities to the extent the fund engaged in securities lending during the most recent fiscal year.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| | **Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF**  |
| **Gross income from securities lending activities** | $**210831** |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Fees and/or compensation paid for securities lending activities and related <br> services:  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Fees paid to securities lending agent from a revenue split  | $11544 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Fees paid for any cash collateral management service (including fees deducted from a pooled cash collateral reinvestment vehicle) that are not included in a revenue split  | $3512 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Administrative fees not included in revenue split  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Indemnification fees not included in revenue split  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Rebates (paid to borrower)  | $59496 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Other fees not included in revenue split  |  |
| **Aggregate fees/compensation paid for securities lending activities** | $**74552** |
| **Net income from securities lending activities<sup>(1)</sup>** | $**136279** |

---

<sup>(1)</sup>

"Net income from securities lending activities" may not match the fund's current financial statements, which may reflect certain accrual adjustments.

#### PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
**Other Accounts.** In addition to the fund, each portfolio manager (collectively, referred to as the Portfolio Managers) is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below. The accounts listed below are not subject to a performance-based advisory fee. The information below is provided as of March 31, 2025.

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| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | **Registered Investment Companies <br> (this amount does not include the fund in this SAI)**  | **Registered Investment Companies <br> (this amount does not include the fund in this SAI)**  | **Other Pooled Investment Vehicles**  | **Other Pooled Investment Vehicles**  | **Other Accounts**  | **Other Accounts**  |
| <br> **Name**  | **Number of Accounts**  | **Total Assets**  | **Number of Accounts**  | **Total Assets**  | **Number of Accounts**  | **Total Assets**  |
| Christopher Bliss  | 34 | $532024844089 | 0 | $0 | 42000 | $8761794336 |
| Mariela Jobson | 13 | $97092773970 | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| Joselle Duncan | 12 | $96058007311 | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| Jiwei Gu | 12 | $96058007311 | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
| David Rios | 13 | $97092773970 | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |

---

**Conflicts of Interest.** A Portfolio Manager's management of other accounts may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with his or her management of the fund's investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. These other accounts include separate accounts and other mutual funds and ETFs advised by Schwab Asset Management (collectively, the Other Managed Accounts). The Other Managed Accounts might have similar investment objectives as the fund, track the same index the fund tracks or otherwise hold, purchase, or sell securities that are eligible to be held, purchased, or sold by the fund. While the Portfolio Managers' management of Other Managed Accounts may give rise to the potential conflicts of interest listed below, Schwab Asset Management does not believe that the conflicts, if any, are material or, to the extent any such conflicts are material, Schwab Asset Management believes it has adopted policies and procedures that are designed to manage those conflicts in an appropriate way.

*<u>Knowledge of the Timing and Size of Fund Trades.</u>* A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the Portfolio Managers' day-to-day management of the fund. Because of their positions with the fund, the Portfolio Managers know the size, timing, and possible market impact of fund trades. It is theoretically possible that the Portfolio Managers could use this information to the advantage of the Other Managed Accounts they manage and to the possible detriment of the fund. However, Schwab Asset Management has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to allocate investment opportunities on a fair and equitable basis over time. Moreover, with respect to index funds, which seek to track their indexes, much of this information is publicly available. When it is determined to be in the best interest of both accounts, the Portfolio Managers or traders may aggregate trade orders for the Other Managed Accounts, excluding separately managed accounts, with those of the fund. All aggregated orders are subject to Schwab Asset Management's aggregation and allocation policy and procedures, which provide, among other things, that (i) Schwab Asset Management will not receive additional compensation or remuneration of any kind as a result of aggregating transactions; (ii) no account will be favored over any other account; (iii) each account that participates in an aggregated order will participate at the average security price with all transaction costs shared on a pro-rata basis. For equity transactions, if the aggregated order cannot be executed in full, the partial execution is allocated pro-rata among the participating accounts in accordance with the size of each account's order and round lots. For fixed income transactions, aggregated orders are generally allocated after execution. For fixed income and money market fund accounts that have similar strategies, Schwab Asset Management determines allocations with the general purpose of achieving, as nearly as possible, performance and portfolio characteristic parity/ proportionality among such accounts over time. For fixed income and money market fund accounts that do not have similar strategies, Schwab Asset Management has target ranges for significant portfolio characteristics and determines allocations among such accounts in accordance with the target ranges in effect at the time of the trade. In addition, Schwab Asset Management may follow certain investment priorities to satisfy the investment targets for fixed income and money market funds that have investment mandates related to particular sectors.

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*<u>Investment Opportunities.</u>* A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of each Portfolio Manager's management of the fund and Other Managed Accounts which, in theory, may allow them to allocate investment opportunities in a way that favors the Other Managed Accounts over the fund, which conflict of interest may be exacerbated to the extent that Schwab Asset Management or the Portfolio Manager receives, or expect to receive, greater compensation from their management of the Other Managed Accounts than the fund. Notwithstanding this theoretical conflict of interest, it is Schwab Asset Management's policy to manage each account based on its investment objectives and related restrictions and, as discussed above, Schwab Asset Management has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to allocate investment opportunities on a fair and equitable basis over time and in a manner consistent with each account's investment objectives and related restrictions. For example, while the Portfolio Managers may buy for an Other Managed Account securities that differ in identity or quantity from securities bought for the fund or refrain from purchasing securities for an Other Managed Account that they are otherwise buying for the fund in an effort to outperform its specific benchmark, such an approach might not be suitable for the fund given its investment objectives and related restrictions.

**Compensation.** During the most recent fiscal year, Portfolio Manager compensation consisted of a fixed annual (base) salary and a discretionary bonus. Portfolio Managers also have the potential to participate in discretionary equity awards. The base salary is determined considering compensation payable for a similar position across the investment management industry and an evaluation of the individual Portfolio Manager's overall performance such as the Portfolio Manager's contribution to the investment process, good corporate citizenship, risk management and mitigation, and functioning as an active contributor to the firm's success. The discretionary bonus is determined in accordance with the relevant Portfolio Manager Incentive Plan (the Plan) as follows:

There are two independent funding components for the Plan:

<sup>●</sup>

a portion based on weighting of Investment Fund Performance and Other Managed Account Performance (if applicable)

<sup>●</sup>

a portion based on corporate results

#### Investment Fund Performance
At the close of the year, the fund's performance will be determined by its 1-year, 1- and 2-year, or 1- and 3-year percentile standing (based on pre-tax return before expenses) within its designated benchmark, peer group, or category, depending on the strategy of the fund (i.e., whether the fund is passively or actively managed) using standard statistical methods approved by Schwab Asset Management senior management. Investment Fund Performance measurements may be changed or modified at the discretion of the Schwab Asset Management President and Schwab Asset Management Chief Operating Officer. As each participant may be a member of a team that manages and/or supports a number of funds, there may be several funds and/or Other Managed Accounts considered in arriving at the incentive compensation funding.

Portfolio Managers who are chief investment officers of the investment adviser are covered by a Plan that specifically includes a risk mitigation component in the funding determination.

Certain Portfolio Managers receive a discretionary bonus that is funded based only on corporate results.

#### Corporate Performance
The Corporate Bonus Plan is an annual bonus plan that provides discretionary awards based on the financial performance of CSC during the annual performance period. Quarterly advances may be paid for the first three quarters. Allocations are discretionary and aligned with CSC and individual performance. Funding for the Plan is determined at the conclusion of the calendar year. Funding will be capped at 200% of target.

#### Allocation of Discretionary Bonus
At year-end, funding for both components of discretionary bonus is allocated to Plan participants by Schwab Asset Management senior management based on their assessment of a variety of performance factors.

Factors considered in Schwab Asset Management senior management's allocation process will include objective and subjective factors that will take into consideration total performance and will include, but are not limited to:

<sup>●</sup>

Fund performance relative to performance measure

<sup>●</sup>

Risk management and mitigation

<sup>●</sup>

Individual performance against key objectives

<sup>●</sup>

Contribution to overall group results

<sup>●</sup>

Functioning as an active contributor to the firm's success

<sup>●</sup>

Team work

<sup>●</sup>

Collaboration between Analysts and Portfolio Managers

<sup>●</sup>

Regulatory/Compliance management

The Portfolio Managers' compensation is neither based on the value of the assets held in the fund's portfolio or any Other Managed Account, nor flows into the fund's portfolio or any Other Managed Account.

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**Ownership of Fund Shares.** The following table shows the dollar amount range of the Portfolio Managers' "beneficial ownership" of shares of the fund, as of March 31, 2025. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. "Beneficial ownership" is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Portfolio Manager**  | **Fund**  | **Dollar Range of <br> Fund Shares Owned**  |
| Christopher Bliss | Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF | None  |
| Mariela Jobson | Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF | None  |
| Joselle Duncan | Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF | None  |
| Jiwei Gu | Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF | None  |
| David Rios | Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF | None  |

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#### BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES

#### Portfolio Turnover
For reporting purposes, the fund's portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing the value of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year, whichever is less, by the monthly average value of portfolio securities the fund owned during the fiscal year. When making the calculation, all securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less (short-term securities) are excluded. Securities received or delivered in the processing of in-kind creation or redemption baskets are excluded from the calculation.

A 100% portfolio turnover rate would occur, for example, if all portfolio securities (aside from short-term securities) were sold and either repurchased or replaced once during the fiscal year. Typically, funds with high turnover (such as 100% or more) tend to generate higher capital gains and transaction costs, such as brokerage commissions.

The portfolio turnover rate for the fund for the past two fiscal years or, if shorter, for the period of its operations is as follows:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund**  | **2025**  | **2024**  |
| Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF | 60% | 58% |

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#### Portfolio Transactions
The investment adviser makes decisions with respect to the purchase and sale of portfolio securities on behalf of the fund. The investment adviser is responsible for implementing these decisions, including the negotiation of commissions and the allocation of principal business and portfolio brokerage. The fund generally does not incur any commissions or sales charges when it invests in underlying Schwab Funds, but it may incur such costs if it invests directly in other types of securities or in unaffiliated funds. Purchases and sales of securities on a stock exchange, including ETF shares, or certain riskless principal transactions placed on NASDAQ are typically effected through brokers who charge a commission for their services. Exchange fees may also apply to transactions effected on an exchange. Purchases and sales of fixed income securities may be transacted with the issuer, the issuer's underwriter, or a dealer. The fund does not usually pay brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of fixed income securities, although the price of the securities generally includes compensation, in the form of a spread or a mark-up or mark-down, which is not disclosed separately. The prices the fund pays to underwriters of newly-issued securities usually include a commission paid by the issuer to the underwriter. Transactions placed through dealers who are serving as primary market makers reflect the spread between the bid and asked prices. The money market securities in which the fund may invest are traded primarily in the over-the-counter market on a net basis and do not normally involve either brokerage commissions or transfer taxes. It is expected that the cost of executing portfolio securities transactions of the fund will primarily consist of dealer spreads and brokerage commissions.

The investment adviser seeks to obtain the best execution for the fund's portfolio transactions. The investment adviser may take a number of factors into account in selecting brokers or dealers to execute these transactions. Such factors may include, without limitation, the following: execution price; brokerage commission or dealer spread; size or type of the transaction; nature or character of the markets; clearance or settlement capability; reputation; financial strength and stability of the broker or dealer; efficiency of execution and error resolution; block trading capabilities; willingness to execute related or unrelated difficult transactions in the future; order of call; ability to facilitate short selling; and provision of additional brokerage or research services or products; whether a broker guarantees that the fund will receive, on aggregate, prices at least as favorable as the closing prices on a given day when adherence to "market-on-close" pricing aligns with fund objectives; or whether a broker guarantees that the fund will receive the volume weighted average price (VWAP) for a security for a given trading day (or portion thereof) when the investment adviser believes that VWAP execution is in the fund's best interest. In addition, the investment adviser may have incentive sharing arrangements with certain unaffiliated brokers who guarantee market-on-close pricing: on a day when such a broker executes transactions at prices better, on aggregate, than market-on-close prices, that broker may receive, in addition to his or her standard commission, a portion of the net difference between the actual execution prices and corresponding market-on-close prices for that day.

The investment adviser may cause the fund to pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers or dealers in return for brokerage or research services or products if the investment adviser believes that such commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided. In addition to agency transactions, the investment adviser may receive brokerage and research services or products in

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connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with applicable SEC and other regulatory guidelines. In both instances, these services or products may include: economic, industry, or company research reports or investment recommendations; subscriptions to financial publications or research data compilations; compilations of securities prices, earnings, dividends, and similar data; computerized databases; quotation equipment and services; research or analytical computer software and services; products or services that assist in effecting transactions, including services of third-party computer systems developers directly related to research and brokerage activities; and effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance and settlement). The investment adviser may use research services furnished by brokers or dealers in servicing all fund accounts, and not all services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid commissions or spreads to the broker or dealer providing such services.

The investment adviser may receive a service from a broker or dealer that has both a "research" and a "non-research" use. When this occurs, the investment adviser will make a good faith allocation, under all the circumstances, between the research and non-research uses of the service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with fund commissions or spreads, while the investment adviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the investment adviser faces a potential conflict of interest, but the investment adviser believes that the costs of such services may be appropriately allocated to their anticipated research and non-research uses.

The investment adviser may purchase new issues of securities in a fixed price offering for the fund. In these situations, the seller may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to selling securities, provide the investment adviser with research services, in accordance with applicable rules and regulations permitting these types of arrangements. Generally, the seller will provide research "credits" in these situations at a rate that is higher than that which is available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the safe harbor of Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act.

The investment adviser may place orders directly with electronic communications networks or other alternative trading systems. Placing orders with electronic communications networks or other alternative trading systems may enable the fund to trade directly with other institutional holders. At times, this may allow the fund to trade larger blocks than would be possible trading through a single market maker.

The investment adviser may aggregate securities sales or purchases among two or more funds. The investment adviser will not aggregate transactions unless it believes such aggregation is consistent with its duty to seek best execution for each affected fund and is consistent with the terms of the investment advisory agreement for such fund. In any single transaction in which purchases and/or sales of securities of any issuer for the account of the fund are aggregated with other accounts managed by the investment adviser, the actual prices applicable to the transaction will be averaged among the accounts for which the transaction is effected, including the account of the fund.

In determining when and to what extent to use Schwab or any other affiliated broker-dealer as its broker for executing orders for the fund on securities exchanges, the investment adviser follows procedures, adopted by the fund's Board, that are designed to ensure that affiliated brokerage commissions (if relevant) are reasonable and fair in comparison to unaffiliated brokerage commissions for comparable transactions. The Board reviews the procedures annually and approves and reviews transactions involving affiliated brokers quarterly.

#### Brokerage Commissions
For each of the last three fiscal years, the fund paid the following brokerage commissions.

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund**  | **2025**  | **2024**  | **2023**  |
| Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF | $36679(1) | $8214 | $3527 |

---

<sup>(1)</sup>

The fund experienced increased brokerage commissions due to the increase in securities transactions from investment activities, driven by transactions in fund shares, index rebalances/annual reconstitution and corporate actions.

#### Regular Broker-Dealers
During the fiscal year, the fund held securities issued by its respective "regular broker-dealers" (as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act), indicated below as of March 31, 2025.

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Fund**  | **Regular Broker-Dealer**  | **Value of Holdings**  | **Value of Holdings**  |
| Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF | None |  | N/A |

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#### PROXY VOTING
The Board has delegated the responsibility for voting proxies to Schwab Asset Management, pursuant to the investment adviser's Proxy Voting Policy with respect to proxies voted on behalf of the various Schwab Funds' portfolios. A description of such Proxy Voting Policy is included in Appendix – Proxy Voting Policy.

The Trust is required to disclose annually the fund's complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX. The fund's proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30th will be available by visiting the Schwab ETFs' website at **www.schwabassetmanagement.com/prospectus**. You can also obtain this information at no cost by calling 1-866-414-6349 or by sending an email request to orders@mysummaryprospectus.com. The fund's Form N-PX will also be available on the SEC's website at **www.sec.gov**.

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#### PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE
 **For this section only, the following disclosure relates to The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Strategic Trust and Laudus Trust (collectively, the Trusts) and each series thereunder (each a fund and collectively, the funds).** 

The Trusts' Board has approved policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances regarding the disclosure of fund portfolio holdings information to shareholders and third parties. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that disclosure of information regarding the funds' portfolio securities is in the best interests of fund shareholders, and include procedures to address conflicts between the interests of the funds' shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the funds' investment adviser, subadviser (if applicable), principal underwriter or any affiliated person of a fund, its investment adviser, subadviser or principal underwriter, on the other. Pursuant to such procedures, the Board has authorized one of the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Operating Officer or Chief Financial Officer of the Trusts (in consultation with a fund's subadviser, if applicable) to authorize the release of the funds' portfolio holdings prior to regular public disclosure (as outlined in the prospectus and below) or regular public filings, as necessary, in conformity with the foregoing principles.

The Board exercises on-going oversight of the disclosure of fund portfolio holdings by overseeing the implementation and enforcement of the funds' policies and procedures by the Chief Compliance Officer and by considering reports and recommendations by the Chief Compliance Officer concerning any material compliance matters. The Board will receive periodic updates, at least annually, regarding entities which were authorized to be provided "early disclosure" of the funds' portfolio holdings information and will periodically review any agreements that the Trusts have entered into to selectively disclose portfolio holdings.

Portfolio holdings may be made available on a selective basis to ratings agencies, certain industry organizations, consultants and other qualified financial professionals when the appropriate officer of the Trusts determines such disclosure meets the requirements noted above and serves a legitimate business purpose. Agreements entered into with such entities will describe the permitted use of portfolio holdings and provide that, among other customary confidentiality provisions: (i) the portfolio holdings will be kept confidential; (ii) the person will not trade on the basis of any material non-public information; and (iii) the information will be used only for the purpose described in the agreement.

The funds' service providers including, without limitation, the investment adviser, subadvisers (if applicable), the distributor, the custodian, fund accountant, transfer agent, certain affiliates of the investment adviser or subadvisers, counsel, auditor, proxy voting service provider, pricing information vendors, trade execution measurement vendors, portfolio management system providers, cloud database providers, securities lending agents, publisher, printer and mailing agent may receive disclosure of portfolio holdings information as frequently as daily in connection with the services they perform for the funds. Schwab Asset Management, any subadviser to a fund as disclosed in the most current prospectus, Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC, State Street, Citibank, N.A. and/or Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., as service providers to the funds, are currently receiving this information on a daily basis. Donnelley Financial Solutions, as a service provider to the funds, is currently receiving this information on a quarterly basis. Deloitte, the Transfer Agent, and the Distributor, as service providers to the funds, receive this information on an as-needed basis. Service providers are subject to a duty of confidentiality with respect to any portfolio holdings information they receive whether imposed by the confidentiality provisions of the service providers' agreements with the Trusts or by the nature of its relationship with the Trusts. Although certain of the service providers are not under formal confidentiality obligations in connection with disclosure of portfolio holdings, a fund will not continue to conduct business with a service provider who the fund believes is misusing the disclosed information.

To the extent that a fund invests in an unaffiliated acquired fund, the Trusts will, when required by Rule 12d1-4, promptly notify the acquired fund, upon causing a fund to acquire more than 3% of the acquired fund's outstanding shares.

The funds' policies and procedures prohibit the funds, the funds' investment adviser or any related party from receiving any compensation or other consideration in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information.

Generally, a complete list of a fund's portfolio holdings is published on the fund's website www.schwabassetmanagement.com on the "Prospectus & Reports" tab under "Portfolio Holdings" generally 60-80 days after a fund's fiscal quarter-end in-line with regulatory filings unless a different timing is outlined in the fund's prospectus.

Specifically for the Schwab ETFs (other than the Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF), each Schwab ETF discloses its portfolio holdings each business day on its website before the opening of regular trading on the ETF's primary listing exchange in accordance with the requirements of Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act. Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units for the Schwab ETFs may be provided to other entities that provided services to the funds in the ordinary course of business after it has been disseminated to the NSCC.

The Schwab Money Funds have an ongoing arrangement to make available information about the funds' portfolio holdings and information derived from the funds' portfolio holdings to iMoneyNet, a rating and ranking organization, which is subject to a confidentiality agreement. Under its arrangement with the funds, iMoneyNet, among other things, receives information concerning the funds' net assets, yields, maturities and portfolio compositions on a weekly basis, subject to a one business day lag.

On the website, the funds also may provide, on a monthly or quarterly basis, information regarding certain attributes of a fund's portfolio, such as a fund's top ten holdings, sector weightings, composition, credit quality and duration and maturity, as applicable. This information is generally updated within 5-25 days after the end of the period. This information on the website is publicly available to all categories of persons.

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The funds may disclose non-material information including commentary and aggregate information about the characteristics of a fund in connection with or relating to a fund or its portfolio securities to any person if such disclosure is for a legitimate business purpose, such disclosure does not effectively result in the disclosure of the complete portfolio securities of any fund (which can only be disclosed in accordance with the above requirements), and such information does not constitute material non-public information. Such disclosure does not fall within the portfolio securities disclosure requirements outlined above.

Whether the information constitutes material non-public information will be made on a good faith determination, which involves an assessment of the particular facts and circumstances. In most cases, commentary or analysis would be immaterial and would not convey any advantage to a recipient in making a decision concerning a fund. Commentary and analysis include, but are not limited to, the allocation of a fund's portfolio securities and other investments among various asset classes, sectors, industries, countries or other relevant category, the characteristics of the stock components and other investments of a fund, the attribution of fund returns by asset class, sector, industry, country or other relevant category, and the volatility characteristics of a fund.

#### DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
The fund is a series of Schwab Strategic Trust, an open-end investment management company organized as a Delaware statutory trust on January 27, 2009.

The Declaration of Trust provides for the perpetual existence of the Trust. The Trust may, however, be terminated at any time by vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of each series of the Trust or by the vote of the trustees.

Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share held (with fractional votes for fractional shares held) and will vote (to the extent provided on the Declaration of Trust) in the election of trustees and the termination of the Trust and on other matters submitted to the vote of shareholders. Shareholders will vote by individual series on all matters except (i) when required by the 1940 Act, shares shall be voted in the aggregate and not by individual series and (ii) when the trustees have determined that the matter affects only the interests of one or more series, then only shareholders of such series shall be entitled to vote thereon. Shareholders of one series shall not be entitled to vote on matters exclusively affecting another series, such matters including, without limitation, the adoption of or change in any fundamental policies or restrictions of the other series and the approval of the investment advisory contracts of the other series.

There will normally be no meetings of shareholders for the purpose of electing trustees, except that in accordance with the 1940 Act (i) the Trust will hold a shareholders' meeting for the election of trustees at such time as less than a majority of the trustees holding office have been elected by shareholders, and (ii) if, as a result of a vacancy in the Board, less than two-thirds of the trustees holding office have been elected by the shareholders, that vacancy may only be filled by a vote of the shareholders. In addition, trustees may be removed from office by a written consent signed by the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares and filed with the Trust's custodian or by a vote of the holders of two-thirds of the outstanding shares at a meeting duly called for the purpose, which meeting shall be held upon the written request of the holders of not less than 10% of the outstanding shares. Except as set forth above, the trustees shall continue to hold office and may appoint successor trustees. Voting rights are not cumulative.

The Trust may, without shareholder vote, restate, amend or otherwise supplement the Declaration of Trust. Shareholders shall have the right to vote on any amendment that could affect their right to vote, any amendment to the Amendments section, any amendment for which shareholder vote may be required by applicable law or by the Trust's registration statement filed with the SEC, and on any amendment submitted to them by the trustees.

Any series of the Trust may reorganize or merge with one or more other series of the Trust or another investment company. Any such reorganization or merger shall be pursuant to the terms and conditions specified in an agreement and plan of reorganization authorized and approved by the trustees and entered into by the relevant series in connection therewith. In addition, such reorganization or merger may be authorized by vote of a majority of the trustees then in office and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, without the approval of shareholders of any series.

Shareholders wishing to submit proposals for inclusion in a proxy statement for a future shareholder meeting should send their written submissions to the Trust at 1 Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456. Proposals must be received a reasonable time in advance of a proxy solicitation to be included. Submission of a proposal does not guarantee inclusion in a proxy statement because proposals must comply with certain federal securities regulations.

#### PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF SHARES

#### Creation and Redemption of Creation Units
The fund is open each day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open (Business Days). The NYSE's trading session is normally conducted from 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time until 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, although some days, such as in advance of and following holidays, the NYSE's trading session closes early. The NYSE typically observes the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Although it is expected that the same holidays will be observed in the future, the NYSE may modify its holiday schedule or hours

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of operation at any time. Only orders that are received and deemed acceptable by the transfer agent no later than the time specified by the Trust will be executed that day at the fund's share price calculated that day. On any day that the NYSE closes early, the fund reserves the right to advance the time by which purchase and redemption orders must be received by the transfer agent that day to be executed that day at that day's share price. If the NYSE is closed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances on a day it would typically be open for business, or the NYSE has an unscheduled early closing on a day it has opened for business, the fund reserves the right to treat such day as a Business Day and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate their NAV as of the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE for that day.

**Creation.** The Trust issues and sells shares of the fund only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day, for an order received and deemed acceptable by the transfer agent.

**Fund Deposit.** The consideration for purchase of Creation Units of the fund may consist of (i) the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the Deposit Securities), and (ii) an amount of cash denominated in U.S. Dollars (the Cash Component) computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the "Fund Deposit," which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of the fund. The fund may accept a basket of money market instruments, non-U.S. currency or cash denominated in U.S. dollars that differs from the composition of the published basket.

The fund may permit or require the consideration for Creation Units to consist solely of cash or non-U.S. currency. The fund may permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash denominated in U.S. dollars (i.e., a "cash in lieu" amount) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. For example, the Trust reserves the right to permit or require a "cash in lieu" amount where the delivery of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant (as described below) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws, or in certain other situations.

The Cash Component is sometimes also referred to as the "Balancing Amount." The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the value of the Deposit Securities. If the Cash Component is a positive number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the value of the Deposit Securities), the creator will deliver the Cash Component. If the Cash Component is a negative number (i.e., the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the value of the Deposit Securities), the creator will receive the Cash Component. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty tax or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant.

The identity and amount of Deposit Securities and Cash Component for the fund changes as the composition of the fund's portfolio changes and as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by Schwab Asset Management with a view to the investment objective of the fund. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities of the fund's index. The fund also reserves the right to include or remove Deposit Securities from the basket in contemplation of index rebalancing changes.

The fund or its agent, through the NSCC or otherwise, makes available on each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the NYSE Arca, Inc. Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the current Fund Deposit for the fund. Such Deposit Securities are applicable, subject to any adjustments, in order to effect creations of Creation Units of the fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities is made available.

**Procedures for Creation of Creation Units.** To be eligible to place orders with the transfer agent and to create a Creation Unit of the fund, an entity must be a Depository Trust Company (DTC) participant, such as a broker-dealer, bank, trust company, clearing corporation or certain other organization, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC (each a DTC Participant). DTC acts as securities depositary for the shares. The DTC Participant must have executed an agreement with the Distributor with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Units (Participant Agreement). A DTC Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement is referred to as an Authorized Participant. Investors should contact the Distributor for the names of Authorized Participants that have signed a Participant Agreement. All shares of the fund, however created, will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.

All orders to create shares must be placed for one or more Creation Units. Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement. The date on which an order to create Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as discussed below) is placed is referred to as the Transmittal Date. Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the transfer agent pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, as described below. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede the ability to reach the transfer agent or an Authorized Participant.

On days when the New York Stock Exchange or U.S. or non-U.S. bond markets close earlier than normal, the fund may require purchase orders to be placed earlier in the day. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities to be delivered, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding.

If the fund does not receive both the required Deposit Securities and the Cash Component by the specified time on the settlement date, the Trust may cancel or revoke acceptance of such order. Upon written notice to the transfer agent, such canceled or revoked order may be resubmitted

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the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the fund. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the settlement date.

Creation Units may be created in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the shares on the date the order is placed since, in addition to available Deposit Securities, U.S. cash (or an equivalent amount of non-U.S. currency) must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) at least 115%, which the Trust may change from time to time, of the market value of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the Additional Cash Deposit) with the fund pending delivery of any missing Deposit Securities. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the custodian the appropriate amount of federal funds by 10:00 a.m. New York time (or such other time as specified by the Trust) on the settlement date. If the fund does not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount by such time, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of U.S. cash (or an equivalent amount of non-U.S. currency) shall be required to be deposited with the fund, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to 115%, which the Trust may change from time to time, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities. To the extent that missing Deposit Securities are not received by the specified time on the settlement date, or in the event a marked-to-market payment is not made within one Business Day following notification by the fund that such a payment is required, the Trust may use the cash on deposit to purchase the missing Deposit Securities. The Authorized Participant will be liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such Deposit Securities on the transmittal date plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the fund or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a transaction fee, as listed below, will be charged in all cases.

**Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units.** The Trust reserves the right to reject or revoke acceptance of an individual creation order transmitted to it by the transfer agent in respect of the fund if, including, but not limited to, the following conditions are present: (i) the order does not conform to the procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the fund; (iii) the Deposit Securities delivered are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the fund as described above; (iv) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the fund; (v) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (vi) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or Schwab Asset Management, have an adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; or (vii) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the custodian, the transfer agent, the Distributor or Schwab Asset Management make it for all practical purposes impossible to process creation orders. Examples of such circumstances include natural disaster, war, revolution; public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, Schwab Asset Management, the transfer agent, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, custodian (or sub-custodian) or any other participant in the creation process, and similar extraordinary events. The transfer agent shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, custodian (or sub-custodian), transfer agent and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

**Creation/Redemption Transaction Fee.** The fund may impose a transaction fee on investors purchasing or redeeming Creation Units. The transaction fee will be limited to amounts that have been determined by Schwab Asset Management to be appropriate. The purpose of the transaction fee is to protect the existing shareholders of the fund from the dilutive costs associated with the purchase and redemption of Creation Units. Where the fund permits cash creations (or redemptions) or cash in lieu of depositing one or more Deposit Securities, the purchaser (or redeemer) may be assessed an additional variable transaction fee (which may, in certain instances, be based on a good faith estimate of transaction costs) to offset the transaction cost to the fund of buying (or selling) those particular Deposit Securities. Every purchaser of a Creation Unit will receive a prospectus that contains disclosure about the transaction fee, including the maximum amount of the additional variable transaction fee charged by the fund. In certain circumstances, the cost of any standard transaction fees and/or variable transaction fees may be waived by the fund when doing so is believed to be in the best interests of the fund. From time to time, the investment adviser may cover the cost of any transaction fees.

The following table shows, as of June 30, 2025 the approximate value of one Creation Unit of the fund and sets forth the standard and additional creation/redemption transaction fee for the fund.

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name of Fund**  | **Approximate Value of <br> One Creation Unit**  | **Standard Creation/<br>Redemption <br>Transaction Fee** | **Maximum Additional <br> Creation Transaction Fee<sup>(1)</sup>**  | **Maximum Additional <br> Redemption Transaction <br> Fee<sup>(1)</sup>**  |
|  Schwab Crypto <br> Thematic <br> ETF  | $2504920 | $500 | 3% | 2% |

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<sup>(1)</sup>

As a percentage of the total amount invested or redeemed.

**Placement of Redemption Orders.** The process to redeem Creation Units works much like the process to purchase Creation Units, but in reverse. Orders to redeem Creation Units of the fund must be delivered through an Authorized Participant. Investors other than Authorized

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Participants are responsible for making arrangements for a redemption request to be made through an Authorized Participant. Orders must be accompanied or followed by the requisite number of shares of the fund specified in such order, which delivery must be made to the Distributor no later than 10:00 a.m. New York time on the next Business Day following the Transmittal Date. All other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement must be properly followed.

Fund securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Units. The fund reserves the right to honor a redemption request by delivering a basket of securities or cash that differs from the fund securities generally applicable to redemption requests. An Authorized Participant submitting a redemption request is deemed to represent to the Trust that it (or its client) (i) owns outright or has full legal authority and legal beneficial right to tender for redemption the requisite number of fund shares to be redeemed and can receive the entire proceeds of the redemption, and (ii) the fund shares to be redeemed have not been loaned or pledged to another party nor are they the subject of a repurchase agreement, securities lending agreement or such other arrangement that would preclude the delivery of such fund shares to the Trust. The Trust reserves the right to verify these representations at its discretion, but will typically require verification with respect to a redemption request from the fund in connection with higher levels of redemption activity and/or short interest in the fund. If the Authorized Participant, upon receipt of a verification request, does not provide sufficient verification of its representations as determined by the Trust, the redemption request will not be considered to have been received in proper form and may be rejected by the Trust.

To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant's agreement, in the event the Authorized Participant has submitted a redemption request but is unable to transfer all or part of the Creation Units to be redeemed to the fund, the transfer agent will nonetheless accept the redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing shares as soon as possible. Such undertaking shall be secured by the Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value (marked-to-market daily) at least equal to 115%, which Schwab Asset Management may change from time to time, of the value of the missing shares.

The current procedures for collateralization of missing shares require, among other things, that any cash collateral shall be in the form of U.S. dollars (or, at the discretion of the Trust, non-U.S. currency in an equivalent amount) in immediately-available funds and shall be held by the custodian and marked-to-market daily. The fees of the custodian (and any sub-custodians) in respect of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery of the cash collateral shall be payable by the Authorized Participant. The Trust, on behalf of the fund, is permitted to purchase the missing shares or acquire the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component underlying such shares at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such shares, Deposit Securities or Cash Component and the value of the collateral.

If the requisite number of shares of the fund are not delivered on the Transmittal Date as described above, the fund may reject or revoke acceptance of the redemption request. If it is not possible to effect deliveries of the fund securities, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such shares in U.S. cash and the redeeming Authorized Participant will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its shares based on the NAV of shares of the fund next determined after the redemption request is received (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust's brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of fund securities).

Redemptions of shares for fund securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific fund securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the fund securities under such laws.

The fund will not suspend or postpone redemption beyond seven days, except as permitted under Section 22(e) of the 1940 Act or pursuant to Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act. Section 22(e) provides that the right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the fund (1) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the NYSE is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the shares of the fund's portfolio securities or determination of its net asset value is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

**Large Shareholder Redemptions.** Certain accounts or Schwab affiliates may from time to time own (beneficially or of record) or control a significant percentage of the fund's shares. Redemptions by these shareholders of their holdings in the fund or large redemptions by several shareholders resulting from events affecting investor demand, to the extent such redemptions are not executed in the secondary market but rather directly with the fund through an Authorized Participant, may impact the fund's liquidity and NAV. These redemptions if made in cash, rather than in-kind, may also force the fund to sell securities, which may negatively impact the fund's brokerage costs. To the extent the fund effects redemptions in cash, this activity could also accelerate the realization of capital gains. Large purchases of shares, if made in cash rather than in-kind, may adversely affect the fund's performance to the extent that the fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would.

#### Pricing of Shares
Each business day, the fund calculates its share price, net asset value per share or NAV, as of the close of the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). This means that NAVs are calculated using the values of the fund's portfolio securities as of the close of the NYSE. Such values are required to be determined in one of two ways: securities for which market quotations are readily available are required to be valued at current market value; and securities for which market quotations are not readily available or that the investment adviser deems to be unreliable

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are required to be valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Board. If the NYSE is closed due to weather or other extenuating circumstances on a day it would typically be open for business, or the NYSE has an unscheduled early closing on a day it has opened for business, the fund reserves the right to treat such day as a business day and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate its share price as of the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE for that day.

Shareholders should be aware that because foreign markets are often open on weekends and other days when the fund is closed, the value of some of the fund's securities may change on days when it is not possible to buy or sell shares of the fund. The fund uses approved pricing sources (including pricing services) to provide values for its portfolio securities. Values are generally determined by the approved pricing sources as follows: securities traded on stock exchanges, excluding the NASDAQ National Market System, are valued at the last-quoted sales price on the exchange on which such securities are primarily traded (closing values), or, lacking any sales, at the mean between the bid and ask prices; securities traded in the over-the-counter market are generally valued at an evaluated price using a mid-price as supplied by an approved, independent pricing service. The mid-price is the mean of the bid and ask prices as calculated by the pricing service. Generally securities listed on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. In addition, securities that are primarily traded on foreign exchanges are generally valued at the official closing price or last sales price on the exchange where the securities are primarily traded with these values then translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate. Fixed income securities normally are valued based on valuations provided by approved pricing services. Securities will be fair valued pursuant to procedures approved by the fund's Board when market quotations are not "readily available" or the investment adviser deems them unreliable. For example, the fund may fair value a security when a security is de-listed or its trading is halted or suspended; when a security's primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; when a security's primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or when a security's value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security's primary trading market. The Board has designated the investment adviser as the valuation designee (Valuation Designee) for the fund to perform the fair value determination relating to all fund investments. The Valuation Designee periodically provides reports to the Board on items related to its fair value of fund investments.

NOTE: Transactions in fund shares will be priced at NAV only if you purchase or redeem shares directly from a fund in Creation Units. Fund shares that are purchased or sold on a national securities exchange will be effected at prevailing market prices, which may be higher (premium) or lower (discount) than NAV, and may be subject to brokerage commissions and charges.

#### TAXATION
This discussion of federal income tax consequences is based on the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.

#### Federal Tax Information for the Fund
It is the fund's policy to qualify for taxation as a "regulated investment company" (RIC) by meeting the requirements of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. By qualifying as a RIC, the fund expects to eliminate or reduce to a nominal amount the federal income tax to which it is subject. If the fund does not qualify as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code, it will be subject to federal income tax on its net investment income and any net realized capital gains. In addition, the fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC.

The fund is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes and is not combined with the Trust's other funds. The fund intends to qualify as a RIC so that it will be relieved of federal income tax on that part of its income that is distributed to shareholders. In order to qualify for treatment as a RIC, the fund must, among other requirements, distribute annually to its shareholders at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (generally, net investment income plus the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its net tax-exempt income. Among these requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of the fund's gross income each taxable year must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock or securities or currencies and net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership; (ii) at the close of each quarter of the fund's taxable year, at least 50% of the value of its total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount that does not exceed 5% of the value of the fund's assets and that does not represent more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer; and (iii) at the close of each quarter of the fund's taxable year, not more than 25% of the value of its assets may be invested in securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs) of any one issuer or of two or more issuers and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses if the fund owns at least 20% of the voting power of such issuers, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.

Certain master limited partnerships may qualify as "qualified publicly traded partnerships" for purposes of the Subchapter M diversification rules described above. To do so, the master limited partnership must satisfy two requirements during the taxable year. First, the interests of such partnership either must be traded on an established securities market or must be readily tradable on a secondary market (or the substantial equivalent thereof). Second, the partnership must meet the 90% gross income requirements for the exception from treatment as a corporation with gross income other than income consisting of dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, or gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock securities or currencies.

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The Internal Revenue Code imposes a non-deductible excise tax on RICs that do not distribute in a calendar year (regardless of whether they otherwise have a non-calendar taxable year) an amount equal to 98% of their "ordinary income" (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) for the calendar year plus 98.2% of their net capital gain for the one-year period ending on October 31 of such calendar year, plus any undistributed amounts from prior years. The non-deductible excise tax is equal to 4% of the deficiency. For the foregoing purposes, the fund is treated as having distributed any amount on which it is subject to income tax for any taxable year ending in such calendar year and certain amounts with respect to which estimated taxes are paid in such calendar year. The fund may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate fund investments to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of the fund to satisfy the requirements for qualification as a RIC.

Dividends and interest received from the fund's holding of foreign securities may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If the fund meets certain requirements, which include a requirement that more than 50% of the value of the fund's total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of stocks or securities of foreign corporations, then the fund should be eligible to file an election with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that may enable shareholders, in effect, to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a tax deduction, with respect to any foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid by the fund, subject to certain limitations. Pursuant to this election, the fund will treat those taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders. Each such shareholder will be required to include a proportionate share of those taxes in gross income as income received from a foreign source and must treat the amount so included as if the shareholder had paid the foreign tax directly. The shareholder may then, subject to certain limitations, either deduct the taxes deemed paid by him or her in computing his or her taxable income or, alternatively, use the foregoing information in calculating any foreign tax credit the shareholder may be entitled to use against such shareholder's federal income tax. If the fund makes this election, the fund will report annually to its shareholders the respective amounts per share of the fund's income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and U.S. possessions.

The fund's transactions in foreign currencies and forward foreign currency contracts will be subject to special provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the fund to mark-to-market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. The fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make the appropriate tax elections, and intends to make the appropriate entries in its books and records when it acquires any foreign currency or forward foreign currency contract in order to mitigate the effect of these rules so as to prevent disqualification of the fund as a RIC and minimize the imposition of income and excise taxes.

If the fund owns shares in certain foreign investment entities, referred to as "passive foreign investment companies" or "PFICs," the fund will be subject to one of the following special tax regimes: (i) the fund is liable for U.S. federal income tax, and an additional interest charge, on a portion of any "excess distribution" from such foreign entity or any gain from the disposition of such shares, even if the entire distribution or gain is paid out by the fund as a dividend to its shareholders; (ii) if the fund were able and elected to treat a PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" or "QEF," the fund would be required each year to include in income, and distribute to shareholders in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above, the fund's pro rata share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the passive foreign investment company, whether or not such earnings or gains are distributed to the fund; or (iii) the fund may be entitled to mark-to-market annually shares of the PFIC, and in such event would be required to distribute to shareholders any such mark-to-market gains in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above.

The fund's transactions in futures contracts, forward contracts, foreign currency exchange transactions, options and certain other investment and hedging activities may be restricted by the Internal Revenue Code and are subject to special tax rules. In a given case, these rules may accelerate income to the fund, defer its losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the fund's assets, convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses or otherwise affect the character of the fund's income. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders. The fund will endeavor to make any available elections pertaining to these transactions in a manner believed to be in the best interest of the fund and its shareholders.

Under Section 988 of the Internal Revenue Code, special rules are provided for certain transactions in a foreign currency other than the taxpayer's functional currency (i.e., unless certain special rules apply, currencies other than the U.S. dollar). In general, foreign currency gains or losses from forward contracts, from futures contracts that are not "regulated futures contracts," and from unlisted options will be treated as ordinary income or loss under Section 988 of the Internal Revenue Code. Also, certain foreign exchange gains or losses derived with respect to foreign fixed income securities are also subject to Section 988 treatment. In general, therefore, Section 988 gains or losses will increase or decrease the amount of the fund's investment company taxable income available to be distributed to shareholders as ordinary income, rather than increasing or decreasing the amount of the fund's net capital gain.

The fund is required for federal income tax purposes to mark-to-market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures contracts as of the end of the year as well as those actually realized during the year. Gain or loss from futures and options contracts on broad-based indexes required to be marked-to-market will be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders. The fund may be required to defer the recognition of losses on futures contracts, options contracts and swaps to the extent of any unrecognized gains on offsetting positions held by the fund. It is

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anticipated that any net gain realized from the closing out of futures or options contracts will be considered gain from the sale of securities and therefore will be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% requirement described above. The fund distributes to shareholders at least annually any net capital gains which have been recognized for federal income tax purposes, including unrealized gains at the end of the fund's fiscal year on futures or options transactions. Such distributions are combined with distributions of capital gains realized on the fund's other investments and shareholders are advised on the nature of the distributions.

#### Federal Income Tax Information for Shareholders
The discussion of federal income taxation presented below supplements the discussion in the fund's prospectus and only summarizes some of the important federal tax considerations generally affecting shareholders of the fund. Accordingly, prospective investors (particularly those not residing or domiciled in the United States) should consult their own tax advisors regarding the consequences of investing in the fund.

Any dividends declared by the fund in October, November or December and paid the following January are treated, for tax purposes, as if they were received by shareholders on December 31 of the year in which they were declared. In general, distributions by the fund of investment company taxable income (including net short-term capital gains), if any, whether received in cash or additional shares, will be taxable to you as ordinary income. A portion of these distributions may be treated as qualified dividend income (eligible for the reduced rates to individuals as described below) to the extent that the fund receives qualified dividend income. Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable domestic corporations and certain foreign corporations (e.g., foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States, or the stock of which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States). A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income to the extent that (i) the shareholder has not held the shares of the fund on which the dividend was paid for more than 60 days during the 121-day period that begins on the date that is 60 days before the date on which the shares of the fund become ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (and the fund also satisfies those holding period requirements with respect to the securities it holds that paid the dividends distributed to the shareholder), (ii) the shareholder is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to substantially similar or related property, or (iii) the shareholder elects to treat such dividend as investment income under section 163(d)(4)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code. Dividends received by the fund from a REIT or another RIC may be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent the dividend distributions are attributable to qualified dividend income received by such REIT or RIC. It is expected that dividends received by the fund from a REIT and distributed to a shareholder generally will be taxable to the shareholder as ordinary income.

Distributions from net capital gain (if any) that are reported as capital gain dividends are taxable as long-term capital gains without regard to the length of time the shareholder has held shares of the fund. However, if you receive a capital gain dividend with respect to fund shares held for six months or less, any loss on the sale or exchange of those shares shall, to the extent of the capital gain dividend, be treated as a long-term capital loss. The maximum individual rate applicable to "qualified dividend income" and long-term capital gains is generally either 15% or 20% depending on whether the individual's income exceeds certain threshold amounts.

An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the fund and net gain from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person's "modified adjusted gross income" (in the case of an individual) or "adjusted gross income" (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount.

At the beginning of every year, the fund will provide shareholders with a tax reporting statement containing information detailing the estimated tax status of any distributions that the fund paid during the previous calendar year. REITs in which the fund invests often do not provide complete and final tax information to the fund until after the time that the fund issues the tax reporting statement. As a result, the fund may at times find it necessary to reclassify to the amount and character of its distributions to you after it issues your tax reporting statement. When such reclassification is necessary, the fund will send you a corrected, final Form 1099-DIV to reflect the reclassified information. If you receive a corrected Form 1099-DIV, use the information on this corrected form, and not the information on the previously issued tax reporting statement in completing your tax returns.

The fund will inform you of the amount of your ordinary income dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, at the time they are paid and will advise you of its tax status for federal income tax purposes, including what portion of the distributions will be qualified dividend income, shortly after the close of each calendar year.

If the fund makes a distribution to a shareholder in excess of the fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits in any taxable year, the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder's tax basis in its shares, and thereafter, as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but reduces a shareholder's tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares. To the extent that a return of capital distribution exceeds a shareholder's adjusted basis, the distribution will be treated as gain from the sale of shares.

For corporate investors in the fund, dividend distributions the fund reports as dividends received from qualifying domestic corporations will be eligible for the 50% corporate dividends-received deduction to the extent they would qualify if the fund were a regular corporation. Distributions by the fund also may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes, which may differ from the federal income tax treatment described above.

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A sale of shares in the fund may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, the gain or loss on the taxable disposition of shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. The maximum individual tax rate applicable to long-term capital gains is generally either 15% or 20%, depending on whether the individual's income exceeds certain threshold amounts. Any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributions received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares of the fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the sum of the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger's basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing "wash sales," or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses.

The fund has the right to reject an order for Creation Units if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the fund and if, pursuant to section 351 of the Internal Revenue Code, the respective fund would have a basis in the deposit securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial Share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.

Certain tax-exempt shareholders, including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, salary deferral arrangements, 401(k)s, and other tax-exempt entities, generally are exempt from federal income taxation except with respect to their unrelated business taxable income (UBTI). Under current law, the fund generally serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in the fund where, for example, (i) the fund invests in REITs that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) or (ii) its shares in the fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of section 514(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. Charitable remainder trusts are subject to special rules and should consult their tax advisors. There are no restrictions preventing the fund from holding investments in REITs that hold residual interests in REMICs, and the fund may do so. The IRS has issued recent guidance with respect to these issues and prospective shareholders, especially charitable remainder trusts, are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisors regarding these issues.

Non-corporate taxpayers generally may deduct 20% of "qualified business income" derived either directly or through partnerships or S corporations. For this purpose, "qualified business income" generally includes ordinary REIT dividends and income derived from MLP investments. The fund is permitted to pass through to shareholders the character of ordinary REIT dividends so as to allow non-corporate shareholders to claim this deduction. There currently is no mechanism for the fund to pass through to non-corporate shareholders the character of income derived from MLP investments. It is uncertain whether future legislation or other guidance will enable the fund to pass through to non-corporate shareholders the ability to claim this deduction with respect to income derived from MLP investments.

**Backup Withholding –** The fund will be required in certain cases to withhold at the applicable withholding rate and remit to the U.S. Treasury the withheld amount of taxable dividends and redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is not subject to "backup withholding;" or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that he or she is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder's ultimate U.S. tax liability.

**Disclosure for Non-U.S. Shareholders –** Foreign shareholders (i.e., nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from net investment income and short-term capital gains; provided, however, that U.S. source interest related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends generally are not subject to U.S. withholding tax if the fund elects to report such dividends in written notice. Distributions to foreign shareholders of such short-term capital gain dividends and of long-term capital gains, and any gains from the sale or other disposition of shares of the fund, generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who either (1) meets the Internal Revenue Code's definition of "resident alien" or (2) is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders may also be subject to U.S. estate taxes with respect to shares in the fund. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a portion of the income, if any, derived by the fund from investments in REITs that hold residual interests in REMICs may be classified as "excess inclusion income." With respect of foreign shareholders, no exemption or reduction in withholding tax will apply to such excess inclusion income.

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The fund is required to withhold U.S. tax (at a 30% rate) on payments of taxable dividends made to certain non-U.S. entities that fail to comply (or be deemed compliant) with extensive reporting and withholding requirements designed to inform the U.S. Department of the Treasury of U.S.-owned foreign investment accounts. Shareholders may be requested to provide additional information to the fund to enable the fund to determine whether withholding is required.

A look-through rule will apply to distributions of so-called FIRPTA gain by the fund if the fund is classified as a "qualified investment entity," which includes an entity taxable as a RIC if, in general, more than 50% of the RIC's assets consist of interests in REITs and other U.S. real property holding corporations. If this condition is met, in the absence of certain exceptions (described below), distributions by the fund to a foreign shareholder, to the extent derived from gain from the disposition of a U.S. real property interest (USRPI), will be treated as FIRPTA gain subject to U.S. withholding tax (currently at the maximum corporate rate of 21%), and requiring that the foreign shareholder file nonresident U.S. income tax returns. Also, such gain will be subject to a 30% branch profits tax in the hands of a foreign corporate shareholder.

Provided, however, that the class of fund shares held by a foreign shareholder is regularly traded on an established U.S. securities exchange and the foreign shareholder did not own more than 5% of that class of shares at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of the distribution, distributions made by the fund will not be treated as FIRPTA gain under the look-through rule; instead, capital gain distributions from USRPI gain in the hands of a foreign shareholder will be taxed as ordinary income and will generally be subject to withholding at a 30% rate (or lower treaty rate). If the fund is treated as a "qualified investment entity," unless the fund is "domestically controlled," meaning that less than 50% of the shares of the fund is held directly or indirectly by foreign shareholders for a five-year period ending on the date of the distribution, dispositions of fund shares by a foreign shareholder that does not satisfy the conditions of the 5% ownership exception described above generally will be treated as FIRPTA gain subject to withholding at a 15% rate, and requiring that foreign shareholders file nonresident U.S. income tax returns.

**Reportable Transactions –** Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC such as the fund are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the state and local tax rules affecting investments in the fund.

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#### APPENDIX – PROXY VOTING POLICY
The Charles Schwab Family of Funds Schwab Investments Schwab Capital Trust Schwab Annuity Portfolios Laudus Trust Schwab Strategic Trust

#### PROXY VOTING POLICY AS OF MARCH 2025
The Boards of Trustees (the "Board") of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios, and Laudus Trust ("Schwab Funds") and Schwab Strategic Trust ("Schwab ETFs"; collectively with Schwab Funds, the "Funds") have delegated to the Funds' investment adviser, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. ("CSIM"), the responsibility to vote proxies relating to the Funds' portfolio securities pursuant to CSIM's Proxy Voting Policy ("CSIM Proxy Policy"). On an annual basis, CSIM will report to the Board any changes to the CSIM Proxy Policy and on the implementation of the CSIM Proxy Policy.

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Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.

I. ### INTRODUCTION
Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. ("CSIM"), as an investment adviser, is responsible for voting proxies with respect to the securities held in accounts of investment companies and other clients that have delegated the authority to vote proxies to CSIM. CSIM's Proxy Committee exercises and documents CSIM's responsibility with regard to voting of client proxies, including the review and approval of the Proxy Voting Policy (the "Proxy Policy"). CSIM's Investment Stewardship Team has the primary responsibility for overseeing that voting is carried out consistent with the Proxy Policy. The Investment Stewardship Team also conducts research into proxy issues and carries out engagement activities with companies. The Proxy Committee receives regular reports from the Investment Stewardship Team on these activities.

II. ### PHILOSOPHY
As a leading asset manager, it is CSIM's responsibility to use its proxy votes to encourage transparency, corporate governance structures, and the management of environmental, social and other governance issues that it believes protect and promote shareholder value.

Just as the investors in CSIM's equity funds generally have a long-term investment horizon, CSIM takes a long-term, measured approach to investment stewardship. CSIM's client-first philosophy drives all of its efforts, including its approach to decision making. In the investment stewardship context, that unfolds through CSIM's efforts to appropriately manage risk by encouraging transparency and focusing on corporate governance structures that will help protect and promote shareholder value. CSIM also recognizes that companies can conduct themselves in ways that have important environmental and social consequences. Therefore, CSIM's focus on maximizing long-term shareholder value includes consideration of potential environmental and social impacts that we believe are relevant to individual companies.

In general, CSIM believes corporate directors, as the elected representatives of all shareholders, are best positioned to oversee the management of their companies. Accordingly, CSIM typically supports a board of directors' and management's recommendations on proxy matters. However, CSIM will vote against management's recommendations when it believes doing so will protect or promote long-term shareholder value.

III. ### USE OF PROXY ADVISORS
To assist CSIM in its responsibility for voting proxies and the overall proxy voting process, CSIM has retained Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC ("Glass Lewis") as an expert in the proxy voting and corporate governance area. The services provided by Glass Lewis include in-depth research, global issuer analysis, and voting recommendations as well as vote execution, reporting and record keeping. CSIM has also retained Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. to conduct research and provide voting recommendations on certain topics and may retain additional experts in the proxy voting, corporate governance, and environmental and social areas in the future.

To support CSIM in efficiently executing its votes, Glass Lewis, simultaneously with issuing its voting recommendations, also automatically populates votes based on CSIM's custom voting guidelines, except for certain ballot items which CSIM elects to vote manually. CSIM's votes are executed just prior to the vote deadline, which allows CSIM the opportunity to incorporate changes in Glass Lewis voting recommendations or the receipt of additional information from the company or other parties.

IV. ### PROXY VOTING PRINCIPLES
CSIM invests on behalf of its clients in companies domiciled all over the world. Since corporate governance standards and best practices differ by country and jurisdiction, the market context is taken into account in the analysis of proposals. Furthermore, there are instances where CSIM may determine that voting is not in the best interests of its clients (typically due to costs or to trading restrictions) and will refrain from submitting votes.

The Proxy Committee reviews CSIM's proxy voting guidelines with input from the Investment Stewardship Team at least annually and evaluates them in light of the long-term best interests of shareholders. In addition, for U.S. companies, contested director elections, "vote no" campaigns, mergers and acquisitions, some executive compensation and election of director proposals, and many shareholder proposals, including environmental, social, and governance-related proposals, such as those requesting additional environmental, social and political disclosures, are voted on a case-by-case basis by the Investment Stewardship Team.

While the voting policy is in place to provide structure and guidance and ensure CSIM's approach is consistent and repeatable, CSIM recognizes instances may arise that would benefit from additional research and analysis to determine CSIM's policy recommendation. As such, CSIM reserves the right to use discretion and apply a case-by-case approach when determining its vote decision for any proposal that it believes warrants added scrutiny by the Investment Stewardship Team.

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The following is a summary of CSIM's proxy voting principles which are grouped according to types of proposals usually presented to shareholders in proxy statements.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A.

DIRECTORS AND AUDITORS

i. <u>Directors</u>

As a starting point, CSIM expects boards to be composed of at least a majority of independent directors and to be responsive to shareholders. CSIM also expects directors that serve on a company's nominating, compensation or audit committee to be independent. CSIM believes that diversity of background, experience, and skills contribute to a board's ability to make effective decisions on behalf of shareholders.

Factors that may result in a vote against one or more directors:

<sup>●</sup>

The board is not majority independent

<sup>●</sup>

A company board is not sufficiently diverse with respect to background, or the board has not provided a reasonable explanation of board diversity or lack thereof

<sup>●</sup>

Non-independent directors serve on the nominating, compensation or audit committees

<sup>●</sup>

A director recently failed to attend at least 75% of meetings or serves on an excessive number of publicly traded company boards

<sup>●</sup>

A director approved executive compensation schemes that appear misaligned with shareholders' interests

<sup>●</sup>

A director recently acted in a manner inconsistent with this Proxy Policy or failed to be responsive to shareholder concerns

<sup>●</sup>

The company has not provided explicit disclosure of board oversight of material risks

ii. <u>Contested Director Elections</u>

A proxy contest is when a dissident shareholder (or group of shareholders) proposes outside nominees to compete against incumbent directors. A "Vote No" campaign is when an activist shareholder attempts to solicit votes against certain directors. CSIM evaluates proxy contests and Vote No campaigns on a case-by-case basis and votes for the outcome it believes will maximize long-term shareholder value. CSIM considers numerous factors when making its voting decision, including but not limited to the merit of the campaign, the qualifications of director nominees, long-term company performance compared to peers, board oversight of material risks, and, in the case of proxy contests, the dissident's and management's strategic plans for driving improvements.

iii. <u>Auditors</u>

CSIM typically supports the ratification of auditors unless CSIM believes that the auditors' independence may have been compromised.

Factors that may result in a vote against the ratification of auditors:

<sup>●</sup>

Audit-related fees are less than half of the total fees paid by the company to the audit firm

<sup>●</sup>

A recent material restatement of annual financial statements

<sup>●</sup>

A pattern of inaccurate audits or other behavior that may call into question an auditor's effectiveness

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; B.

BOARD MATTERS

i. <u>Classified Boards</u>

CSIM generally does not support classified board proposals unless management has provided valid reasoning for the structure.

ii. <u>Majority Voting</u>

CSIM generally supports majority voting proposals when they call for plurality voting standards in contested elections.

iii. <u>Proxy Access</u>

CSIM typically supports proxy access proposals when the following criteria are met:

<sup>●</sup>

Ownership threshold of at least 3% of the company's outstanding shares held for at least three years

<sup>●</sup>

Number of nominees is no more than 20% of current board (rounded down to nearest whole number)

<sup>●</sup>

Group size is capped at 20 shareholders

iv. <u>Separation of Chair and CEO role</u>

CSIM believes that boards are typically best positioned to determine their leadership structure. Therefore, CSIM will typically not support shareholder proposals requiring the separation of these roles unless certain circumstances are in place.

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Factors that may result in a vote supporting a shareholder proposal requiring the separation of the Chair and CEO roles include:

<sup>●</sup>

The board does not have a lead independent director

<sup>●</sup>

The board is not two-thirds independent

<sup>●</sup>

The company did not implement a shareholder proposal that was passed by shareholders at two previous shareholder meetings

<sup>●</sup>

The company nominated directors for election that did not receive a majority of shareholder support at the previous shareholder meeting

<sup>●</sup>

The company had material financial statement restatements

<sup>●</sup>

The company's board adopted a Shareholder Rights Plan during the past year and did not submit it to shareholders for approval

<sup>●</sup>

Ongoing executive compensation concerns

<sup>●</sup>

Ongoing financial underperformance

<sup>●</sup>

Lack of robust lead independent director

v. <u>Independent Chair</u>

CSIM believes that boards are typically best positioned to determine their leadership structure. Therefore, CSIM will typically not support shareholder proposals requiring an independent chair unless CSIM has concerns regarding a board's accountability or responsiveness to shareholders.

Factors that may result in a vote supporting a shareholder proposal requiring an independent chair:

<sup>●</sup>

The board does not have a lead independent director

<sup>●</sup>

The board is not two-thirds independent

<sup>●</sup>

The company did not implement a shareholder proposal that was passed by shareholders at two previous shareholder meetings

<sup>●</sup>

The company nominated directors for election that did not receive a majority of shareholder support at the previous shareholder meeting

<sup>●</sup>

The company had material financial statement restatements

<sup>●</sup>

The company's board adopted a Shareholder Rights Plan during the past year and did not submit it to shareholders for approval

<sup>●</sup>

Ongoing executive compensation concerns

<sup>●</sup>

Ongoing financial underperformance

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; C.

COMPENSATION

i. <u>Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation and Frequency</u>

CSIM generally supports advisory votes on executive compensation (which are proposed by management and are known as "Say-On-Pay") when the compensation scheme appears aligned with shareholder economic interests and lacks problematic features.

Factors that may result in a vote against a company's Say-On-Pay proposal:

<sup>●</sup>

There is a disconnect identified between executive pay and company performance

<sup>●</sup>

Executive compensation is out of line with industry peers considering the company's performance over time

<sup>●</sup>

Executive compensation plan includes significant guaranteed bonuses or has a low amount of compensation at risk

<sup>●</sup>

Executive compensation plan offers excessive one-time payments, perquisites, tax-gross up provisions, or golden parachutes

<sup>●</sup>

Compensation amounts are increased, or goals are lowered without providing a valid explanation

<sup>●</sup>

Executive compensation plan lacks adequate disclosure or rationale for decisions related to goals and amounts

ii. <u>Equity Compensation Plans</u>

CSIM generally supports stock-based compensation plans when they do not overly dilute shareholders by providing participants with excessive awards and lack problematic features.

Factors that may result in a vote against Equity Compensation Plans:

<sup>●</sup>

Plan's total potential dilution appears excessive

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<sup>●</sup>

Plan's burn rate appears excessive compared to industry peers

<sup>●</sup>

Plan allows for the re-pricing of options without shareholder approval

<sup>●</sup>

Plan has an evergreen feature

iii. <u>Employee Stock Purchase Plans</u>

CSIM supports the concept of broad employee participation in a company's equity. Therefore, CSIM typically supports employee stock purchase plans when the shares can be purchased at 85% or more of the shares' market value.

iv. <u>Re-price/Exchange Option Plans</u>

CSIM generally only supports management proposals to re-price options when the plan excludes senior management and directors, does not excessively dilute shareholders, and the company has not significantly underperformed its industry peers over time.

v. <u>Compensation-Related Shareholder Proposals</u>

CSIM generally votes with management on compensation-related shareholder proposals. CSIM believes the responsibility for designing an effective executive compensation program lies with the board's compensation committee, rather than shareholders. Therefore, rather than supporting policies proposed by shareholders, a more appropriate way for shareholders to express discontent with a company's policies and practices is through the election of directors, the advisory vote on executive compensation, proposals regarding equity plans and/or other executive compensationspecific proposals.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; D.

ANTI-TAKEOVER

i. <u>Shareholder Rights Plans</u>

Shareholder Rights Plans constrain a potential acquirer's ability to buy shares in a company above a certain threshold without the approval of the company's board of directors. While such a plan may help a company in achieving a higher bid, it may also entrench the incumbent management and board. CSIM believes that shareholders should have the right to approve a Shareholder Rights Plan within a year of its adoption. CSIM generally votes against such plans if they do not have safeguards to protect shareholder interests.

Factors that may result in a vote against a Shareholder Rights Plan proposal:

<sup>●</sup>

Plan does not expire in a relatively short time horizon

<sup>●</sup>

Plan does not have a well-crafted permitted bid or qualified offer feature that mandates shareholder votes in certain situations

<sup>●</sup>

Plan automatically renews without shareholder approval

<sup>●</sup>

Company's corporate governance profile is problematic

ii. <u>Right to Call Special Meeting</u>

CSIM generally votes against shareholder proposals asking for shareholders to be given the right to call a special meeting unless the threshold to call a special meeting is 25% or more of shares outstanding to avoid wasting corporate resources.

iii. <u>Right to Act by Written Consent</u>

CSIM generally votes against shareholder proposals asking for shareholders to be given the right to act by written consent if the company already offers shareholders the right to call special meetings. CSIM expects appropriate mechanisms for implementation.

iv. <u>Supermajority Voting</u>

CSIM generally supports the concept of simple majority standards to pass proposals.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; E.

CAPITAL STRUCTURE, MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

i. <u>Increase in Authorized Common Shares</u>

CSIM typically supports proposals to increase the authorized shares unless the company does not sufficiently justify the need for the use of the proposed shares.

ii. <u>Preferred Shares</u>

CSIM generally supports proposals to create a class of preferred shares with specific voting, dividend, conversion and other rights.

iii. <u>Mergers and Acquisitions</u>

CSIM generally supports transactions that appear to maximize shareholder value. CSIM assesses these proposals on a case-by-case basis and considers the proposed transaction's strategic rationale, the offer premium, the board's oversight of the sales process, and other pertinent factors.

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; F.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS

Effective oversight of material environmental and social risks relevant to a company and its business is an essential board function. In CSIM's view, appropriate risk oversight of environmental and social issues contributes to sustainable long-term value and companies should provide pertinent information on material risks common to their industry and specific to their business. CSIM evaluates, on a case-by-case basis, shareholder proposals regarding environmental and social issues, including those calling for additional disclosure of material risks to a company, with emphasis placed on those risks identified within the framework of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB).

CSIM recognizes that financial performance can be impacted by a company's environmental, social and human capital management policies. CSIM's case-by-case evaluation of these proposals takes into consideration a company's current practices, level of reporting, disclosures by its peers, and the existence of controversies or litigation related to the issue.

CSIM believes that, in most instances, boards are best positioned to determine their company's strategy and manage its operations, and generally does not support shareholder proposals seeking a change in business practices.

i. <u>Climate Change Proposals</u>

CSIM believes that companies should provide pertinent information on the management of potential climate change-related risks, with the understanding that the relevance of this disclosure for any specific company will vary depending on its industry and operations. For companies operating in carbon-intensive industries, we believe boards should be considering a range of energy demand scenarios. We generally support proposals requesting additional disclosure on climate change-related impacts when the company's current reporting is inadequate.

ii. <u>Corporate Political Activity Proposals</u>

CSIM expects boards of directors to have a stated oversight process for political contributions and lobbying activities. CSIM evaluates proposals asking for disclosure of a company's political contributions and lobbying activities on a case-by-case basis and considers supporting them if there is no evidence of board oversight, a political spending policy and/or a company's disclosure is deficient and lags that of its peers.

V. ### ADMINISTRATION
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A.

CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS

CSIM maintains the following practices that seek to prevent undue influence on its proxy voting activity. Such influence might arise from any relationship between the company holding the proxy (or any shareholder or board member of the company) and CSIM, CSIM's affiliates, a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund managed by CSIM ("Affiliated Fund"), an affiliate of such Fund, or a CSIM employee. The Proxy Committee has directed that Glass Lewis be instructed to vote any such proxies in the same proportion as the votes of all other shareholders in the fund (i.e., "echo vote").

With respect to proxies of an underlying Affiliated Fund, the Investment Stewardship Team will ensure that such proxies are "echo voted," unless otherwise required by law. When required by law or applicable exemptive order, the Investment Stewardship Team will also ensure the "echo voting" of an unaffiliated mutual fund or exchange traded fund. For example, certain exemptive orders issued to a fund by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, require the fund, under certain circumstances, to "echo vote" proxies of registered investment companies that serve as underlying investments of the fund.

In addition, with respect to holdings of The Charles Schwab Corporation ("CSC") (ticker symbol: SCHW), the Investment Stewardship Team will ensure such proxies are echo-voted, unless otherwise required by law.

Where the Proxy Committee has delegated an item to the Investment Stewardship Team, CSIM has taken certain steps to mitigate perceived or potential conflicts of interest, including, but not limited to, the following:

<sup>●</sup>

maintaining a reporting structure that separates employees with voting authority from those with sales or business relationship authority,

<sup>●</sup>

reporting of potential conflicts to the Proxy Committee to review the conflict and provide final vote determination,

<sup>●</sup>

defaulting to the standard CSIM Proxy Voting Policy.

In all other cases, proxy issues that present material conflicts of interest between CSIM, and/or any of its affiliates, and CSIM's clients, will be delegated to Glass Lewis to be voted in accordance with CSIM's Proxy Voting Guidelines which are set each year based on governance criteria and not influenced by any individual issuer or ballot item.

Where CSIM's Investment Stewardship Team conducts an engagement meeting with a company, CSIM has taken certain steps to mitigate perceived or potential conflicts of interest, including, but not limited to, the following:

<sup>●</sup>

ensuring that no members of the board of (i) CSC or (ii) an Affiliated Fund, which are affiliated with such company, are participants in such meetings.

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; B.

FOREIGN SECURITIES/SHAREBLOCKING

Voting proxies with respect to shares of foreign securities may involve significantly greater effort and corresponding cost than voting proxies with respect to domestic securities due to the variety of regulatory schemes and corporate practices in foreign countries with respect to proxy voting. Problems voting foreign proxies may include the following:

<sup>●</sup>

proxy statements and ballots written in a foreign language,

<sup>●</sup>

untimely and/or inadequate notice of shareholder meetings,

<sup>●</sup>

restrictions of foreigner's ability to exercise votes,

<sup>●</sup>

requirements to vote proxies in person,

<sup>●</sup>

requirements to provide local agents with power of attorney to facilitate CSIM's voting instructions.

In consideration of the foregoing issues, CSIM, in conjunction with Glass Lewis, uses its best efforts to vote foreign proxies. As part of its ongoing oversight, the Proxy Committee will monitor the voting of foreign proxies to determine whether all reasonable steps are taken to vote foreign proxies. If the Proxy Committee determines that the cost associated with the attempt to vote outweighs the potential benefits clients may derive from voting, the Proxy Committee may decide not to attempt to vote. In addition, certain foreign countries impose restrictions on the sale of securities for a period of time before and/or after the shareholder meeting. To avoid these trading restrictions, the Proxy Committee instructs Glass Lewis not to vote such foreign proxies (share-blocking).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; C.

SECURITIES LENDING

Certain of the funds managed by CSIM enter into securities lending arrangements with lending agents to generate additional revenue for their portfolios. In securities lending arrangements, any voting rights that accompany the loaned securities generally pass to the borrower of the securities, but the lender retains the right to recall a security and may then exercise the security's voting rights. In order to vote the proxies of securities out on loan, the securities must be recalled prior to the established record date. CSIM will use its best efforts to recall a fund's securities on loan when deemed appropriate and in the best interest of shareholders and complies with all reporting requirements.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; D.

SUB-ADVISORY RELATIONSHIPS

Where CSIM has delegated day-to-day investment management responsibilities to an investment sub-adviser, CSIM may (but generally does not) delegate proxy voting responsibility to such investment sub-adviser. In addition, CSIM may share proxy voting with an investment sub-adviser. Each sub-adviser to whom proxy voting responsibility has been delegated will be required to review all proxy solicitation material and to make voting decisions in the best interest of each investment company and its shareholders, or other client associated with the securities it has been allocated. Each sub-adviser to whom proxy voting has been delegated must inform CSIM of its voting decisions to allow CSIM to implement the votes or in the case of shared voting responsibility, potentially override the sub-adviser's vote recommendation. Prior to delegating the proxy voting responsibility, CSIM will review each sub-adviser's proxy voting policy to determine whether it believes that each sub-adviser's proxy voting policy is generally consistent with the maximization of the value of CSIM's clients' investments by protecting the long-term best interest of shareholders.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; E.

REPORTING AND RECORD RETENTION

CSIM will maintain, or cause Glass Lewis to maintain, records that identify the manner in which proxies have been voted (or not voted) on behalf of CSIM clients. CSIM will comply with all applicable rules and regulations regarding disclosure of its or its clients' proxy voting records and procedures.

CSIM will retain all proxy voting materials and supporting documentation as required under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

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#### Schwab Strategic Trust PEA No. 180

#### Part C: Other Information

#### ITEM 28.

#### EXHIBITS.

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|:---|:---|
| (a)(1) | [Certificate of Trust, dated January 27, 2009, of Schwab Strategic Trust (the Registrant or the Trust) is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(1) to Registrant's Registration Statement, filed July 15, 2009.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012309022452/f52956exv99wxayx1y.htm) |
| (a)(2) | [Registrant's Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a)(3) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant's Registration Statement, filed October 27, 2009.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012309053288/f53813exv99wxayx3y.htm) |
| (b) | [Registrant's By-Laws, dated January 26, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (b) to Registrant's Registration Statement, filed July 15, 2009.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012309022452/f52956exv99wxby.htm) |
| (c) | [Reference is made to Article 5 to Registrant's Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012309053288/f53813exv99wxayx3y.htm) |
| (d)(1) | [Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on April 28, 2017 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 95).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312517147018/d335567dex99d1.htm) |
| (d)(2) | [Amendment No. 1, dated October 5, 2017, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 101 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on October 5, 2017 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 101).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312517304048/d461818dex99d2.htm) |
| (d)(3) | [Amendment No. 2, dated March 11, 2019, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 111 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on April 26, 2019 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 111).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312519119993/d694890dex99d3.htm) |
| (d)(4) | [Amendment No. 3, dated October 3, 2019, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 116 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on October 3, 2019 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 116).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312519260897/d744093dex99d4.htm) |
| (d)(5) | [Amendment No. 4, dated December 13, 2019, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 120 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on February 24, 2020 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 120).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312520044893/d884546dex99d5.htm) |
| (d)(6) | [Amendment No. 5, dated February 25, 2020, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 121 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on April 17, 2020.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312520109469/d903064dex99d6.htm) |
| (d)(7) | [Amendment No. 6, dated February 24, 2021, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 130 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on March 23, 2021 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 130).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465921040158/tm219225-1_exd7.htm) |
| (d)(8) | [Amendment No. 7, dated February 24, 2021, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 139 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on November 2, 2021 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 139).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465921132780/tm2125003d6_exd8.htm) |
| (d)(9) | [Amendment No. 8, dated December 20, 2021, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(9) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on April 28, 2022.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922051351/tm2212149d1_ex99-d9.htm) |
| (d)(10) | [Amendment No. 9, dated July 1, 2022, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(10) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 148 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on July 15, 2022.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922079921/tm2220948d1_ex99-d10.htm) |
| (d)(11) | [Amendment No. 10, dated July 29, 2022, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(11) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 150 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on July 29, 2022 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 150).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922083806/tm226059d4_ex99-d11.htm) |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| (d)(12) | [Amendment No. 11, dated September 28, 2022, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(12) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 151 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on September 28, 2022 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 151).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922103375/tm2220948d4_ex99-d12.htm) |
| (d)(13) | [Amendment No. 12, dated June 26, 2023, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(13) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on June 26, 2023 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 160).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465923074367/tm232526d11_ex99-d13.htm) |
| (d)(14) | [Amendment No. 13, dated September 25, 2023, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(14) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 163 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on December 27, 2023 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 163).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465923129294/tm2326759d1_ex99-d14.htm) |
| (d)(15) | [Amendment No. 14, dated July 30, 2024, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(15) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 169 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on July 30, 2024 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 169).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465924083620/tm2411575d4_ex99-xdx15.htm) |
| (d)(16) | [Amendment No. 15, dated November 7, 2024, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(16) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 172 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on November 7, 2024 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 172).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001454889/000110465924114864/tm2421715d2_ex99-xdx16.htm) |
| (d)(17) | [Amendment No. 16, dated January 13, 2025, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(17) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 174 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on January 13, 2024 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 174).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925002631/tm2426791d5_ex99-xdx17.htm) |
| (d)(18) | [Amendment No. 17, dated February 28, 2025, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(18) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 175 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on March 14, 2025 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 175).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925023549/tm257229d1_ex99-xdx18.htm) |
| (d)(19) | [Amendment No. 18, dated May 28, 2025, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(19) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 178 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on May 28, 2025 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 178).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925053088/tm2513672d1_ex99-xdx19.htm) |
| (d)(20) | [Amendment No. 19, dated June 10, 2025, to the Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated March 1, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(20) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 179 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on June 27, 2025.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925063117/tm2513735d1_ex99-xdx20.htm) |
| (d)(21) | [Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and Ariel Investments, LLC, dated February 24, 2021, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (d)(9) of PEA No. 139.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465921132780/tm2125003d6_exd9.htm) |
| (e)(1) | [Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co. is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on April 21, 2010 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 1).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012310036635/f55539exv99we.htm) |
| (e)(2) | [Amendment No. 1, dated July 26, 2010, to Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on July 23, 2010.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012310067669/f55594exv99wew2.htm) |
| (e)(3) | [Amendment No. 2, dated December 17, 2010, to Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on April 15, 2011 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 7).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012311035743/f58931aexv99wew3.htm) |
| (e)(4) | [Amendment No. 3, dated July 1, 2011, to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(4) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 12 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on July 8, 2011 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 12).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012311064649/f59163bexv99wxeyx4y.htm) |
| (e)(5) | [Amendment No. 4, dated October 1, 2011, to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on October 14, 2011 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 17).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012311089989/f59832bexv99wew5.htm) |

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|:---|:---|
| (e)(6) | [Amendment No. 5, dated August 8, 2013, to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(6) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 46 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on August 8, 2013.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312513324936/d566144dex99e6.htm) |
| (e)(7) | [Amendment No. 6, dated October 5, 2017, to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(7) of PEA No. 101.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312517304048/d461818dex99e7.htm) |
| (e)(8) | [Amendment No. 7, dated October 3, 2019, to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(8) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 118 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on December 18, 2019 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 118).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312519316390/d732119dex99e8.htm) |
| (e)(9) | [Amendment No. 8, dated December 12, 2019, to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(9) of PEA No. 120.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312520044893/d884546dex99e9.htm) |
| (e)(10) | [Amendment No. 9, dated February 24, 2021, to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(10) of PEA No. 130.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465921040158/tm219225-1_exe10.htm) |
| (e)(11) | [Amendment No. 10, dated November 2, 2021, to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(11) of PEA No. 139.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465921132780/tm2125003d6_exe11.htm) |
| (e)(12) | [Amendment No. 11, dated July 29, 2022, to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(12) of PEA No. 150.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922083806/tm226059d4_ex99-e12.htm) |
| (e)(13) | [Amendment No. 12, dated September 28, 2022, to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference toExhibit (e)(13) of PEA No. 151.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922103375/tm2220948d4_ex99-e13.htm) |
| (e)(14) | [Amendment No. 13, dated June 26, 2023, to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(14) of PEA No. 160.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465923074367/tm232526d11_ex99-e14.htm) |
| (e)(15) | [Amendment No. 14, dated July 30, 2024, to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(15) of PEA No. 169.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465924083620/tm2411575d4_ex99-xex15.htm) |
| (e)(16) | [Amendment No. 15, dated November 7, 2024, to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(16) of PEA No. 172.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465924114864/tm2421715d2_ex99-xex16.htm) |
| (e)(17) | [Amendment No. 16, dated January 13, 2025, to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(17) of PEA No. 174.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925002631/tm2426791d5_ex99-xex17.htm) |
| (e)(18) | [Amendment No. 17, dated May 28, 2025, to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and SEI Investments Distribution Co., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (e)(18) of PEA No. 178.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925053088/tm2513672d1_ex99-xex18.htm) |
| (f) | Not applicable. |
| (g)(1) | [Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(1) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on October 7, 2009 (hereinafter referred to as Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012309049056/f53698a1exv99wgw1.htm) |
| (g)(2) | [Amendment, dated October 8, 2009, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(2) of PEA No. 1.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012310036635/f55539exv99wgw2.htm) |
| (g)(3) | [Amendment, dated July 26, 2010, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(3) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on September 24, 2010 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 4).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012310088781/f56918exv99wgw3.htm) |
| (g)(4) | [Amendment, dated December 17, 2010, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(4) of PEA No. 7.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012311035743/f58931aexv99wgw4.htm) |
| (g)(5) | [Amendment, dated July 1, 2011, to the Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(5) of PEA No. 12.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012311064649/f59163bexv99wxgyx5y.htm) |
| (g)(6) | [Amendment, dated October 1, 2011, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(6) of PEA No. 17.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012311089989/f59832bexv99wgw6.htm) |
| (g)(7) | [Amendment, dated July 8, 2013, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 56 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on December 26, 2013 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 56).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312513484681/d595811dex99g7.htm) |

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|:---|:---|
| (g)(8) | [Amendment, dated October 5, 2017, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(8) of PEA No. 101.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312517304048/d461818dex99g8.htm) |
| (g)(9) | [Amendment, dated November 16, 2017, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(9) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 103 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on December 28, 2017 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 103).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312517381734/d483814dex99g9.htm) |
| (g)(10) | [Amendment, dated October 3, 2019, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(10) of PEA No. 116.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312519260897/d744093dex99g10.htm) |
| (g)(11) | [Amendment, dated February 24, 2021, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(11) of PEA No. 130.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465921040158/tm219225-1_exg11.htm) |
| (g)(12) | [Amendment, dated April 30, 2021, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(12) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 173 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on December 20, 2024 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 173).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465924130261/tm2426568d1_ex99-xgx12.htm) |
| (g)(13) | [Amendment, dated November 2, 2021, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(12) of PEA No. 139.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465921132780/tm2125003d6_exg12.htm) |
| (g)(14) | [Amendment, dated July 29, 2022, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(13) of PEA No. 150.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922083806/tm226059d4_ex99-g13.htm) |
| (g)(15) | [Amendment, dated September 28, 2022, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(14) of PEA No. 151.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922103375/tm2220948d4_ex99-g14.htm) |
| (g)(16) | [Amendment, dated June 26, 2023, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(15) of PEA No. 160.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465923074367/tm232526d11_ex99-g15.htm) |
| (g)(17) | [Amendment, dated July 30, 2024, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(16) of PEA No. 169.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465924083620/tm2411575d4_ex99-xgx16.htm) |
| (g)(18) | [Amendment, dated November 7, 2024, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(17) of PEA No. 172.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001454889/000110465924114864/tm2421715d2_ex99-xgx17.htm) |
| (g)(19) | [Amendment, dated December 11, 2024, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(19) of PEA No. 173.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465924130261/tm2426568d1_ex99-xgx19.htm) |
| (g)(20) | [Amendment, dated January 13, 2025, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(20) of PEA No. 174.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925002631/tm2426791d5_ex99-xgx20.htm) |
| (g)(21) | [Amendment, dated May 28, 2025, to the Amended and Restated Master Custodian Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 17, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(21) of PEA No. 178.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925053088/tm2513672d1_ex99-xgx21.htm) |
| (h)(1) | [Administration Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1) of PEA No. 118.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312519316390/d732119dex99h1.htm) |
| (h)(1)(a) | [Amendment No. 8, dated February 24, 2021, to the Administration Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1)(h) of PEA No. 130.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465921040158/tm219225-1_exh1h.htm) |
| (h)(1)(b) | [Amendment No. 9, dated November 2, 2021, to the Administration Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1)(b) of PEA No. 139.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465921132780/tm2125003d6_exh1b.htm) |
| (h)(1)(c) | [Amendment No. 10, dated July 29, 2022, to the Administration Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1)(c) of PEA No. 150.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922083806/tm226059d4_ex99-h1c.htm) |
| (h)(1)(d) | [Amendment No. 11, dated September 28, 2022, to the Administration Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1)(d) of PEA No. 151.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922103375/tm2220948d4_ex99-h1d.htm) |
| (h)(1)(e) | [Amendment No. 12, dated June 26, 2023, to the Administration Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1)(e) of PEA No. 160.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465923074367/tm232526d11_ex99-h1e.htm) |

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| (h)(1)(f) | [Amendment No. 13, dated July 30, 2024, to the Administration Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1)(f) of PEA No. 169.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465924083620/tm2411575d4_ex99-xhx1xf.htm) |
| (h)(1)(g) | [Amendment No. 14, dated November 7, 2024, to the Administration Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1)(g) of PEA No. 172.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001454889/000110465924114864/tm2421715d2_ex99-xhx1xg.htm) |
| (h)(1)(h) | [Amendment No. 15, dated January 13, 2025, to the Administration Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1)(h) of PEA No. 174.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925002631/tm2426791d5_ex99-xhx1xh.htm) |
| (h)(1)(i) | [Amendment No. 16, dated May 28, 2025, to the Administration Agreement between the Registrant and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated October 12, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(1)(i) of PEA No. 178.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925053088/tm2513672d1_ex99-xhx1xi.htm) |
| (h)(2) | [Transfer Agency Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 8, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2) of PEA No. 118.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312519316390/d732119dex99h2.htm) |
| (h)(2)(a) | [Amendment, dated October 9, 2020, to the Transfer Agency Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 8, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(h) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 126 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on December 18, 2020.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312520320284/d882759dex99h2h.htm) |
| (h)(2)(b) | [Amendment, dated February 24, 2021, to the Transfer Agency Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 8, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(i) of PEA No. 130.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465921040158/tm219225-1_exh2i.htm) |
| (h)(2)(c) | [Amendment, dated November 2, 2021, to the Transfer Agency Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 8, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(c) of PEA No. 139.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465921132780/tm2125003d6_exh2c.htm) |
| (h)(2)(d) | [Amendment, dated July 29, 2022, to the Transfer Agency Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 8, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(d) of PEA No. 150.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922083806/tm226059d4_ex99-h2d.htm) |
| (h)(2)(e) | [Amendment, dated September 28, 2022, to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 8, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(e) of PEA 151.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922103375/tm2220948d4_ex99-h2e.htm) |
| (h)(2)(f) | [Amendment, dated June 26, 2023, to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 8, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(f) of PEA No. 160.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465923074367/tm232526d11_ex99-h2f.htm) |
| (h)(2)(g) | [Amendment, dated July 30, 2024, to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 8, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(g) of PEA No. 169.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465924083620/tm2411575d4_ex99-xhx2xg.htm) |
| (h)(2)(h) | [Amendment, dated November 7, 2024, to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 8, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(h) of PEA No. 172.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001454889/000110465924114864/tm2421715d2_ex99-xhx2xh.htm) |
| (h)(2)(i) | [Amendment, dated January 13, 2025, to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 8, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(i) of PEA No. 174.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925002631/tm2426791d5_ex99-xhx2xi.htm) |
| (h)(2(j) | [Amendment, dated May 28, 2025, to the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 8, 2009, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(2)(j) of PEA No. 178.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925053088/tm2513672d1_ex99-xhx2xj.htm) |
| (h)(3) | [Form of Authorized Participant Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(3) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012309049056/f53698a1exv99whw3.htm) |
| (h)(4) | [Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012309049056/f53698a1exv99whw4.htm) |
| (h)(4)(a) | [Amendment, dated October 8, 2009, to the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5) of PEA No. 1.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012310036635/f55539exv99whw5.htm) |
| (h)(4)(b) | [Amendment, dated July 26, 2010, to the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, filed September 24, 2010, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(10) of PEA No. 4.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012310088781/f56918exv99whw10.htm)  |
| (h)(4)(c) | [Amendment, dated December 17, 2010, to the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(c) of PEA No. 7.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012311035743/f58931aexv99whw4wc.htm) |
| (h)(4)(d) | [Amendment, dated July 1, 2011, to the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(d) of PEA No. 12.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012311064649/f59163bexv99wxhyx4yxdy.htm) |
| (h)(4)(e) | [Amendment, dated October 1, 2011, to the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(e) of PEA No. 17.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012311089989/f59832bexv99whw4we.htm) |
| (h)(4)(f) | [Amendment, dated July 8, 2013, to the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(f) of PEA No. 56.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312513484681/d595811dex99h4f.htm) |
| (h)(4)(g) | [Amendment, dated January 20, 2016, to Appendix A of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(g) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 92 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on December 28, 2016 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 92).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312516805632/d278560dex99h4g.htm) |

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| (h)(4)(h) | [Amendment, dated August 18, 2016, to Appendix A of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(h) of PEA No. 92.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312516805632/d278560dex99h4h.htm) |
| (h)(4)(i) | [Amendment, dated February 2, 2017, to Appendix A of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(i) of PEA No. 95.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312517147018/d335567dex99h4i.htm) |
| (h)(4)(j) | [Amendment, dated October 5, 2017, to Appendix A and Appendix B of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(j) of PEA No. 101.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312517304048/d461818dex99h4j.htm) |
| (h)(4)(k) | [Amendment, dated November 16, 2017, to Appendix A of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(k) of PEA No. 103.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312517381734/d483814dex99h4k.htm) |
| (h)(4)(l) | [Amendment, modified March 11, 2019, to Appendix A of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(l) of PEA No. 111.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312519119993/d694890dex99h4l.htm) |
| (h)(4)(m) | [Amendment, dated October 3, 2019, to Appendix A and Appendix B of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(m) of PEA No. 118.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312519316390/d732119dex99h4m.htm) |
| (h)(4)(n) | [Amendment, dated March 23, 2021, to Appendix A and Appendix B of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(n) of Post-Effective Agreement No. 131 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on April 5, 2021 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 131).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465921046532/tm2110163d1_exh4n.htm) |
| (h)(4)(o) | [Amendment, dated November 2, 2021, to Appendix A and Appendix B of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(o) of PEA No. 139.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465921132780/tm2125003d6_exh4o.htm) |
| (h)(4)(p) | [Amendment, dated July 29, 2022, to Appendix A and Appendix B of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(p) of PEA No. 150.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922083806/tm226059d4_ex99-h4p.htm) |
| (h)(4)(q) | [Amendment, dated September 28, 2022, to Appendix A and Appendix B of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(q) of PEA 151.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922103375/tm2220948d4_ex99-h4q.htm) |
| (h)(4)(r) | [Amendment, dated June 26, 2023, to Appendix A and Appendix B of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(r) of PEA No. 160.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465923074367/tm232526d11_ex99-h4r.htm) |
| (h)(4)(s) | [Amendment, dated July 30, 2024, to Appendix A and Appendix B of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(s) of PEA No. 169.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465924083620/tm2411575d4_ex99-xhx4xs.htm) |
| (h)(4)(t) | [Amendment, dated November 7, 2024, to Appendix A and Appendix B of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(t) of PEA No. 172.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001454889/000110465924114864/tm2421715d2_ex99-xhx4xt.htm) |
| (h)(4)(u) | [Amendment, dated November 14, 2024, to the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(u) of PEA No. 173.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465924130261/tm2426568d1_ex99-xhx4xu.htm) |
| (h)(4)(v) | [Amendment, dated January 13, 2025, to Appendix A and Appendix B of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(v) of PEA No. 174.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925002631/tm2426791d5_ex99-xhx4xv.htm) |
| (h)(4)(w) | [Amendment, dated May 28, 2025, to Appendix A and Appendix B of the Master Fund Accounting and Services Agreement between the Registrant and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(4)(w) of PEA No. 178.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925053088/tm2513672d1_ex99-xhx4xw.htm) |
| (h)(5) | [Sub-Administration Agreement between the Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(6) of Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012309049056/f53698a1exv99whw6.htm) |
| (h)(5)(a) | [Amendment, dated October 8, 2009, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between the Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(7) of PEA No. 1.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012310036635/f55539exv99whw7.htm) |

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| (h)(5)(b) | [Amendment, dated July 26, 2010 to the Sub-Administration Agreement between the Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, filed September 24, 2010, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(11) of PEA No. 4.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012310088781/f56918exv99whw11.htm) |
| (h)(5)(c) | [Amendment, dated December 17, 2010, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between the Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5)(c) of PEA No. 7.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012311035743/f58931aexv99whw5wc.htm) |
| (h)(5)(d) | [Amendment, dated July 1, 2011, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between the Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5)(d) of PEA No. 12.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012311064649/f59163bexv99wxhyx5yxdy.htm) |
| (h)(5)(e) | [Amendment, dated October 1, 2011, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between the Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5)(e) of PEA No. 17.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000095012311089989/f59832bexv99whw5we.htm) |
| (h)(5)(f) | [Amendment, dated August 8, 2013, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between the Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5)(f) of PEA No. 56.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312513484681/d595811dex99h5f.htm) |
| (h)(5)(g) | [Amendment, dated October 5, 2017, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5)(g) of PEA No. 101.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312517304048/d461818dex99h5g.htm) |
| (h)(5)(h) | [Amendment, dated October 3, 2019, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5)(h) of PEA No. 118.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312519316390/d732119dex99h5h.htm) |
| (h)(5)(i) | [Amendment, dated March 23, 2021, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5)(i) of PEA No. 131.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465921046532/tm2110163d1_exh5i.htm) |
| (h)(5)(j) | [Amendment, dated November 2, 2021, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5)(j) of PEA No. 139.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465921132780/tm2125003d6_exh5j.htm) |
| (h)(5)(k) | [Amendment, dated July 29, 2022, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5)(k) of PEA No. 150.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922083806/tm226059d4_ex99-h5k.htm) |
| (h)(5)(l) | [Amendment, dated September 28, 2022, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5)(l) of PEA 151.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922103375/tm2220948d4_ex99-h5l.htm) |
| (h)(5)(m) | [Amendment, dated June 26, 2023, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5)(m) of PEA No. 160.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465923074367/tm232526d11_ex99-h5m.htm) |
| (h)(5)(n) | [Amendment, dated July 30, 2024, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5)(n) of PEA No. 169.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465924083620/tm2411575d4_ex99-xhx5xn.htm) |
| (h)(5)(o) | [Amendment, dated November 7, 2024, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5)(o) of PEA No. 172.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001454889/000110465924114864/tm2421715d2_ex99-xhx5xo.htm) |
| (h)(5)(p) | [Amendment, dated January 13, 2025, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5)(p) of PEA No. 174.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925002631/tm2426791d5_ex99-xhx5xp.htm) |
| (h)(5)(q) | [Amendment, dated May 28, 2025, to the Sub-Administration Agreement between Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated October 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(5)(q) of PEA No. 178.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925053088/tm2513672d1_ex99-xhx5xq.htm) |
| (h)(6) | [Sublicense Agreement between the Registrant, Schwab Investments and Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dated October 5, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(6) of PEA No. 101.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312517304048/d461818dex99h6.htm) |
| (h)(7) | [Form of Fund of Funds Investment Agreement, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (h)(7) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 141 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on March 2, 2022.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922029220/tm226059d1_ex99-h7.htm) |
| (i) | [Opinion and Consent of Counsel is filed herein as Exhibit (i).](tm2515430d1_ex99-xi.htm) |
| (j)(1) | [Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP is filed herein as Exhibit (j)(1).](tm2515430d1_ex99-xjx1.htm) |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| (j)(2) | [Power of Attorney executed by Omar Aguilar, dated January 1, 2025, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(2) of PEA No. 174.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925002631/tm2426791d5_ex99-xjx2.htm) |
| (j)(3) | [Power of Attorney executed by Robert W. Burns, dated January 1, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(5) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 86 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on January 12, 2026 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 86).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312516427703/d121819dex99j5.htm) |
| (j)(4) | [Power of Attorney executed by David L. Mahoney, dated January 1, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(8) of PEA No. 86.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312516427703/d121819dex99j8.htm) |
| (j)(5) | [Power of Attorney executed by Kimberly S. Patmore, dated January 1, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(10) of PEA No. 86.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312516427703/d121819dex99j10.htm) |
| (j)(6) | [Power of Attorney executed by Nancy F. Heller, dated June 1, 2018, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(11) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 107 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on June 26, 2018.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312518204075/d570536dex99j11.htm) |
| (j)(7) | [Power of Attorney executed by Jane P. Moncreiff, dated January 28, 2019, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(13) of PEA No. 111.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312519119993/d694890dex99j13.htm) |
| (j)(8) | [Power of Attorney executed by Dana S. Smith, dated January 11, 2023, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(9) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 154 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on January 17, 2023 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 154).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465923004135/tm232526d1_ex99-j9.htm) |
| (j)(9) | [Registrant, Certified Resolution regarding Powers of Attorney, dated June 10, 2020 is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(15) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 124 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on June](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312520179355/d796817dex99j15.htm) [26, 2020.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000119312520179355/d796817dex99j15.htm) |
| (j)(10) | [Power of Attorney executed by Jean Derek Penn, dated June 1, 2021, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(15) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 133 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on June 25, 2021.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465921085245/tm2117263d1_exj15.htm) |
| (j)(11) | [Power of Attorney executed by Michael J. Beer, dated September 26, 2022, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(13) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 152 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on November 7, 2022 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 152).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465922115353/tm2228763-2_exj13.htm) |
| (j)(12) | [Power of Attorney executed by Richard A. Wurster, dated January 1, 2025, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (j)(12) of PEA No. 174.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925002631/tm2426791d5_ex99-xjx12.htm) |
| (k) | Not applicable. |
| (l) | None. |
| (m) | Not applicable. |
| (n) | Not applicable. |
| (o) | Not applicable. |
| (p)(1) | [Joint Code of Ethics for the Registrant, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., dated June 6, 2024, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibt (p)(1) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 167 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on June 21, 2024 (hereinafter referred to as PEA No. 167).](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465924073497/tm2414287d1_ex99-xpx1.htm) |
| (p)(2) | [Code of Ethics of SEI Investments Distribution Corporation, dated February 29, 2024, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(2) of Post-Effective Amendment No. 165 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 811-22311) electronically filed with the SEC on April 26, 2024.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465924052095/tm248627d1_ex99-xpx2.htm) |
| (p)(3) | [Code of Ethics of Ariel Investments, LLC, dated December 31, 2024, is incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (p)(3) of PEA No. 175.](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465925023549/tm257229d1_ex99-xpx3.htm) |

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#### ITEM 29.

#### PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH REGISTRANT.
The Board of Trustees of the Registrant is identical to the boards of trustees of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Laudus Trust. Each such trust has Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. as its investment adviser. In addition, the officers of the Registrant are also identical to those of each such other trust. As a result, the above-named trusts may be deemed to be under common control with the Registrant. Nonetheless, the Registrant takes the position that it is not under common control with such other trusts because the power residing in the respective trusts' boards and officers arises as a result of an official position with each such trust.

#### ITEM 30.

#### INDEMNIFICATION.
Reference is made to Article VII of Registrant's Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust (Exhibit (a)(2) filed October 27, 2009) and Article 11 of Registrant's By-Laws (Exhibit (b) filed July 15, 2009). In accordance with Sections 17(h) and 17(i) of the 1940 Act, said Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws do not protect any person against any liability to Registrant or its shareholders to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in

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the conduct of his or her office. In any event, Registrant will comply with 1940 Act Releases Nos. 7221 and 11330 respecting the permissible boundaries of indemnification by an investment company of its officers and trustees.

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Act), may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

#### ITEM 31.

#### BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF INVESTMENT ADVISER.
The Registrant's investment adviser is Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., dba Schwab Asset Management<sup>®</sup>, a Delaware corporation, organized in October 1989 with a principal place of business at 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. The only business in which the investment adviser engages is that of investment adviser and administrator to The Charles Schwab Family of Funds, Schwab Investments, Schwab Capital Trust, Schwab Annuity Portfolios and Schwab Strategic Trust; investment adviser to Laudus Trust; investment adviser and/or administrator to any other open-end management investment companies that Schwab may sponsor in the future; and an investment adviser to certain non-investment company clients.

The business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each director and/or senior or executive officer of the investment adviser is or has been engaged during the past two fiscal years is listed below. The name of any company for which any director and/or senior or executive officer of the investment adviser serves as director, officer, employee, partner or trustee is also listed below.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name and Position with Adviser**  | **Name of Other Company**  | **Capacity**  |
| Omar Aguilar, Director, Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Investment Officer | Schwab ETFs | Trustee, Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Investment Officer |
| | Schwab Funds | Trustee, Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Investment Officer |
|  | Laudus Trust | Trustee, Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Investment Officer |
| Patrick Cassidy, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer | Schwab Funds | Vice President and Chief Investment Officer |
| | Laudus Trust | Vice President and Chief Investment Officer |
|  | Schwab ETFs | Vice President and Chief Investment Officer |
| Mark Hunter, Managing Director and Chief Compliance Officer | Charles Schwab & Co., Inc | Managing Director |
| | Schwab ETFs | Chief Compliance Officer |
| | Schwab Funds | Chief Compliance Officer |
|  | Laudus Trust | Chief Compliance Officer |
| Catherine MacGregor, Managing Director and Chief Legal Officer | Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. | Managing Director |
| | Schwab ETFs | Secretary and Chief Legal Officer |
| | Schwab Funds | Secretary and Chief Legal Officer |
|  | Laudus Trust | Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Clerk |
| William P. McMahon, Jr., Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer | Schwab ETFs | Vice President and Chief Investment Officer |
| | Schwab Funds | Vice President and Chief Investment Officer |
|  | Laudus Trust | Vice President and Chief Investment Officer |
| Jessica Seidlitz, Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer | Schwab Funds | Chief Operating Officer |
| | Schwab ETFs | Chief Operating Officer |

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name and Position with Adviser**  | **Name of Other Company**  | **Capacity**  |
| | Laudus Trust | Chief Operating Officer |
|  | Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. | Managing Director |
| Michael D. Verdeschi, Director | The Charles Schwab Corporation | Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer |
| | Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. | Director, Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer |
| | Ameritrade Holding LLC | Manager |
|  | Schwab Holdings, Inc. | Director |
| Richard A. Wurster, Director | Schwab Funds | Chairman and Trustee |
| | Schwab ETFs | Chairman and Trustee |
| | Laudus Trust | Chairman and Trustee |
| | The Charles Schwab Corporation | Director, Chief Executive Officer and President |

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#### ITEM 32.

#### PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITER:
(a) SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the Distributor) is the principal underwriter of the Trust.

The Distributor acts as distributor for:

SEI Daily Income Trust

SEI Tax Exempt Trust

SEI Institutional Managed Trust

SEI Institutional International Trust

The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund

The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II

Bishop Street Funds

SEI Asset Allocation Trust

SEI Institutional Investments Trust

City National Rochdale Funds (f/k/a CNI Charter Funds)

Causeway Capital Management Trust

SEI Offshore Opportunity Fund II, Ltd.

ProShares Trust

Community Capital Trust (f/k/a Community Reinvestment Act Qualified Investment Fund)

SEI Offshore Advanced Strategy Series SPC

SEI Structured Credit Fund, LP

Global X Funds

ProShares Trust II

SEI Special Situations Fund, Ltd.

Exchange Traded Concepts Trust (f/k/a FaithShares Trust)

Schwab Strategic Trust

RiverPark Funds Trust

Adviser Managed Trust

SEI Core Property Fund, LP

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New Covenant Funds

KraneShares Trust

The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III

SEI Catholic Values Trust

SEI Hedge Fund SPC

SEI Energy Debt Fund, LP

Gallery Trust

City National Rochdale Select Strategies Fund

City National Rochdale Strategic Credit Fund

Symmetry Panoramic Trust

Frost Family of Funds

SEI Vista Fund, Ltd.

Wilshire Private Assets Fund

Catholic Responsible Investments Funds

SEI Exchange Traded Funds

SEI Global Private Assets VI, L.P.

Quaker Investment Trust

SEI Alternative Income Fund

Global X Venture Fund

(b) Information with respect to each director, officer or partner of each principal underwriter is as follows. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each director or officer is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name**  | **Position and Office with Underwriter**  | **Positions and Offices with Registrant**  |
| Paul F. Klauder | President, Chief Executive Officer & Director | None |
| John C. Munch | General Counsel & Secretary | None |
| William M. Doran | Director | None |
| Kevin Crowe | Director | None |
| Jason McGhin | Vice President & Chief Operations Officer | None |
| John P. Coary | Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer | None |
| Jennifer H. Campisi | Chief Compliance Officer, Assistant Secretary & Anti-Money Laundering Officer | None |
| William M. Martin | Vice President | None |
| Christopher Rowan | Vice President | None |
| Judith Rager | Vice President | None |
| Gary Michael Reese | Vice President | None |
| Robert M. Silvestri | Vice President | None |

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(c) None.

#### ITEM 33.

#### LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS.
All accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained pursuant to Section 31(a) of the 1940 Act, as amended, and the Rules thereunder are maintained at the offices of: Registrant and Registrant's investment adviser and administrator, Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc., 211 Main Street, San Francisco, CA 94105; Registrant's principal underwriter, SEI Investments Distribution Co., 1 Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456; Registrant's custodian and fund accountant, State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Congress Street, Suite 1, Boston, MA 02114-2016; Registrant's transfer agent, State Street Bank and Trust Company, One Congress Street, Suite 1, Boston, MA 02114-2016; and Registrant's subadviser: Ariel Investments, LLC, 200 East Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601.

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#### ITEM 34. MANAGEMENT SERVICES. None. ITEM 35. UNDERTAKINGS. Not applicable.

#### SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for the effectiveness of this Post-Effective Amendment No. 180 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the 1933 Act and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 180 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of Washington in the District of Columbia, on the 25th day of July, 2025.

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| |
|:---|
| **SCHWAB STRATEGIC TRUST <br> Registrant** |
| Omar Aguilar \* <br>Omar Aguilar, Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Investment Officer  |

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Pursuant to the requirements of the 1933 Act, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 180 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated this 25th day of July, 2025.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Signature**  | **Title**  |
| Richard A. Wurster\* <br>Richard A. Wurster  | Chairman and Trustee |
| Michael J. Beer\* <br>Michael J. Beer  | Trustee |
| Robert W. Burns\* <br>Robert W. Burns  | Trustee |
| Nancy F. Heller\* <br>Nancy F. Heller  | Trustee |
| David L. Mahoney\* <br>David L. Mahoney  | Trustee |
| Jane P. Moncreiff\* <br>Jane P. Moncreiff  | Trustee |
| Kimberly S. Patmore\* <br>Kimberly S. Patmore  | Trustee |
| J. Derek Penn\* <br>J. Derek Penn  | Trustee |
| Omar Aguilar\* <br>Omar Aguilar  | Trustee, Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Investment Officer |
| Dana S. Smith\* <br>Dana S. Smith  | Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| \*By: | /s/ Douglas P. Dick <br>Douglas P. Dick, Attorney-in-Fact <br> Pursuant to Power of Attorney  |

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## Ex-99.(I)

**Exhibit (i)**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| ![](tm2515430d1_ex99-ximg01.jpg) | 1900 K Street, NW<br> Washington, DC 20006<br> +1 202 261 3300 Main<br> +1 202 261 3333 Fax<br> www.dechert.com<br>|

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July 25, 2025

Schwab Strategic Trust

211 Main Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel for Schwab Strategic Trust (the "Trust"), a trust duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, in connection with Post-Effective Amendment No. 180 to the Trust's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, together with all Exhibits thereto (the "Registration Statement") relating to the issuance and sale by the Trust of an indefinite number of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and Amendment No. 182 to the Registration Statement under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. We have examined such governmental and corporate certificates and records as we deemed necessary to render this opinion and we are familiar with the Trust's Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust and its By-Laws, each as amended to date.

Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the shares proposed to be sold pursuant to the Registration Statement, when paid for as contemplated in the Registration Statement, will be legally and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and to the use of our name in the Trust's Registration Statement to be dated on or about July 28, 2025 and in any revised or amended versions thereof. In giving such consent, however, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

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| |
|:---|
| Very truly yours, |
| <u>/s/ Dechert LLP</u> |

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## Ex-99.(J)(1)

**Exhibit (j)(1)**

**CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM**

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Post-Effective Amendment to Registration Statement No. 333-160595 on Form N-1A of our reports dated May 19, 2025, relating to the financial statements and financial highlights of Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF (formerly, Schwab Ariel ESG ETF) and Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF, both a series of the Schwab Strategic Trust (the "Trust"), appearing in the Annual Reports on Form N-CSR of the Trust for the year ended March 31, 2025, and to the references to us under the heading "Financial Highlights" in the Prospectuses for Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF and Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF and under the headings "Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm" and "The Actual Portfolio" in the Statement of Additional Information for Schwab Ariel Opportunities ETF and under the headings "Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm" and "Portfolio Holdings Disclosure" in the Statement of Additional Information for Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF, which are part of such Registration Statement.

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| |
|:---|
| /s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP |
| Denver, Colorado |
| July 24, 2025 |

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